An example of an information processing system controls an action by a player character object in a virtual space in response to an action instruction based on an operation input. When the player character object performs the action, the information processing system defines a hit detection area used for defining whether the action has hit another object other than the player character object at a position that is determined based on the position and the orientation of the player character object in the virtual space, and expands the hit detection area in the depth direction of a virtual camera. If the expanded hit detection area is in contact with the other object, the information processing system performs a process based on the action against the other object.