Beginner’s guide to multi-user dungeons (MUDs)

So you’ve heard about MUDs and want to try one for yourself. What kinds of games are out there? Where do you find one that fits? And do you need to download anything special to play?

In this beginner’s guide, I’ll walk you through the different kinds of MUDs, where to find free games to play, and how to get your bearings once you’re in.

New to the term? The glossary entry on MUD covers what “multi-user dungeon” actually means, where the name came from, and why you’ll also see the family written as MU*.

What kind of MUD should I play?

There are hundreds of MUDs out there, and no two play quite the same way. Browsing a game list blind can be overwhelming, so before you open one, take a minute to think about how you like to play.

Do you want to fight monsters and level up? Compete against other players? Write stories? Or just hang out with interesting people? Each answer points to one of four broad playstyles:

• Hack-and-slash (PvE) – you fight monsters, complete quests, and level up your character. A natural first stop if you’re coming from MMOs or like steady progression.
• PvP – built around competing against other players, often in clans or factions. For players who want real opponents and higher stakes.
• Roleplaying – collaborative storytelling, where you write your character’s words and actions in scenes with other players. The natural home for forum and Discord RPers.
• Social – lighter on game systems; hanging out, chatting, and making friends is the point.

Most modern games mix several of these. My post on the 5 basic MUD styles breaks each one down, including which might be your jam. Games also typically identify themselves as hack-and-slash (H&S) style, roleplaying, PvP-oriented, and so on right in their directory descriptions.

Stay flexible on genre

Another way games differ is by genre or fandom. There are many options out there, from fantasy to cyberpunk (or fantasy AND cyberpunk, as in the case of Shadowrun), Harry Potter to Star Wars, anime, supernatural horror, and more.

Naturally, the genre of the game has a big impact on the types of NPCs and zones you’ll encounter, as well as things like available spells and abilities.

In a medieval fantasy game, you’re more likely to encounter sorcerers and magic spells, for example. In a cyberpunk game, you’re more likely to encounter modded-out enforcers with guns.

One thing genre is not: a plan. Not every combination exists (there may be no hack-and-slash Harry Potter game waiting for you), so rather than deciding in advance, browse the listings and see what grabs you. Genre is usually front and center in a game’s description.

Check the culture before you commit

Games also differ in their culture and the communities that surround them.

Two games can share the same codebase and genre but have completely different expectations about how players will interact with each other!

For example, some games are roleplay-enforced (RPE), which means players aren’t allowed to talk about out-of-character (OOC) things using in-character (IC) speech and channels.

Other games are much more relaxed and don’t care if someone talks about Sunday night’s sports game in the faction chat.

Culture takes a little more digging to judge from the outside. Before you commit to a game, skim its website or rules page: roleplay-enforced games usually say so up front, and a game’s policies around things like metagaming and adult themes tell you a lot about how it’s run. Games also typically include their rules early in the character creation process and will require you to read and abide by the policies in order to play.

What about the codebase?

The codebase is the software a game is built on. Ultimately, you don’t need to know about a game’s codebase before you play, and most games are built on heavily modified code, but if you find that two games feel similar, it’s probably because they share some common ancestry!

In short: know your playstyle, keep an open mind about everything else, and you’re ready to start browsing.

Where can I find a free game to play?

To find a game to try, you can start by browsing a MUD directory. There are several to choose from. At the top of my list is Grapevine.

Unlike some of the classic directories, Grapevine doesn’t include a voting/review system or advertisements. It presents games in a nice clean format, has a working search feature, and shows you whether a game is currently online (available) or offline (unavailable).

Aside from Grapevine, there’s also LociTerm and MudVault. Both options provide a web client so you can try games right from your browser.

Other directories are listed on my MUD Resources page. Just be aware that some listings haven’t been updated to use SSL (they have http:// in the URL instead of https://), so your browser may yell at you about them being unsafe or not secure. Use them at your own risk.

Prefer to start with a specific game? I’ve written about a handful in depth:

• Alter Aeon – classic adventure MUD with solid screen reader support (alteraeon.com)
• AwakeMUD – Shadowrun-inspired roleplay (awakemud.com)
• Cryosphere – satirical sci-fi with puzzles and dialogue (cryosphere.org)
• EmpireMUD – accessible map-based city-builder (empiremud.net)
• NukeFire – friendly, co-op PvE with lots of progression (nukefire.org)

Still can’t decide? r/MUD on Reddit is the place to ask for recommendations: describe what you’re looking for, and you’re likely to get several good suggestions.

Okay, I found a game! How do I connect?

Hooray! If you’re using Grapevine to look for a game, you’re in luck: it has a built-in web client. Just click on the Play button, and you’re good to go!

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also try the Surprise Me & Play! button. It’s located just under the filter options.

I pressed the button and was taken to… Iberia! Iberia gets some free advertising. 😂 Actually, if you have time, it’s worth swinging by Iberia’s website, as they do list some pretty good MU* resources, too.

If you’re using a different directory to look for a game, it may or may not have a functioning browser-based client. Some do, some don’t. Some games even have their own custom-built web clients!

You may just need to poke around and explore a bit until you find something that strikes your fancy.

If you decide to try a roleplaying MUD, you may find my Beginner’s guide to roleplaying helpful.

I’m connected… now what?

If you’ve ever played an online RPG, you’ll notice that MUDs use many of the same concepts and slang words. You can think of them as chatrooms with special commands you enter to get things done.

Instead of clicking on a goblin to attack it, as you would in a video game, you might type something like attack goblin or kill goblin instead.

Most games start you with character creation. Take your time with it, and actually read the rules when they’re presented – they’ll tell you a lot about the game’s culture and what it expects from players.

What commands should I try first?

Once you’re in the world, a few commands will carry you a long way. The exact commands vary from game to game, but these work on most MUDs:

• look (or just l) – describes the room around you
• north, south, east, west (or n, s, e, w) – move from room to room
• say hello – says “hello” to everyone in the room
• tell [player] hi – sends a private message
• who – shows who else is online
• inventory (or i) – lists what you’re carrying
• score – shows your character’s stats
• smile, wave, and other socials – quick emotes, like in the screenshot above
• help – opens the game’s built-in documentation; many games also have help newbie written just for new players

Zones and areas

A zone is a mappable area usually dedicated to a particular city, region, theme, or set of puzzles and quests.

It’s similar to a zone in World of Warcraft and other MMORPGs.

In MUDs, these areas are made up of multiple rooms that players traverse in order to talk to NPCs, fight monsters, gather items, and complete quests.

How do I ask questions and get help?

Don’t be shy! Many games have a newbie or question channel, and the people on the other end are mostly friendly hobbyists. If you tell them you’re new, someone will usually be happy to show you the ropes.

Type help channels to see what’s available; besides newbie channels, many games also have an OOC channel for general out-of-character chat.

How do I find the game’s community?

Many games also have a community outside the game itself: a Discord server, a forum, or both, usually linked from the game’s website or login screen. It’s worth joining, since that’s where players ask questions, plan sessions, and keep up with game news.

Give a game a session or two before deciding whether it’s for you. The first session is mostly finding your feet; the second is when you’ll know whether you want to go back.

MUD clients

When you’re ready to level up, you’ll probably want to try out a full-blown MUD client that you download to your computer. A client isn’t always required, but using one does offer a few advantages.

For example, a client will allow you to customize the game window and set up shortcuts that will make connecting and playing easier.

Two of the most popular free clients are Mudlet and MUSHclient.

Personally, I use Mudlet on a Linux machine. It’s lightweight and superfast. It’s now also accessible to screen reader users!

Mudlet can still be a little intimidating if you’ve never done things like coding, scripting, or setting up macros. Also, the stock mapper in Mudlet isn’t quite as intuitive. If you enjoy writing your own scripts and building your own little databases of things, though, you’ll probably love it.

I also use TinTin++ sometimes when I’m out and about or want something lightweight and old-school.

Is there an app for that?

There sure is. I could probably write a whole blog post on desktop MUD clients and smartphone apps, and maybe I will. But for now, I’ll leave you with a tip: search your phone’s app store for “mud client.” Read the reviews, look at the features they offer, and try one out.

You can also check out my MUD Resources page for a few options.

Additional resources

BONUS: If you want a blast from the past, try playing a version of Zork!

And lastly, for a bit more history, I’ve also written about the InterMUD chat network – a way that players could talk to each other from across different games.