A Family Passion Project — Free Forever
It started with a simple idea: what if my son could experience the same world that captivated me decades ago? Ultima Online wasn't just a game — it was where I learned to trade, to explore, to trust strangers, and to never leave the bank without armor. I wanted to share that with him.
So I started building. Late nights after the kids went to bed. Weekends between soccer games and homework. What began as a father-son project quickly grew — my brother wanted in, then our friends, then their kids. Suddenly this little passion project had a community of its own.
UM Classic is an original, from-scratch client for the classic sandbox RPG era — rebuilt from the ground up for modern tablets and desktops, and designed to work with a classic client you already own. No server subscriptions, no ads, no in-app purchases, and no internet connection required once you're set up. Everything runs on your device.
UM Classic is offline-first — the entire game lives on your device. But when you want company, the same game seamlessly connects online. Three ways to play, one game.
Unlike the original Ultima Online, where expansion lands were isolated in separate facets, UM Classic stitches every era together into one continuous world. Britannia, the Lost Lands, Ilshenar, Malas, the Tokuno Islands, and Ter Mur are all connected by open ocean. Sail between them by boat, hop a moongate, or recall with a marked rune — every land is reachable from any other.
Click to enlarge
This has been a passion project for a while now, and it grows every week. Here's what's playable right now.
Ultima Online launched in 1997 and changed everything. It was the first true MMORPG — a living, breathing world where thousands of players built communities, ran shops, fought dragons, and made memories that lasted a lifetime. For many of us, it was more than a game. It was where we grew up.
UM Classic is our love letter to that world. It's not affiliated with EA, Broadsword, or Origin Systems — just a fan who wanted to share something magical with his family. Every pixel, every line of code, every late-night debugging session is fueled by nostalgia, love, and way too much pink lemonade.
We give full credit and gratitude to Richard Garriott, Origin Systems, and everyone who built the original Ultima Online. Without their vision, none of this would exist. ♥
UM Classic is now in early beta — it's free, it's playable, and it gets better every week. Expect bugs! We're still polishing, but the game is very playable. Open the Quick Commands menu in game and pick Report Bug — it captures a screenshot and your location automatically, which helps us fix things fast.
The game is live and free on Android (Google Play), Mac (Mac App Store), Windows, and Linux. iOS is live too, as a free public TestFlight beta rather than an App Store listing — same build, one extra tap to install. No accounts, no catches — just download and play. Feel free to share with your friends — all are welcome!
Aug 5, 2026 — All four platforms are live
Big one. As of this week you can play UM Classic on every platform we set out to support.
About iOS, honestly: the Mac version went through Apple's review without much trouble. The iOS version did not. It came back over and over, and the last round wasn't about wording or icons — it was a judgement that the app is too close to an existing game. That's not something you argue your way out of, so I stopped trying and went the TestFlight route instead. It's free, it's the same game, and it works. Beta builds do expire every 90 days, so you'll reinstall from the same link now and then.
Also fixed in v1.0.45:
Still rough in places — that's the honest state of it. If something breaks or looks wrong, please open Quick Commands in game and pick Report Bug rather than just closing it. It grabs the details automatically and it's far more useful than “it crashed.” I read all of them.
Thanks for playing, testing, and hollering when something is off. It genuinely makes the game better.
— Steven ⚔️
Jul 6, 2026 — A better welcome for new adventurers
Hey everyone, a quick one this week. This update is all about first impressions, because a certain young tester asked, loudly and more than once, “where was our guide?” Fair question. Fixed!
What’s new in v1.0.37:
The update (v1.0.37) is rolling out now: Google Play today, the Mac App Store as soon as Apple approves the update, and the Windows and Linux downloads below are already fresh. iOS is still in App Store review. Everything remains crossed.
Thanks as always for playing, testing, and hollering when something is off. It genuinely makes the game better.
— Steven ⚔️
