Dream Within a Dream

Kingdom of Loathing, or KoL as the players so lovingly call it, is an online text with stick figure graphics based massively multiplayer adventure game. It has all the traditional fantasy roleplaying/adventure gaming features, but with an interesting self-referencing, self-satirizing twist.

To learn more about KoL, consult the Wiki. My favorite place to fudge around is the Penultimate Fantasy Airship, and not just because I grabbed a Cocoabo from there.

Oh, also don't forget to abuse the Buff Bot if you decide to check it out. Had I abused the buff bot earlier in the game, life would have been far easier.

Aside from its humor, the other reason you should at least give it a whirl is that it is one of the few games out there that can actually boast of having no grind. Combat is over with just a few clicks (thank god!), decent equipment is easy to come by, and unless you're actively collecting things for the bounty hunter, the game is pretty quick to finish, especially since many can actively finish the game in less than a week. (Disclaimer: It took me over 2 months. XD) But no worries about not having things to do, as new areas are constantly being added, and you get bonus skills and gear and new areas for repetitively finishing the main quest.

The game also restricts the time you can spend on it by limiting the number of "adventures" you can take every day, and any unused adventure is saved, up to 200 maximum. I personally find this mechanism great for forcing me to stop grinding, thus having time in my life for other more important things, like getting work done. Of course, you can increase the number of available "adventures" by acquiring certain items, eating and drinking. In practice, many players have managed to accrue up to 300 or more adventures a day. (I've managed at most about an extra 100 adventures, but then again, I wasn't really trying. On the other hand, I find playing for more than 70 adventures tire me out, so it's a good balance.)

Come join me at Kingdom of Loathing and see if you can spot your favorite video game references!