Cortex Command releases code under the AGPL v3
| 4:10 PM

By On 4:10 PM


Cortex Command is a mess, but in a good way. This bizarrely entertaining strategy blend has been undergoing continuous development since the early 2000s, having had its first main release in 2012. Seven years later, its creators decided it's time to let the community have a say.

Just one day ago developer Data Realms announced on the game's Steam page it was freeing the game's code under the GNU Affero License v3. While this release does not include any of the game's data or graphics, meaning you still have to purchase a full copy or replace them with your own, it is nevertheless welcoming news to see game studios embracing Free Software licensing, enabling users to modify the game at their own will.

The game itself is as fun as ever. An ungodly hybrid between X-COM, Terraria, and Starcraft, Cortex Command is one of those games whose chaotic approach to physics simulation can lead to some pretty hilarious moments. The game pits several factions in a messy planetary war for resources. The rest is up to the player to discover and go bonkers.

So if you do not mind about the proprietary data, by all means have a try. You can currently purchase the game for about 20 USD on the developer's website (linked above). The code can be accessed on the github page for the project.

Code license: AGPLv3
Assets license: Proprietary

Comments? Check out the forum thread.

Amiga para siempre: FS-UAE Amiga emulator hits version 3.0
| 5:01 PM

By On 5:01 PM


FS-UAE is one of the newest Commodore Amiga emulators on the scene, and perhaps the only true multiplatform emulation project for the system still in development. It has had astounding progress since it was originally released in 2011, and last week it announced the release of version 3.0.

The changes in the newest release are many and varied, so feel free to check the full changelog available here. FS-UAE has garnered a very good reputation for being a quality emulator focusing on ease of use and multiplatform support. The developer also maintains the OpenRetro Database, where users can submit information and configuration files to help running the games easier.

The FS-UAE launcher tool

The Amiga is one of the home computers originally developed by Commodore back in the 1980s. During its heyday it was considered to be a revolutionary platform, notorious for its user friendliness and the quality of its sound chipset. Its game library, although found to be meager by some nowadays, has maintained a solid fanbase over the years. Games like The Secret of Monkey Island, Sensible Soccer, and Lemmings, were all originally developed on the Amiga, and many other titles for the platform have ever since attained cult status among gaming communities.

All the code for FS-UAE is, of course, Free Software, and its main repository can be found on Github here.

Code license: GPLv2


Post your comments on this thread.

Vegan on a Desert Island wants to become an ironic masterpiece
| 11:39 AM

By On 11:39 AM


For the first time I heard of Vegan on a Desert Island I assumed it was some kind of bad joke, and frankly this impression lasted with me for a while. However, through some amazing persistence and determination from the developers, this upcoming title is slowly capturing the hearts of the libre development community through sheer charm and wits.

Determination might really be the key word here; lead developer Alex Gleason claims he's set out to answer one of humanity's most sought after existential questions: "What would a vegan do if stranded on a desert island?"

Taking it from there, the game promises action, puzzle solving, and more drama and plot twists you can (literally) shake a stick at, because everyone knows that the best way of getting answers for some real world problems is through the semblance of a Zelda-like RPG.

Yes, you read it right, this game will be an action RPG at its core, and this should come at no surprise; after all, Vegan on a Desert Island is being developed with the Solarus engine under its hood, meaning we can expect some solid Zelda-like mechanics to go along with the formula.

We have all been there.

The game is also notorious for using a considerable amount of recycled Creative Commons artwork sourced from Open Game Art. Notably its level assets are almost entirely consisting of the Zoria Tileset, which has been ported to Solarus since the last major release. All unique art crafted exclusively for the game will also be licensed under Creative Commons.

While the game hasn't yet seen an initial demo build, it attracted considerable attention (and laughs) after a short presentation by Gleason himself on Libre Planet, last March. The effort and dedication being put forward to sell a seemingly absurd concept have it stand out of the crowd, and for that, it deserves much needed credit. As for the rest of the game, it will remain a mystery for the time being, unless, of course, you wish to go ahead and compile one of their source packages.

A release is estimated for later this year, although no fixed dates have been presented yet. So let's hope this one turns out to be worth the wait, unlike most vegan food.

Code license: GPLv3
Assets license: CC-BY-SA 4.0

Keeping up with KeeperRL: alpha 28 released, improves mod support
| 4:10 AM

By On 4:10 AM


It has been a while since we last spoke of KeeperRL. The hybrid blend of dungeon building sim with roguelike features seems to be doing rather well, with a growing community and regular progress updates. The latest alpha has just been released, and this time it has a flavor for modding.

Aside from the regular bugfixing and gameplay improvements, this build adds upgraded mod support and an in-game downloader for community content. As with most roguelikes, the developers seem to have realized customization is key to maintain community engagement, a very positive assessment in our regard. You can read the full changelog here.

For those who are not reminded, KeeperRL comes in two versions: a gratis package with plain ASCII graphics and no sound, and a commercial package including pixel art graphics and soundtrack, available for 12.99 EUR on a variety of digital stores. The program code is entirely Free Software, licensed under the GPLv3.

Code license: GPLv3
Assets license: Proprietary (commercial version), CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 (gratis version)

Let's keep an eye out for Cytopia
| 5:18 PM

By On 5:18 PM



With city builder games climbing back into popularity, it was about time for a serious libre project to tackle the genre once again. After many years of abandoned efforts, it is now the turn of Cytopia to try to scratch that itch.

The project had its inception in 2018, when now lead developer JimmySnails announced in a forum post the intention of creating an engine that could replicate most of the functionalities of the classic SimCity 2000, a game still near and dear to many players up to this day. Ever since then, Cytopia evolved into what appears to a fully-fledged independent game-in-progress, with its own graphics, features, and even an editor planned down the line.

Aside from the obvious SimCity 2000 influences, the game also appears to draw inspiration from the recently released TheoTown, with main graphics artist KingTut101 crafting assets in a very similar style.

Whether Cytopia will deliver where others have failed remains to be seen, but as usual we encourage you to download the initial tech demos and show support for the project.

The developers also have an official Patreon to help support hosting expenses.

Code License: GPLv3
Assets License: Unspecified (reverts to same license as the code, by default)

Out in the shadows: Dark Mod 2.07 released
| 5:10 PM

By On 5:10 PM


The hide-and-seek simulator The Dark Mod (TDM) has had a new release as of last week. For those who don't remember, TDM is a Doom 3 mod-gone-standalone that aims to recreate a similar game experience to that of Looking Glass Studio's Thief series. It is known amongst both stealth game aficionados and free software enthusiasts as a project of exceptional quality, with a dedicated community of content creators. The latest release 2.07 focuses on stability and performance.

Since we last reported on this amazing project, the game has progressed leaps and bounds both in content and quality. The extensive loading times and performance irks that plagued the initial standalone releases, from the project's early emancipation from Doom 3 game asset and codebase requirements, are now mostly a thing of the past, and are set to be improved even further, as multi-core support has finally been added to the engine (albeit as an experimental feature). Future updates will bring the game to OpenGL 3.3, transferring processing power from the CPU to the GPU.

On the graphics department, the implementation of advanced shadow maps promise near real-life shadow behavior. Improved antialiasing will generally upgrade looks for those with more powerful machines.

The release has also seen the addition of more Creative Commons licensed assets (under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) and map modules, which are free to use in either TDM fan missions or in any other mod or game project. Many fan missions are available under the same license, with incoming releases almost every month. They can be downloaded through the in-game GUI or by accessing the mission portal.

For further information you can access the full changelog here.

Code License: GPLv3
Assets License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Solarus 1.6 is out, progress on Ocean's Heart
| 5:35 AM

By On 5:35 AM


Some of you might remember previous coverage of Solarus, the Free Software Zelda-like ARPG engine that comes with its own complete game creation suite and a pretty impressive palette of Zelda fan games already available under its wing. As of last December, version 1.6 has been released, and while the changes under the hood are too many to number (check the full announcement and changelog here), it is worth highlighting the package now includes a more varied amount of libre tilesets, meaning developers now have available a wider choice of default non-proprietary graphics to use on their own creations. While the community is still very much focused around Zelda fan-games and their respective copyrighted graphics, this is an important first step to attract more developers and spark future libre game projects.


The Ocean's Heart tileset, now part of the Solarus package.

One such project is Ocean's Heart, the brainchild of Solarus community member Max Mraz. The game follows a gameplay structure similar to classic Zelda games transported to a Viking age-inspired setting. It features an entirely original story and a beautiful pixelated tileset, which Max was kind enough to license under a Creative Commons license for integration with the Solarus suite. Upon completion it will become the first true libre Solarus-made ARPG in code and assets, which makes for very exciting news.



Stay tuned for further developments on this, and be sure to check the Solarus website for news on their upcoming game projects, along with complete instructions and tutorials on how to create your own game using the development tools.

Code License: GPLv3
Assets License: Mixed  (most sprite packages copyrighted by Nintendo, original Solarus assets under CC-BY-SA)