EmpireMUD screenshot showing two islands linked by a bridge. A river, forest, and several crops appear on the islands.

Play EmpireMUD Now

Are you ready to play EmpireMUD? We don't have a web-based client, but here is how you play:

1. You'll need a MUD client

MUDs connect via telnet, and you can use any telnet program to connect to the game. Just point it at empiremud.net with port 4000.

Here are some good MUD clients:

You can always just open up a telnet program or command shell and: telnet empiremud.net 4000

2. Getting Started

Type a character name at the login screen. If the name already exists, you'll be prompted for a password. Otherwise, it will ask you to confirm and create your character.

You'll be prompted for a few configurations like screen reader mode (for the visually impaired) and color display.

You also choose an archetype and starting bonus. Don't worry too much about picking the right one. These are just to get your started. The choices you make in the game will be much more important than how you started.

You'll be prompted for a promo code. Don't have one? Try "countdemonet" and start with a little cache of coins. We use promo codes to track how players found our game, and you get a small bonus for using them.

You'll also be asked about who referred you. This is just for our curiosity. Type the name of the friend, forum, or listing site that brought you to us, so we know who helps bring in new players.

3. Learn 2 Play

When you first log in, you'll be at a starting location — a Tower of Souls — on one of the newbie islands. You should type INFO, QUEST START ("q s" for short) to look for tutorials for the game, and HELP GETTING STARTED will show you some useful guides.

You can ask any questions on the /newbie channel and our friendly players will be happy to answer them. We also have extensive help files and the "helpsearch" command, which lets you search the body of help files for what you're looking for.

Save your grave marker for now. If you die on a newbie island, you'll respawn at a Tower of Souls on one of the newbie islands. You'll want this grave marker as soon as you settle somewhere else.

Check the NEARBY command for things to do around you. Consider SKILL BUY NAVIGATION if you have 5 Survival, to help you find your way around. SCAN the map for terrain around you, such as forest. If you run out of move points, SLEEP to regain them quickly.

4. Move Out Across The Sea

The newbie islands are small. They're a good place to make a few houses, mine a few resources, and meet new people. When you're ready to strike out on your own, head across the sea to a nearby continent and set up a city. If you're feeling particularly ambitious, you could even look for a remote island.

You should only try this in a canoe if you're going somewhere nearby. If you try to cross open ocean in the canoe, you will probably run out of food and water, and won't get very far. The easy way back is to drop your canoe and let the sharks send you back to the Tower of Souls.

Use MAPSCAN and CHART to help find your new home. Or, try the graphical map viewer here on the website.

When you find a new home, the first thing you should do is build your grave marker. This gives you a place to respawn if you die here.

You could also join an existing empire. Plenty of them would be happy to have you, and will come pick you up on the newbie island.