Toontown!
What is Toontown?
Toontown is the umbrella name given to the MMORPG Toontown Online and the various private servers that emerged after its shutdown.
Disney's Toontown Online ran from 2003 to 2013. The premise was simple - you play as a custom-made cartoon character (called a Toon) and use silly and hilarious gags to fight against the evil business robots, the Cogs, to stop them from taking over Toontown and turning it into a dreary, colourless world. The game gained a devoted fanbase over the years, likely thanks to the simple gameplay and family-friendly atmosphere. When Toontown Online's closure was announced a month before the servers were all shut down, fans were distraught, but not all hope was lost.
Toontown Rewritten was announced and launched within the same year as Toontown Online's shutdown, and many other private servers have followed since. Other notable private servers include Toontown: Corporate Clash and Toontown: Operation Dessert Storm.
My Relationship With Toontown
I've been a Toontown fan since early 2021, just after the Sellbot Field Offices launched in Toontown Rewritten! One of my friends, a longtime Toontown player, had gotten back into playing it at that time, and the gameplay looked interesting enough to me for me to give it a go myself! The rather simple gameplay is a big draw for me, even if I still panic at least a little when it comes to strategising with others.
As of right now, I play Toontown Rewritten only, and I don't have any interest in trying out Corporate Clash. I've got my eye on Toontown: Event Horizon, though, and would love to play it when I can!