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
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.
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.
Latest posts
Silent Heaven: a supernatural horror MU*
Silent Heaven is a supernatural horror MU* known for its emphasis on story and its relatively non-toxic RP community.
Data Privacy Week: 10 tips for safer gaming
It’s Data Privacy Week! Learn why you should care and what you can do to protect yourself and your communities online.
MU* Staff Appreciation Day: 9 ways to say thanks
December 1st is MU* Staff Appreciation Day! Don’t forget to say thank you to the hard-working staffers who make your favorite pastime possible.
Celebrating International MUD Day: 8 ideas
Learn what International MUD Day is and what it’s all about. Plus, get ideas for celebrating the holiday with your friends.
EmpireMUD: a player-driven city-builder
Khufu shares his experiences building a screen reader-friendly map for his long-running map-based game: EmpireMUD.
AwakeMUD: a community-first Shadowrun game
Learn how AwakeMUD CE earned the “CE” in its name, what that two-letter acronym stands for, and what it means to its creators and staff.
Opie: giving back to the MUD community
Opie, long-time pillar of the MUD community, talks about his free hosting service, how running a MUD can help you get a job, and more.
Celebrating Player Appreciation Week
Held annually starting the 3rd Monday of September, Player Appreciation Week honors the players of text-based games and their communities.
Beginner’s guide to MUD soundpacks
What are MUD soundpacks and how do they enhance the experience for players? Find out in this beginner’s guide.
Recently updated
LociTerm MUD client and the legacy of The Last Outpost
Discover how RahjIII built LociTerm – an accessible, browser-based MUD client – to keep The Last Outpost and other games playable on any device.
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.
MU* help systems: 15+ ideas for improvement
A great MUD help system has certain features that make it easy to use and maintain. Here are 15+ ideas for game implementors.
25 essential multi-user (MU*) game terms and what they mean
Tired of sounding like a newb? Check out this list of essential MU* terms. You’ll sound like a pro in no time.
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: January 10, 2026