This game has spent two decades in development. Well, technically, this isn’t the first time it has launched. It was released in 2004 by Joe Chedburn, then a 16-year-old. I’m talking about Torn, a text-based MMORPG and gritty crime simulator.
A browser game until now, Torn is available on Android globally. Many of its players have been around since the early 2000s, growing older alongside the game. It launched the same year as Facebook, Shrek 2, and the first wave of Bird Flu panic.
Torn City lets you build empires and cause trouble without getting arrested
Set in a fictional city that’s morally bankrupt, the game lets you play as an ordinary street hustler. From petty scams to heists, you shape your story through a web of criminal opportunities.
You might start by mugging strangers or robbing funeral homes. Soon, you’re organising cybercrimes, torching warehouses, and pulling off contract arsons for the city’s most dangerous figures.
The game has over 20,000 text-based scenes and paints every decision in unsettling detail. Built on tabs, maps, and menus, it’s a minimalist game. Yet, the graphics are well-detailed, offering high-quality renders of weapons, drugs, and the occasional severed limb.
Not everyone in Torn chooses the life of crime, though. Some go corporate, working in player-owned businesses like detective agencies, oil rigs, and strip clubs. Others invest their cash in banks or the stock market, backing industries that range from arms dealing to adult entertainment.
Thousands of player-run factions act as both protection and power networks. Many of these groups have existed for over a decade. They’ve built their own culture and rivalries through organised wars, joint heists, and territorial battles.
You can check out the game on the Google Play Store.
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