New to Tibia?

Draft: review before launch.

Tibia is one of the oldest online role-playing games still around. It started in 1997, long before quest markers, auto-pathing and loot beams. Kings of Tibia recreates the game as it was in version 7.72, around 2004, the era many players remember as its best, and adds a twist of its own: you lead a whole party.

If you have never played it, this page explains what you are getting into.

What kind of game is it?

Tibia is a 2D fantasy world seen from above, drawn in pixel art and shared with every other player online. There is one big, hand-made map: towns, forests, deserts, swamps, ice islands and a lot of dungeons underneath them.

There are no classes to unlock, no daily quests and no story you must follow. You explore, hunt monsters, trade, team up with other people, and slowly get stronger. What you do with your time is up to you.

What makes it different

Modern games guide you everywhere. Classic Tibia does not:

• No quest log, no markers. You find things by exploring, by talking to people in the game, or by asking other players.
• Talk to characters by typing. To speak with a shopkeeper or a quest giver, walk up and type hi. They answer, and words they mention lead to more conversation: ask about a job, a quest, or what they sell.
• Spells are words. You cast a spell by typing its incantation, such as exura to heal yourself. You learn new spells from teachers in the towns.
• Your map fills in as you walk. The automap only shows places you have been. You can mark spots on it yourself.
• Death costs something. When you die you lose some experience and skill progress, and you may drop items. Danger feels real, so you learn to be careful.
• Weight matters. Everything you carry has a weight, and your capacity limits how much loot you can haul home.

How you get stronger

• Levels come from experience, mostly from killing monsters. Each level gives you more health, mana and capacity.
• Skills improve by doing. Hit things with a sword and your sword fighting goes up; block attacks and your shielding goes up; cast spells and your magic level rises.
• Equipment comes from monsters, other players and shops. Good armour and weapons are worth a lot, and the gold coins you earn buy everything else.

The vocations

Every character on the mainland has a vocation:

• Knights fight up close with swords, axes or clubs. They are the toughest, and they take the hits.
• Paladins use bows, crossbows and spears from a distance, with some holy magic.
• Sorcerers cast powerful attack spells (fire, energy and death) but are fragile.
• Druids heal, and attack with ice and earth. A party without one doesn't last long.

The Kings of Tibia twist: you play all four

In normal Tibia you pick one vocation and play one character. Here you lead a party of four: a Knight, a Paladin, a Sorcerer and a Druid, all sharing your Player Name.

You control one avatar at a time and can switch whenever you like. The others follow you, heal each other, fight beside you, and even eat and train on their own, with settings you choose. If one of them falls, it lies downed for a short while and another can revive it.

It means you can take on things alone that would normally need a group, and still team up with other players when you want to.

Your first hours

1. Rookgaard. Every new character starts on Rookgaard, a small island for beginners. Kill rats and other easy monsters, earn your first gold, buy better gear, and learn the controls without much risk.
2. Level 8. When you are ready, talk to the Oracle. You leave Rookgaard for the mainland, and your party of four joins you in the town you choose.
3. The mainland. From here the world is open. Hunt, explore, join a guild, save for a house, climb the highscores.

Controls in a nutshell

• Walk with the arrow keys, or click where you want to go.
• Right-click (or the use button) to use things: open doors, eat food, climb ladders.
• Drag items to move them between the ground, your backpack and your equipment slots.
• Look at anything with shift and a click to see what it is.
• Click a monster in the battle list to attack it.
• Type in the chat box to talk, trade with shopkeepers, and cast spells.

Tips from old players

• Carry food. You only regenerate health and mana while you are fed.
• Don't hunt where you can't escape. Know the way back to town before you go deeper.
• Ask. Plenty of players remember the old days and are happy to help a newcomer.
• Read the Rules before you play.

Ready?

1. Create a free account.
2. Download the client.
3. Log in, and see you in Rookgaard.

Want the details on party play? Read About Kings of Tibia.