One game that I absolutely cannot get away from, and I haven’t been able to leave for the past 12 or so years, is Wurm Online. It’s old. It’s quirky. It’s janky and has an unforgiving grind and an unfriendly UI. So why can’t I quit it? There is simply no other game out there that can scratch that creative, homesteading itch the same way that Wurm can.

That said, it’s an extreme grind on the Wurm Online servers. Recently I’ve started to realize that I want to play games that respect my time. With other adult responsibilities, including work, professional education, health and fitness goals, house chores, etc, I just don’t have the time to game that I used to. Back in my 20s-30s, sure, I could game for 5-6 hours a night, get 4 hours sleep and do it all again, but with age comes changing priorities. These days sleep, exercise, and health initiatives are more important.

So, I decided to head back to Wurm Unlimited, the version of Wurm bought through Steam that can be hosted on private servers and modded to add quality of life features, including faster skill grinds and action timers. Of those servers, Sklotopolis is one of the best. It’s been around for 7 years with no wipes, the servers are the perfect size, he action and skill timers have been sped up but not so much to be trivial, and starter deeds are free with no upkeep. The catch is that you have to log in every 90 days or else it will be disbanded (to keep the server clean for newer players). You can also expand the deed with in-game currency, which you can get by building guard towers, selling goods, hunting and burying animals, or of course the shop.

Another thing that I really like is that the server is run by long-time Wurm veterans that understand how the game works and how to modify the experience so that its more fun but doesn’t lose that classic Wurm feeling. It’s one of the most populated servers and the community is excellent.

When I first logged in I was on my old deed, which had long been disbanded and had been deeded over. I fully expected that, so I took what I had on my person and set out to find new lands. After wandering around the server for a couple days, scoping out various spots, I finally found a perfect place and put my stake down. Next post I’ll give you a little tour!