# Aardwolf MUD

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/aardwolf-mud/

13 people recommended Aardwolf MUD in Hacker News comments, 2 had mixed feelings and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 2 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

12 of the 13 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “Play Aardwolf MUD”.

**Verdict:** Recommended as one of the few still-populated MUDs, free and never gated on payment, with fond memories of collaborative play. Critics note there is very little player interaction.

Summary written by Claude from 14 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Fond memories and good times (4 comments in the sample): "It was marvelous, and I have my many magical multiplayer moments with MUD" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46536515)) "Good times. Taught me the definition of 'quaff' too." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46536915)) "I've had a ton of fun playing Aarfwolf!" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46535322))
- Free, with nothing gated on payment (2 comments in the sample): "These days it wins solely by virtue of being one of the few that's still populated and free." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46537811)) "Aardwolf does not have, and has never had, any content gated on payment." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46543138))
- Player-driven collaborative stories (2 comments in the sample): "I loved the collaborative stories that unfolded on the boards." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46568980)) "deeply player-driven and offered so many possibilities" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46539152))
- Taught typing and coding skills (2 comments in the sample): "this game got me interested in writing code" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46535788)) "It basically taught me to touch type." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46535722))

## What people warn about

- Very little player interaction (1 comment in the sample): "There's very little player interaction, which is what made MUDs special originally." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49012373))

## Other MMORPGs people recommend

- [World of Warcraft](https://hackerapproved.com/p/world-of-warcraft/): 39 recommend, 22 mixed, 61 criticize
- [EVE Online](https://hackerapproved.com/p/eve-online/): 28 recommend, 18 mixed, 18 criticize
- [RuneScape](https://hackerapproved.com/p/runescape/): 23 recommend, 11 mixed, 16 criticize
- [Ultima Online](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ultima-online/): 21 recommend, 4 mixed, 4 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Aardwolf MUD", https://hackerapproved.com/p/aardwolf-mud/ (13 recommend, 2 mixed, 2 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.