Everything in the game is created by players. When a new server is launched it is an empty land. All characters of the same kingdom and gender are represented with the same 3D model. All items are made from materials from the world: wood cut from trees, rocks and metal mined from tunnels, and so forth. Wurm allows players to terraform the land, raising, flattening, and lowering tiles using shovels. Players can also mine underground and make vast caverns, climb mountains, build keeps and cities, and form new kingdoms (on some servers). Player versus player combat is open with a penalty for same-kingdom killing on most servers. Multiple gods vye for the attention of players and grant missions (on some servers), spells, and enchantments to players and items. Every item has a quality level that affects its damage, decay, or overall quality. Skills can be leveled up based on usage with no skill or stat cap. Archery is included and is an active component of combat. Vehicles include carts, animals (cattle and horses), and boats which can all be ridden. Crops can be grown and have their own growth rates, as do trees and bushes. Weather consists of wind (affects boat travel) and rain. Many players choose to live peaceful lives and are only called to combat during raid events where one kingdom attempts to invade another.
Every action in the game affects one or multiple skills. For instance using a small metal shield does not make one better at using a small wooden shield. Each weapon or tool or device has a skill all of its own. This allows players to specialize or generalize. Players can also build and form villages. These villages can band in to alliances to give aid to one another in times of need.
