Strike it rich on a spice mining world!

Araxes: a desert world where a precious spice can be gathered from the sands.

Al Raqis, the main city on Araxes is a place of intrigue. Corporate deal-makers bargain for the next shipment of spice while government power-mongers extract bribes for access to the spice trade and nobles guard their ancestral spice holdings.

Meanwhile, the harsh desert shelters the native tribes of Araxes. Their cultural traditions allow them to survive where offworlders cannot. The desert is also a perfect place for those who don't wish to be found. And of course, the desert is where prospectors must go to find the spice!

The city and the sands meet at Splintered Rock. This prospecting settlement on the edge of the desert marks the last hold of 'civilisation' and the beginnings of the 'badlands'. Beyond Splintered Rock you travel at your own risk: you may find wealth undreamed of in the sands or your life's water may be taken by a native knife.

Play Now for FREE!

Splintered Rock is developed in the online virtual world Second Life® To enter the world all you need to do is download the FREE viewer program which runs on Windows, Linux and Macs. Click on the Second Life icon (see right) which will take you to the Second Life page where you can create an account and download the viewer.

We have developed our own 'Head-up-display' (HUD) system which integrates into the Second Life display. It is provided free at the Splintered Rock location and allows players to gather spice and acquire valuable skills in the game. If you have created your Second Life account simply click here to pick up your HUD and start playing!

How is this game different from a commercial RPG?

Splintered Rock is an example of a 'sandbox' game. In this style of game there are no set goals or quests or structured game-play. Usually, an economic system is provided along with a simple background. The most well-known example of this kind of game is Eve Online.

Instead of progessing through 'game levels' the players use the setting to create their own social structures and stories. It's perfect for those who enjoy the roleplay aspects of adventure games. Furthermore, because Splintered Rock is built within Second Life players can make use of the incredibly powerful content creation tools that exist there to build their own vehicles or design their own avatar costumes. This degree of creative potential cannot be found in mainstream games and attracts players who want to have real input to the gameworld to Splintered Rock.