A fantasy MMORPG in your browser: the world of Zarhold — races, lands and a floating capital

Fantasy is the home genre of MMORPGs: knights and mages, elves and orcs, dragons in raids and a tavern where the party gathers. If you’re looking for a fantasy MMORPG you can enter straight from your browser, with no download and no powerful PC, here is how the world of Zarhold works — a card MMORPG where every fight is a duel of decks and everything else is classic fantasy.

The world: lands from level 1 to 60

Zarhold’s world is a continent of 26 lands: from sunny valleys for newcomers to scorched steppes, marshes and plague-ridden regions for older heroes. You travel from land to land, and each has its own character:

• five spots with enemies — a normal foe, a pack, a hunt, an elite and the land boss, the ruler of the region;
• a quest board — 312 quests across the world, all one-time;
• gathering nodes — ore, herbs, hides, and fishing by the water.

A land is cleared once all its quests are done and its boss is defeated — the world map marks it with a golden seal. To be honest: this isn’t a seamless world where you run from enemy to enemy, but a map of lands where each spot is a separate fight. On the other hand, no stroll ever turns into running between spots.

The floating capital

In the middle of the continent, above the Middle Lake, hangs Zarhold — a fortress city on a rock that rose from the lake bed. Waterfalls still pour off its rim, and small islets on bridges float around it, with a gryphon tower. It is the capital of level 60 heroes: you can only get there by flight, and until 60 the city’s pin on the map stays grey — the goal of all your levelling.

The capital has quarters: the Great Hall with the Hall of Fame and the Board of Errands, the Tourney Grounds with the arena, the Market Row with the auction house, the Gate of Expeditions to dungeons and raids, the Crafters’ Quarter, the Guild Halls, the Gryphon Roost and, of course, the Tavern. And beneath the Great Hall lies the Underhall, a labyrinth for solo trials: The Underhall.

Peoples: 11 races in three factions

• Order of the Silver Dawn — Velion, Durgar, Selenar and Kogran.
• Storm Tribe — Grumak, Morven, Gartan and Nakar.
• The Feral — Grikx, Vaerin and Shaydar.

Each race has its own bonus and two abilities, and it combines with any of the ten classes. Factions don’t split players: parties, guilds and trading are open to all. More in Races and factions.

Heroes: ten classes

Plate-clad tanks, cloth-wearing healers, mages, archers, rogues with poisons, warlocks with curses and hybrids with all three roles open. Zarhold has 10 classes: Barbarian, Lightbringer, Revenant, Druid, Stormbringer, Priest, Ranger, Rogue, Mage and Warlock. Each has its own deck, resource and armour. How to choose: Which class to choose.

Dungeons, raids and dragons

What is fantasy without dragon lairs and fiery depths? Zarhold has 23 dungeons for three, 6 raids and 3 world boss places for five. The difficulty ladder runs from normal to heroic, mythic and Mythic+ on a keystone. More in Dungeons and raids and Difficulties in an MMORPG.

World residents

Zarhold’s world isn’t populated by players alone. World residents — heroes with their own names and characters — take empty seats in your party when there aren’t enough live players. So you can clear a dungeon at any hour, and the world never feels empty. More in Dungeons with NPC companions.

Crafting, trading and a home of your own

• 12 professions — from blacksmithing and alchemy to cooking and fishing: MMORPG professions.
• The auction house, mail and trading between players: MMORPG auction house.
• Hero Chambers — your own room with trophies where you can invite guests: Player housing.
• Guilds with a bank and a crest on the Wall of Crests: Guilds in an MMORPG.

How Zarhold differs from other fantasy MMORPGs

• Combat is a deck, not a hotbar. Every turn is a choice of which card to play, not a test of reflexes: Card MMORPGs.
• Right in your browser. Nothing to install: one account on PC and phone — Cross-platform MMORPG.
• The classic formula. Classes, talents, raids, guilds and an auction house — everything people love old-school MMORPGs for: Old-school MMORPG.

Zarhold world FAQ

Does Zarhold have a seamless open world?

The world is open, but it works as a map: 26 lands, each with its own enemy spots, quests and boss. You move between lands freely, but there is no seamless world where you run from enemy to enemy — each spot takes you straight into a fight.

Can I play Zarhold on PC without downloading?

Yes. The game opens in your browser on PC and on phone, no installation needed.

Are there dragons in Zarhold?

Yes — in raids and among the world bosses. Who you meet where is in the Dungeons and raids list.

How many races and classes are there?

11 races in three factions and 10 classes — any race with any class, 110 combinations in all.

The bottom line

Zarhold is classic fantasy in your browser: 26 lands from valleys to plague lands, a floating capital above a lake, 11 races in three factions, 10 classes, dungeons, raids and dragons. It differs in one thing — combat is fought with a deck of cards. The whole game is in the Zarhold review, and the lands in the knowledge base: How the lands work. Open the game and create your hero now.