A love letter to Ultima Online, built from scratch and playable in your browser

Image credit: Reddit user u/crkhaus

Some games never really let go of you.

For one longtime Ultima Online player, that attachment turned into a year-long project to recapture the feeling of Britannia's unpredictable early days (which were amazing, for those of us old enough to remember that feeling). Anyone who survived old-school Ultima Online knows that stepping outside of the guards' protection with a backpack full of valuables could turn into a full-blown cardiovascular event. That's exactly what Reddit user crkhaus seems to be trying to recreate here.

The result is a game called "The Olde World: Online," a free browser-based MMO where skills improve through use, the wilderness is fucking dangerous, and the stranger approaching you on the road might be friendly, or they might be looking to drop you, skin you, and then take every single thing that you were carrying. There's full-loot PvP outside of guarded towns, spoken spellcasting, tamable creatures, crafting, player housing, and one shared world. No launchers to fumble around with, no downloads, just a browser and a character willing to take some chances.

And yes, we know this isn't technically a "mod." It's an original game built from scratch, with no Ultima Online assets or client, and that's a huge part of what makes it worth covering. The same passion that keeps decades-old games alive through modding and community projects is clearly at work here.

The free open alpha is designed for experimentation, with an NPC that can raise skills to 100 and provide starter gear so players can jump straight into the action. Bugs, balance problems, and progress wipes are expected, but the developer is actively seeking feedback, so go play the game and provide feedbacky type information.

Nearly three decades after Ultima Online first opened its doors, it's actually wonderful to see its spirit inspiring someone to build an entirely new world based roughly on it. As longtime UO players at MNC, that warms our collective hearts. ❤️