This is a list ofnotableopen-source video games. Open-source video games are assembled from and are themselvesopen-source software, includingpublic domain games with public domainsource code. This list also includes games in which theengine is open-source but other data (such as art and music) is under a more restrictive license.
Open engine and free data
editThe games in this table are developed under afree and open-source license with free content which allows reuse, modification and commercial redistribution of the whole game. Licenses can bepublic domain,GPL,BSD,Creative Commons,zlib,MIT,Artistic License or other (see the comparison ofFree and open-source software and theComparison of free and open-source software licenses).
Title | First release | Latest release | Genre | Engine license | Content license | Dimensions | Other information | Programming language |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 A.D. | 2009 | 2025 | RTS | GPL-2.0-or-later | CC BY-SA 3.0 | 3D | Historical, cross-platform RTS, using an original engine named Pyrogenesis. Game source-code released July 10, 2009.[1] | C++,JavaScript,GLSL |
2048 | 2014 | 2014 | Puzzle | MIT | MIT | 2D | Asliding block puzzle game. | Ruby, JavaScript,HTML,CSS |
A Dark Room | 2013 | 2023 | Online text-based role-playing game | Mozilla Public License | Mozilla Public License | Text | In July 2013 thesource code of the game was put onGitHub underMPL 2.0.[2] Became commercially successful after the source code release. | Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS |
Abuse | 1996 | 2011 | Run and gun | Public-domain software | Public domain | 2D | C, C++,newLISP,CMake,Common Lisp | |
Argentum Online | 1999 | 2018 | MMORPG | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | First open-source MMORPG developed in Argentina.[citation needed] | Visual Basic,VBA, JavaScript, C++, HTML |
Armagetron Advanced | 2001 | 2024 | Racing | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | A multiplayer 3DTron lightcycle racing game. | C++ |
AstroMenace | 2007 | 2025 | Arcade | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later,CC BY-SA 4.0 | 3D | A top-scrolling space shooter. | C, C++ |
Ballerburg | 1987 | 2008 (ports) | Artillery game | Public-domain software | Public domain | 2D | Public-domain software on the author's website with source code.[3] Later ported to other systems such as Linux, MacOS, iOS, etc. | |
The Battle for Wesnoth | 2005 | 2025 | TBТ | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later,CC BY-SA 4.0 | 2D | Turn-based tactical strategy game with RPG elements. Includes a single-player campaign and skirmish modes as well as multiplayer. | C++,Lua, Python |
Biniax | 2005 | 2012 | Puzzle | zlib | zlib | 2D | ||
Bos Wars | 2004 | 2013 | RTS | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | Isometric 2D | 2D real-time strategy game running on a modified version of theStratagus engine. | |
BZFlag | 1997 | 2022 | Tank FPS | LGPL-2.1-only andMPL-2.0 | LGPL-2.1-only andMPL-2.0 | 3D | Afirst-person shooter3D tank-basedmultiplayer online game. | |
C-Dogs SDL | 2002 | 2025 | Run and gun | Public-domain software(engine) /GPL-2.0-or-later(game code) | CC0,CC BY,CC BY-SA | 2D | Overhead run-and-gun, with hotseat cooperative and deathmatch play for up to four players. | |
Cart Life | 2011 | 2017 | Simulation | Cart Life's Free License (permissive license) | Cart Life's Free License (permissive license),Freeware | 2D | In March 2014 thesource code and game was made available by Richard Hofmeier for free online, saying he was finished supporting the game.[4][5] Winner of theIGF 2013 award.[6] Mirrored on GitHub.[7] | |
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead | 2013 | 2023 | RPG/Roguelike | CC BY-SA 3.0 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | 2D | A post-apocalyptic survival roguelike with open-ended gameplay. Financed by a successfulcrowdfunding campaign onkickstarter.com on 22 June 2013.[8] | |
Chromium B.S.U. | 2000 | 2016 | Arcade | Clarified Artistic | MIT | 2D | A fast-paced arcade-style top-scrolling space shooter. | |
Colobot | 2001 | 2021 | RTS,educational | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 3D | Source code of the original game by EPSITEC SA was released in March 2012.[9][10] Since then, the game is maintained by the community as Colobot: Gold Edition.[11] | |
Colossal Cave Adventure | 1976 | 1995 | Text adventure | Public-domain software[12] | Public domain | Text | The original text adventure game byCrowther andWoods. | |
Core War | 1984 | 1984 | Programming game | Various (public domain, BSD, GPL)[13] | Various | Text | Original created by D. G. Jones andA. K. Dewdney, and continued through the present day by the community. | |
Crossfire | 1992 | 2019 | MMORPG | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 2D | Crossfire originally started as aGauntlet clone[14] developed by Frank Tore Johansen at theUniversity of Oslo, Norway.[15] | |
DDraceNetwork | 2013 | 2024 | Platformer | zlib | CC BY-SA 3.0 (except font) | 2D | 2D online multiplayerside-scrollingco-op platformer. | C++ |
Diamond Trust of London | 2012 | 2012 | TBS | Public-domain software | Public domain | 2D | Following aKickstartercrowdfunding campaign,Diamond Trust of London was developed byJason Rohrer and published byindiePub. On August 28, 2012, it was released for theNintendo DS. The game has been placed in thepublic domain, hosted onSourceForge, like most of Rohrer's games.[16] | |
DRL | 2013 | 2016 | Roguelike | GPL-2.0-or-later | CC BY-SA 4.0 | 2.5D | Based onDoom andDoom II. | |
Duelyst | 2016 | 2023 | Collectible card game | CC0 | CC0 | 2D | Built usingnodeJS, open source release in 2023.[17] | |
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup | 2006 | 2023 | Roguelike | GPL-2.0-or-later | CC0 | 2D | An open-source fork of the 1997 gameLinley's Dungeon Crawl. | |
Endgame: Singularity | 2005 | 2020 | Science fiction/AIsimulation game | GPL-2.0-or-later | CC BY-SA 3.0 | 2D | Written inPython by EMH, later continued by the community.[18] | |
Endless Sky | 2015[19] | 2025[19] | Space trading and combat simulator[20] | GPL-3[20] | Public domain,various CC licenses[20] | 2D | Inspired by theEscape Velocity series of games. Continuously updated.[20] | C++ |
Enigma | 2003 | 2021 | Puzzle | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 2D | Oxyd clone. | |
Fish Fillets NG | 2004 | 2011 | Puzzle | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 2D | Released commercially asFish Fillets in 1998. Source released in 2002 under GPL-2.0-or-later. | |
Flare Game | 2010 | 2022 | RPG | GPL 3.0 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Isometric 2D | Action-RPG inspired byDiablo[21] | C++ |
FlightGear | 1997 | 2023 | Flight sim | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | Microsoft Flight Simulator-inspired clone. | |
Freeciv | 1996 | 2023 | TBS | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | Isometric 2D | Civilization II clone. | |
FreeCol | 2003 | 2023 | TBS | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | Isometric 2D | Sid Meier's Colonization clone. | |
FreeDink | 2006 | 2019 | RPG | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | Dink Smallwood fork with non-free assets replaced with free ones | C++ |
Friday Night Funkin' | 2020 | 2025 | Rhythm | MIT License(engine) /Apache License 2.0(game) | Apache License 2.0 (may be non-commercial[22]) | 2D | A bi-dimensional rhythm game, with gameplay reminiscent ofDance Dance Revolution and aesthetics reminiscent of early-to-mid-2000sbrowser games. | Haxe |
Frozen Bubble | 2002 | 2008 | Puzzle | GPL-2.0-only | GPL-2.0-only | 2D | Puzzle Bobble clone. | |
Gang Garrison 2 | 2008 | 2019 | Shooter | Proprietary(engine) /MPLv2(game code) | MPLv2 | 2D | Aretro "demake" ofTeam Fortress 2. The project was previously underGPLv3. | |
Glest | 2004 | 2008 | RTS | GPL-3.0-or-later | CC BY-SA 3.0 | 3D | 3D real-time strategy game with two factions, AI, and same-platform networking support. Development ceased in 2008. Two forks exist, namedMegaGlest andGlest Advanced Engine. | |
Globulation 2 | 2008 | 2009 | RTS | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | In openbeta as of 2019. | |
GLtron | 2003 | 2016 | Racing | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | Based on the light cycle portion of the filmTron. | |
GNOME Games | 1997 | 2021 | Various | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | A collection of games accompanying the rest of the GNOME desktop environment. | ||
GNU Chess | 1984 | 2021 | TBS | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | Chess-playing engine developed by theGNU Project. | |
GNU Go | 1999 | 2009 | TBS | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | Go-playing engine developed by theGNU Project. | |
Hunt the Wumpus | 1973 | 1981 | Survival horror/adventure/puzzle | Various (Public-domain software,[23]GPLv2,[24]MIT)[25] | Various (Public-domain software,[23]GPLv2,[24]MIT)[25] | 2D | Hunting a monster called Wumpus while moving through caves. | |
HyperRogue | 2011 | 2021 | Puzzle/Roguelike/Educational | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | Hyperbolic | Puzzle roguelike in the hyperbolic plane. | |
kiki the nano bot | 2003 | 2007 | Puzzle | Public-domain software | Public domain | 3D | Mixture ofSokoban andKula World. | |
Lincity | 1999 | 2013 | City-building game | GPL-2.0-only | GPL-2.0-only | 2.5D | SimCity clone. | |
Liquid War | 1995 | 2015 | Maze games | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | 2D game in which you control particles and move them to defeat the opposing side. | |
Luanti (formerly Minetest) | 2010 | 2024 | Sandbox,survival | zlib(engine) /LGPL-2.1-or-later[26](game code) | LGPL-2.1-or-later[26] | 3D | A voxel engine for building games similar toInfiniminer andMinecraft. | |
Lugaru | 2005 | 2017 | Action/third-person shooter | GPL-2.0-or-later | CC BY-SA[27] | 3D | A game byWolfire Games where the player is ananthropomorphic rabbit who seeks revenge when a group of enemy rabbits kill their family. | |
Maelstrom | 1992 | 2010 | Shoot 'em up | GPL-2.0-only | CC BY 3.0 | 2D | ||
Mari0 | 2012 | 2018 | Platformer | zlib License(engine) /MIT License(game code) | MIT | 2D | Remake ofSuper Mario Bros. with elements fromPortal. | |
MegaGlest | 2010 | 2016 | RTS | GPL-3.0-or-later | CC BY-SA 3.0 | 3D | Cross-platform 3D real-time strategy game for up to eight players (can be AI-controlled) on seven factions.MegaGlest is a fork ofGlest. | |
Meridian 59 | 1996 | 2024 | MMORPG | GPL-2.0-only | GPL-2.0-only | 2.5D | Free MMORPG where you fight alongside friends, side with powerful factions, and explore diverse environments. | C,C++ |
Mindustry | 2017 | 2023 | RTS, | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 | 3D | The automation tower defense RTS, written in Java. | |
Moria | 1983 | 1999 | RPG/Roguelike | GPL-2.0-only[28][29] | GPL-2.0-only | 2D | Roguelike RPG based heavily onJ. R. R. Tolkien's novelThe Lord of the Rings. | |
NetHack | 1987 | 2023 | RPG/Roguelike | NetHack GPL | NetHack GPL | Text | Single-player dungeon exploration game. | |
Netrek | 1988 | 2020[30] | Shoot 'em up | MIT | MIT | 2D | A successor to 1986'sXtrek,Netrek was first played in 1988. It was the third Internet game, the first Internet team game, and as of 2022 is the oldest Internet game still actively played. | |
Nexuiz | 2005 | 2009 | FPS | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | Forked intoXonotic. | |
NoGravity | 1997 (?) | 2005 | Space shooter | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | Source code of theWing Commander-inspired game released byrealtech VR on February 16, 2005.[31] | |
One Hour One Life | 2018 | 2023 | Survival | Public domain | Public domain | 2D | Multiplayer co-op survival game. | |
Oolite | 2006 | 2020 | Space sim | GPL-2.0-or-later | Dual-licensed underGPL-2.0-or-later andCC BY-NC-SA-3.0 | 3D | Elite clone. | |
OpenArena | 2005 | 2012 | FPS | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | Quake III clone. | |
OpenCity | 2003 | 2008 | City-building game | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | SimCity clone. | |
OpenClonk | 2010 | 2018 | Action,platform | ISC | CC BY | 2D | Successor of theClonk shareware series. | |
OpenTTD | 2005 | 2024 | Business sim | GPL-2-0-only | GPL-2-0-only,GPL-2-0-or-later,CC BY-SA 3.0,CDDL 1.1 | 2D | Open-source clone ofTransport Tycoon Deluxe. | |
Passage | 2007 | 2007 | Side-scroller | Public-domain software | Public domain | 2D | In 2007 Rohrer released the game'ssource code and assets into thepublic domain,[32] while asking for donations (donationware) and selling theiOS version for $0.99.[33] | |
Pingus | 1998 | 2011 | Puzzle | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | Lemmings clone. | |
Pinball Construction Set | 1982 | 1983 | Pinball,game creation system | MIT | MIT | 2D | Firstconstruction set video game, and one of the initialElectronic Arts releases. | |
Pioneer | 2006 | 2023 | Space sim | GPL-3.0-only | CC BY-SA | 3D | Inspired byFrontier: Elite 2. | |
PokerTH | 2006 | 2017 | Card | AGPL-3.0-or-later | AGPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | Open-source virtualpoker game. | |
Red Eclipse | 2011 | 2019 | FPS | zlib license | CC BY-SA | 3D | A fork ofCube 2: Sauerbraten, with improved graphics and a style of play that incorporates parkour movement. | |
Rigs of Rods | 2005 | 2022 | Vehicle sim | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 3D | Rigs of Rods was initially created as an off-road truck simulator, but has developed into a versatile physics sandbox. | |
Rocks'n'Diamonds | 1995 | 2018 | Puzzle | GPL-2.0-only | GPL-2.0-only | 2D | Ascrollingtile-basedcomputer puzzle game that can be described as a combinedBoulder Dash,Supaplex,Emerald Mine, andSokoban clone. | |
ROTA | 2022 | 2025 | Puzzle platformer | MIT License(engine) / Public domain(game code) | Public domain | 2D | Aplatformer game where the player rotates the world to solve puzzles. | GDScript |
Ryzom | 2004 | 2024 | MMORPG | AGPL-3.0-or-later | CC BY-SA 3.0 | 3D | All textures and effects, 3D models, animations, characters and clothing (no music or sounds) are under CC BY-SA. | |
Scorched 3D | 2001 | 2014 | Artillery game | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | Clone ofScorched Earth. | |
Secret Maryo Chronicles | 2003 | 2014 | Platformer | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | 2D platformer inspired by theSuper Mario series. | |
The Secret Chronicles of Dr. M. | 2017 | 2020 | Platformer | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | 2D platformer inspired by theSuper Mario series. | |
Seven Kingdoms | 1997 | 2017 | RTS | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 2D | Source code released in 2009. | |
Shattered Pixel Dungeon | 2014 | 2024 | Rogue-like game | GPL-3.0-or-later | Java | 2D | Rogue-Like game with procedurally generated levels and a storyline. | |
Simutrans | 1997 | 2025 | Business sim | Artistic | Artistic | 2D | Similar toTransport Tycoon and its open-source cloneOpenTTD. The player must build a profitable transportation system. | |
Sintel The Game | 2012 | 2012 | RPG | GPL | CC BY,GPL | 3D | A game based on theBlender Foundation movieSintel. | |
Soldat | 2002 | 2020 | Action | MIT license | CC BY 4.0[34] | 2D | On May 26, 2020, the source code ofSoldat was released underMIT license onGitHub.[35] | |
Sopwith | 1984 | 2014 | Shoot 'em up | GPL | GPL | 2D | TheC andx86 assembly source code toSopwith was released in2000,[36] at first under a non-commercial use license, but later under theGNU GPL at the request of fans.[37] | |
Speed Dreams | 2010 | 2023 | Sim racing | GPL-2.0-or-later | FAL | 3D | Forked fromTORCS in late 2008. | |
StepMania | 2001 | 2018 | Rhythm game | MIT[38] | MIT | 2D,3D | ADDR clone, the player must hit buttons or keys in time with the music. | |
SuperTux | 2003 | 2021 | Platformer | GPL-3.0-or-later | Various | 2D | 2D platformer inspired by theSuper Mario series. | |
SuperTuxKart | 2006 | 2022 | Racing | GPL-3.0-or-later | Various | 3D | Arcade racing game similar toMario Kart. | |
Taisei | 2017 | 2024 | Shooter | MIT License | CC BY-SA 4.0 /CC0-1.0 | 2D | AManic shooter inspired by theTōhō series. | C |
Teeworlds | 2007 | 2020 | Platformer | zlib | CC BY-SA 3.0 (except font) | 2D | 2D online multiplayerside-scrollingshooter. | |
Tenés Empanadas Graciela | 1996 | 2021 | TBS | GPL-2-0-only | GPL-2-0-only | 2D | Based on the boardgameRisk. | |
The Castle Doctrine | 2014 | 2014 | MMO | Public-domain software | Public domain | 2D | A game byJason Rohrer, developed on aSourceForge[39] repository and sold onSteam for $15.99. | |
The Powder Toy | 2010 | 2023 | Sandbox game | GPL-3.0-only | GPL-3.0-only | 2D | Falling-sand game. | |
Thrive | 2013 | 2025 | God game/Life simulation game | 3D | ||||
Tremulous | 2006 | 2009 | FPS | GPLv2 | CC BY-SA 2.5[40] | 3D | Alien vs. human base-building, defending, and attacking the opposing team. | |
TripleA | 2002 | 2020 | TBS | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | A turn-based strategy game inspired by the board gameAxis & Allies. Development is ongoing. | |
Tux Racer | 2000 | 2009 | Racing | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | A downhill slalom racing game featuring Tux, the Linux mascot. | |
Tux, of Math Command | 2001 | 2011 | Educational game | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 2D | ||
UFO: Alien Invasion | 2006 | 2016 | TBТ | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later,CC BY-SA 3.0 | 3D | Inspired by theXCOM series but with 3D combat on the surface of the Earth. | |
UltraStar Deluxe | 2007 | 2020 | Music | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 2D | SingStar clone. | |
Unknown Horizons | 2008 | 2019 | City-building game | GPL-x2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later,CC BY-SA 3.0,OFLv1 | Isometric 2D | Genre-mix ofcity-building game andreal-time strategy game, inspired by theAnno series. | |
Unvanquished | 2012 | 2023 | FPS | BSD 3-clause,GPLv3+ | CC BY-SA 2.5 | 3D | Team-based first-person shooter with strong real-time strategy elements, derived from theTremulous project. | |
Vega Strike | 2008 | 2022 | Space sim | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | Wing Commander: Privateer clone and space simulator engine. | |
Veloren | 2018 | 2024 | Adventure,RPG | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later | 3D,Voxel | Open-world, open-source multiplayer voxel RPG. | Rust |
Warzone 2100 | 1999 | 2023 | RTS,RTT | GPL-2.0-or-later[41] | GPL-2.0-or-later,CC0, other open source[42] | 3D | Post-apocalyptic cross-platform real-time strategy game. | |
Widelands | 2002 | 2022 | RTS | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 2D | Widelands is a real-time strategy clone ofThe Settlers II. | |
WorldForge | 1998 | 2014 | MMORPG | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | Anopen-source framework formassively multiplayer online role-playing games. | |
Worms? | 1983 | 1983 | Software toy | MIT | MIT | 2D | An interactive version ofPaterson's worms, and one of the initial Electronic Arts releases. | |
Xconq | 1987 | 2005 | TBS | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 4X strategygame engine. | ||
X-Moto | 2005 | 2023 | Platformer | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 2D | Elasto Mania clone. | |
Xonotic | 2010 | 2023 | FPS | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 3D | A fork and direct successor ofNexuiz. Binary files for Linux and Windows are underGPLv3+. | |
XPilot | 1992 | 2010 | Arcade | GPL-2.0-or-later | GPL-2.0-or-later | 2D | A multiplayerAsteroids-like game. | |
Yo Frankie! | 2008 | 2009 | Action-adventure | GPL-2.0-or-later,LGPLv2.1 | CC BY 3.0 | 3D |
Open-source games with non-free data (or not entirely free data)
editOnly the game engines in this table are developed under an open-source license, which means that the reuse and modification of only the code is permitted. As some of the games' content created by the developers (sound, graphics, video and other artwork) is proprietary or restricted in use, the whole games are non-free and restricted in reuse (depending on the content license). The motivation of developers to keep own game content non-free while they open the source code may be the protection of the game as sellable commercial product. It could also be the prevention of a commercialization of a free product in future, e.g. when distributed under a non-commercial license likeCC NC. By replacing the non-free content with free content, these games could also become completely free. In practice, many projects include a mixture of free and non-free own content.
Title | First release | Latest release | Genre | Engine license | Content license | Dimensions | Other information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Angband | 1990 | 2016 | Roguelike | GPLv2 | GPLv2,Proprietary[43] | Text | |
AssaultCube | 2006 | 2022 | FPS | zlib | Freeware | 3D | Based onCube. A lightweight onlineFPS (45-50 MB package), with a built-in map maker and capable of being played with a 56k connection. |
C-evo | 1999 | 2013 | TBТ,4X | Public-domain software | Proprietary | 2D | Inspired bySid Meier's Civilization |
Alien Arena | 2004 | 2011 | FPS | GPL | Proprietary[44] | 3D | Based onID Software open-source engine. |
Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain | 2024 | 2024 | Platformer | MIT license | Proprietary | 3D | A open-source game made for the six anniversary ofCeleste.[45] |
Cube | 2002 | 2005 | FPS | zlib | Proprietary | 3D | Deathmatch style multiplayer gameplay with map editing. |
Cube 2: Sauerbraten | 2004 | 2020 | FPS | zlib | Various non-free and some free licenses | 3D | Deathmatch style multiplayer gameplay with map editing. |
Doom | 1993 | 1997 | FPS | GPL | Shareware | 2.5D | Game engine source code was released on December 23, 1997. |
Frets on Fire | 2006 | 2008 | Music | GPL | GPL,Proprietary | 3D | Guitar Hero clone. |
Frogatto & Friends | 2010 | 2013 | Platformer | zlib license | Proprietary[46] | 2D | Initially for Windows, Linux, and Mac; hold and toss enemies, swim, talk; scripting language included. |
Gravity Bone | 2008 | 2009 | Platformer | GPLv2 | Freeware | 3D | Brendon Chung built this game on base of theQuake II engine and released therefore the game's source code in 2008. In 2015ported toLinux and theOpenPandorahandheld.[47] |
H-Craft Championship | 2007 | 2015 | Racing | zlib[48] | Free for personal use[49] | 3D | Sci-fi racer for Linux, Windows and Android which is using theIrrlicht engine. |
Hammerfight | 2009 | 2011 | physics based combat | zlib[50] | commercial | 2D | For thethird Humble Indie Bundle[51][52]Ryan C. Gordonported the underlying game engine, "Haaf's Game Engine", to Linux and Mac OS X, and releasedsource code under thezlib license.[53][54] |
Katawa Shoujo | 2012 | 2012 | Visual novel | MIT license (most of game and engine beside some scripts[55]) | CC BY-NC-ND | 2D | Avisual novel. |
Narcissu | 2005 | 2005 | Visual novel | GPL | Freeware/PFSL[56] | 2D | Is a free visual novel by the dōjin group stage-nana, telling the story of a terminally ill young man and woman. The English version was made with theONScripter engine.[57] |
osu! | 2007 | 2023 | Rhythm game | MIT license | CC BY-NC 4.0 | 2D | Open-source clone of several games, includingOsu! Tatakae! Ouendan!,Taiko no Tatsujin andbeatmania IIDX. On August 28, 2016, anOpen-source re-write of theosu! client was announced (code namedosu!lazer). It was released under theMIT License onGitHub, assets underCC BY-NC.[58][59] Aims is to makeosu!, written inC# with the.NET Framework, available to more platforms and transparent.[60] The closed-sourcestable osu client is still used by the majority of the playerbase, however it is feature locked[61] and the developers aim to deprecate it onceosu!lazer gains user acceptance. |
Overgrowth | 2008 | 2017 | Action | Apache License 2.0 | Proprietary | 3D | Source code released on 2022, April 22. |
PlaneShift | 2001 | 2016 | MMORPG | GPL | Proprietary | 3D | Free to play MMORPG. |
OpenJK | 2003 | 2020 | Third-person shooter | GPLv2 | Proprietary | 3D | Source code was released as GPLv2 by Raven Software and Activision following the dissolution of Lucas Arts in 2013. |
Steel Storm: Episode I | 2010 | 2010 | Action | GPLv2[62] | CC BY-NC-SA 3.0[63] | Based onDarkPlaces. An indie top-down arcade shooter with single-player, deathmatch, and co-op. | |
StuntRally | 2010 | 2024 | Racing | GPL-3.0-or-later | Proprietary sound files (not limited to); Variousfree-culture CC licenses.[64][non-primary source needed] | 3D | Racing game similar toTrackmania. |
Smokin' Guns | 2009 | 2012 | FPS | GPLv2 | Proprietary | 3D | Western-themed first-person shooter using the ioquake3 engine. |
Tales of Maj'Eyal | 2012 | 2016 | RPG/Roguelike | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later,Proprietary[65] | 2D | Developed open-source from the beginning with the own T4E engine,[66] while the assets are kept proprietary for commercialization onSteam andgog.com. |
The Dark Mod | 2009 | 2023 | Stealth game | GPL-3.0-or-later | CC BY-NC-SA | 3D | First person stealth game in the style of theThief games (1 and 2) using a modifiedId Tech 4 engine |
The Last Eichhof | 1993 | 2014 | Shoot-'em-up | "Do whatever your want" license (public domain)[67] | Freeware | 2D | Shoot-'em-up game released forDOS in 1993 bySwiss development groupAlpha Helix. Source code released in 1995. |
The Ur-Quan Masters | 2002 | 2021 | Action-adventure | GPL-2.0-or-later | CC BY-NC-SA-2.5 | 2D | Source port ofStar Control II. |
The White Chamber | 2005 | 2006 / 2013 | Adventure | MIT license (Wintermute Engine) / CC BY-NC-SA (game code) | CC BY-NC-SA / Freeware | 2D | The White Chamber and its Wintermutesource code have been released underCC BY-NC-SACreative Commons license.[68] That means anyone is free to share and modify the game as long Studio Trophis is credited, it is not for commercial gain and that the result is made available under a similar license. 2013 theWintermute engines source code was released under MIT. |
TORCS | 1997 | 2016 | Racing | GPL | Free Art License,Proprietary | 3D | Some car models are non-free, but there is aDFSG-compliant version which does not include them. |
Urban Terror | 2000 | 2018 | FPS | GPL | Proprietary | 3D | Multiplayer tactical shooter based on theid tech 3 engine.[69] |
VDrift | 2005 | 2012 | Racing | GPL-3.0-or-later | GPL-3.0-or-later,Proprietary | 3D | Some data are non-free, for example the "SV" car model, under aCC BY-NC-SA license. |
Warsow | 2005 | 2017 | FPS | GPL-2.0-or-later | CC BY-SA 4.0,CC BY-ND 4.0 | 3D | A fast-paced arena FPS with movement tricks. |
World of Padman | 2007 | 2008 | FPS | GPL | Proprietary | Originally aQuake III modification. Became stand-alone in 2007, now runs on ioquake3. | |
Zero-K | 2010 | 2023 | RTS | GPL-2.0-or-later | various,CC BY-NC-ND 2.0[70] (sound) | 3D | A multi-platform real time strategy game inspired byTotal Annihilation, powered by the Springgame engine. Released 2018 on Steam.[71] |
Open-source remakes with non-free data from the proprietary original
editThevideo game remakes in this table were developed under an open-source license which allows usually the reuse, modification and commercial redistribution of the code. The required game content (artwork, data, etc.) is taken from a proprietary and non-opened commercial game, so that the whole game is non-free. See also theGame engine recreation page.
Title | First release | Latest release | Genre | Engine license | Content license | Dimensions | Other information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arx Libertatis | 2012 | 2022 | RPG,Immersive sim | GPL-3.0-or-later | Proprietary. WhileArx Fatalis is open-source, the textures and other assets are proprietary content. | 3D | Engine remake ofArx Fatalis. |
Daggerfall Unity | ?[72] | 2024 | RPG | Proprietary(engine) /MIT License(game code) | Proprietary. It uses proprietary content fromDaggerfall. | 3D | Engine remake ofThe Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall |
OpenAge | ?[73] | 2023 | RTS | GPL-3.0-or-later | Proprietary. It uses proprietary content fromAge of Empires II | 2D | Engine remake for the classic games in theAge of Empires franchise, in particularAge of Empires II. |
OpenLoco | 2018[74] | 2024 | Simulation | GPL-3.0-or-later | Proprietary. It uses proprietary content from Chris Sawyer's Locomotion | 2D | Engine remake ofLocomotion |
OpenMW | 2008 | 2022 | RPG | GPL-3.0-or-later | Proprietary / CC BY SA (OpenMW Example Suit) | 3D | Engine remake ofThe Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. |
OpenRA | 2009 | 2023 | RTS | GPL-3.0-or-later | Proprietary. It uses proprietary content from thefreeware releases of the classic games.[75] | 2D | Engine remake for the classic games in theCommand & Conquer franchise, in particularRed Alert. |
OpenRW | 2019 | 2020 | Action-adventure | GPL-3.0-or-later | Proprietary. The media ofGrand Theft Auto III andGrand Theft Auto: Vice City. | 3D | Engine remake ofGrand Theft Auto III andGrand Theft Auto: Vice City. |
OpenRCT2 | 2014[76] | 2023 | Simulation | GPL-3.0-or-later | Proprietary. It uses proprietary content fromRollercoaster Tycoon 2 and if chosen the expansion packs as well. | 2D | Engine remake ofRollercoaster Tycoon 2 |
OpenXcom | 2009[77] | 2020 | TBТ | GPL-3.0-or-later | Proprietary. It uses proprietary content from theX-COM: UFO Defense orTerror from the Deep releases of the classic games, which the user needs to have a copy of.[78] | 2D | Engine remake for the classic games in theX-COM franchise, in particularX-COM: UFO Defense. |
Julius | 2018 | 2021 | City-building | AGPL-3.0-or-later | Proprietary. It uses proprietary content fromCaesar III. | 2D | Engine remake ofCaesar III. |
Source-available games
editVideo games in this table aresource-available, but are neitheropen-source software according to theOSI definition norfree software according to theFree Software Foundation. These games are released under a license with limited rights for the user, for example only the rights to read and modify the game's source for personal or educational purposes but no reuse rights beside the game's original context are granted. Typical licenses are the creative commons "non-commercial" licenses (e.g.CC BY-NC-SA),MAME like licenses or severalshared source licenses.
Title | First release | Latest release | Genre | Engine license | Content license | Dimensions | Other information |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alien Swarm | 2010 | 2010 | Shooter game | Non-commercial usable and shareable[79] | Freeware | 3D | In 2010 Valve released thisSource engine based game with source code, which started as a mod. |
Bugdom | 1999 | 2003 | Platformer | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 | CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 | 3D | Released under a non-commercial license in 2020.[80] |
Hero Core | 2010 | 2013 | Shooter game | Non-commercial, attribution required | Freeware | 2D | Around 2013Daniel Remar released theGameMaker source code of the game, together with the sources of his other games likeIji.[81] |
Flow | 2006 | 2009 | Life simulation | ? (educational purposes) | Freeware | 2D (layered) | Around 2009 the flashsource code was made available for educational purposes by the developers.[82] |
Fortress Forever | 2007 | 2018 | FPS | Proprietary | 3D | Unofficial, open-sourceSource engine successor toTeam Fortress Classic. | |
Half-Life[83] | 1998 | 2023[84] | FPS | Proprietary | ? | 3D | The source codes of theHalf-Life video game are available, but the source codes ofGoldSrc, the game engine of this video game, are not available. |
I Wanna Be the Guy | 2007 | 2011 | Platform game | Proprietary | Freeware | 2D | On November 9, 2011, the developer Michael "Kayin" O'Reilly released thesource code of the game under an ownsoftware license (forbidding new content)[85][86] so that the game's community would be able to createfixes and patches.[87] |
Jump 'n Bump | 1998 | 1999 | Deathmatch,platformer | Emailware[88] | Emailware | 2D | 1998 freeware DOS platform video game, written in C and Assembly language by Brainchild Design. The source code was released in 1999, thensource ported to several otheroperating systems and platforms viaSDL. |
Larn | 1986 | 2016 | Roguelike | Non-commercial | Freeware | Text | |
Noctis | 2000[89] | 2003 | Platformer | WTOF PublicLicense[90] | Freeware | 3D | Space exploration/flight simulation |
Notrium | 2003 | 2008 | Top-down shooter,survival game | custom FOSS license /GPLv3 | custom FOSS license /Freeware | 2D | Notrium'ssource code was released by the developer after 2003 under a customsoftware license and is developed asOpenNotrium onGitHub since then, with new code beingGPLv3.[91] |
Prince of Persia | 1989 | 1989 | Cinematic platformer,action-adventure | Proprietary | Proprietary | 2D | On April 17, 2012,Jordan Mechner released theApple II source code of the game onGitHub.[92] |
Progress Quest | 2002 | 2011 | ParodyMMORPG | Proprietary | Freeware | 2D | On May 20, 2011, Eric Fredricksen released thesource code of the game onbitbucket.[93][94] |
Racer | 2003 | 2011 (proprietary) | Sim racing | Proprietary | Proprietary,Freeware | Only source code of 0.5 version is available, all other releases are closed source. | |
Space Engineers | 2013 | 2018 | Sandbox,simulation | Distribution as mod allowed | Proprietary | 3D | |
Space Station 13 | 2003 | 2024 | RPG | Proprietary | GNU AGPLv3 /CC BY-NC-SA / Others (depends on server) | 2D | Many different servers exist each with a different codebase and different license. |
Spelunky | 2008 | 2009 | Platformer | Non-commercial[95] | Freeware | 2D | Thesource code of the 2008's Windows freeware version was published on December 25, 2009, under asoftware license permitting noncommercial distribution and modification.[95] Based on this source code the game community created acommunity patch which added support forMac OS X.[96][97] The source code for the 2012 remake has not been made available. |
Visual Pinball | 2000 | 2019 | Pinball simulation editor and game | MAME like license | diverse | 3D | Many free custom tables and recreations of original machines available. The program is also able to operate withVisual PinMAME. |
VVVVVV | 2010 | 2020 | Platformer | Attribution required[98] | Proprietary | 2D | On the 10th anniversary of the game's release in January 2020, developer Terry Cavanagh made its source code publicly available onGitHub.[99] |
Proprietary developed games, later released under varying licenses
editFor games that were originally developed proprietary as commercial closed source product, see alsoCategory:Commercial video games with freely available source code.
See also
editReferences
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- ^A Dark Room goes open sourceArchived 2015-09-07 at theWayback Machine on doublespeakgames.com (July 3, 2013)
- ^April 1987: Ballerburg - Zwei Spieler, zwei Burgen und ein Berg dazwischen... on eckhardkruse.net"Ich habe das Programm als Public Domain veröffentlicht" (in German)
- ^Petitte, Omri (20 March 2014)."Cart Life exits Steam, goes open source".PC Gamer. Retrieved21 March 2014.
- ^cartlife_opensores.zip on the author's dropbox
- ^"The 17th Annual Independent Games Festival".igf.com. 2013-03-28.
- ^cartlife_src
- ^"Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead - Dedicated Developer".Kickstarter. 22 June 2013.
- ^(in Polish)Announcement on Polish Portal of ColobotArchived 2012-08-07 at theWayback Machine
- ^Original Colobot source code release license
- ^Colobot: Gold Edition README
- ^Jerz, D.G."Colossal Cave Adventure".Seton Hill University. Retrieved2007-09-07.
- ^corewar onSourceForge
- ^ftp://ftp.ifi.uio.no/pub/crossfire/historic[permanent dead link]
- ^"Re: CF: the begining [sic] of crossfire".real-time.com. Archived fromthe original on 2007-04-04. Retrieved2013-04-27.
- ^Rohrer, Jason (2011-10-17)."DiamondTrust/ci/default/tree".SourceForge. Retrieved2013-05-22.
- ^Andy Chalk (2023-01-10)."Duelyst source code is now free for everyone, 'no strings attached'".PC Gamer. Retrieved2025-02-12.
- ^singularity ongithub.com
- ^ab"Releases · endless-sky/endless-sky".GitHub. Retrieved2023-10-24.
- ^abcdEndless Sky, Endless Sky, 2023-10-23, retrieved2023-10-24
- ^Flare Game, Flare Team, retrieved2025-05-19
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- ^abAhl, David H.; Green, Burchenal, eds. (1978).The Best of Creative computing. Morristown, N.J.ISBN 0-916688-01-1.OCLC 2188876.
{{cite book}}
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- ^ab"LICENSE.txt".GitHub. October 25, 2021.
- ^"Lugaru HD".Gitlab. Retrieved14 January 2017.
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- ^No Gravity (Classic) onsourceforge.net
- ^supportMyWork on hcsoftware.sourceforge.net"I release all of the source code that I write as free software (free as in "freedom") into the public domain" (accessed 2016)
- ^Passage on itunes.apple.com
- ^Soldat asset license on github.com
- ^soldat on github.com
- ^Clark, Dave (2000-10-29)."Sopwith Code Support". Archived fromthe original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved2006-12-01.
- ^Clark, Dave."Sopwith – Source Code".Dave Clark's Home Page. Archived fromthe original on 2012-02-06. Retrieved2006-12-01.
- ^"stepmania/stepmania".GitHub. 2019-08-26.
- ^CastleDoctrine on sourceforge.net
- ^[tremulous] View of /trunk/COPYING
- ^"Warzone2100/warzone2100".GitHub. Retrieved2020-07-01.
- ^"Warzone2100/warzone2100 - COPYING.NONGPL".GitHub. Retrieved2020-07-01.
- ^https://raw.githubusercontent.com/angband/angband/master/copying.txtArchived 2016-03-05 at theWayback Machine The sounds are licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA license. Shockbolt's graphics are licensed under a non-free license.
- ^"[alienarena] Log of /trunk/docs/license.txt". Svn.icculus.org. Retrieved2010-07-13.
- ^"Releases · ExOK/Celeste64".GitHub.
- ^Developer InfoSource Code and License: [...] Our code is open-source, our content isn’t.
- ^gravitybone-pandora ongithub.com
- ^http://www.irrgheist.com/hcraftsource.htm "For the most part H-Craft Championship sources are released under the zlib-license."
- ^http://www.irrgheist.com/hcraftsource.htmYou are not allowed to modify or distribute the media files or use them in your own games. But you can still download the media files and they are free for personal use.
- ^license.txt on hg.icculus.org/icculus/hge-unix
- ^McLaughlin, Ryan (3 August 2011)."Humble Indie Bundle Sells Lots, Windows Users Still Cheap".Hot Hardware. Retrieved3 August 2011.
- ^HGE-comes-to-Mac-and-Linux-guest-post-from-Ryan-Gordon on wolfire.com (August 2011)
- ^Ryan Gordon Ports HGE To Linux, Then Releases Code onPhoronix byMichael Larabel (August 07, 2011)
- ^hge-unix onicculus.org "August 7th, 2011: Source code released to the world!"
- ^"Katawa Shoujo Forums • View topic - Please release Katawa Shoujo source code as free software".renai.us.
- ^narcissu.txt
- ^narcissu on insani.org
- ^"ppy/osu".GitHub. Retrieved2017-02-11.
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- ^"Steel Storm Episode I". blendernation.com. 2010-09-20.
- ^"STEEL STORM EPISODE 1 LIMITED USER SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT". steel-storm.com. Retrieved2013-08-10.
the Art Assets [...] are licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license. The Engine [...] licensed under GNU GPL v2 license.
- ^"♻️Removing, replacing data with non-CC licenses - to do".Loomio. Retrieved2025-04-19.
- ^COPYING-MEDIA on git.net-core.org/tome"All the medias located in all the "/data/gfx" folders are granted to use with the Tales of Maj'Eyal game only." (2016)
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- ^beersrc.zip - readme "Do whatever your want" license
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- ^AlienSwarmfork ongithub.com"readme: You may, free of charge, download and use the SDK to develop a modified Valve game running on the Source engine. You may distribute your modified Valve game in source and object code form, but only for free."
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- ^resources on remar.se"source code"
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- ^Jump 'n BumpArchived 2014-06-06 at theWayback Machine readme.txtJUMP 'N BUMP by Brainchild Design in 1998 Jump 'n Bump is e-mailware. That means you're supposed to send us an e-mail.
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- ^abSpelunky User License v1.1b
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Spelunky [...] is now playable on Mac OS X, thanks to an unofficial patch from the game's community.
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