For screen reader users, text-based multiplayer games (MUDs) are often easier to access than graphical games.
So why can playing one from a web browser feel harder instead of easier?
Brandon Cross (aka bscross) explains it all in this interview:
https://writing-games.org/accessibility-interview-bscross/
Wrapping up Storytelling Week with a shoutout to AwakeMUD CE, a multiplayer text game inspired by #Shadowrun.
It's #OpenSource and puts the community first, ensuring that players are comfortable with the roleplay.
To top it off, AwakeMUD supports screen reader users with several #Accessibility features designed to reduce text spam and improve the experience. 👍
Up next in honor of FOSS February and 📖 Storytelling Week:
Evennia is a free and #OpenSource system for creating your own multiplayer text game.
With tutorials and examples, it lowers the barrier to getting started - a solid option for both experienced devs and beginners learning to code in #Python.
It even comes with a selection of optional add-ons built by the community!
Want to make your own multiplayer text game for free? 🤓
If you’re into collaborative writing and storytelling, AresMUSH might be your jam.
It supports asynchronous play - perfect for people with busy schedules.
Despite early naysayers, developer Faraday pushed forward with the project. Today, hundreds of storytellers are actively writing and roleplaying on AresMUSH-powered games.
Faraday's story: https://writing-games.org/aresmush-next-gen-server/
Congrats to GoMud on another year of development! 🎂
GoMud is a lightweight, open-source engine for creating text-based multiplayer worlds, built using the Go programming language.
In this interview, creator Volte6 talks about why he started the project, how it differs from traditional multi-user dungeon (MUD) engines, and what happens when a simple playtest goes hilariously sideways. 😂
🏰 What do city-building, dream magic, and space trading have in common?
They're all found in Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs) - shared online worlds played through text.
This guide looks at 6 modern MUDs that each do something different, with notes on #accessibility and easy ways to play:
https://medium.com/@the_andruid/6-unique-multi-user-dungeons-worth-exploring-cdc9f16bf1e9
What do multiplayer text games actually look like in 2026? 🤔
This updated guide highlights 10 long-running Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs) you can still play today, along with 3 additional games that opened more recently.
It also covers #accessibility features, web clients, and a beginner-friendly walkthrough for anyone curious about getting started.
Update!! My feed may have been quiet, but a lot of work has been happening behind the scenes. 🚧
Over the past several weeks, I've been overhauling Writing Games to improve accessibility, UX, and performance. One big change is that the site moved from .com to https://writing-games.org.
Please update any links or bookmarks! 🙏 And if anything appears broken or weird, do let me know. There's always a chance I missed something.
More to come soon...
Who Remembers MUDs?
Before modern graphics and MMORPGs, thousands of players like me would connect via telnet to MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons) to play text-based multiplayer games. We would begin by creating a character in a fantasy world to explore vast realms, fight monsters, and hoard riches—all while meeting new people we would never have otherwise known, making friends, building communities, and creating stories through pure imagination.
I bought it in the end.
It is a fascinating dive into all sorts of text games from the 50s up until the last couple of years. Proper deep dive: interviews, reviews, maps, how things were programmed and why.
Currently reading about “A Mind Forever Voyaging” by Steve Meretzky published by Infocom in 1985 for the delightful price of $44.95
#IF #adventuregames #interactivefiction #textgames #retrogaming #gamedev
Andruid
Ren Berthiaume
scattershot