Dark Forces: 2 Open Source Clones Compared
The Force Engine is actively developed and already fully supports playing Dark Forces and its community mods, adding a GPU renderer, rebindable controls with mouselook, and a drag-and-drop mod loader, while still letting players restore the original 320x200 look. XL Engine's own configuration covers multiple different games (including Dark Forces, Blood, and Outlaws), but its development has halted and its status here is only semi-complete.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows
- Play in browser
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 2d ago
- Stars
- 1,159
- Contributors
- 23
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesA purchased copy of the original STAR WARS: Dark Forces game is required; TFE is a source port, not a remaster.
- Modding support
- YesIncludes mod loader; place mods in the Mods directory as zip files or directories.
Availability
- Status
- Semi-playable
- Platforms
- Linux, Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 6y ago
- Stars
- 194
- Contributors
- 7
- License
- MIT
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires game data paths configured for Dagger, Dark, Blood, or Outlaws games in XLEngine.conf.
- Modding support
- —
| Title | The Force Engine | XL Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Semi-playable |
| Platforms | Windows | Linux, Windows |
| Play in browser | No | |
| Mobile | No | No |
| Project health | ||
| Development status | Active | Halted |
| Last updated | 2d ago | 6y ago |
| Stars | 1,159 | 194 |
| Contributors | 23 | 7 |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Engine | SDL2 | SDL2 |
| Compatibility | ||
| Requires original assets | YesA purchased copy of the original STAR WARS: Dark Forces game is required; TFE is a source port, not a remaster. | YesRequires game data paths configured for Dagger, Dark, Blood, or Outlaws games in XLEngine.conf. |
| Modding support | YesIncludes mod loader; place mods in the Mods directory as zip files or directories. | — |
| Preview | | |
Known limitations
- platform: Menus currently require a pointing input device like a mouse or touchscreen.
- gameplay: Outlaws support is not yet playable; planned for version 2.0.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Dark Forces 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 Dark Forces clones use?
The Force Engine (GPL-2.0); XL Engine (MIT).
Do I need to own the original Dark Forces to play these clones?
The Force Engine and XL Engine require original game assets to play.
Can I play any of these Dark Forces clones directly in a browser?
Yes — The Force Engine has a browser-playable build linked in the comparison table above, no install required.
Which Dark Forces clone is the most actively maintained?
The Force Engine 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 Dark Forces.