15 Games Like 'RuneScape' to Play Right Now

Alongside RuneScape, EverQuest was another MMORPG that took over the internet in the early 2000s. Unlike RuneScape though, EverQuest was one of the first MMORPGs that utilized a 3D game engine, giving the level design and characters a bit more depth. Players create an avatar and embark on an action-packed adventure across the world of Norrath, learning trades and discovering treasures depending on what kind of online guild they join and the path they take. The game ended up going offline for a few years in 2013, but luckily it is now back online under Daybreak Game Company with a robust player community.

Neverwinter, based on the city of the same name from Dungeons and Dragons, has players create a character from D&D classes and join factions to defend the city from groups of the undead. The Cryptic Studios game was first released for PC in 2013 but was subsequently released on Xbox and Playstation in 2015 and 2016 respectively. While the game is an MMORPG and features online content, the game was designed with a narrative-structure in mind that keeps players invested in the story as well as the fantastical world. The most recent module, Uprising, was released in August 2019, meaning the game developers are still always looking for ways to expand the experience for players.

With a still-growing player-base, Blizzard’s World of Warcraft is one of the biggest names in the world of MMORPGs. Originally released in 2004, WoW and the entire world of Azeroth is constantly being built upon and expanded with new game packs to keep old and new fans engrossed and entertained.  Like in most MMORPGs, players create their own unique avatar from a selection of species and races that give their character special abilities and roles as they proceed. Massive raids are still taking place all the time and the guilds are still socially active, making WoW a great choice for anyone still looking for a robust online community

A sandbox MMORPG where the players’ actions and decisions impact their experience significantly more than in most online games, Legends of Aria features a massive world full of mages and warriors battling and building their strength. Players are free to build a home, advance various skills, and gain distinct titles as they struggle to survive and thrive in the fantastical setting of Celador. Released in 2019 by Citadel Studios Inc, the game is currently available on Microsoft, Apple, and Linux devices.

A medieval MMORPG set in the world of Albion, Sandbox Interactive’s Albion Online is a player-driven experience to the core. The game features an online economy filled primarily with items that have been crafted and traded by players trying to build Fame and survive the chaotic, action-packed setting. Rather than focus on building player classes and skill trains, Albion Online relies extensively on in-game items to define the player’s abilities and playstyles, making the hunt for more Fame and items even more important than in similar titles.

The Elder Scrolls franchise is primarily a single-player experience, but Bethesda pivoted to massive online multiplayer games in 2014 with Elder Scrolls Online. Just like in the solitary titles, players create their own unique character from 10 races with distinct combat styles and embark on a continent-changing journey. Even though the title takes place hundreds of years before Skyrim, the online game has the same breathtaking graphics and level of design detail. With countless missions and online expansions to explore, the title is a great choice for anyone wanting to invest time in a massive, constantly evolving game.

A factional battle between the religious Guardians and scientific Defiant dominates the fantastical world of Telara in Trion Worlds’ Rift. First released in 2011, the game sees players craft their own avatars and choose from different callings- the term for Warrior or Roguelike classes in Rift—as they try to maneuver the realm’s political issues and deal with the elementally unstable Rifts that unleash hordes of monsters on Telara. Available exclusively on PC, Trion started releasing expansion material in 2018 to deliver a bit more story to the preexisting monster-slaying and dungeon exploring audience

A passion project from married game developers Eric Heimburg and Sandra Powers and their team at Elder Game Studios, Project: Gorgon is a fantasy MMORPG based in the world of Alharth. Rather than a predetermined game, the online community is constantly interacting with randomly generated loot and monsters as they explore new dungeons and blaze their own paths forward. One of the main things that distinguish the 2018 computer game from other MMORPGs is Project: Gorgon’s inclusion of beast skills and the mechanic of morphing into animals in addition to traditional combat and trade skills.

The Eldevin Kingdom is under attack from the Infernal Empire and only you can help save it. Whether people want to fight and explore alone or join groups and participate in real-time combat together, Eldevin is a deep, satisfying title. Originally released in 2014 from Hunted Cow Studios, Eldevin is a browser-based title that still has a committed community participating in raids. With numerous environments to explore and 14 different possessions to master, Eldevin is the perfect MMORPG for people looking for a compelling story and an extensive list of features to keep them entertained for hours.

Relatability may not be what gamers are looking for in their fantastical MMORPGs, but Pearl Abyss’ Black Desert Online takes place in a world that is recovering from a deadly plague. To make things even more eerily prescient, two rival groups, the Republic of Calpheon and the Kingdom of Valencia, are locked in a deadly battle for control. Rather than raids, the game takes players on massive siege-like missions or castle battles that fit the fantastical war setting. In addition to traditional MMORPG aspects like trading or farming, the game bends the mold by incorporating a more free-wheeling movement system with manual aiming. First released in 2015 on PC, it has since spread to mobile and console devices as its player base grew.

Dofus, a tactical and turn-oriented MMORPG, was first released as a French computer game in 2004, but due to its popularity, it has since been translated and ported around the world. Set in the fantastical World of Twelve, players create their own unique, magical characters and are tasked with finding six dragon eggs scattered across the world that imbue the possessor with awesome power. If gamers don’t feel like participating in heroic quests all the time, they can join different groups that impact the online world’s economy and experience of other players.

Dofus was such a success that Ankama Games followed it up with Wakfu. First released in 2012, the game takes place 1000 years after Dofus, but it features a similar turn-based play style. There’s a new world-saving quest driving the player and the story forward, but just like in the original, players can enjoy themselves simply interacting with other players or participating in the world’s online economy.

First released way back in 1997 from Origin Systems, Ultima Online has evolved and swapped developers multiple times since its debut.  Players create their unique characters and set out into the universe, joining guilds and interacting with different organizations depending on what Gem shard they want to play on. With multiple worlds and unique environments to explore, Ultima Online has a massive feeling but knows how to ensure the players always feel like they are in control of their own online experience.

Originally released in Korea back in 2013 before being translated and ported around the world, XL Games’ ArcheAge is a perfect mixture of a sandbox environment and a guided narrative. The player community exerts a huge amount of control over the game’s world, creating trade routes and even manning in-game judicial courts to hold others accountable for their actions. Something that distinguishes this game from the others on this list from a mechanic perspective is the ability for players to switch back and forth between first and third-person viewing styles, giving players a bit more sensory control and heightening their ability to gauge the game’s details.

An open-source game first released in 2008, Stendhal has an incredibly simple aesthetic but offers its players a deep world to keep coming back to. The game may incorporate people’s ideas into the code to constantly keep things fresh, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t feature classic MMORPG features like quests and dungeon exploration. The game’s old school design is incredibly reminiscent of classic RuneScape, making this a great choice for anyone looking for a similar aesthetic journey.