Presumably, every gamer has a game they remember decades later. That one special game that shaped them to the core, taught them everything and warms their heart to this day when they think back to that time. For our video producer Anna Alberg, it is Tibia. Welcome to a little time travel for the MMORPG theme week!
I will never forget sitting next to my cousin on the chair, fascinated, watching him play Tibia. I was 10 years old and at that time still living in Poland. Tibia was the first online game I came into contact with in 2004.
Sure, I had played various games before such as “The Sims”, “Pizza Connection 2”, or “Gothic 2”, but since the internet was a rarity in my country back then, I could only dream of playing online with other people. After I moved to Germany with my parents in 2006 and we finally had internet, I immediately downloaded Tibia without thinking twice.
After LoL, she dedicated herself to World of Warcraft and has been on board in every expansion since Legion. Currently, she tries to fill the gaps in various RPGs and is up for any good survival game.
The underground cave with no exit
My first character was named “Little Girl” – totally clichéd, I know. I couldn’t even speak proper German, let alone English, which didn’t make things any easier as the game was entirely in English. Additionally, I was a total noob and picked a server that supported free PvP – I had no idea what that meant. But we’ll get to that later.
At that time, there was no introduction or tutorial, and so I wandered through the starting area of Rookgaard, defeating my first enemies in the sewers: the rats. Over time, I also dared to venture into the area outside the city and came across an opening in the ground, which I clicked on very boldly. After all, I had already leveled up a bit and had some gear.
You can’t imagine how confused I was when I wanted to go back, but there was no ladder outside. And there I was, trapped in the middle of a troll cave. A player came towards me and I desperately asked him for help. He just wrote “use rope” and disappeared back to the surface. I think I spent a good few hours down there until I found a rope and learned how to use it.
Other players wanted my loot
Tibia harshly prepared me for every subsequent game. It taught me how to set up macros because you had to type every spell in the chat to use it. It also showed me the toxic side of the gaming community when I fell into a trap set by other players.
In the early versions of Tibia, you could block each other. You couldn’t get past another player’s character if there was no space on the left or right. Especially tight tunnels or towers were the perfect places for a player trap, and if you died, others could loot your entire inventory. I fell for it myself when a few players lured me to a tower with strong enemies, only to block my way.
But I also met many nice players, and even my first great “internet love”. I met him when I first tried to bake bread in Tibia; he taught me how to do it. Since then, he has always been my companion and explained many things to me in the game. Also, my questionable server choice, which I soon learned about the hard way.
During this week, you’ll find exciting articles every day about MMORPGs. Included: a time travel through the history of online role-playing games, but also nostalgic retrospectives, streaming nights, interviews, columns, and analyses.
Here is the program for the big MMORPG theme week 2025 by MeinMMO
The end of “Little Girl”
When you reached a certain level, you could leave Rookgaard and travel to the main world. And although my friend tried to dissuade me, I chose the city of Thais and was teleported to a temple. After leaving the protected area, bloodthirsty players rushed at me, again and again.
I couldn’t even properly explore the newly traveled city. Well, the charm of free PvP. That was the end of “Little Girl” and I created a character on a peaceful server with my new buddy – this time I was much better prepared.
Tibia was really a hardcore MMORPG for a beginner like me. I learned it the hard way and… loved it. Every further game in the genre that I tried, like Metin 2, felt way too easy in comparison. So I stayed loyal to Tibia.
It was a wonderful time that I will keep forever in my heart. Memories that still bring a smile to my face today. Through Tibia, I learned English and discovered my passion for online games. For that, I am grateful to this day.
It hurts a little bit to know that such an experience is unique. But I will forever remember every moment and the sky I never saw in Tibia (Warning, insider!). By the way, did you know? Tibia is still so successful today that the developers have been raking in big bonuses for years.
