~ Early Web Links ~

Elissa Black, a writer and game developer, announces Swords of Freeport, a text-mode ANSI-colour multiplayer game for Linux and Mac inspired by classic BBS Door games and MUDs like Legend of the Red Dragon. The post dives into her nostalgic love of once-a-day text RPGs from the 90s and details her development progress toward an MVP release on Itch.io.

IB Games is the home of Federation, a long-running space trading and exploration MUD that has been running since the 1980s, making it one of the oldest online multiplayer games in existence. The site serves as the official hub for the game, offering downloads, documentation, and community resources for players of this pioneering text-based virtual world.

Banished Lands is the official welcome portal for a telnet-accessible MUD (multi-user dungeon) that blends medieval fantasy, sci-fi, and H.P. Lovecraft-inspired horror into a unique roleplay experience. Launched in 1995 as an offshoot of Alter Aeon, the game features custom DentinMud code, multi-classing across Mage, Thief, Cleric, and Warrior, and includes pages for players, gods, clans, and areas.

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.

The mud-dev2-archive is a mailing list archive dedicated to MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) development discussions, spanning from 2006 through 2010. It serves as a valuable historical record of developer conversations covering game design, engine architecture, and the technical craft behind text-based online worlds.

BatMUD is one of the longest-running text-based multiplayer online games in existence, having been continuously online since 1990 and set in a medieval fantasy world with open-ended roleplay and character creation. Players can log in directly from the browser, download a dedicated client, and even attend real-world player meetups like the Las Vegas-hosted Vegascon conferences.

The Cybersphere Wiki is the official player reference for CyberSphere, a cyberpunk-themed Role-Playing MOO set in a dystopian future city called New Carthage, complete with wastelands, megacorporations, and a matrix network. Visitors will find detailed guides on character creation, in-game mechanics, factions, gangs, skills, and everything needed to navigate this text-based online world.

Vampires! The Dark Alleyway is a browser-based multiplayer vampire role-playing game where players create their own vampire character and drink the blood of others to survive. The site serves as the login and registration portal for this classic text-driven online game, complete with a FAQ and how-to guide for new players.

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.

A legacy archive preserving the history of Majik 3D MMORPG, a volunteer-driven open-source online roleplaying game active from 1995 to 2002 that evolved from a text-based MUD through a 2D roguelike into a full 3D world. Maintained by the original developer namhas, the site hosts over 3,300 files including source code on GitHub, archived mailing lists, forums, screenshots, and design documents chronicling one of the early indie MMORPGs with player-controlled economies and ecosystems.