Starmourn

VS

Dune: Awakening

Starmourn is a text-based science fiction MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) by Iron Realms Entertainment, released in late 2018. While it is persistent and supports multiplayer, like most MUDs its playerbase is niche and has likely declined after launch. Iron Realms MUDs typically sustain small but devoted communities; currently, 50–200 daily players is reasonable, so I estimate around 100.

As of late August 2025, Dune: Awakening had approximately 14,000 concurrent players, reflecting a significant decline from its peak of over 189,000 concurrent players shortly after launch in June 2025. This decrease is attributed to factors such as player burnout, game design issues, and technical problems. Despite these challenges, the developers remain optimistic, citing strong player retention and a 10-year development roadmap that includes plans to explore new planets and regions within the Dune universe. ([gamesradar.com](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/mmo/dune-awakening-dev-says-player-retention-has-been-extremely-good-and-the-mmos-10-year-plan-still-has-so-much-to-pull-from-in-the-lore-well-go-to-new-planets-eventually/?utm_source=openai))