Writer, roleplayer, storyteller, nerd. Tries to live by Bill & Ted wisdom, i.e. "Be excellent to each other." 😎🎸
@wvs Thank you for taking the plunge! I'm happy to have shared Rahj's story - and glad you found so much value in it. 😊
Keep an eye out, because I've got more in the pipeline from other cool creators of long-running games, brand new game directories, and fresh codebases...
🕹️ What happens when a veteran MUD dev builds a modern client from scratch—with ARIA #accessibility support, dyslexia-friendly fonts, and captioned sound effects?
I talked with RahjIII, longtime steward of The Last Outpost, about his browser-based client designed to make text games playable on anything from smartphones to CRTs.
If you care about MU*s, inclusive design, or the joy of old-school games meeting today's tech, this one's for you.
📖 https://writing-games.com/lociterm-mud-client-and-the-legacy-of-the-last-outpost/
What if you could build an entire written world from a PNG file made with MS Paint? 😲
That’s exactly what Hades_Kane and Grieffels did. Their new system turns image files into playable maps for text-based games known as MUDs - complete with in-game editing tools and screen reader support.
Check it out 👉 https://writing-games.com/worldmap-project-by-hades-kane-and-grieffels/
🎉 Big congrats to EmpireMUD on its anniversary! 🎂
“A MUD is a place where you play together… connect with people, chat, and adventure,” says Khufu, Creator.
EmpireMUD lets you gather resources and build not just homes—but full cities—in a procedurally-generated world.
Full interview:
https://writing-games.com/empiremud-build-cities-with-text/
🎉 Writing Games recently turned 3! To celebrate, I compiled the best insights from my first year of interviews—covering accessibility, community, and inclusive game design.
From screen-reader-friendly MU*s to gaming with chronic illness, these conversations highlight ways to make text-based games more welcoming for everyone.
🔗 Read the full recap:
https://writing-games.com/3-years-of-writing-games-a-look-back/
Ever typed “LOOK AROUND” and found yourself on an epic journey?
Text-based adventure games have been turning words into worlds for decades. From Zork to AI Dungeon, these games show that imagination is often the best game engine of all.
🤿 Take a casual dive into their history and evolution: https://writing-games.com/text-based-adventure-games-zork-to-ai-dungeon/
ALSO: Happy Anniversary to Alter Aeon and AwakeMUD CE, two great text-based games!
You can read a little bit about them, and other long-running MU* games, here:
(If you have no idea what a MU* is, don't worry -- the article covers that, too. 😂)
Happy 2025 to all my fellow text-based game enthusiasts! 🎉 💜
The Events Calendar has been updated for those date-changing "third Flurbsday in Flurbtember" type holidays. You can check it out here:
https://writing-games.com/calendar/
Suggestions for missing holidays and game anniversaries welcome! There's a "Submit an event" button on the page, even. :)
Happy Anniversary, Evennia!! 🥳🎂
Evennia is a modern text-based game engine that helps you create your own #MUD games for free.
Learn more in this interview with Griatch, one of the main developers behind the project:
https://writing-games.com/evennia-a-modern-way-to-create-mus/
Happy Anniversary to AresMUSH! 🎂🎉
AresMUSH is a modern platform for creating and running multiplayer, collaborative writing games. It's free and open-source, too.
Learn more in this interview with Faraday, the developer behind AresMUSH:
https://writing-games.com/aresmush-the-next-gen-server-platform/
One of the things I like most about Faraday's story is that she persevered despite some early naysayers of the project. Glad she did!
Happy #SysAdminDay! Shout out to all the hard-working volunteers who support the community's favorite multi-user (MU*) games from behind the scenes - we appreciate you! 💜
https://writing-games.com/sysadmin-day-celebrating-the-people-who-keep-our-favorite-games-running/
In this latest interview, Blu and Roadspike share lessons learned from running roleplaying games online.
I especially like this tip: have a mission statement that guides your decisions and keeps you on track.
https://writing-games.com/designing-game-websites-and-systems-an-interview-with-blu-and-roadspike/
And if you run a game of your own, you might be interested in this post. Ozma, the owner of DBE MUD, briefly talks about how events like these helped his game retain players: https://writing-games.com/how-to-improve-player-retention-in-multi-user-mud-games-15-tips-for-game-designers/
Are you a fan of #DragonBallZ? Do you like free text-based games?
Dragonball Evolution is hosting its 22nd Anniversary event, which means increased XP and special event items!
Happy Birthday, DBE MUD! 🥳🎂
Play at https://evolution.mudhosting.net
@Orinks That's fair! :) There's a lot of variety in the MU world, and not every game (or type of game) is expected to appeal to every player.
New interview with Tat, creator of Shattered #MUSH! It's hard to sum up this game in a few words, but I'll try:
wield powerful magic, ride mythical creatures, and text message your friends
Interview here 👉 https://writing-games.com/shattered-mu-post-apocalyptic-rp-with-monsters-and-magic/
Lots of great advice for #storytellers, too.
Happy 33rd Birthday, StickMUD!!! 🎂 🎉
For those who don't know: StickMUD is a text-based, medieval fantasy adventuring game you can play online with friends for free!
It's run by a pretty cool dude who cares about #accessibility and is always looking for ways to improve the game. Helpful Discord and lots of events, too.
You can check it out for yourself at stickmud.com
Happy Anniversary, Silent Heaven! 🎂🥳
SH is a multiplayer, text-based roleplaying game (MU*) you can play online for free. The theme is supernatural horror.
Learn more about SH in this interview with the game's creator:
https://writing-games.com/silent-heaven-supernatural-horror-game/
✨New interview with Faraday, creator of AresMUSH! Ares is the free next-gen server platform for running MUSH-style text-based games.
Learn how Faraday addresses player privacy and #accessibility in AresMUSH:
https://writing-games.com/aresmush-the-next-gen-server-platform/
New interview with Manu (Power) and Lae (Mind), two creators behind Excelsior! Excelsior is a text-based #roleplaying game set in a unique #Marvel universe.
Find out what sets it apart from other #superhero MU*s👇
https://writing-games.com/excelsior-a-marvel-superhero-mu/