Video games not only provide hours of escapism and epic challenges, but they can also take people into wondrous new worlds and connect individuals from across the planet. They do come with their challenges, though. For one, they can be expensive. Modern AAA titles can cost up to seventy USD. Also, the fact that so many games have some kind of online connection raises privacy and security concerns. A recent Minecraft update introduced chat moderation that had players up in arms.
Fortunately, there is a community of volunteers that are making free, open source games for a variety of tastes. The fact that they are free makes them easier on the wallet. Also, since they are open source, anyone can look at the code for how they are made, so hidden data-snooping elements are less likely to be integrated into them. Here is just a sample of what the open source community has to offer.
8 Cube 2: Sauerbraten — Alternative To Quake 3
Anyone who misses the glory days of Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament should check out Cube 2: Sauerbraten. It is a multiplayer shooter that not only has hours of fun in store, but also has a built-in level editor for in-game collaboration on map editing.
The gameplay is fast and frantic, with fun matches of capture the flag. The visuals don’t look too bad, either, as there are some decent lighting and water effects. The community is also friendly to newcomers who are trying to figure things out.
7 Minetest – Alternative to Minecraft
The name of this title explains everything. Minetest is a free, open source alternative to Minecraft that pretty much is Minecraft, but rebuilt from the ground up, and featuring both survival and creative modes.
The visuals for Minetest are virtually a carbon copy of Minecraft’s voxel graphics, and gameplay shares many hallmarks of its predecessor, including crafting and resource management. If the environment is feeling a bit empty, a dedicated community has created additional mods for things like mobs and redstone-like blocks called Mesecons.
6 Tanks Of Freedom – Alternative to Advance Wars
With the remakes of the critically acclaimedAdvance Wars games for the Switch being delayed, this should tide turn-based strategy fans over. Tanks of Freedom is an isometric strategy game that has players controlling two different factions in a war-torn country.
The visuals have a retro pixelated aesthetic, and gameplay can be tense, as every move needs to be premeditated in order to accommodate for the enemy’s movement patterns. The game also has a built-in map editor for to create and share scenarios.
5 SuperTux – Alternative to Super Mario Bros.
The Italian plumber Mario is the official mascot of Nintendo and the unofficial mascot of video games. His 2D platformers on the NES and SNES are some of the most celebrated games of all time.
SuperTux puts an Arctic spin on the familiar gameplay of Super Mario Bros. The game stars Tux, the penguin who serves as the unofficial mascot of the Linux operating system. Tux ventures across multiple polar-themed levels, and instead of fireballs, Tux is throwing snowballs. Several analogues to classic Mario enemies can be found throughout the levels, and it has an overworld map reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 3.
4 SuperTuxKart – Alternative To Mario Kart
The Mario Kart franchise unites some of the most recognizable characters from the Nintendo universe in a kart-racing competition with wacky power-ups. The franchise is much beloved, with many entries still being played today, even on the Wii U.
SuperTuxKart is a similar kart racer that joins the mascots from various prominent open source projects. The races have a similar mix of wackiness and combat that made Mario Kart popular. The game also has a Rocket League-type soccer mode, as well as a story mode with voice acting.
3 0 A.D. – Alternative To Age Of Empires 2
This game will have plenty of appeal for fans of titles such as Age of Empires 2 and Rome: Total War. Players will have the option of building a city and army for one of several ancient civilizations.
0 A.D. initially started as a mod for Age of Empires 2, and it spun off into its own game. The visuals are pretty impressive, considering this is a game developed entirely by volunteers. The mix of city-building and real time strategy is engaging as well. There is also a My Little Pony mod for all the Bronies out there.
2 Veloren – Alternative to Wold of Warcraft
Given the recent controversy that Activision Blizzard has experienced, some might seek alternatives to the company’s most popular titles, including the popular MMO World of Warcraft.
Veloren is a multiplayer online game written in the coding language Rust. It has a voxel aesthetic similar to Minecraft, as well as borrows elements from other games, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Wandering around in the simple yet beautiful environments induces a Zen-like state. The game also implements crafting, cooking, and forging mechanics.
1 Thrive – Alternative to Spore
Maxis Games’ Spore is a promising concept: guide a species from its earliest days as a single-cell organism to sentience, civilization, and the stars. It offers immense diversity in creature customization, as well as the freedom to be a herbivore, a carnivore, or an omnivore.
Thrive takes the same premise, but approaches it in a more scientific manner. Single-cellular organisms must gather multiple chemical compounds in order to function, as well as moderate both glucose and ATP levels. The cell editor has options for both external and internal organelles that can accelerate cell movement, break down chemicals, or defend it in hostile situations. The game can be downloaded free from their website, but those who want to support the project can also buy it on Steam.