Game engine recreations and source ports

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Game engine recreations and source ports can be better than emulation on a game-by-game basis, adding improvements to the original, better performance and ports to less powerful systems were emulation is impractical/slow. This is especially true when a developer only wants to get one game (or a number of games that use the same engine) working. In that case, re-implementing that game alone would save more time than implementing the platform it runs on. These kinds of projects are common when abandonware has large communities; when the original developer has disbanded and can no longer support or update it, an effort is then made to get it running natively on newer versions of-- and/or entirely different-- operating systems and platforms.

  • game engine recreations (AKA game engine re-implementations), when the developer only has a binary to work with (and not the source code), they recreate the engine rather than port it, hence the term. How the developers go about this process depends on their philosophy; they may opt to de-compile the original executable and have their own program rely on the original until all of its functions have been remade, at which point the original binary is no longer needed. Alternatively, they can be remade based on a clean room design, in which the project implements the abstract features without having to disassemble the original, going by how components are expected to be used rather than how the game uses them. Some engines come about simply because they were inspired by the original game, and the programmer felt confident enough that no reverse engineering was necessary to make an engine that does the same thing.
  • source ports, in rare cases, games release the source code by the publishers themselves, allowing developers to perform a port of the source code. This skips the step of figuring out how the game works. The most common example that is often used is id Software's release of Doom in 1997. It led to so many ports being released that the community began to joke about what devices haven't gotten it running yet. (see the Doom Wiki for a list)

Some projects are implemented in ways that the original developer did not intend; for example, for a platform other than which publishers marketed it for. And they're not just limited to game engines either; Webamp is a JavaScript application that re-implements Winamp in the web browser. These projects are almost always open-source, which also allows new programmers to fix bugs that could have been difficult to track down during development (alternatively, the bugs may be emulated to allow old mods to continue to safely exploit them). When most of the effort is on programming, the project will usually require the original game's assets (such as files in the installation directory or ROMs) until those ever get remade. This lets the developers claim they aren't infringing the game's copyrights since the player must obtain the original to use it; if the game is still being sold, this could allow the publisher to even earn revenue from the project. This aspect is debatable however, as some source code recreations did result in cease-and-desist letters and even lawsuits from companies such as in the case of re3 and reVC for the 3D-era Grand Theft Auto games, with Take-Two Interactive alleging that the source ports were made to facilitate piracy and that "the work is not licensed in any way"; some have speculated that the suit among others was to keep fan-made mods from getting in the way of their much-maligned Definitive Edition remasters.

For the sake of brevity, most of these projects often refer to themselves under some variety of fan remakes. The External links section has lists for a number of known and available projects.

On Linux downloading and using game engines is easy with Luxtorpeda - a Steam Play compatibility tool (like Proton) that allows you to run games from Steam using various different game engines and re-implementations. Alternatively some package managers/app stores, such as flatpak and snap include source ports.

For macOS, Mac Source Ports provides many of the games below but built for Apple Silicon (or as a Universal Binary where possible), with the apps signed and notarised. For the majority of the games, you will have to provide your own game data. The data for most of the games can be purchased on GOG or Steam (The game data from Windows versions usually work ok).

For a work-in-progress list of source ports that work on macOS see the Source Ports on macOS page.

Contents

Multi game engine

Action-adventure

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
OpenLara[N 1]                           git, SailfishOS ~ PC: Tomb Raider 1–4
Handhelds: Tomb Raider 1
OpenTomb   git ~ Tomb Raider 1–5
Tomb Raider Automated Fix   TR1

TR2

~ ~ Tomb Raider 1 & 2 + their expansions
Tomb Raider 1 & 2 Classic Collection   git

VitaDB

Tomb Raider 1 & 2 Classic (Android versions)
TR1X/TR1Main       git ? Tomb Raider 1.
CroftEngine     git ? Tomb Raider 1.
TR2Main   git ? Tomb Raider 2

Adventure

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
ScummVM                                 2.8.1 Adventure games and RPGs (LucasArts, Sierra, Activision, Humongous & more. Over 250 games.)

Bullet Hell

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
ReC98: The Touhou PC-98 Restoration Project Multi-platform git (WIP) Touhou 1–5 (PC-98)

FPS

See also Game engine recreations and source ports/FPS for more in-depth description sorted by engine

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
BuildGDX       Website Blood, Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, Powerslave/Exhumed, Redneck Rampage, Redneck Rampage Rides Again, Witchaven, Witchaven II, TekWar, Legend of the Seven Paladins
EDuke32
VoidSW [N 2]
        Website EDuke32: Duke Nukem 3D, Ion Fury, NAM, World War II GI
VoidSW: Shadow Warrior
Metaforce       Dev builds
git
(WIP) Retro Games
(Metroid Prime 1–3 & Donkey Kong Country Returns)
Nuclide   Website
git
(WIP) GoldSrc Games
(Half-Life, Counter-Strike 1.5, Team Fortress etc..)
openDarkEngine     git Thief 1-2, System Shock 2
Raze       git Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, Redneck Rampage, Shadow Warrior and Exhumed/Powerslave, Nam, WW2 GI
RedNukem     git Duke Nukem 3D, Duke Nukem 64, Redneck Rampage, Redneck Rampage Rides Again, NAM, World War II GI
XLEngine     git [N 3] Star Wars: Dark Forces, Daggerfall
Later: Outlaws, Blood, Shadow Warrior

Platform

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
RSDKv5            
       
Sonic 1 & 2
Sonic CD
Sonic Mania
Sonic the Hedgehog 1–2, Sonic CD and Sonic Mania.
(Retro Engine v5)
Commander Genius         3.0.0 Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons, Commander Keen in Keen Dreams, Commander Keen in Goodbye Galaxy, Commander Keen in Aliens Ate My Babysitter

Racing

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
OpenNFS       git Need for Speed I–III, Need for Speed: High Stakes, Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2

RPG

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
EasyRPG                     0.8 RPG Maker 2000/2003 games
MKXP       2023 builds RPG Maker XP/VX/VX Ace games
MKXP-Z       2.4.2 RPG Maker XP/VX/VX Ace games
Falltergeist     git (WIP) Fallout 1-2
GemRB           git Infinity Engine
(Baldur's Gate series (1998–2001), Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale series (2000–2002))
JoiPlay   1.01.701 RPG Maker XP/VX/VA/MV/MV games/Ren'Py/TyranoBuilder/HTML based games
Neko RPGXP Player   2.01 ~ RPG Maker XP/VX/VA/MV games
xoreos       0.0.6 (WIP) BioWare's Aurora engine & derivatives
(BioWare's 7 PC/console RPGs, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, The Witcher)

RTS

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
openage         git ~ Genie Engine
(Age of Empires, AoE II (HD), Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds)
OpenRA           git Early Westwood games (Command & Conquer Tiberian Dawn, C&C: Red Alert, Dune 2000).
Soon: 2nd-gen C&C (C&C: Tiberian Sun).
OpenSAGE       git (WIP) EA's Command & Conquer games
(C&C: Generals, C&C: Generals - Zero Hour)
Soon: The Battle for Middle-earth series (2004–2006), C&C 3 & expansion.
Stratagus[N 4]         3.3.2 [N 5] [N 6] Wargus (v3.3.2): Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness + Beyond the Dark Portal, Aleona's Tale
War1gus (v3.3.2): Warcraft: Orcs & Humans
Stargus (v3.3.0): StarCraft (partially playable as of v2.4.1)
Games natively made on the Stratagus engine: Aleona's Tale (Wargus), Astroseries, Bos Wars, Wyrmsun
Vanilla Conquer         git Early Westwood games (Command & Conquer, C&C: Red Alert, Dune 2000).
Based on the official source code release by EA, with the goal of serving as a portable drop-in replacement for the original executables as well as a platform for mod developers.

Visual Novel

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
Impacto           git (WIP) MAGES. Engine (Science Adventure games)
Xsystem35       git Alicesoft. System35 Engine (RPG and strategy games)

Various

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
DREAMM*       3.0.1 LucasArts: Maniac Mansion, Zak McKracken, Indiana Jones (Last Crusade & Fate of Atlantis & Infernal Machine & Desktop Adventures), Loom, Monkey Island (1 & 2 & Curse & Escape), Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max, Full Throttle, The Dig, Grim Fandango, Rebel Assault (1 & 2), X-Wing, Tie-Fighter, Dark Forces, Dark Forces 2 Jedi Knight, Mysteries of the Sith, Shadows of the Empire, Yoda Stories, Mortimer and the Riddles of the Medallion, Outlaws (+13 more in the 3.0 beta)
Jorio's ports of Pangea Software games       depending on game Billy Frontier, Bugdom, Bugdom 2, Cro-Mag Rally, Mighty Mike (Power Pete), Nanosaur, Nanosaur II: Hatchling, Otto Matic
OpenGMK         git GameMaker game engines
M-HT SR / SRW       depending on game Albion (1995), X-Com: UFO Defense (UFO: Enemy Unknown), X-Com: Terror from the Deep, Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator, Battle Isle 3: Shadow of the Emperor (Battle Isle 2220: Shadow of the Emperor)

Single game engine

Action-adventure

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
Zelda 64: Recompiled     git The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
2 Ship 2 Harkinian       git The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
Link's Awakening DX HD   git ~* The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Open Ocarina   git The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
OpenJK       Build
git
~ Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
Ship of Harkinian           8.0.4
Nightly builds
git
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (any PAL version)[N 7]
sm         git ~ Super Metroid
Zelda3           git
Android
Xbox One
Vita
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Mystical Ninja Recompilation   ??? gbatemp thread ? Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
donut   ??? git ? ? The Simpsons: Hit & Run

FPS

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
xGreed   doomworld In Persuit of Greed
Aleph One       1.6.2 Marathon 1–2, Marathon Infinity
BStone       git Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold, Blake Stone: Planet Strike
D2X-XL
DXX-Rebirth
      1.18.76
git
Descent, Descent II
Descent Wii   1.12
git (forked)
Descent
DXX-3DS[N 8]   git Descent, Descent II
DXX-Retro[N 8]     git Descent, Descent II
DXX-Switch[N 8]   git ? Descent, Descent II
EDuke32 Wii   Website Duke Nukem 3D
Freespace 2 Wii   beta 3 ? Freespace 2
Freespace 2 Source Code Project       Knossos installer and mod manager Freespace 2, also includes Freespace 1 and expansion Silent Threat through fanmade ports to the FS2 engine.
NakedAVP       1.1.0 Aliens Vs Predator Gold
NBlood     git Blood
OpenMoHAA     SourceForge Medal of Honour: Allied Assault
OpenXRay       git S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Series
PCExhumed     20230620-13623 Powerslave (PC)
Powerslave EX       git Powerslave (console)
Perfect Dark     git Perfect Dark
Shockolate         git System Shock 1
The Force Engine     1.10 Current: Star Wars: Dark Forces
Future: Outlaws
DXU24   Modders channel ~ (WIP) Deus Ex
Xash3D         0.99 ~ Half-Life 1 engine games
Xash3DS   git Half-Life 1 engine games
Portal64: Still Alive   v0.14.0 * Portal
id Tech Engines
dhewm3             git
dhewm3-amigaos4
Doom 3 (Original)
Doom64 EX       2.5 Doom 64 (Original)
ECWolf         1.3.3 Wolfenstein 3D, Spear of Destiny, Super 3D Noah’s Ark
Hammer of Thyrion       1.5.9 Hexen II
Heretic Wii[N 9]   0.5 ? Heretic
Hexen Wii
HHexen (Wii)[N 10]
  1.0
0.5
? Hexen
HHeretic[N 9]   0.2.3 ? Heretic
HHexen[N 10]   1.6.3 ? Hexen
ioquake3         1.36 Quake III: Arena
iortcw       git ~ Return to Castle Wolfenstein
realrtcw       ModDB page ~ Return to Castle Wolfenstein (based on iortcw)
Linux Hexen[N 10]   0.6.0 Hexen
PrBoom         git ~[N 11] Doom I–II, Final Doom
PsyDoom         git Doom, Final Doom
Quake GameCube/QuakeGX[N 12]     0.0.5-2 (GX) ? Quake 1
Quake Rev PAK[N 13]   release 4 ? Quake 1–2, ThreeWave CTF mod for Quake 2, QuakeWorld
Quakespasm
vkQuake[N 14]
      0.94.2
git
Quake 1
RBDOOM-3-BFG       git Doom 3 (BFG Edition)
Rise of the Triad for Linux       git Rise of the Triad: Dark War
rottexpr       git Rise of the Triad: Dark War
Tyrquake         git Quake 1
vitaQuake II         git, PS Vita Quake 2
WiiDoom
WiiDoom-Fork (music support)
  0.4.5
Fork
Doom I–II, Final Doom, Chex Quest I–II (forked version only but with some conversion issues)
Wii-DOOM
Wii-HERETIC
Wii-HEXEN
Wii-STRIFE
  r33 Wii-DOOM: Doom I–II, Final Doom
Wii-HERETIC: Heretic
Wii-HEXEN: Hexen
Wii-STRIFE: Strife: Quest for the Sigil
Wolfenstein 3D Wii   1.31 Wolfenstein 3D, Spear of Destiny
Yamagi Quake II         8.00 Quake 2

Horror

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
FNaF 1 3DS -old/obsolete-
FNaF 1 3DS -remastered-[N 15]
  0.2.3
0.3.1-pre1
Five Nights at Freddy's
FNaF 1 PSP[N 15]   1.3.1 Fix 1 Five Nights at Freddy's
FNaF 2 3DS[N 15]   beta 1.0 Five Nights at Freddy's 2
FNaF 3 3DS[N 15]   beta 0.1.3 Five Nights at Freddy's 3
FNaF 4 3DS[N 15]   beta 0.3 ~ Five Nights at Freddy's 4

Platform

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
Abe's Amazing Adventure Wii   r3 ? Abe's Amazing Adventure
Abuse Wii   0.8.684.2 ? Abuse
Cave Story Engine 2               git
archive
Wii, NDS
[N 16] [N 17] Cave Story
doukutsu-rs           git Cave Story
OpenCrashWOC     git ? Crash Bandicoot: Wrath Of Cortex
C1     git ~ Crash Bandicoot
C2C   git ~ Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
Jazz² Resurrection         git Jazz Jackrabbit 2
Jump 'n Bump   0.3.1 ? Jump 'n Bump
Maze of Galious 3DS   1.0 ? The Maze of Galious remake
MazeOfGaliousWii   0.63.3 ? The Maze of Galious remake
NXEngine
nxengine-evo
      1.0.0.6
git
Cave Story
OpenGOAL       git Jak and Daxter[N 18]
OpenHCL         git ~ Hydra Castle Labyrinth
OpenJazz              git ~ Jazz Jackrabbit 1
R.E.L.I.V.E.       git Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus
rawgl       git Another World/Out of This World
REminiscence     0.4.9 Flashback (Another World's spiritual sequel)
Rigel Engine         git Duke Nukem II
SDLPoP       git Prince of Persia (1989)
Sonic the Hedgehog Forever         1.4.1 Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Absolute   1.1.1 Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic-2-CE   1.00 Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic 3 A.I.R. (Angel Island Revisited)             git Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles
Sonic Mania 3DS   Build ~ Sonic Mania 3DS
smw           git
Switch
Super Mario World, Super Mario All-Stars[N 19]
Super Mario 64 Port Multi-platform Depends on port Super Mario 64 (N64)
TheXTech             git Super Mario Bros. X[N 20]
xrick             #021212 Rick Dangerous

Racing

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
CannonBall           git OutRun
CannonBall (Wii)   git OutRun
NFSIISE         git Need for Speed II: SE
CTRPC[N 21]   N/A (WIP) ~[N 22] Crash Team Racing
OpenC1       1.4
git
Carmageddon
OpenLGR       git Lego Racers
OpenMC2     (via Wine) git Midnight Club II
Open1560   git Midtown Madness 1
OpenSWE1R       git (WIP) Star Wars Episode 1: Racer
RoadFighterWii   1.0 Road Fighter
RVGL             21.0930a-1 Re-Volt
REDriver2     git Driver 2
stuntcarremake[N 23]       Build 08 Stunt Car Racer (Amiga / AtariST)
Wipeout Rewrite       git Wipeout
Wipeout Phantom Edition   git Wipeout

Real-time

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s) Genre
Dune Dynasty     1.5 Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty Real-time strategy
Dune II: The Maker   0.7.0 Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty
Dune Legacy         27.12.2022 Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty
KeeperFX   1.0.0 ? Dungeon Keeper
OpenDUNE         git Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty
TA3D       git Total Annihilation
Project Alice     1.0.9 Victoria 2
FreeSynd       0.7.5 Syndicate (1993) Real-time tactics
Syndicate Wars Port       0.3 Syndicate Wars

RPG

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
Arx Libertatis         git Arx Fatalis
Ambermoon.net       git Ambermoon
Paper Mario       git Paper Mario
Daggerfall Unity       git The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
DevilutionX             git Diablo
Fallout CE           git Fallout 1
Fallout 2 CE           git Fallout 2
OpenGothic       git Gothic II
OpenVIII     git Final Fantasy VIII
OpenDiablo2       git Diablo II
OpenMW       0.47.0 The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
OpenTESArena       git (WIP) The Elder Scrolls I: Arena
NorseWorld: Ragnarok   git Ragnarok / Valhalla
REGoth     git Gothic, Gothic II
reone     git (WIP) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1-2
Riiablo         git ? Diablo II
Undertale Mobile Mod for iOS and Android     ModDB page Undertale

Sandbox

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
Minecraft PSP   3.3.0 Minecraft
IsleDecomp     git (WIP) Lego Island
PSP Minecraft   3.0.0 Minecraft
OpenRW         git ~ ~ Grand Theft Auto III
re3
reVC
            git (re3)
git (reVC)
re3 (3DS)
re3 (Switch)
reVC (Switch)
ReVC (Vita)
re3 (Wii U)
reVC (Wii U)
[N 24] Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
San Andreas Unity         git ~ Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Wiicraft (2020)   git ? ? Minecraft v1.2.5
WoxelCraft   git ? 3D Voxel Engine (Minecraft)

Sim

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s) Genre
CaesarIA           0.5 (2016) Caesar III City-building
Julius
Augustus (Gameplay changes)
          1.7
3.0.1
Caesar III
CorsixTH         git Theme Hospital Construction/Management
OpenLoco       git Chris Sawyer's Locomotion
OpenRCT2             git RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 (with RCT1 and expansions from both games being importable) or RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic (as of v0.4.2)
OpenTTD       git Transport Tycoon Deluxe
OpenTTD (Wii)   1.3.2 ? Transport Tycoon Deluxe
RCT Classic Vita   git ? ~ RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic (Android)
terminal-recall       git
Nightly Builds
Terminal Velocity, Fury3 Flight Combat
LainTSX   git Lain PSX Interactive fiction
Lain Bootleg Remake       git Lain Bootleg
FreeSO   git The Sims Online Life Sim

TBS

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
civctp2         git
(ctp2 for Linux/Pandora/Pyra)
~ Call to Power II
CivOne       git (WIP) Sid Meier's Civilization
DopeWars     [N 25] 1.1 ? DopeWars (Palm OS)
fheroes2           git Heroes of Might and Magic II
OpenEnroth       git Might and Magic VII
OpenXcom       git UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-Com: UFO Defense), X-COM: Terror From the Deep
OpenXcom CE           7.13 UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-Com: UFO Defense), X-COM: Terror From the Deep
VCMI         git Heroes of Might and Magic III

Visual Novel

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s)
DDLC-LOVE           1.2.3 (PSP, Vita)
1.1.9 (PS3, 3DS, Switch)
[N 26] Doki Doki Literature Club!
Doki-Doki-Literature-Club-Vita   git ~ Doki Doki Literature Club!
NitroSharp     git ~ (WIP) [N 27] ChäoS;HEAd NoAH

Miscellaneous

Name Platform(s) Latest Version libretro Active Recommended Supported game(s) Genre
PyTouhou           Website (WIP) Touhou 6 Bullet Hell
Th06       git (WIP) Touhou 6
uth05win   git Touhou 5
Ikemen GO       git Remake of the Ikemen engine that supports Mugen resources. Fighting
SpaceCadetPinball                         git 3D Pinball for Windows – Space Cadet Pinball
Jewels   1.01 ? gljewel Puzzle
Lemmini     git Lemmings
LSD: Revamped       0.2.0 LSD: Dream Emulator Exploration
OpenTyrian       git Tyrian Shoot 'em up
OpenTyrianWii   1.7 ? Tyrian
max vita   git Max Payne Third-person shooter

Notes

  1. OpenLara was inspired by OpenTomb
  2. VoidSW is included with EDuke32
  3. XL Engine has ceased development, and has been superseded by The Force Engine from the same developer
  4. Stratagus is an open-source real-time strategy game engine. Some standalone games like Aleona's Tale (included in Wargus's installation), Astroseries, Bos Wars, and Wyrmsun were built on the Stratagus game engine. Source ports for Warcraft: Orcs & Humans (War1gus), Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness + Beyond the Dark Portal (Wargus), and StarCraft (Stargus) were also built on the Stratagus engine.
  5. Stargus is in pre-alpha but development has been halted. Stratagus, Wargus, and War1gus are being updated regularly.
  6. StarCraft is only partially playable in Stargus as of v2.4.1. Warcraft games for Wargus & War1gus work well if installed correctly.
  7. As of v8.0.0, Ship of Harkinian supports any PAL ROM of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo 64 or GameCube (SoH Compatibility Checker to check if your ROM is supported). Launch the PC version and locate the ROM to generate an oot.otr file. Additionally and optionally, you can load the PAL version of the Master Quest version in the PC version to create an oot-mq.otr to add another game mode.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 DXX-Retro, also known as DXX-Rebirth-Retro, requires files from DXX-Rebirth version 0.58.1 to be able to use. DXX-Switch is a port of DXX-Retro for Nintendo Switch and DXX-3DS is a Nintendo 3DS port of DXX-Switch, but they have technical issues that make them less playable.
  9. 9.0 9.1 HHeretic is an open source game engine of Heretic for Linux. Heretic Wii is a Wii port is based on HHeretic 0.2.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 HHexen, also known as Hacked Hexen, is a Hexen source port was created by Dan Olson and maintained by the Hammer of Thyrion (Hexen II). It is a more advanced and portable version of the Linux Hexen source port and effectively replaced it. Hexen Wii and HHexen (Wii) are both Wii ports of Hexen based on HHexen 1.6.1.
  11. PrBoom-plus is still active
  12. QuakeGX is a Wii port of Peter Mackay's GameCube Quake port. Both are available on the same website. A forked version of QuakeGX called Quake Wii was later merged with QuakeGX.
  13. Quake Rev PAK (or QRevPack for short) is a collection of game engines of the Quake series that merges Q1Rev (Quake 1), Q2Rev (Quake 2), Q2CTFRev (ThreeWave Capture the Flag mod for Quake II), and QWRev (QuakeWorld) in one. All by the same developer Izhido.
  14. vkQuake is based on Quakespasm, but uses Vulkan instead of OpenGL for rendering
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Five Nights at Freddy's 1 3DS -remastered- is an updated version of Five Nights at Freddy 1's 3DS by the same developer FreDev, also known as BumboDEV and BaseDEV. The developer also attempted Nintendo 3DS ports of Five Nights at Freddy's 2, 3, and 4 but development stopped after the developer [lost the source code for Five Nights at Freddy's 2 and would have to reverse engineer it again. Those ports were only in a state of demonstration and were not fully playable, having incomplete A.I., gameplay, and missing screens. Download links to the latest version of these 3DS ports and the PS Vita port can be found on the old Discord server.
  16. Cave Story Engine 2'slicence
  17. Cave Story Engine 2, or CSE2 for short, received a DMCA cease and desist notice from Nicalis, the current IP owner of Cave Story, despite the original Cave Story being a freeware developed by Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya.
  18. The project de-compiled the game into GOAL code. The project also developed a general-purpose GOAL compiler. Ports of Jak 2 & 3 may be viable because they were made in GOAL too.
  19. In smw only the Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels are able to be ran currently.
  20. The Super Mario Bros. X fan game project was written in VB6 originally and being a closed source for a long time. It was founded in 2009 and supported up to 2011, later abandoned by its author. For a long time, various people hacked it and attempted to reverse-engine and make clones. After 11 years, the source code was finally open. Later, by an independent developer, it was ported from VB6 into C++ with the SDL2 library and released as "TheXTech". The TheXTech, unlike the original game engine, is cross-platform and lightweight. It's able to work on a variety of operating systems and processor architectures.
  21. Executable title in video is "CTRPC" the video titles however are titled "Crash Team Racing - PC Port"
  22. According to the description of the Progress Update #2 video it will be many months (or years) away from a finished PC port
  23. Based on Stunt Car Racer Remake for Windows
  24. re3 and reVC have been taken down by Take-Two again. This also includes GaryOderNichts's Wii U ports, Graber's Switch ports, and the PS Vita ports of re3 and reVC.
  25. DopeWars PC port's download link is currently not working.
  26. DDLC-LOVE is a DDLC! port programmed in Lua. Even in its final release, there may be issues DDLC-LOVE may not have been able to fix but it's still playable. The developer recommends PS Vita users to use Doki-Doki-Literature-Club-Vita for the full DDLC! desktop experience including mod support.
  27. No longer needed as the game has been released on PC.

See also

Game engine recreations and source ports specifically for: Current computers/phones:

Consoles:

Nintendo
Sony

Legacy systems:

External links

Curated Lists:

Specific gaming systems

News:

  • GamingOnLinux.com (For the latest news on releases and updates of game recreations and source ports that work on Linux)
  • Reddit feed (Aggregation quality is a little bit spotty. You have to wade through the news posts a bit for the relevant software.)
  • List of Open Source Games on Reddit (Thread by u/AMD_CEO. Wed Jul 1, 2020. Had added recommendations to links also seen above.)

Videos: