Writing Games explores Lumen et Umbra, a long-running Italian text game

Developer Niymiae shares how he rebuilt the 1994 classic with modern systems and style

Online - September 30, 2025-- Writing Games, a site dedicated to the culture and craft of text-based roleplaying games, has published a new interview with Simone “Niymiae,” keeper of the Italian MUD Lumen et Umbra.

Lumen et Umbra: re-imagining a world between light and shadow.

Created in 1994, Lumen et Umbra is one of the longest-running multiplayer text games still online. In the interview, Niymiae explains how he rebuilt the game from its DikuMUD origins into a fast-paced, ARPG-inspired world with real-time lighting, fluid combat, and classes built around distinctive mechanics.

“It felt like removing an oversized old sofa from a room and suddenly having so much more space for fun things to decorate it with,” Niymiae said of overhauling the game’s combat system.

The conversation also explores accessibility, burnout, and the creative freedom that comes with running a solo project. Niymiae offers advice to other developers, reflecting on what he’s learned about community, feedback, and balancing passion with self-care.

“What impressed me most about Niymiae’s approach is how deeply he questions old design habits,” said Andruid, creator of Writing Games. “He’s not content to preserve tradition for tradition’s sake - he rebuilds systems until they feel right, even if that means rethinking what a MUD can be.”

The full interview, “Lumen et Umbra: re-imagining a world between light and shadow,” is available on Writing Games.

Niymiae on avoiding burnout while managing a solo project.