Asciilands
A shared world made of pure text.
About the game
Asciilands is a free multiplayer sandbox where every player shares one persistent ASCII world. Explore forests, coasts, deserts and mountains, chop and mine and fish for resources, then smelt ore and forge your own gear. Build from a lone camp up to a whole town, trade on the player-run economy, and play solo or with friends right in your browser.
Game features
- One persistent multiplayer world shared by every player, drawn entirely in ASCII text
- Europe and North America servers with live player counts — join free as a guest, no account needed
- An 11-step tutorial that starts from your first footsteps, skippable with V or X
- Health, stamina and hunger to watch while you sprint, work and explore
- Chop, mine, fish and harvest across forests, coasts, deserts and mountains
- Smelt ore and forge your own gear with skill-based crafting
- Found a town, form parties and trade on a player-run economy
How to play
Create your character, pick Europe or North America, and choose whether to start near other settlers or out in the wilds — guests play instantly, and a Discord sign-in keeps progress across devices. A tutorial walks you through the basics, starting with movement: hold WASD to walk and Shift to run, look around with the mouse and click to act on what's in front of you. Tab opens your pack and Esc brings up the menu. From there the loop is classic sandbox: chop trees, mine ore and fish the coasts, smelt and forge better gear, put up a shelter, then found or join a town and start trading.
Tips & strategies
- 1.Start together rather than far away on your first life — settled regions have campfires, workbenches and other players close by, which makes the first hour forgiving.
- 2.Follow the tutorial all the way through before striking out on your own — movement is only step two of eleven.
- 3.Chop wood early. The settled towns around you are built from wood foundations, walls and workbenches, and your first camp needs the same materials.
- 4.Check the top-left HUD often — health, stamina and hunger all matter once you start sprinting and working, and the world clock tells you how much daylight is left.
- 5.Claim a Discord sign-in once you decide to stay — guests keep their progress, but the sign-in is what carries your character across devices.
- 6.Use the map to find named landmarks — town halls, forges and smelters on the minimap show where other players are working.
Screenshots
Captured from the game running on Gameplo.
Controls
| Move | WASD |
|---|---|
| Run | Shift |
| Look | Mouse |
| Act / use | Left click |
| Open pack | Tab |
| World map | M |
| Menu | Esc |
| Touchscreen | No touch controls — Asciilands is built for a desktop browser with a keyboard and mouse. |
Frequently asked questions
What is Asciilands?
A free multiplayer sandbox that runs in your browser, where everyone plays in one persistent world drawn entirely in ASCII text. Solo developer Qaz built it on the MIT-licensed Asciicker renderer.
Is Asciilands free to play?
Yes. It's in open beta, plays free as a guest with no download, and this page embeds the official build from itch.io.
Does Asciilands have multiplayer?
It's built around it. Everyone shares one world where you can form parties, found towns and trade with other players — or roam solo at your own pace.
Does my progress save?
Yes. World progress is saved on the game's servers, guest characters keep their progress between sessions, and a Discord sign-in carries it across devices.
Can I play Asciilands on mobile?
No. It's built for a desktop browser with a keyboard and mouse, so play it on a computer.
Is this the official game?
Yes, this page embeds the developer's official itch.io build. The game is in active development, so new features arrive with updates.