Indie MMO Radar: 13 Small MMOs in Early Access or Playtesting You May Have Missed (2026)
A recent r/MMORPG post compiling smaller MMOs in early access or playtesting attracted hundreds of comments and community additions. The original poster described their search for games that scratch “that old itch from the late aughts to early 2010s” — and the list they assembled is worth knowing about.
This article compiles and expands that list with verified Steam and website links.
Games Currently in Playtesting (Pre-Alpha / Very Early Development)
These games are not consistently playable and are between playtests or in very early development.
Apogea
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/2796220/Apogea/
Explicitly Tibia-inspired. Voxel/Minecraft-like art style that the original poster described as “charming.” If you played old-school Tibia or are interested in skill-based progression in a voxel world, this is the primary indie in that niche. Currently between playtests with the next one expected soon.
Dreadholm
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/4596260/DREADHOLM/
Reminiscent of RuneScape Classic. Very basic graphics, skill-based progression, but classes still exist. Built by a team of one or two people. Described as rough around the edges with consistent developer communication and steady improvements. The dev engagement is frequently cited as a reason to follow this one despite its early state.
SpiritVale
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3767850/SpiritVale/
Ragnarok Online is the stated design inspiration. Cutesy/anime art style. The original poster wasn’t previously a fan of RO but found SpiritVale approachable. This is the go-to recommendation for players who want a bright, sprite-based MMO with RO DNA in 2026.
Torebia: Island Odyssey
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3768880/Torebia_Island_Odyssey/
Community-recommended. Limited direct playtime reported in the original thread, but described as visually interesting. Worth watching.
Etherwind
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/4113020/Etherwind/
A 2.5D MMO. Minimal detail available in the original post — Steam page is the best current source.
Adrullen Online
Website: adrullan.online
Voxel-based MMO. Not on Steam as of the original post.
Hollowed Oath
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/4628270/Hollowed_Oath/
EverQuest-style MMO. In the same nostalgia bucket as Monsters and Memories (below) — old-school group-dependent, slower-paced design.
Remote Realms
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3713250/Remote_Realms/
Described simply as looking “almost exactly like OSRS.” If you want familiar OSRS-style content but something new, this is on the radar.
Games in Early Access (More Developed, More Consistent Access)
These titles are further along and generally accessible right now.
Farever
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3672400/Farever/
The original poster described Farever as “blowing up like crazy” — the most commercially traction-gaining indie MMO on this list right now. The community shorthand is “Guild Wars 2 meets Zelda.” Farever is in Early Access and has a notably larger audience than most games on this list. If you can only try one game from this roundup, Farever is where community energy is currently concentrated.
Winds of Valen
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/4135880/Winds_of_Valen/
OSRS re-skinned — similar combat, skills, and inventory to Old School RuneScape. A recently released roadmap shows planned content, and the payment model is expected to follow OSRS’s subscription structure (a few dollars per month for members content). If you want something that plays like OSRS without being OSRS, this is the current best candidate.
Profane
Website: profanemmo.com
Not on Steam. Developed by a team in Brazil. Action combat in ARPG style combined with deep crafting and open-world base building. The original poster found it “definitely still rough” at the current playtest stage but noted the developers are active with updates and each new playtest shows consistent improvements. The concept was described as the most interesting on the list.
BitCraft Online
Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3454650/BitCraft_Online/
Open-world crafting and base-building focused MMO. Closer in spirit to survival MMOs than traditional RPG MMOs. In Early Access with a current playerbase.
Monsters and Memories
Website: monstersandmemories.com
Old school EverQuest-style MMO. Early Access is scheduled for October 1, 2026 — making it the most significant upcoming EA launch on this list. If you want the EverQuest experience without EverQuest Legends’ 1999 technical limitations, Monsters and Memories is the modern-indie equivalent to watch. See the dedicated article below for more on this game.
Games Already Covered in Depth
The following games from this community list have their own dedicated articles:
- Drakantos — Drakantos post-beta impressions and closed beta guide
- Corepunk — The Great Reset wipe June 25
- ABYEL — Browser MMO open beta guide
- Eldir Online — Pre-alpha playtest May 29
- Minimo — Roguelite MMO playtest guide
The Bigger Picture
What is notable about this list collectively: almost every game on it cites a classic MMO as its direct inspiration. Tibia, RuneScape, Ragnarok Online, EverQuest, Guild Wars 2. The indie MMO space in 2026 is not trying to build the next World of Warcraft — it is explicitly trying to recapture the specific experiences that large studios have moved away from.
That is not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It is developers and players identifying specific design philosophies (slower pace, skill-based progression, meaningful death, group dependency) that the mainstream genre abandoned in pursuit of accessibility, and building for that audience specifically.
Whether any of these games reaches a sustainable scale is an open question. But the volume and variety of projects targeting this niche in 2026 is genuinely unusual and worth watching.
