Isolationist factions are groups, civilizations, or other factions that seek to keep to themselves, prefering to stay out of political freys or open conflicts. Fictional isolationist factions could be reclusive elven tribes or mysterious mountain kingdoms. Alliances and trade deals may be hard to come by with these isolationists, and even their borders may be closed to any outsiders, protected by great walls, mine fields, or other deterents. Isolationist factions can be used to create mystery within a fictional setting, as their policies of seclusion can obscure their true intentions as well as what wonders, new technologies, or building military forces, lay just within their borders. Isolationist factions may also be hidden or neutral factions.

Isolationist factions may be located geographically in places that can be hard to access or easy to defend. Consider islands, mountain valleys, behind great mountain ranges, or penisulas. The isolationist factions of science fiction worlds may be in deep space, alternate dimensions, or their whereabouts simply unknown. To further insulate themselves they may rely on great walls, minefields, or other fortifications on their borders.

Narratively, isolationists entering the political sphere for the first time or attempting to influence world politics from behind the scenes, can offer worldbuilders intriguing events for stories or for fictional histories.