I played Ragnarok Online every day for month. Here’s what I’ve learned
The author of this Polygon piece revisited the classic MMORPG Ragnarok Online after 21 years, committing to play it daily for an entire month. Originally released by Gravity in South Korea in 2002, Ragnarok Online captured the author’s imagination in 2004 through a friend’s stories about the game’s unique mechanics—including the ability to become a thief after passing an exam involving stealing mushrooms. It took a year of convincing for the author’s parents to purchase a capable computer and approve a subscription payment, finally allowing them to play in 2005.
After two decades away, the author returned to the game with determination and completed their month-long challenge. Through this extended playthrough, they gained perspective on how online gaming has evolved. The primary takeaway from their experience is sobering: in today’s online gaming landscape, players are “more alone than together” than they were in the game’s heyday. This observation reflects broader changes in how massively multiplayer online games function and foster community compared to the early 2000s era when Ragnarok Online thrived as a social phenomenon.
The piece serves as both a nostalgic journey and a commentary on the evolution of MMOs and player communities over the past two decades.