What “type of fantasy world” means
When people ask about the different types of fantasy worlds, they usually mean one of two things. Readers tend to mean subgenres: epic fantasy, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, and so on. Writers usually mean something more practical: what kind of place am I building, and what does that choice commit me to?
This guide treats a fantasy world as a bundle of choices. No world falls into one neat box, and most published settings combine several of the categories below. A cozy portal fantasy and a grim portal fantasy share a structure but feel nothing alike. Sorting worlds along a few separate axes is more useful than memorizing a long list of labels.
The four axes covered here are how the world connects to ours, its tone and scale, its level of technology and culture, and how much magic it holds.
Type 1: By how the world connects to ours
This is the most basic split, and it shapes how you introduce the setting to a reader.
Secondary worlds
A secondary world is a fully invented setting with no direct link to Earth. Middle-earth, Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea, and the world of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn books are all examples. You have the most freedom here, and the most work: the reader knows nothing, so geography, history, and rules all have to be introduced gradually.
Portal worlds
In portal fantasy, a character from our world crosses into another one. The Chronicles of Narnia is the classic example. It is also a staple of family read-aloud series. The portal gives the reader a stand-in who is as confused as they are, so exposition feels natural. The trade-off is that you must decide why the portal exists, how it works, and whether characters can return.
Hidden or “secret” worlds
Here magic exists alongside the ordinary world but out of sight. The Harry Potter books are a well-known example of a hidden magical society. The writing challenge is the border: what keeps the two worlds apart, and what happens when they touch?
Contemporary and urban fantasy
These stories put magic in a recognizably modern setting, often a real city. Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London are commonly cited examples. Readers bring a lot of existing knowledge, so you only need to explain what is different. When the story is a romance with supernatural beings, see how to write paranormal romance.
Alternate history
Alternate-history fantasy changes something about the real past and lets magic or myth fill the gap. It works well if you enjoy research and want the setting to feel grounded.
Type 2: By tone and stakes
Tone changes how a world feels even when the map is identical.
- High or epic fantasy: Large stakes, often the fate of a kingdom or world, and usually a fully invented setting. The Lord of the Rings is the standard reference point.
- Low fantasy: Magic is rare, subtle, or secondary, and the story stays close to ordinary people and local problems. The term is sometimes also used for fantasy set in the real world, so check how a source defines it.
- Dark fantasy and grimdark: Morally gray characters, violence with consequences, and a bleak or cynical view of power. Our dark fantasy plot ideas show how writers build such stories. Dark fantasy often borrows from horror. Grimdark is usually described as a harsher, more cynical branch.
- Cozy fantasy: Low conflict, warm communities, and comfort as the goal. Think of a bakery, a bookshop, or an inn at the center of the story.
When choosing tone, ask what your reader should feel at the end of a chapter. The answer shapes everything from how dangerous the wilderness is to how fair the legal system is.
Type 3: By technology and culture
Many fantasy worlds default to a loosely medieval European feel: castles, knights, feudal lords. It is a familiar baseline, but it is only one option.
- Medieval-style: Familiar, easy to explain, and also easy to make generic. See our guides to fantasy government systems and fantasy social classes for ways to give it more texture.
- Inspired by other regions and eras: Settings can draw on East Asian, South Asian, African, Mesoamerican, Middle Eastern, or other traditions. Research and respect matter, especially if the culture is not your own.
- Gunpowder and industrial fantasy: Flintlocks, railways, and factories alongside magic. Some writers use the label “flintlock fantasy” for the gunpowder-era end of this range.
- Science fantasy: Fantasy elements and technology blend, sometimes in a far-future or other-planet setting.
For more ideas that step away from the default, see unique fantasy settings.
Type 4: By how much magic the world has
Magic level is a separate dial from tone. A world can be bleak with abundant magic or gentle with almost none.
- Rare or mysterious magic: Magic is unexplained and uncommon. This tends to preserve wonder and keeps magic from solving every problem.
- Defined, rule-based magic: Magic has costs and limits the reader can learn. This suits plots where characters solve problems cleverly.
- Pervasive magic: Magic is part of everyday life, like electricity, and the world has been reshaped around it. This requires you to think through economics, law, and daily routines.
If you are weighing these options, read our overview of types of magic in fantasy and our list of magic systems.
Where science fiction fits
Is sci-fi a type of fantasy? Not usually. Most definitions place both under the broader umbrella of speculative fiction. Science fiction generally leans on extrapolated science or technology, while fantasy leans on the supernatural or magical. The line is blurry in practice. Science fantasy deliberately mixes the two, and many stories use technology that behaves like magic. A useful test for your own work is how the story explains its impossible elements: through science-like reasoning, or through myth, magic, and wonder.
The main categories of worldbuilding
Writers often ask what the categories of worldbuilding are. There is no official list, but most guides cover some version of the following:
- Geography and environment: terrain, climate, resources, and how they limit travel and trade.
- History: the events that shaped present-day tensions.
- Cultures and peoples: customs, languages, food, clothing, and values.
- Politics and law: who holds power and how. See fantasy government systems.
- Social structure: class, family, and mobility. See fantasy social classes.
- Religion and belief: gods, myths, and rituals.
- Economy and technology: what people make, trade, and use.
- Magic or the supernatural: its source, costs, and social effects.
You do not need all of these in detail before you start drafting. Build deeply where the story will press on the world, and sketch the rest.
How to choose a world type for your story
A few practical questions can narrow the choice:
- Who is the viewpoint character, and what do they already know? A newcomer suggests a portal or a hidden world; a native suggests a secondary world.
- What is the central conflict? Political intrigue needs governments and classes worked out. A mystery may need a smaller, tighter setting.
- How will you handle exposition? Secondary worlds demand the most explanation. Contemporary settings demand the least.
- What do you want to research? Alternate history and culturally inspired settings reward careful research.
- What tone do you want readers to carry away? Choose the tone first and let the setting support it.
Frequently asked questions
What are some different fantasy genres?
Common labels include epic or high fantasy, low fantasy, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, portal fantasy, historical fantasy, cozy fantasy, and science fantasy. Many books fit more than one.
What are the main types of fiction?
Lists vary by source. A common broad split is literary fiction versus genre fiction, with genre fiction covering categories such as fantasy, science fiction, mystery, romance, thriller, horror, and historical fiction. Fantasy is one genre inside that larger picture.
Can a story mix world types?
Yes, and many do. A hidden-world story can have a dark tone, a portal story can use rule-based magic, and a low-magic world can be set in a flintlock era. Treat the categories as dials, not as boxes.
Where to go next
Once you know what kind of world you are building, work through its parts: the rules and flavors of magic, the way power is organized, and the way society is layered. If your idea feels too familiar, look at unique fantasy settings for ways to push it further. When you are ready to plot a story in your world, a fantasy beat sheet maps the key turning points.