MUDstyle
MUDstyle is a design and aesthetic framework used in text-focused online environments, particularly in multi-user dungeon (MUD) games and other forms of collaborative fiction. It emphasizes narrative-driven interfaces, minimal graphical assets, and heavy reliance on user-generated content. The term reflects a traditional MUD culture where players describe rooms, interactions, and lore in text, and where the community governs rules and story development.
Characteristics include a text-first approach, ASCII or ANSI art as optional decoration, modular world-building with rooms
Origins trace to early online role-playing games where players built shared spaces and narratives. Over time,
Reception is mixed: it is praised for depth, community governance, and creative freedom, while criticized for
Related concepts include MUDs, interactive fiction, ASCII art, and text-based RPG communities. As a design philosophy,