Torn Celebrates 21 Years as a Legendary Crime-Themed Text RPG

• Torn, the crime-themed text-based RPG, is celebrating 21 years
• Follow up on our interview with the dev team and dive into some sinister stats
• How many dollars have been nicked, and how many asses have been kicked? Find out now!

While flashy graphics and cutting-edge systems often dominate online gaming, the enduring appeal of a text RPG still shines—especially when a game like Torn survives and thrives for 21 years. In an era once ruled by titles like RuneScape and Ultima Online, Torn continues to stand out as a long-lived crime RPG that refuses to slow down. This crime simulation online game has built an impressive legacy through pure depth and player-driven storytelling.

Last week, we interviewed key members of Torn’s development team and explored the origins of this crime-themed RPG. Built around stealing, maiming, and tearing through a dangerous virtual city—entirely through text—Torn has kept a fiercely loyal community engaged. Its mix of strategic crime mechanics and role-playing progression makes it one of the most enduring browser-based RPG experiences.

To mark the milestone, Torn has released a trove of sinister stats. Over 1,200 players who joined back in 2003 are still active today, contributing to a massive collective 12,627 years of experience. Players have also racked up 410,888,359 assaults—12% of which targeted the groin, for those curious. These numbers highlight why Torn continues to be a top pick for fans searching for retro text RPG nostalgia or deep long-term progression.

In the plums

I suppose there's something to be said for any RPG that lets you run up, kick someone in the crown jewels and then leg it. But as silly as it may seem, these and other stats (a total of $44 trillion of in-game cash has been mugged) reflect just how wildly popular this long-running release still is. Even in an age of raytracing and photorealistic worlds, Torn’s gritty text battles and economy-driven warfare continue to pull players in.

The Torn team may humblebrag about their longevity, but the numbers don’t lie. They’re a testament to how dramatically gaming has evolved—and how a retro-inspired browser RPG can still carve out a devoted niche.

Here’s to many more years of crime—or perhaps something new on the horizon. Time will tell.

In the meantime, mobile gamers craving more adventures can check out our curated list of the best mobile RPGs on Android for fresh role-playing experiences.

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