RuneScape

RuneScape differed from other MMORPGs from its 2001 launch in one crucial detail – it ran directly in the browser via Java, so all it took was opening the page and, without installing anything, stepping into the vast fantasy world of Gielinor. Players created a character, chose a direction of development between combat, crafting, or gathering resources, and could build up their character level by level at their own pace, without having to follow a fixed story or linear progression.

The free-form structure without a level cap tied to a single class, combined with accessibility straight from the browser, made RuneScape a phenomenon that drew in millions of players around the world and stayed popular even as client-based MMOs like World of Warcraft dominated the market and set the genre's standards. Jagex kept expanding the game with new areas, quests, and mechanics, and the community around RuneScape built its own economy, marketplace, and legendary quest lines that rank among the largest and most elaborate in the entire online RPG genre.

The game still runs today in two parallel versions – the updated RuneScape 3 with modern graphics, and Old School RuneScape, which at the community's request preserves the look of the 2007 game along with its period controls. It's precisely this longevity and willingness to listen to players that make RuneScape one of the longest continuously running online RPGs ever, with an active community to this day and regular updates to both versions at once. Jagex has also repeatedly shown itself to be a studio more willing to listen to its own players than is typical for the genre, which has earned it a loyal audience for two decades.

Why play: For players looking for a sprawling MMORPG with no installation and open-ended progression, ideally with the patience for a slower, old-fashioned leveling pace.