mud ecosystem reference a catalog of engines, clients, protocols, and communities in the MUD world. companion to mudlib-landscape.txt (which covers architecture patterns). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- engines and codebases -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- python: - evennia https://github.com/evennia/evennia python/django/twisted. THE python MUD framework. 1994 stars - ainneve https://github.com/evennia/ainneve example RPG built on evennia - arxcode https://github.com/Arx-Game/arxcode production game on evennia - mud-pi https://github.com/Frimkron/mud-pi simple teaching MUD server - sorrows https://github.com/rmtew/sorrows-mudlib stackless python MUD - talismud https://github.com/vincent-lg/talismud async modern python - taleweave-ai https://github.com/ssube/taleweave-ai AI NPCs via LLMs - DUM https://github.com/wowpin/dumserver modern python MU* engine - Tale https://github.com/irmen/Tale MUD/IF framework dikumud family (C/C++): - dikumud original https://github.com/Seifert69/DikuMUD 1990, the ancestor - dikumud3 https://github.com/Seifert69/DikuMUD3 modern evolution, HTML/websockets - tbamud https://github.com/tbamud/tbamud continued circlemud. most used diku derivative - anatoliamud https://github.com/jaromil/anatoliamud diku > merc > rom lineage - empiremud https://github.com/EmpireMUD/EmpireMUD-2.0-Beta persistent world map - awakemud https://github.com/luciensadi/AwakeMUD community fork lpc drivers: - fluffos https://github.com/fluffos/fluffos active, mudos fork, C++ - ldmud https://github.com/ldmud/ldmud C, long history - dgd https://github.com/dworkin/dgd independent implementation - cd mud https://github.com/cotillion/cd-gamedriver alternative driver - mudos https://github.com/maldorne/mudos historical fork lpc mudlibs: - dead souls https://github.com/quixadhal/deadsouls beginner-friendly, batteries-included - lima https://github.com/limalib/lima clean modern - morgengrauen https://github.com/MorgenGrauen/mg-mudlib oldest german lpmud (1992) - cdlib/genesis https://github.com/genesismud/mudlib historically influential - nightmare-residuum https://github.com/michaelprograms/nightmare-residuum active development - discworld https://github.com/Yuffster/discworld_distribution_mudlib terry pratchett themed - realms-mud https://github.com/realms-mud/core-lib rich combat/crafting. 75 stars - oxidus https://github.com/gesslar/oxidus-mudlib modern fluffos mudlib - hexagon https://github.com/maldorne/hexagon mudos-alike on dgd moo/mush: - toaststunt https://github.com/lisdude/toaststunt enhanced lambdamoo. most active fork - stunt https://github.com/toddsundsted/stunt lambdamoo with maps, REST - room.js https://github.com/doughsay/room.js node.js moo server - hellcore https://github.com/necanthrope/HellCore lambdamoo fork - fuzzball https://github.com/fuzzball-muck/fuzzball tinymuck server node.js: - ranvier https://github.com/RanvierMUD/ranviermud modular, data-driven. 829 stars - rockmud https://github.com/MoreOutput/RockMUD websocket MUD. 155 stars elixir: - exventure https://github.com/oestrich/ex_venture MMORPG engine. 665 stars - kalevala https://github.com/oestrich/kalevala world-building toolkit. 191 stars - fluxspace https://github.com/mainframecity/fluxspace WIP elixir MUD go: - gomud https://github.com/GoMudEngine/GoMud clean, fast. 205 stars - dragon-mud https://github.com/bbuck/dragon-mud go + lua. 123 stars java: - coffeemud https://github.com/bozimmerman/CoffeeMud most feature-complete. 217 stars C#: - archaicquest https://github.com/ArchaicQuest/ArchaicQuest-II web-playable. 148 stars rust: - ataxia https://github.com/xenith-studios/ataxia rust + lua scripting. 70 stars haskell: - currymud https://github.com/jasonstolaruk/CurryMUD pure functional. 78 stars archives: - dikumud omnibus https://github.com/DikuMUDOmnibus 100+ diku projects - mud historical society https://github.com/mudhistoricalsociety preservation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- protocols reference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- tier 1 - essential for any mud: telnet (RFC 854, 855) the base protocol NAWS (RFC 1073) window size negotiation GMCP JSON over telnet for structured data. the modern standard https://tintin.mudhalla.net/protocols/gmcp/ MTTS terminal type/capabilities https://tintin.mudhalla.net/protocols/mtts/ tier 2 - widely supported, add when needed: MSDP structured data protocol (alternative to gmcp) https://tintin.mudhalla.net/protocols/msdp/ MCCP2/3 compression https://tintin.mudhalla.net/protocols/mccp/ MSSP server status for crawlers/listings https://tintin.mudhalla.net/protocols/mssp/ MNES environment standard, supplements mtts https://tintin.mudhalla.net/protocols/mnes/ tier 3 - specialized: MXP enhanced text markup (zuggsoft) https://www.zuggsoft.com/zmud/mxp.htm MSP sound (zuggsoft) https://www.zuggsoft.com/zmud/msp.htm MCMP sound via gmcp (mudlet) https://wiki.mudlet.org/w/Standards:MUD_Client_Media_Protocol MCP moo client protocol http://www.moo.mud.org/mcp/index.html MSLP clickable links https://tintin.mudhalla.net/protocols/mslp/ MMCP p2p chat protocol our telnetlib3 handles: GMCP, MSDP, NAWS, CHARSET, MTTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- clients -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- desktop: mudlet linux/mac/windows gmcp, mssp, mcmp, msp, atcp, msdp, mxp, mmp lua scripting. the dominant modern client https://www.mudlet.org/ tintin++ all platforms + android/ios gmcp, mccp, mccp3, msdp, mslp, mssp, mtts, mmcp, naws, mnes terminal-based https://tintin.mudhalla.net/ blightmud linux/mac tls, gmcp, msdp, mccp2 terminal-based, rust https://github.com/LiquidityC/Blightmud mushclient windows mxp, mccp, mmcp, mtts http://www.gammon.com.au/mushclient/ cmud windows mxp, msp, mcp, mccp, atcp commercial http://www.zuggsoft.com/ axmud linux/windows mxp, gmcp, msdp, mnes, mtts perl/gtk3 https://axmud.sourceforge.io/ kildclient linux/windows ssl, mccp, mmcp, zchat https://www.kildclient.org beipmu windows tls, mcmp https://beipdev.github.io/BeipMU/ mobile: blowtorch android mccp mudrammer ios https://github.com/splinesoft/MUDRammer web: mudportal mccp, mxp, msdp, gmcp, atcp, mtts proxy + web client https://github.com/plamzi/MUDPortal-Web-App grapevine mud listing with web client https://grapevine.haus/ mudslinger proxy + web client. mxp https://github.com/ryanberckmans/mudslinger -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- community and resources -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- active communities: mud coders guild slack community for text game devs https://mudcoders.com r/MUD reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/MUD the MUD discord https://discord.gg/zuz4D8s mud bytes forum and file archives http://www.mudbytes.net/ listings: grapevine https://grapevine.haus/ game scry https://game-scry.online/ mudverse https://www.mudverse.com mud connector http://www.mudconnect.com/ documentation: mudhalla protocols docs, tintin home https://mudhalla.net/ mudlet wiki protocol and scripting docs https://wiki.mudlet.org/ mud standards https://mudstandards.org/ mudvault protocols https://mudvault.org/protocols awesome lists: awesome-mud https://github.com/mudcoders/awesome-mud awesome-muds https://github.com/maldorne/awesome-muds history: wikipedia MUD chronology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_MUDs raph koster's timeline https://www.raphkoster.com/gaming/mudtimeline.shtml richard bartle's MUD1 incarnations https://mud.co.uk/richard/incarns.htm 50 years of text games https://if50.substack.com/ academic: "players who suit muds" richard bartle, 1996. player types https://mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm "designing virtual worlds" richard bartle https://mud.co.uk/dvw/ titans of text podcast 33 episodes https://www.titansoftext.com/