ALSO: Happy Anniversary to Alter Aeon and AwakeMUD CE, two great text-based games!
You can read a little bit about them, and other long-running MU* games, here:
(If you have no idea what a MU* is, don't worry -- the article covers that, too. 
)
Happy 2025 to all my fellow text-based game enthusiasts! 
The Events Calendar has been updated for those date-changing "third Flurbsday in Flurbtember" type holidays. You can check it out here:
https://writing-games.com/calendar/
Suggestions for missing holidays and game anniversaries welcome! There's a "Submit an event" button on the page, even. :)
50 Years of Text Games: 1980: MUD
https://if50.substack.com/p/1980-mud
I need this one! :0)
From Oregon Trail to AI dungeon and everything..
The Incredible kicking #kickstarter
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aaronareed/50-years-of-text-games
Some of you got it?
A short video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxBXSMHI7ZI
Happy Anniversary, Evennia!! 
Evennia is a modern text-based game engine that helps you create your own #MUD games for free.
Learn more in this interview with Griatch, one of the main developers behind the project:
https://writing-games.com/evennia-a-modern-way-to-create-mus/
Happy Anniversary to AresMUSH!
AresMUSH is a modern platform for creating and running multiplayer, collaborative writing games. It's free and open-source, too.
Learn more in this interview with Faraday, the developer behind AresMUSH:
https://writing-games.com/aresmush-the-next-gen-server-platform/
One of the things I like most about Faraday's story is that she persevered despite some early naysayers of the project. Glad she did!
Firing up #Inform7 on my #Mac to write another #interactiveFiction #game. Getting stuck into the prologue. This will be a much bigger game than I've written before, including 7 main sections in the #code. It is going to take some time. So best get on with it sooner rather than later! Excited to be back #coding. There's something magical about using this #declarative / #naturalLanguage / #objectOriented #programming language and IDE. #GameDev #IndieGame #TextGames #Parser #TextAdventure #Inform
Huh, I was wrong. #Harlowe does support custom macros now. This is going to make my life so much easier.
Brainstorming a new IF game (IFComp 2025 maybe?) and came up with 10 very rough ideas. One calls out to me the most strongly, but I may also include elements of another five. That should be enough for getting on with! Much to do, but excited. As with the last one I want to get the bulk of the design in place before coding. Many months of slowly musing over ideas to come. #InteractiveFiction #IFComp #GameDev #IndieGame #IndieGames #TextGames #CreativeWriting #Game
It's the last day (until 23:59 Eastern Standard Time on 1st August 2024) to submit an intent to enter a new #interactiveFiction #game in #IFComp 2024. If you want to enter this year, don't miss out! You can't register after today. Your final finished game is due by 28th August, and the competition is open for judging in September. https://ifcomp.org #IFComp2024 #IndieGame #IndieGames #GameDev #TextGames
Reminder to any fellow #interactiveFiction authors planning to enter #IFComp this year: you must submit an intent to enter no later than 1st August. Game files then due 28th August. Everything is running a month earlier this year. Don't leave it too late if you want to enter. Good luck! https://ifcomp.org #TextAdventure #GameDev #IndieGames #TextGames #IFComp2024
Happy #SysAdminDay! Shout out to all the hard-working volunteers who support the community's favorite multi-user (MU*) games from behind the scenes - we appreciate you!
https://writing-games.com/sysadmin-day-celebrating-the-people-who-keep-our-favorite-games-running/
In this latest interview, Blu and Roadspike share lessons learned from running roleplaying games online.
I especially like this tip: have a mission statement that guides your decisions and keeps you on track.
https://writing-games.com/designing-game-websites-and-systems-an-interview-with-blu-and-roadspike/
Musing my next #interactiveFiction game, as I get near to the end of preparing my latest #game to go into #IFComp 2024. I've various other IF #games in long development, but fancy trying another shorter game, working out the #design in detail beforehand, then coding it up. Which worked well this time. And I had such fun working on this game I want to follow it with another project. #IndieGames #GameDev #TextAdventure #TextGames #CreativeWriting #IFComp2024 #GameDesign
#FlashbackFriday "Almost Goodbye" (2012) was an experiment in minimalist text generation, taking a mostly human-authored story of a generation ship astronaut's final night on Earth and varying small incidental and pacing sentences based on context from past player choices. #procgen #textgames #interactivefiction
https://buff.ly/3VYmlAd
More details on what happens behind the scenes in this paper: https://buff.ly/3Weywdu
Are you a fan of #DragonBallZ? Do you like free text-based games?
Dragonball Evolution is hosting its 22nd Anniversary event, which means increased XP and special event items!
Happy Birthday, DBE MUD!
Play at https://evolution.mudhosting.net
I'm entering a new #interactiveFiction #textAdventure #game in #IFComp next month. Have had huge help from some wonderful playtesters, helping me smooth the playing experience. Today my husband is playtesting for me. I am very nervous! He's played IF games since the 1990s, but erm yup. I'm currently avoiding the study where he is. His initial hiccup was getting an interpreter to work well on his #Linux, but happily now using Lectrote. Eek! #IFComp2024 #IndieGames #GameDev #TextGames #Playtesting
Mianzhi Wang has written a small text-based PhD simulator game: https://research.wmz.ninja/projects/phd/index.html
The approach that worked for me in real life also seemed to work in the game. 
New interview with Tat, creator of Shattered #MUSH! It's hard to sum up this game in a few words, but I'll try:
wield powerful magic, ride mythical creatures, and text message your friends
Interview here 
https://writing-games.com/shattered-mu-post-apocalyptic-rp-with-monsters-and-magic/
Lots of great advice for #storytellers, too.
