writing games
Exploring the culture and craft of text-based games
Welcome to Writing Games: a site about building shared worlds through words. Among these pages, you’ll find how-to guides, accessibility tips, and interviews with developers behind today’s text-based games. Whether you’re writing a virtual world of your own or just curious about the craft, you’ll be in good company.
New to multiplayer text games?
Start here and choose your own adventure:
Featured posts
Starmourn: a sci-fi legacy in the making
Argus and Marra, volunteer Co-Producers, share what makes Starmourn unique – and why they keep building on the game’s legacy.
Inside Erion MUD: 21 years of medieval fantasy
Aelyn talks about her work on Erion, a long-running medieval fantasy text game with a reputation for being accessible.
Latest posts
Starmourn: a sci-fi legacy in the making
Argus and Marra, volunteer Co-Producers, share what makes Starmourn unique – and why they keep building on the game’s legacy.
Inside Erion MUD: 21 years of medieval fantasy
Aelyn talks about her work on Erion, a long-running medieval fantasy text game with a reputation for being accessible.
2026 State of the Niche Report
Results from the 2026 State of the Niche Survey, focused on multi-user (MU*) text games.
NukeFire MUD: a co-op text game inspired by pop culture
Hiro and Mo talk about building NukeFire from shared roots, keeping ahead of hungry players, and why the remort system is the game.
Accessibility in a changing MU* landscape: an interview with bscross
Long-time MU* enthusiast Brandon Cross talks about how far the hobby has come – and some of the accessibility hurdles that still remain.
Inside Cryosphere: the satirical sci-fi space MUD
Long-time developer Morwen shares the origins of Cryosphere, the design decisions that shaped the game, and what’s coming next.
Lumen et Umbra: re-imagining a world between light and shadow
Learn how Simone, AKA Niymiae, rebuilt the Italian game Lumen et Umbra from its Diku roots into a one-of-a-kind hack-n-slash MUD with ARPG influences.
Too many MUDs, not enough players?
We’ve all heard it, but is it true? And does that mean it’s a lost cause to make a new MUD in 2025? Andruid shares her two cents.
MudVault: a new way to discover MUDs
Asmodeus, creator of MudVault, is building tools to make MUDs easier to find, fairer to rank, and more fun to play – all while keeping the focus on user experience.
Recently updated
AresMUSH: the next-gen server platform
Faraday talks about why she created AresMUSH, as well as some of the core tenets that went into its development.
MUD level design: how I built an immersive 75-room area in 28 days (without AI)
Learn how I built a 75-room zombie theme park area in 28 days without AI.
Lumen et Umbra: re-imagining a world between light and shadow
Learn how Simone, AKA Niymiae, rebuilt the Italian game Lumen et Umbra from its Diku roots into a one-of-a-kind hack-n-slash MUD with ARPG influences.
4 Types of multiplayer writing games you can play online for free
Learn about 4 types of multiplayer writing games you can play online for free. Includes examples and popular game directories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Writing Games?
Writing Games (writing-games.org) is a modern website dedicated to old-school text-based games. The site houses resources for building better games and communities and covers topics such as accessibility, inclusivity, and how to welcome and retain new players.
Is this site about video games or text games?
Technically, text-based games are video games – they’re played on screens, after all. But when people say “video games,” they usually mean graphical games with visuals, animations, etc. Writing Games focuses on text-based games. This includes multi-user dungeons (MUDs), chat-based roleplaying games, and other systems where play happens through written language rather than graphics.
Who is this site for?
Writing Games is for anyone who plays, creates, or manages text-based roleplaying games. This icludes players exploring text adventures for the first time, developers designing their own MUDs or MUD clients, writers interested in collaborative storytelling, or admins who want to make their games more inclusive.
What kinds of content does Writing Games publish?
Writing Games publishes how-to guides, interviews, an advice column, a glossary, and essays focused on text-based roleplaying games and the communities around them.
For example, with the guides on this site, you can learn how to market your game for free, improve player retention, make your game more accessible, and write more compelling characters and roleplaying hooks.
How can I support Writing Games?
The easiest way to support the site is to simply tell your friends about it. Share your favorite posts with your communities or link to them in your own articles, websites, or games. For other ways to support the site, check out the Support page. 💜
Page Last Updated: August 9, 2026