Cortex Command: 2 Open Source Clones Compared
CCCP is a community-driven continuation of Cortex Command with an active mod portal, and states no requirement for the original game's data. CCOSS, by contrast, is only an open-source release of the engine code with no game data included — a working build needs both the data and Steam beta-branch DLLs supplied separately by someone who owns the game, and even then this snapshot corresponds to an internal 'B33' build that doesn't match the publicly released B32 version, so it won't start with standard B32 data. CCOSS's audio also differs from the original because its commercial FMOD library was replaced with the free SDL Mixer, which lacks pitch-shifting, so some sound effects play differently than they did originally.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 3y ago
- Stars
- 405
- Contributors
- 2
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesNo game data included; game data must be obtained from the Cortex Command beta branch on Steam.
- Modding support
- —
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Linux, OSX, Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 1mo ago
- Stars
- 322
- Contributors
- 51
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoCommunity-driven open-source project; no requirement stated for original assets.
- Modding support
- YesThe community project supports mods with an official mod portal available at cccp.mod.io.
| Title | CCOSS | CCCP |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable |
| Platforms | Windows | Linux, OSX, Windows |
| Play in browser | No | No |
| Mobile | No | No |
| Project health | ||
| Development status | Halted | Active |
| Last updated | 3y ago | 1mo ago |
| Stars | 405 | 322 |
| Contributors | 2 | 51 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Engine | SDL2 | SDL2 |
| Compatibility | ||
| Requires original assets | YesNo game data included; game data must be obtained from the Cortex Command beta branch on Steam. | NoCommunity-driven open-source project; no requirement stated for original assets. |
| Modding support | — | YesThe community project supports mods with an official mod portal available at cccp.mod.io. |
| Preview | | |
Known limitations
- audio: Commercial fmod library was replaced with free SDL Mixer which lacks pitching functionality, so some sound effects will sound differently or incorrectly.
- compatibility: Included source code does not match the current B32 functionality and is a work-in-progress snapshot of B33, so it won't start with data from B32.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Cortex Command 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 Cortex Command clones use?
CCOSS and CCCP (AGPL-3.0).
Do I need to own the original Cortex Command to play these clones?
CCCP runs standalone, no original files needed; CCOSS requires original game assets to play.
Which Cortex Command clone is the most actively maintained?
CCCP is currently under active development, based on recent commit activity. See the "Development status" row above for every clone's current status.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Cortex Command.