Category: Fantasy

Pirate King Online

Pirate King Online is a private server MMORPG that leans into classic, grind-heavy progression and a colorful pirate theme. It mixes top-down 3D exploration with island-hopping travel, character advancement through job tiers, and a notable focus on ship ownership, upgrades, and sea battles. If you miss older MMO pacing and enjoy community-driven events, it aims to deliver that familiar “vanilla” feel with an active server cadence.

Developer: ServerDev
Playerbase: Medium
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: July 29, 2016
Pros: +Classic, hardcore progression and pacing. +Frequent server-run events with prizes. +Ship upgrades and naval PvP/PvE.
Cons: -Visually dated presentation. -Grinding is central, not optional.

Shardbound

Shardbound is a tactical collectible card game built around positioning and tempo. Matches play out on a hex grid where you deploy units and cast spells to pressure the opposing side, with the ultimate goal of bringing the enemy champion down to zero health.

Publisher: Spiritwalk Games
Playerbase: Low
Type: Tactical CCG
Release Date: April 06, 2017
Pros: +Interactive Twitch features. +Progression that feels reasonable. +Terrain and board positioning matter.
Cons: -Not much PvE content yet. -Early Access performance can be rough. -English-only language support (for now).

Soul Saver Online

Soul Saver Online is a 2D fantasy side-scrolling MMORPG that leans heavily into chibi anime visuals and classic monster grinding. You pick one of five classes, join a faction, and spend most of your time questing, farming mobs, and collecting souls and drops that feed into character growth and gear upgrades.

Publisher: Netgame
Playerbase: Low
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: July 19, 2016
Pros: +Vibrant enemy designs and a playful bestiary. +Hands-on stat point allocation. +Distinct anime-inspired presentation.
Cons: -Feels very close to MapleStory in structure and vibe. -Old-fashioned UI and menus. -Performance and stability can be rough.

Secret World Legends

Secret World Legends drops you into a modern-day conspiracy where monsters, myths, and secret societies are all very real. As an action RPG built around shared-world MMO elements, it focuses heavily on investigation and narrative while letting you craft a character without rigid classes, then take the fight to occult horrors across locations inspired by real-world legends.

Developer: Funcom
Playerbase: Medium
Type: Action RPG
Release Date: June 23, 2017
Pros: +Reworked combat and progression. +Fresh modern setting for an MMO-style RPG. +Classless, flexible builds. +Strong story and quest writing.
Cons: -Visuals show their age in places. -Combat can still feel awkward at times.

Arena of Valor

Arena of Valor, known as King of Glory in China, is a 5v5 mobile MOBA from Tencent that will feel immediately familiar to anyone who has played League of Legends. Choose a hero, head into the lanes with your minion wave, take down defensive towers, win team fights, and push all the way to the enemy core to close out the match.

Publisher: ProximaBeta
Playerbase: High
Type: Mobile MOBA
Release Date: December 19, 2017 (USA)
Pros: +Very large active community. +Tight, touch-friendly controls. +Playable across multiple platforms. +Matches tend to be quicker.
Cons: -Earning and unlocking heroes can be a grind. -Arcana (runes) can cost a lot.

Rogalia

Rogalia is a medieval-themed sandbox MMO focused on player-driven building, crafting, and territorial conflict. It mixes open-world PvP with surprisingly detailed social systems, letting you do everything from settling land and running a workshop to dealing with hangovers and even the risk of STDs if you are not careful.

Publisher: TatriX
Playerbase: Low
Type: MMO Sandbox
Release Date: December 9, 2016
Pros: +Robust crafting and production chains. +Lots of social interactions that affect play. +Developers and community remain engaged.
Cons: -Uneven English localization in places. -Movement can feel sluggish. -Occasional bugs and rough edges.

Aranock Online

Aranock Online is a free-to-play MMORPG built on technology derived from the Mercenaries of Astonia engine. It focuses on exploration, questing, PvP challenges, and a steady stream of community-run events that are shaped and overseen by players acting as moderators.

Publisher: Odysseus
Playerbase: Low
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: May 30, 2007
Pros: +Community-hosted events with active moderation. +A mix of classes and rank progression. +Crafting for equipment and consumables.
Cons: -No audio support. -Visuals can be hard to read at a glance. -Small on-screen text.

Pandum

Pandum is a free-to-play dark fantasy MMORPG that drops you into a hostile underground realm crawling with demons and undead. You progress by taking quests, earning experience, improving your character, and surviving encounters with both monsters and other players in largely open PvP spaces.

Publisher: Electronic Experience
Playerbase: Low
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: September 16, 2016
Pros: +Oppressive dark fantasy atmosphere and setting. +Open-world PvP creates constant tension. +Free-to-play entry point.
Cons: +Visuals feel dated for a 2016 release. -Controls can feel awkward and imprecise. -Combat balance needs more tuning. -New players get little guidance due to a thin tutorial.

Heroes of Shadow Guard

Heroes of Shadow Guard is a free-to-play fantasy MMORPG that blends classic grid-style dungeon exploration with turn-based party combat and a strong emphasis on player creativity. You assemble a roster of collectible heroes, delve into campaign labyrinths, and raid other players’ custom-built dungeons, while also designing your own trap-filled maze to keep your valuables safe from would-be thieves.

Publisher: Iron 27
Playerbase: Low
Type: MMORPG
Release Date: August 3, 2016
Pros: +Strong emphasis on user-made dungeons. +Large mix of heroes with different roles. +Shared hub area with useful services.
Cons: -Mobile-first control feel on PC. -Monetization can impact power. -Visuals are noticeably low-res.

Legend of Ares

Legend of Ares is a re-released 3D fantasy MMORPG built around faction conflict and constant PvP. You pick one of four classic archetype classes, pledge yourself to either the Alliance or the Empire, then spend most of your time preparing for and participating in battles that range from small duels to large guild fights where territory changes hands.

Publisher: Reforgix
Playerbase: Low
Type: Fantasy MMORPG
Release Date: May 12, 2006
Shut Down Date: September 30, 2018
Relaunched: May 2, 2024
Pros: +Four distinct class roles. +Hands-on, ability-driven fighting. +Random drops keep farming interesting.
Cons: -Power can be influenced by spending. -Aging visuals and old-school interface. -Leveling pace can feel sluggish.