Veloren

Veloren is a free and open-source multiplayer action-adventure RPG built around a huge procedurally generated fantasy world. Developed by a community of volunteers in Rust, the project draws inspiration from games as varied as Cube World, Minecraft, Dwarf Fortress, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but has gradually developed an identity of its own.

The first thing that stands out is the world itself. Veloren isn't simply a collection of handcrafted levels connected together. Its terrain is procedurally generated and simulated as a connected environment containing enormous mountains, deserts, jungles, forests, oceans, underground cave systems, settlements, ruins, and other locations to discover. The scale encourages wandering simply to see what is around the next mountain.

Exploration is supported by a surprisingly broad collection of RPG systems. Players can discover and equip different weapons, develop combat styles, craft equipment, mine underground for valuable resources, interact with NPCs, and take on enemies ranging from ordinary creatures to powerful dungeon bosses. The combat is fast-paced and action-oriented rather than relying entirely on traditional RPG menu systems.

One of the more memorable features is the ability to tame creatures and use them as companions or mounts. Traveling across a massive procedural world becomes considerably more interesting when you can acquire a creature and actually use it as part of your adventure rather than treating the environment as scenery.

The multiplayer component is equally important. Veloren supports persistent multiplayer servers where players can explore together, fight monsters, trade, gather resources, and simply inhabit the same world. You can also host games yourself, including over LAN, making it possible to create smaller private adventures rather than relying entirely on a central service.

What makes Veloren particularly interesting for PlayBound is its development model. This isn't a commercial MMO with a giant studio and a fixed production schedule. It is a community-built open-source RPG, with players, artists, programmers, translators, and contributors all helping shape the project. The developers explicitly describe the goal as creating a colorful world that can be explored and interacted with in unique ways.

That also means Veloren is very much a living project. Some systems feel surprisingly polished while others clearly show that development is ongoing. Rather than being a finished recreation of another game, it feels like you're watching a community gradually figure out what this enormous world can become.

And that's part of its charm.