It’s great to talk about console games from the 2000s, and the era was defined by the triple-A titles of the time, but it would be obscuring a massive part of video game history if we did not discuss thebrowser gamesfrom back then. Titles that were either MMOs or mini-games with no in-between, and it’s a safe bet if you wanted to play games for free.
While Artix Entertainment has been denied Runescape-level fame, the company has been thriving for over two decades. Formed in 2002, the studio published browser-based MMOs that stimulated your imagination and let you explore fantastic new worlds. There were also several mini-games set in the same universe. Here are some of our favourite Artix titles.
As most of Artix Entertainment’s output was on Adobe Flash Player, the software’s end-of-life would have spelt the end for many of these titles. However, the company developed aproprietary launcherthat lets you play these games even now, despite many no longer receiving updates.
Platforms: iOS, Android, Browser
One of Artix Entertainment’s many mini-games published on theirEbilGameswebsite, Undead Assault is anendless runnerwhere you can play as the company’s mascot Artix. Undead Assault is a fun game for quick sessions, often deemed the highest-quality mini-game produced by the studio.
Like many Artix titles, however, it has a troubled history with preservation: it is not compatible with newer Android OS and isn’t included in the studio’s proprietary launcher, so the best way to play it is in your browser using a Flash emulator.
7AdventureQuest
Platform: Browser
AdventureQuest is Artix Entertainment’s earliest game and the company’s flagship title. Today, it may look extremely dated with its simplistic visuals and eye-watering UI, but this game is a wellspring of nostalgia.
This game had a fully realized world within itself, where humans and elves walked alongside more esoteric critters like Moglins and Zards. In the 2000s, the game was popular enough to warrant a server cap, and you would have to wait about 15 minutes before getting the chance to play, though that’s a distant memory by now.
In 2003, AdventureQuest introduced a one-time fee that promoted you to Guardian and unlocked many features. This system has remained in place for over two decades.
6MechQuest
Given the popularity ofsci-fi animein the 2000s, MechQuest was an intuitive step forward for Artix Entertainment - the studio was one of the earliest Western companies to rely on anime visuals. What is MechQuest but a rehash of AdventureQuest with mech theming and slightly better graphics? Nothing, but it’s still a lot of fun.
Unlike AdventureQuest, MechQuest had a better overworld that allowed you to walk around and read different signs, some of which advertised other Artix Entertainment games. The combat was the same as in AdventureQuest, though the animation was a good deal more fluid.
5AdventureQuest 8-Bit: Dungeons & Doomknights
Platform: NES, Steam, Nintendo Switch
For an indie studio, creating a title for a long-dead console is only feasible as a novelty. But Artix Entertainment went through with it, and thenported it to Steamand Nintendo Switch so that people could actually play it.
As a true-to-life 8-bit game, Dungeons and Doomknights is fun. It has many checkpoints and bears referential nods to both the AdventureQuest universe and the Zelda games that inspired its creation. It is also a step in the right direction for the company, as publishing titles on digital storefronts will allow this indie developer to recapture its glory.
4Moglin Punter
Though the death of Adobe Flash Player has rendered it inaccessible for many, Moglin Punter is still a quick and incredibly fun distraction if you’re willing to use a Flash emulator or explore any of the myriad preservation projects around the software.
In this game, you play as a decidedly mean hero who punts his pet Moglin, Twilly, so that he can grab cakes and desserts. It’s a simple aim-and-shoot title reminiscent of Angry Birds, with satisfying results and cute visuals.
3OverSoul
OverSoul was produced in the early 2010s as an example of Artix’s unwavering commitment to browser-based titles in a world that was leaving Flash games behind. Even if it’s only accessed by the dedicated fanbase the indie studio has cultivated, OverSoul is still receiving updates today.
This is a card-battling PvP title themed after Artix’s AdventureQuest universe and includes all the proprietary critters. you’re able to interact with friends and engage in side activities like baking in addition to the straightforward card battles. There are even real-life contests held under the game’s branding, showing the close relationship this developer has with its fans.
2AdventureQuest Worlds
AdventureQuest Worlds is arguably Artix Entertainment’s most popular title, and for good reason. Unlike its predecessor, this game has real-time combat and live communication features, things fans had been demanding for years.
Launched in 2008, AdventureQuest Worlds is a great deal more robust than Artix Entertainment’s early titles. The game saw many collaborations and live events long before Fortnite and its ilk popularized the trend, with goth musician Aurelio Voltaire holding in-game concerts several times.
1AdventureQuest 3D
Platforms: Steam, iOS, Android
When Artix Entertainment’s fanbase played AdventureQuest in the early 2000s, this was the game they were dreaming of. AdventureQuest 3D has a fully realized, living world with 3D environments and real-time combat. It allows you to explore the world of Lore in a way none of the company’s Flash games had ever been able to fully convey.
It isn’t just nostalgia that makes AdventureQuest 3D enjoyable, however. The game is genuinely fun and user-friendly, withcross-platform capabilityand in-game collaborations. So far, AdventureQuest 3D has seen in-game collaborations with rock bands as prestigious as Korn, Alice in Chains and Breaking Benjamin.
