Catacomb: 3 Open Source Clones Compared
Catacomb and The Catacomb are original Turbo Pascal/C++ source releases for the first and second games in the series respectively; Catacomb includes a working built-in editor mode, while The Catacomb's equivalent editor code is explicitly disabled in the released source and may not function. CatacombSDL is instead a modern SDL2-based cross-platform port of The Catacomb, maintaining full DOS-level compatibility with the original's save and demo files — which is also why it inherits some of the DOS version's control limitations, like scan-code-based keybinds and 2-axis/2-button joystick support.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- DOS
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 12y ago
- Stars
- 145
- Contributors
- 1
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- —
- Modding support
- YesGame includes an editor mode that can be enabled by modifying the SAMPLER define.
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- DOS
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 12y ago
- Stars
- 71
- Contributors
- 1
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesGame data must be legally acquired separately.
- Modding support
- —
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Linux, OSX, Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 4y ago
- Stars
- 38
- Contributors
- 3
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires game data files (*.CA2) from the original DOS game; files must be in uppercase on case-sensitive file systems.
- Modding support
- —
| Title | Catacomb | The Catacomb | CatacombSDL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable | Playable |
| Platforms | DOS | DOS | Linux, OSX, Windows |
| Play in browser | No | No | No |
| Mobile | No | No | No |
| Project health | |||
| Development status | Halted | Halted | Halted |
| Last updated | 12y ago | 12y ago | 4y ago |
| Stars | 145 | 71 | 38 |
| Contributors | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Engine | — | — | SDL2 |
| Compatibility | |||
| Requires original assets | — | YesGame data must be legally acquired separately. | YesRequires game data files (*.CA2) from the original DOS game; files must be in uppercase on case-sensitive file systems. |
| Modding support | YesGame includes an editor mode that can be enabled by modifying the SAMPLER define. | — | — |
| Preview | | |
Known limitations
- compatibility: Keyboard binds must correspond to DOS scan codes and joystick support is limited to 2-axis and 2-buttons.
- compatibility: On case sensitive file systems, game data files (*.CA2) must be in all upper case.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Catacomb clones on this page open source?
Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.
What license do these Catacomb clones use?
Catacomb, The Catacomb, and CatacombSDL (GPL-2.0).
Do I need to own the original Catacomb to play these clones?
The Catacomb and CatacombSDL require original game assets to play.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Catacomb.