9 /10 1 Votes9
4.1/5 Initial release date 31 October 2008 | 5/5 SourceForge Engine ioquake3 Publisher id Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Developer(s) Free software community Platforms Linux, Microsoft Windows, Android, Macintosh operating systems, iOS, BlackBerry, FreeBSD, Ouya, AmigaOS, Pandora, Unix Similar Nexuiz, Quake III Arena, Warsow, Ioquake3, Alien Arena |
Openarena gameplay
OpenArena is a free and open-source video game, it is first-person shooter (FPS) and a video game clone of Quake III Arena. The OpenArena project was established on August 19, 2005, one day after the id Tech 3 source code released under GNU GPL license.
Contents

An assets "reboot" named "OA3" is planned, with the aim of steering the art style away from the classic space and gothic themes to "something more manga inspired", while also raising its quality and performances standards.

Its official website includes downloads for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X operating systems. Thanks to third-party efforts, it is also available from the default repositories of a number of open-source operating systems, including Debian, Fedora, FreeBSD, Gentoo, Mandriva, Arch and Ubuntu. It is also in development for the Maemo mobile operating system. Ports for Raspberry Pi, Android and iOS are available, too.

Linux native game openarena
Gameplay

OpenArena's gameplay attempts to follow Quake III Arena: score frags to win the game using a balanced set of weapons each designed for different situations, with just minor changes to the rules enabled by default (like awarding a character for pushing another one to their death).
Each match happens in an "arena": a map where players try to kill each other; some arenas are designed for Capture the flag and similar gametypes, so are built with two bases (usually identical, apart from the colors), for the two teams.
The Quake III style of play is very fast and requires skill to be played successfully online. It's an arcade-style gameplay which allows to quickly move through maps thanks to bouncepads, accelerator pads, teleporters and advanced techniques such as strafe jumping and rocket jumping. Some arenas include traps.
The game can be played online (against other human players) or offline (against computer-controlled characters known as bots). "Singleplayer" mode allows to play a pre-defined series of deatchmatches, unlocking a new "tier" of four maps after completing the previous one, or to create custom matches in any gametype through the "skirmish" mode.
Game modes
As of OpenArena 0.8.8, maps can be played in at least one of these gametypes: Deathmatch (called as Free For All in the game), Team Deathmatch, Tournament, Capture The Flag, One Flag CTF, Harvester, Overload, Elimination, CTF Elimination, Last Man Standing, Double Domination and Domination:
Impact
The game is one of the most popular open-source first-person shooters, particularly among fans of the original Quake III. It has only really been criticized as somewhat incomplete as of yet, with some saying that this detracts from long term play. OpenArena has also been praised for its portability and ability to run on old hardware. Internet play has also been praised, as well as the number of players found on the average OpenArena server. The game has also been credited for its creativity in bot design, rather than sticking to more traditional tropes. OpenArena is also available on macOS, with one reviewer praising it as one of the best free game for the Mac, noting that it is only a slightly behind contemporary commercially funded games for the PC and consoles in terms of graphics and artificial intelligence.
OpenArena has been used as a platform for scholarly work in computer science. Some examples include streaming graphics from a central server, and visualizing large amounts of network data.