Ragnorium
Ragnorium is an action MMORPG presented in 2D pixel art, set during a zombie apocalypse where survival depends as much on other players as it does on the undead.
|
Developer: Vitali Kirpu Type: Action MMORPG Release Date: 2016 Shut Down: 2018 Pros: +Retro pixel presentation with personality. +Lots of gear and items to scavenge and use. +Bleak tone with a comedic edge. Cons: -Not much documentation remains. -Rough technical state, with many bugs. |
Ragnorium Overview
Ragnorium drops players into a grim, zombie-infested world and asks them to make something out of nothing. You begin essentially unequipped, wearing only underwear and holding a flimsy plastic knife, then quickly learn that staying alive means scavenging, fighting, and taking opportunities wherever you can find them. Looting buildings, crafting a safer setup, and learning when to engage or avoid other survivors becomes the core rhythm of play.
Although it uses classic-looking 2D pixel visuals, the game aims for a modern sandbox survival loop, where the biggest threats are often unpredictable human players. Servers can host up to 300 people at once, which creates a constant tension, anyone you meet might trade, team up, or decide to tear down your base and walk away with your supplies. To support long-term play, Ragnorium includes systems like clans, character skills, equipment progression, and even vehicles, all geared toward helping groups establish control and survive longer than the next raid.
Ragnorium Key Features:
- Old-school pixel look – a 2D, retro-styled presentation that keeps the world readable while leaning into nostalgia.
- Plenty of territory to roam – multiple zones to search through, encouraging exploration, scavenging runs, and risky detours.
- Equipment variety – a wide selection of items and gear that affect stats, utility, and how you approach combat.
- Bleak comedy – the writing and tone mix dark themes with humor to keep the apocalypse from feeling one-note.
- Survive together (or not) – cooperative play exists alongside large-scale multiplayer, so alliances and betrayals are both part of the experience.
Ragnorium Screenshots
Ragnorium Featured Video
Ragnorium Review
Ragnorium is best understood as a survival sandbox wearing MMORPG clothing. It has persistent online play, character growth systems, and large servers, but its moment-to-moment experience is closer to scavenging, base-building, and player-driven conflict than to quest hubs and scripted dungeons. When it works, the appeal is the constant push-pull between risk and reward, you venture out under-equipped, come home with valuable supplies, and hope nobody followed you back.
The early game is intentionally harsh. Starting with almost nothing forces you to learn the basics quickly, where to search, what to keep, and how to improvise when a run goes wrong. That scrappy opening is also where the game’s tone comes through, the world is bleak, but it is willing to be weird and funny about it, which helps the setting feel distinct compared to more straightforward zombie survival titles.
Combat and progression are built around gear and character development rather than elaborate ability rotations. The practical focus is on what you have equipped and what you can afford to lose. That design supports the game’s social layer, because losing a fight can mean losing time, supplies, and momentum. The clan system exists to give structure to group play, and in a high-population server environment it can make the difference between maintaining a base and watching it get stripped bare.
Where Ragnorium struggles is in polish and clarity. Information about systems, updates, and long-term support has been limited, and the game has a reputation for technical issues. Bugs and instability can undermine the survival loop, especially in a genre where players already accept harsh penalties for failure. With the game shutting down in 2018, it is also difficult to recommend as anything other than an interesting artifact of an ambitious indie project.
Players who enjoy ruthless multiplayer survival, retro visuals, and emergent stories driven by other people will understand what Ragnorium was aiming for. Those looking for a traditional MMORPG structure, consistent stability, or a fully supported live service experience will likely find it frustrating.
Ragnorium Links
Ragnorium Official Site
Ragnorium Steam Greenlight Page
Ragnorium Official Forum
Ragnorium Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows XP SP3 / Mac OSX
CPU: Pentium 4 2.4 GHz
Video Card: GeForce 6600 or AMD equivalent
RAM: 1 GB
Hard Disk Space: 3 GB
Ragnorium Music & Soundtrack
Ragnorium’s audio presentation fits its survival focus, using music and sound cues to reinforce tension during exploration and sudden danger. While detailed soundtrack information is not readily available, the overall approach is functional and mood-driven, supporting the game’s dark humor and bleak setting without overpowering the on-screen action.
Ragnorium Additional Information
Developer(s): Vitali Kirpu
Publisher(s): Vitali Kirpu
Steam Greenlight Community Release Date: 2016
Shut Down: 2018
Development History / Background:
Development for Ragnorium traces back to 2014, when Vitali Kirpu began outlining the concept. The project later appeared on Steam Greenlight in early 2016, positioning it as a small-scale indie take on online zombie survival with MMO-like features. At the time, an early access demo was made available through the developer’s website, giving players a way to try the game outside of Steam’s main storefront.