RuneScape is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) made by British developer Jagex Limited, programmed in Java. With over 9 million active free players and more than 850,000 paying members, RuneScape is one of the top online games in the world.

RuneScape offers both free and subscription content and is designed to be accessible from any location with an Internet connection and to run in an ordinary web browser without straining system resources.

Players are shown on the screen as customizable avatars. They set their own goals and objectives, deciding which of the available activities to pursue. There is no linear path that must be followed. Players can engage in combat with other players or with monsters, complete quests, or increase their experience in any of the available skills. Players can also interact with each other through trading, chatting, or playing combative or cooperative mini-games.

How do I get started? Getting started in RuneScape is a quick and easy process. Within a few minutes you can create an account and start playing the game!

• You Need to Create an Account: The first thing you'll need is a new character to play! You can create yourself a new account by clicking doing a Google search. Type in Runescape and you will then see the website address where you can join as a member by clicking the "Create a Free Account" button. eBay does not allow links to web addresses outside of eBay, so I cannot post the link here. However, searching for it on the internet is easy.
  

• Playing for the first time: You play the game by clicking the "Play RuneScape" link from the Runescape Website main page. This will take you to a screen which gives you the option to play in high or low detail. We recommend you try the high detail mode first. If you have problems with the high detail mode, try the low detail version by going back to the front page and selecting "Play RuneScape" again. Your PC performance may be slowed by choosing the high detail mode. This will take you to the world select screen. All of the game worlds are identical, but you will meet different players on each one. The easiest option is to choose the large button that says "Choose best free world for me". This will try to choose the least busy world near you. The button on the right selects the best members-only world for you. There are far more features of the game available on the members' worlds; if you find you're enjoying RuneScape and you'd like to take the game experience further, you can subscribe and start playing on those worlds. At the time of me writing this guide, membership is $5.00 per person per month. The initial download process will then start. During the download a grey security box will pop up. You will be asked 'Do you want to install and run RuneScape?' You should check the box that appears next to 'Always trust content from Jagex Ltd' and then click 'Yes'. When the game has loaded you will be presented with the title screen. Enter the username and password you chose when you created your account and click 'Login'.
  

• Character Design: You will then be presented with a character design page, as shown in the picture. This process is fun as you can fully customize your character.

You should use the arrows on the screen to change each option until you are happy with your character's appearance. There are features in the game that will allow you to re-design your character, although you may have to pay some RuneScape currency to make any changes!

Once you have finished you should click the 'Accept' button which will launch your character into our Tutorial Island, where the friendly citizens of RuneScape are looking forward to greeting you. Tutorial Island is the place in RuneScape where your character will begin their life. Here you will be introduced to the basics of playing RuneScape. You will be taken through a variety of skills by the instructors, including casting spells, Fishing, Mining, combat and much more. This should only take about 20 minutes to complete. When you've finished, your character will be transported to the rustic town of Lumbridge where your RuneScape adventures will truly begin!

Are you in need of more Runescape information? Be sure to read my other guides!