Asheron's Call
Asheron's Call is a 1999 MMORPG developed by Turbine Entertainment and published by Microsoft, an early and ambitious entrant in the online role-playing boom. It offered a large, seamless fantasy world on the island of Dereth with an unusually flexible character system.
Rather than rigid classes, it let players freely mix and specialize skills to build highly customized characters, exploring a continuous landscape with no loading zones between areas, a technical rarity at the time. It was known for its regular, ongoing monthly story events that permanently evolved the world and its lore, along with a distinctive allegiance system that bound players into player-run hierarchies. Alongside its contemporaries, it helped establish the persistent online RPG in North America.
The game ran for many years and received a sequel before its servers were eventually shut down, but it remains fondly remembered, with dedicated fans keeping its legacy alive through emulation projects.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Asheron's Call, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
Monsters & Memories Indie
FreeAn indie MMORPG reviving the community-driven feel of early online worlds.
Monsters & Memories runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Steam Deck.
Guild Wars 2
Free + in-app purchasesA buy-to-play MMORPG with dynamic open-world events and no subscription fee.
Guild Wars 2 runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
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