Tazdun

An old-school MUD with a modern face. You read the world, type or tap what you do, and a painted scene above the story changes with the time of day and the weather: rain over Elmwood Forest, dust storms in Kharzan, candlelit mines and hellfire-lit caves.

Pick a side. The Concord starts at Brightvale Abbey as a Human or Dwarf. The Warband starts in the Valley of Ordeals as an Orc or Troll. Play a Warrior, who builds rage by hitting and opens with a Charge, or a Mage, who hurls Fireballs and freezes enemies with Frost Burst.

Quest and level up. Each valley has six quests, from culling wolves and boars to clearing a kobold mine or a demon-worshipping coven, and ends with a boss. Fights are more than clicking: packs call for help, casters must be interrupted with Pummel or Counterspell, Garrick rings for reinforcements and Yazrok hides behind a Hellfire Shield. Read the red warnings and Brace in time, or take the full hit.

Choose your path. Pick a talent at every level, choose your quest rewards, buy potions and gear, and decide the fate of the prisoners you find. Some choices open secrets: a hidden kobold hoard, a cut alarm rope, a rune puzzle that breaks a shield. Chapter 0 takes you from level 1 to 6.

Play your way. Tap the highlighted words, the minimap and the action bar, or type classic commands like look, north, kill wolf and talk wendell. On a computer the arrow keys move you, Tab switches targets and 1–9 and 0 fire your abilities. Sound is on from the start: characters speak their lines, plus zone music, footsteps, fight drums and spell effects. Progress saves on your device.

Chapter 1: Chains of Grimhold. Finish Chapter 0 and Tikka of the Bronze Dragonflight sends you seven years back to Hollowbrook, levels 6 to 10. The Concord starts in Saltmere, the Warband with escaped orcs in the hills, and both must keep the young Torvak’s escape from Grimhold on course while the Endless Brood tries to kill him. Seal time rifts, choose whether to help Tamsin Foxley, find a smugglers’ tunnel, and face Lieutenant Corvane, Captain Skarrow and the Hour Reaver.

Chapters 2 to 6. Tikka keeps calling, and each chapter adds four levels, new bosses, a choice and a secret:

• The Dark Gate (10 to 14): the Blackmire, with young Kadric or Durgath’s Snowfangs, as Mevandor opens the Portal. Free Gariza or hand her back to Vulzan.
• The Culling (14 to 18): burning Calvenford, with Ulric or Gorrak Bloodhowl. Smuggle a baker’s family out, or report them.
• Ashes of Sylvar (18 to 22): the World Tree, with Jessa or Torvak, against Malgorath. Burn the sentinel grove or save it.
• Well of Ages (22 to 26): Zin-Velara ten thousand years ago, with Malvern or Brogar, against Velara and Mangorath. Take Ildrin’s hellfire gift, or refuse it.
• End Time (26 to 30): a ruined future, with an aged Edmar or Torvak, against the echoes of fallen heroes and Morzhul himself.

A free adventure in an original fantasy world. Scenes are painted; music and sound are made in code as you play.