TERMINALWARS
Salvage AI cores from the dead machines of an old network. A multiplayer strategy game in a terminal, playable in your browser or over ssh.
Play: https://terminalwars.darwyn.io
Or: `ssh -p 2323 terminalwars.darwyn.io`
The old tech in this game is the computer itself. Everything runs on one server, like a mainframe in the seventies, and everybody who dials in plays in the same world. Your browser is only a terminal, it sends keystrokes and shows what comes back. The modem noise at the start is just for the mood, the sound is made up in the browser and any key skips it. If you prefer a real terminal, ssh works too. The name is a small bow to the games that were played like this. In 1978 Decwar ran on a PDP-10 at the University of Texas, many players on one machine, fighting over the same map. CompuServe sold it later by the hour as MegaWars, and TradeWars brought the idea to the BBS boards of the eighties. I never got to play any of them, so this is my try to make one again, with the old tech of today: a terminal and a modem sound.
How it plays: you run one small outpost and a handful of ships. Around you drift the derelicts of a long dead network, relay beacons, data vaults, ore refineries. Scout them, attack them with fighters and bring the titanium and the AI cores home with haulers. The cores are the currency for everything above level three, for the dock that builds frigates and cruisers, and for a shield. The biggest derelicts are the mainframe cores. You need a proper fleet for those.
Other operators are on the same map. You can attack them once their 24h protection is over, or you found a corporation together and from then on you share scout reports, send each other Ti and station ships at a friend's outpost. There is no chat because moderating these is hard so you and your mates talk with signals, short fixed messages like "need 2,000 Ti at 3:0". The world keeps running while you are offline. Drills produce, fleets come home, the derelicts around you refill. Come back the next day and see what happened.
I hope you have fun with it. See you on the mainframe, I am darwyn in there. If you land in my corp, say hello with a signal.
Comments10
maxxxMAX19 Oct 2026, 22:18
I popped in, got a bit spooked, but didn't leave - the graphics are nice. Messed around with a few things, and honestly, it’s a great vibe for sitting and thinking while having some tea.
hurricxme20 Oct 2026, 00:04
so freaky, but i like it, keep going!!!
Isaac Hisey20 Oct 2026, 02:50
I played for an hour or two, built some stuff, raided some places. The tech / idea behind the SSH version + the web version both working together is really cool. As constructive feedback, I didn't really know if what I was doing was the thing I "should" be doing and it a bit quiet / slow. Really cool though and still a solid entry!
jathurshandev20 Oct 2026, 11:16
Good management sim that saves and keeps running even when you're offline.
I love the TTY graphics !
The fact that this is playable on SSH is great ! Reminds me of late.sh project
Great experience
I love the TTY graphics !
The fact that this is playable on SSH is great ! Reminds me of late.sh project
Great experience
Helgust20 Oct 2026, 20:47
Hi! I really like the graphics and how deep the gameplay is! I especially like being able to connect to your game via SSH!
Nicely done!
Nicely done!
FancyReckless20 Oct 2026, 21:03
I was gonna go to sleep, but then I noticed somebody made a game in ssh, so I had to try it. Very cool idea and it alone fits the old tech theme pretty well (tho of course old here is relative). Anyway, gameplay was fun, pretty good for a jam. I did love how you fit everything very neatly in there, I'd say even better than regular graphical games do, but maybe I just like terminals. And UI looks clean and aestetic also.
Eugenik21 Oct 2026, 02:09
The feeling of being connected to this shared, ancient network is fantastic. It really captures the atmosphere of a vast, centralized mainframe from the seventies. It's a unique take on strategy that perfectly fits the old tech theme.
el_chivo_vivo21 Oct 2026, 02:39
I dont fully understand the game yet, but the over all graphics and feel make for something i'm going to enjoy learning and playing. looking forward to convincing some friends to join a campaign hahaha
dippyshere21 Oct 2026, 14:06
Being able to play in the terminal is super cool! Its very nice as a background game while things are building and the multiplayer aspect is quite nice too
Also, if anyone wants to join the best corp: `MXG7U` ;)