Erenshor from Burgee Media is a single-player simulated MMORPG where hundreds of AI companions adventure alongside you, level up while you’re offline, and never leave you behind. Built over 4 years by one developer who couldn’t find time for real MMOs, it launched Early Access in April 2025. Brian Burgee works full-time in healthcare and has a young family, so when he realized he hadn’t played an MMORPG since the original EverQuest, he decided to build the game he needed: all the MMO experience with none of the scheduling stress.
The MMO That Waits For You
Brian grew up in rural areas with terrible internet, where his EverQuest experience consisted mainly of lagging out of raids. As an adult with limited gaming time, he couldn’t commit to the schedules that modern MMORPGs demand. When he searched for a game that would simulate the MMO experience without requiring coordination with other real humans, he found nothing. So in 2021, he founded Burgee Media and started building Erenshor.
The core design philosophy addresses the fundamental problem with MMORPGs for busy adults: they respect your time in every possible way. Log in whenever you want, play for however long you can spare, and log out knowing the world will be there waiting without you falling hopelessly behind. No raid schedules. No fear of missing out. No pressure to keep up with a community that plays 40 hours per week when you can only manage 5.
Over 100 SimPlayers populate the world, each with distinct personalities and skill levels. These are not advanced AI using large language models. They run on logic trees and text parsers, creating scripted but believable interactions. They form their own groups, progress independently, invite you to dungeons, whisper you for help, and remember how you treat them. The world genuinely feels alive despite every other player being fake.
They Level Up While You Sleep
The SimPlayers continue progressing when you log off, but here is the genius part: they will never outpace you. If you take a month-long break, their advancement stays within a limited range of your progress. They might gain a few levels or find some gear, but they will not reach endgame while you are still struggling through midgame content. This ensures you always have appropriate companions available without the stress of falling hopelessly behind the community.
These characters develop over time just like real MMO players. As they run dungeons, they acquire loot. Some of that loot they will ask you for while adventuring together, creating the familiar MMO experience of negotiating drops. They keep that leveled-up status and improved gear, creating persistent relationships where you watch companions grow stronger alongside you across weeks and months of gameplay.
Brian tested making SimPlayers go offline on schedules to simulate real life, as players requested. The feedback was unanimous complaints. People said it felt too much like playing an actual MMORPG again, waiting for friends who had real commitments. Players enjoy the fantasy of SimPlayers stealing loot or kicking them from groups until it actually happens, then they realize they wanted the MMO experience without the MMO frustrations.
No AI Language Models
Despite realistic dialogue, Erenshor does not use large language model AI for SimPlayer conversations. Brian admits some characters are based on real people he knows, but all their dialogue is scripted. The cost of using LLM tokens for hundreds of NPCs constantly generating conversation would be prohibitively expensive for a solo indie developer selling the game for $20 with no subscription.
This actually works in the game’s favor. Scripted dialogue feels consistent with each character’s established personality. You learn who likes jokes, who stays serious, who gets excited about loot, and who provides helpful advice. The predictability creates familiarity rather than the uncanny valley effect that AI-generated conversations sometimes produce.
Built Like EverQuest Plays Like RuneScape
Erenshor deliberately evokes classic MMORPG design from the EverQuest and early World of Warcraft era. The game does not hold your hand with quest markers and glowing paths. You explore the world, discover locations organically, and figure out where to go next through environmental storytelling and NPC conversations. This old-school approach rewards curiosity and observation over following waypoints.
The visual aesthetic resembles RuneScape’s low-poly charm rather than modern photorealistic graphics. This stylistic choice serves multiple purposes. It allows a solo developer to create extensive content without needing AAA art budgets. It evokes nostalgia for players who remember when MMORPGs prioritized gameplay systems over visual spectacle. Most importantly, it ensures the game runs on modest hardware without performance issues.
Running from one side of the world to the other without fast travel takes 30-40 minutes, demonstrating genuine scale. Teleport pads exist for convenience, though no mounts are currently implemented. The world feels substantial rather than a series of disconnected instances. Over 1000 unique items populate the loot tables. Hundreds of quests provide structured progression for players who want guidance. Four basic classes with simple crafting round out the traditional MMORPG feature set.
Customizable Difficulty For Your Schedule
Respecting player time extends beyond scheduling flexibility. Erenshor includes comprehensive difficulty customization that lets you tailor the experience to exactly what you want. Adjust NPC damage and hit points, experience gain scaling, and the frequency of rare or special loot drops. Alternatively, use preset difficulties if you prefer developer-recommended settings.
This addresses another common MMORPG problem: games balanced for dedicated hardcore players often feel impossibly grindy for casual audiences, while games designed for mass appeal bore experienced veterans. Letting each player configure challenge levels ensures everyone gets appropriately engaging content regardless of skill level or available playtime.
The seasonal events remain permanent once released, eliminating another source of FOMO. Real MMORPGs create limited-time events to drive engagement spikes, but this punishes players whose real lives prevent participation during specific windows. In Erenshor, every event stays available forever, so you experience content when it fits your schedule rather than when the developers decree.
Four Years of Solo Development
Brian developed Erenshor entirely alone while working full-time in healthcare and raising a young family. Programming, art, design, quest writing, world building, SimPlayer personality creation, balancing, and every other aspect fell on one person. The dedication required to ship a functional MMORPG solo over four years while maintaining other life responsibilities is staggering.
The game launched in Early Access on April 14, 2025 priced at $20 with no subscription fees. The launch discount brought it down to $18 temporarily. By late June, Erenshor had accumulated nearly 1000 overwhelmingly positive Steam reviews. Players reported logging 300+ hours with the current Early Access content, with many describing it as capturing the spirit of classic MMORPGs better than most actual MMORPGs.
Brian measures success not by becoming a millionaire but by earning enough to develop games full-time. That modest goal reflects both pragmatism about indie game economics and genuine passion for creating experiences he personally wants to play. The Early Access roadmap spans roughly 18 months, with planned additions including guilds, raids, new dungeons, more items, world expansions, and a custom soundtrack.
The PR Campaign That Exceeded Expectations
Ahead of Steam Next Fest, Burgee Media partnered with UberStrategist for a one-month PR campaign with two clear goals: secure coverage on major gaming outlets and gain 5,000 additional Steam wishlists. The campaign focused on positioning Erenshor as an MMO for busy players who still crave the genre’s unique appeal.
The results exceeded expectations dramatically. The campaign secured 45 pieces of coverage including 16 Tier 1 placements across major outlets like IGN, GamesRadar+, PC Mag, GameSpot, The Gamer, and GameRant. Erenshor was featured in multiple Steam Next Fest roundups and received exclusive trailer placement on GameSpot. Most importantly, the campaign added over 10,000 new wishlists, doubling the original goal.
This success demonstrates how compelling Erenshor’s premise is when communicated effectively. The concept of a single-player MMORPG resonates with countless players who aged out of the genre not because they stopped loving it but because life circumstances made participation impossible. Reaching this underserved audience required only explaining that someone finally built the solution they needed.
Why This Cannot Have Multiplayer
Despite requests, Erenshor will never feature real multiplayer. Brian is adamant about this design choice because of personal experience. He keeps weird hours due to work and family. Almost every game he plays ends up being single-player because coordinating with friends proves impossible. Whenever he buys games with multiplayer content, he cannot shake the feeling that balance suffered because developers assumed multiple players.
By committing to single-player exclusively, Brian ensures Erenshor provides the complete experience solo. You are not fighting systems designed for two people. You are not encountering content balanced around having a healer when you play a warrior. Everything scales and functions properly because everything was designed around one human player commanding SimPlayer companions.
This philosophy limits potential audience size but creates laser focus on serving the target demographic perfectly. Better to make one thing exceptionally well than compromise trying to please everyone. For players who want MMO gameplay without MMO social requirements, Erenshor is literally the only game providing exactly that experience.
The Current State and Future Plans
The Early Access build offers 35 levels of content spanning roughly 100 hours of gameplay. Four classes provide different playstyles without overwhelming complexity. Over 100 SimPlayers populate the world ready to group with you. Several gathering and crafting professions offer economic gameplay loops. The foundation is solid, functional, and already providing more content than many full-release indie RPGs.
The 18-month Early Access roadmap promises substantial additions. Guilds will add organizational structure and shared goals. Raids will introduce large-group content requiring coordination with multiple SimPlayers. New dungeons and world areas will expand exploration opportunities. More items, monsters, and variants will increase combat variety. The custom soundtrack will enhance atmosphere beyond the current curated selection.
The full 1.0 release will come with a price increase, incentivizing early adoption during the development phase. For $20, players get immediate access to 100+ hours of content plus all future updates through final release. The value proposition is extraordinary compared to most Early Access offerings that charge more for less content and vaguer roadmaps.
FAQs About Erenshor
When did Erenshor release?
Erenshor launched in Early Access on Steam on April 14, 2025. The full 1.0 release is planned approximately 18 months after Early Access launch, likely late 2026.
How much does Erenshor cost?
Erenshor costs $20 with no subscription fees or microtransactions. The price will increase when the game reaches full 1.0 release. A free demo is available on Steam for players who want to try before buying.
Do the SimPlayers use AI?
No, SimPlayers do not use large language model AI. They run on logic trees and text parsers with scripted dialogue. This keeps costs manageable and ensures consistent personality characterization.
Can I play Erenshor with real friends?
No, Erenshor is strictly single-player with no multiplayer functionality planned. This design choice ensures the entire game is balanced around one human player without requiring coordination with others.
How long does the current Early Access content last?
The current build offers 35 levels spanning roughly 100 hours of gameplay. Many players report logging 300+ hours by exploring thoroughly, experimenting with different classes, and pursuing completionist goals.
Will SimPlayers leave me behind if I take a break?
No. SimPlayers progress while you are offline but stay within a limited range of your level. If you take a month off, they might advance a few levels but will never reach endgame while you are still in midgame content.
What classes are available in Erenshor?
The current Early Access build features four basic classes. Specific class details were not disclosed in available sources, but they follow traditional MMORPG archetypes suitable for solo play with SimPlayer companions.
Who developed Erenshor?
Brian Burgee developed Erenshor entirely solo over four years while working full-time in healthcare and raising a family. He founded Burgee Media specifically to create this game after failing to find the single-player MMO experience he wanted.
Conclusion
Erenshor proves that one determined developer can build solutions to problems the industry ignores. Countless former MMORPG players aged out of the genre not because they stopped loving it but because life circumstances made participation impossible. Brian Burgee identified this underserved audience because he is that audience. By building exactly the game he needed, he created something resonating with thousands of others facing identical frustrations. The overwhelmingly positive Steam reviews and players logging 300+ hours demonstrate that Erenshor successfully captures classic MMORPG magic while respecting modern adult realities. For $20 with no subscription, you get an offline world that waits patiently for you, companions who never complain about your schedule, and progression systems that never punish you for having a life outside gaming. If you loved EverQuest, early World of Warcraft, or any classic MMORPG but cannot justify the time commitment those games demand today, Erenshor was built specifically for you. Download the free demo on Steam and discover whether adventuring through a simulated MMO populated by hundreds of bots feels as satisfying as the real thing used to before life got complicated.
Nicely done.