~ Early Web Links ~

Zoom is a free, open-source interpreter for Z-Code, TADS, and Hugo interactive fiction formats, supporting classic Infocom titles like Zork as well as modern text adventures. Available for OS X and Unix-like systems, it includes plugin support for multiple story formats and comes with a downloadable manual.

Merentha is a long-running free online text-based multiplayer RPG that has been running since 1996, set in the fantasy world of Cardania with dozens of races, classes, guilds, and kingdoms to explore. The site serves as a comprehensive portal for players, featuring maps, quests, coding tutorials, player directories, character artwork, and lore spanning over two decades of active gameplay.

Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds is a classic anime-themed MMORPG with roots in the MUD tradition, offering an online fantasy world with quests, community events, and role-playing. One of the earliest graphical online RPGs, it blends Eastern art and storytelling with persistent multiplayer gameplay and a free trial to draw in newcomers.

SWmud is a long-running Star Wars-themed MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) that has been active since 1994, featuring around 40 planets and space stations with hundreds of rooms each. Players can choose from multiple character races and guilds, explore a universe loosely set during the original trilogy era, and engage in gameplay including dynamic bounties and corporations.

Clio is an open-source MUD2 client created by Ian Peattie, available for Windows, Unix, Linux, and MacOS X, offering sound effects and a special client mode for enhanced gameplay. The site provides downloads for multiple platforms and versions, source code via SourceForge, and links to alternative MUD2 clients for players who want different options.

The Tildeverse DCSS Server hosts a public instance of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, the classic roguelike game, accessible via SSH connection from any Linux, BSD, or macOS terminal. Visitors can play console games, browse morgue files and player recordings, and find setup scripts for tilde server operators who want to offer DCSS access to their own users.

A comprehensive FAQ covering the basics of MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons), explaining the different types including TinyMUDs, LPMUDs, DikuMUDs, and AberMUDs for newcomers to text-based online gaming. Hosted on the classic Lysator server, this document walks beginners through core concepts like avatars, netlag, and MUD culture, making it an essential old-web reference for anyone curious about early multiplayer online worlds.

An archived collection of the MUD-Dev mailing list spanning from 1996 to 2010, preserving developer discussions about MUD design, game mechanics, roleplaying systems, and programming. A valuable historical record for anyone interested in the early evolution of online multiplayer game development and the technical debates that shaped the genre.

End of Time is a free, text-based Multi-User Dungeon built around the beloved worlds of Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and Secret of Mana, offering players a unique multiplayer RPG experience in familiar Square Enix settings. The site covers races, classes, clans, world lore, and gameplay mechanics, with links to recommended MUD clients and an active wiki for deeper exploration.

Medievia is a long-running free-to-play MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) featuring an enormous world with sea exploration, dragon encounters, clan warfare, trading caravans, and player-built towns and castles. The game boasts a deeply social environment alongside complex gameplay mechanics including bloodlines, player-vs-player combat zones, and a dynamic system that tracks player emotions to shape the experience.