FOSSPicks
Game engine
qengine
The renaissance in 2D retro gaming has spawned a few games engines that help modern games creators build 80s era games without having to resort to 80s era technology. But there aren't that many modern recreations of mid- to late-1990s first person game engines, despite many of the games from that era being reverse engineered and re-implemented to run on modern hardware. Quake, from 1997, is perhaps the most famous of those games, with many modern clients but not so many engines for creating new games with that late-90s feel. This is what qengine does, with a focus on doing away with acceleration requirements and enjoying the simple limitations and forced creativity of old fashioned platforms, though it's still only in the very formative stages of development.
The engine itself is a fork of the Quake II codebase, via the Yamagi Quake II client, and is designed to help you build standalone games using the same engine. Since it's being designed for building new games rather than running old ones, it won't play the original assets. This is because much of the complexity in the original has been removed to help make the codebase legible and to help speed up the development of modern games with the old platform. As a result, it's quick and easy to compile, and your games will have very few dependencies. We were able to get the original Quake 2 demo running via the client binary to test everything out, and this is likely a good place to start if you want to create your own game, at least until you can replace the assets with new ones for your projects.
Project Website
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Ubuntu's App Center Finally Supports Local Installs Again
If you regularly download .deb files and would prefer a GUI method of installing, Ubuntu has your back.
-
AlmaLinux Now Supports Raspberry Pi 5
If you're looking to create with the Raspberry Pi 5 and want to use AlmaLinux as your OS, you're in luck because it's now possible.
-
Kubuntu Focus Releases New Iterations of Ir14 and Ir16 Laptops
If you're a fan of the Kubuntu Focus laptops or have been waiting for the right time to purchase one, that time might be now.
-
NixOS 24.05 Is Ready for Prime Time
The latest release of NixOS (Uakari) has arrived and offers its usual reproducible, declarative, and reliable goodness.
-
Linux Lite 7.0 Officially Released
Based on Ubuntu 24.04 and kernel 6.8, Linux Lite version 7 now offers more options than ever.
-
KaOS Linux 2024.05 Adds Bcachfs Support and More
With updates all around, KaOS Linux now includes support for the bcachefs file system.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils New Iteration of the Stellaris Laptop Line
The Stellaris Slim 15 is the 6th generation and includes either an AMD or Intel CPU
-
KDE Releases Plasma 6.0.5
The latest release of the Plasma desktop has arrived with several improvements and the usual bug fixes.
-
Gnome OS Adopting systemd-sysupdate
Gnome OS is about to undergo a major under-the-hood change that promises enhanced security.
-
Endless OS 6 Now Available
After more than a year since the last update, the latest release of Endless OS is now available for general usage.