Most of my gaming life I've been a one game person.. One game at a time, I mean. And now in my late 30's I'm no different from early 20's.

If it's an engaging and submersive game, it can keep me going for years. Like Diablo II or Ultima Online. The times in between was filled with brief interludes (except for a 5 year black hole created by WoW) with short term but VERY enjoyable games like Dungeon Keeper and Hell Gate.

I always hankered back to Ultima Online though. I knew I would never play it again. I've changed too much. But the game mechanics was something I really loved. MMO Sandbox. No classes, no quests. You're the master (mistress) of your own destiny.

We found Tale in the Desert a fascinating game with no combat whatsoever. Only crafting. Set in ancient Egyptian times. I really enjoyed it. Especially the community events to build or research something to benefit everyone. But the game graphics were a bit.. flat. I don't have the lingo or technical know how to describe the way it's pictured in my mind. But a couple of google images should give a clue.

Enter Wurm Online. My husband stumbled across it on Wikipedia looking for a MMO Sandbox.
We were both instantly in love with this complex game. There's a lot about the game that can be improved, that's true. But it's also the only game that comes even close to being perfect for me. You can play it for free for an indefinate amount of time with restrictions. There's a lot of people that manage to pay for the game using the in game community driven economy. Selling bulk items, or doing labour intensive work for other players who's happy to pay.
You can buy a piece of land here.
You can terraform your landscape.
You can build your dream house.
Breed animals, black smithing, tailoring, mining, forestry (you can plant a whole forest if you want), ship building, sailing, masonry, fighting, cooking, become a priest.
It's so immersive and complex you'll still be asking questions in years to come.