Preface: This is a list of currently playable Virtual Worlds/Social MMOs on the web. In order to keep the scope of this concise and within a specific range, I'm choosing to define them as this: A game played with an interactable world where you, the player, are directly in control of your character, and where the main intent is for socialising and character customization. This definition intentionally excludes things like MMORPGs, where the main gameplay aspect is... Actual gameplay, not just socialization. It also excludes most virtual pet games. If you're looking for a list of those, check out this page by Sleepycircus.I'm also omitting games that can only be played single player, so if you see something in the dead games list that has a single player back up, that's why.
If I'm missing something, or you see something that needs to be corrected/added to, please do not hesitate to Contact me
Disclaimer: This is meant to be a list for reference purposes. I cannot necessarily endorse or vouch for everything on this list. Play at your own discretion.
Symbol Key
[NBS]: Needs Better Source. This links to something like a forum or reddit post and not something firsthand like a game site. Usually stuff that died in obscurity/is lost media.
[PR]: Partially restored. Usually this means it has an offline backup.
[US]: Unknown Status. It's not clear whether or not this is actively being worked on/Is available. These tend to be sorted into the dead worlds category, but not always.
[GH]: Gameplay Heavy. Games that err on the side of being more gameified, but still suit this article in my opinion. This is kind of subjective.
[W3]: Web 3 Nonsense.
[SP]: The singleplayer backup is linked.
[FP]: Link requires flashpoint.
[STEAM]: Link is to steam.
[DISC]: Link is to a discord server.
Modern Worlds
ActiveWorlds
Animal Jam
Atom Universe[US]
Avakin Life
Blockland [STEAM]
Club Cooee
Decentraland [W3]
Faketown [W3]
Furcadia
GaiaOnline
Graal Online
Growtopia
Habbo Hotel
IMVU
Lady Popular
Moviestar Planet
Party Parrot World
PlayVille
Polity [STEAM]
Pony Town
Poptropica
Puzzle Pirates
Roblox [GH]
Sansar
Sinespace
Second life
Stardoll
There
VRChat
Webfishing [STEAM]
Webkinz [GH]
Whyville
WolfQuest [GH]
Woozworld
Ximboland
YoWorld
Revived Worlds
Bin Weevils
Club Penguin
Fer.al
Littlest Petshop Online: LPSO: Revived + [DISC], LPSO: Live
The Palace
Pandanda
Panfu
Pixie Hollow: Fairy ABC, We The Pixies
SocioTown
Toon Town [GH]: Rewritten, Corporate Clash
Virtual Magic Kingdom: My VMK, VMK Legacy
Worlds Coming Soon?
Barbie Girls Online
Box Critters[US]
MoshiMonsters
OurWorld
Petpet Park
Dead Worlds?
List for posterity. Please let me know if any of these have a revival project!
Amazing World [STEAM]
Bearville Online
Birdz World
BooniePlanet
Chimpoo
Club Marian [SP][FP]
Disney Superbia [NBS]
DiveIn3D
Ekoloko
Fantage [SP]
Franktown Rocks
Free Realms [GH][SP]
Freggers
Friendbase
Gala Stories [US]
Handipoints Handiland
Herotopia
High Street 5
KidsCom
LINE PLAY
McWorld [NBS]
Monkey Quest
Moshi Rewritten
Music Man Online
NuVera Online
Onverse
Petra's Planet
PicaTown
Playstation Home
Say Say Girls
Secret Bear World [US]
Secret Builders
Sifaka World
SmallWorlds
sMeet
Spark City World
SuperSecret
SwitchIn
Twinity
Webbli World
WeeWorld
Whirled
Worlds.com
Worlize
Xulu
Yodicity
Yoobot vs Yoonot
Zibbie Zone
Unsorted/Unknown: (Games that need to be verified whether they're alive and/or whether they suit the scope of this article)
Sources and extra reading:
Li Speaks' "List of Active Virtual Worlds"
SleepyCircus' Defunct Browser Games Page
Virtual Worlds Land (I have no idea how upkept this site is but I used it as a reference to find more Unknown/Shovelware-y titles and other oddities)