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The 2000s and 2010s were an immense period of growth for the internet, and for the kids who grew up with it. During this time, we were bombarded with virtual worlds for just about anything, from our favorite stuffed animals to long-standing franchises. Sadly, many of these virtual worlds have shut down, leaving us to dwell in our nostalgia via Reddit threads.
1. Club Penguin
Arguably one of the most popular MMOs of this time period, Club Penguin dominated the corner of virtual worlds from 2005-2017. Playing as a penguin, you could hang out with friends, play games, and waddle around with your puffle. At its height, Club Penguin boasted over 200 million registered accounts.
2. Moshi Monsters
This MMO operated from 2008 to 2019. Choosing from one of six virtual monsters to care for, you could walk around Monstro City, play games, solve puzzles, and post messages to your friend’s bulletin boards. The website had to shut down in 2019 due to the widespread discontinuation of Adobe Flash Player.
3. The Sims Online
This MMO was a subscription-based version of the original Sims game, where players could interact with one another, purchase and customize properties, and find work. The website was released in 2002, but was criticized for a lack of depth found in the standard Sims franchise. It was shut down in 2008, after being a hotbed of controversy for several years.
4. Glitch
This MMORPG was considered a commercial failure, but a piece of it is still often used today. Created as a 2D game that focused on community-oriented crafting and gathering activities, the idea was for the players to build up the world around them. Due to several in-game issues, Glitch was only available to the public from 2011 to 2012; however, its chat function is the foundation for the communication platform Slack.
5. Google Lively
Google’s take on a virtual world involved character and room customization, user interaction, and incorporated videos and photos from YouTube and Picasa, allowing you to showcase your favorite media like pieces of art. The world was short-lived, however, only operating from July to December 2008.
6. Fantage
This popular MMORPG was populated by adorable animated avatars that traveled exclusively by hoverboards. Fantage was released to the general public in 2008 and became a worldwide sensation, with over 30 million registered users by the end of 2014. Sadly, the game shut down in the summer of 2018, apparently due to management issues and a declining user base.
Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash
7. ToonTown
Disney’s ToonTown Online was a popular children’s MMORPG, where you could complete quests, engage in combat, race, fish, and golf. The original game was released in 2003 and shut down in 2013, but was quickly replaced with a newer version of the game, Toontown Rewritten.
Theme Park Tourist on Wikimedia
8. Poptropica
This popular adventure game was created by Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The game allowed players to travel to a series of islands, where they could complete various quests to receive in-game money. The website was praised for its wholesome and educational content and was loved by many. Several islands are still available to play today, but a large portion of the game was lost due to the discontinuation of Adobe Flash.
9. vSide
This virtual world was launched in 2006. Playing as characters known as vSiders, users could interact with one another, shop, and customize themselves and their virtual spaces. The game went dark in 2018, but was its most popular from 2006-2009.
10. U.B Funkeys
This computer game was created by toy company Mattel, and ran from 2007 to 2010. Purchasing a Funkey allowed you to port your figure into the game, where you could explore the virtual world of Terrapinia. While cool in theory, the game was criticized for constantly needing to spend money, eventually leading to a lack of sales in the product.
11. Build-A-Bearville
This adorable virtual world has been discontinued not once, but twice. In this virtual world, you could create an avatar, play games, and bring your Build-A-Bear plushie to life via their official certificate. The original game shut down in March 2015, while a fan-made version called Bearville Rewritten has been put on an indefinite hiatus, thanks to a cease and desist letter from the company.
12. Pixie Hollow
This Disney-based MMO allowed you to virtually live with the company’s famous fairy group. You were able to customize your character, pick a talent, and complete quests to further your talent level. The game was released to the public in 2008 and shut down in 2013.
mydisneyadventures on Wikimedia
13. Littlest Pet Shop Online
Like many toy companies of the late 2000s, Littlest Pet Shop created an MMO to bring their animal collection into a virtual world. It was released to the public in 2009, but was only active until 2011. The game is quite popular for being a piece of lost media, with many of its assets still undiscovered today.
14. Barbiegirls
In this world, you could be anything you wanted to be. Mattel’s BarbieGirls was released to the public in 2007, where you could chat with friends, furnish their apartment, and play mini-games. Mattel shut down the website in 2011, encouraging users to join Stardoll, a popular fashion community game.
15. Star Wars Galaxies
This popular MMORPG first came to the internet in 2003. You could play as one of 10 species featured in the Star Wars universe, pick professions, engage in combat, and explore the galaxy far, far away. The game was massive, reflecting modern social institutions. Players were able to build their own cities, run for office, and organize public services, alongside the ability to create in-game items that other players could purchase. The official servers shut down in 2011, but several emulator projects exist for interested players.
Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan on Wikimedia
16. Tabula Rasa
This science-fiction MMORPG was launched in 2007. In this game, you are a part of humanity’s last stand against a group of aliens, engaging in combat, missions, and in-depth storytelling. Sadly, the game was shut down in 2009 due to a low player population.
17. Petpet Park
This virtual world was launched by Nickelodeon in 2008. It was created by the Neopets team, but focused on Neopets’ companions, known as Petpets. In this game, you could complete quests, customize your character, decorate your home, and play mini games. The game shut down in 2014, due to Jumpstart’s acquisition of the Neopet brand.
18. WeeWorld
This social networking company was created in 2000, and it combined social networking with a virtual world. In this game, you controlled a customizable avatar known as a WeeMee, and could play games, engage in forums, and chat with other players. The website shut down in 2017, after being sold to several parent companies.
19. OurWorld
This virtual world was all about casual gaming. Released in 2008, players could chat with one another, participate in contests, decorate their home and avatar, and even get married and adopt children. While it survived the discontinuation of Adobe Flash, the game was shut down in 2021 due to in-game scammers.
20. Free Realms
This MMORPG was developed by Sony. Set in the fantasy world of Sacred Grove, you could work, fight, complete quests, and engage with other players. The game was available on PC’s and PlayStation 3, but was shut down in 2014.
