Two-Decade Wait Over: Text MMORPG TORN Launches

This game has been in development for two decades. Well, to be precise, this isn't its first launch. It was originally released in 2004 by a 16-year-old named Joe Chedburn. The game is Torn, a gritty, text-based MMORPG and crime simulator.

Having been a browser game until now, Torn has finally launched globally on Android. Many of its players have been around since the early 2000s, essentially growing up with the game. It debuted the same year as Facebook, Shrek 2, and the initial Bird Flu scare.

Torn City lets you build a criminal empire and stir up trouble without real-world consequences

Set in a fictional, morally bankrupt city, you begin as a typical street hustler. Your story unfolds through a web of criminal activities, from small-time cons to major heists.

You might start by mugging strangers or looting funeral homes. Before long, you could be orchestrating cybercrimes, firebombing warehouses, and carrying out arson contracts for the city's most notorious figures.

The game features over 20,000 text-based scenarios, describing every choice in vivid, often gritty detail. Built on a foundation of tabs, maps, and menus, it maintains a minimalist interface. However, the graphical renders—of weapons, drugs, and the occasional gruesome trophy—are surprisingly detailed and high-quality.

Not every resident of Torn embraces a life of outright crime. Some pursue corporate careers within player-run businesses like detective agencies, oil rigs, or strip clubs. Others invest their illicit earnings in banks or the stock market, funding ventures from arms dealing to adult entertainment.

Thousands of player-run factions provide both protection and pathways to power. Many of these groups have existed for over ten years, cultivating their own unique cultures, bitter rivalries, and histories forged through organized wars, cooperative heists, and territorial battles.

You can find Torn available for download on the Google Play Store.

Also, check out our coverage of the vehicle-building sandbox game, Besiege, now on mobile.