Grand Theft Auto III: 2 Open Source Clones Compared
OpenLiberty targets the Godot engine, and its own README explains this was deliberate: it avoids the legal risk of re3 (which used Rockstar's original RenderWare-based code) and improves on OpenRW, which the README describes as 'incomplete and not active.' It converts GTA3's original file formats into Godot's at runtime rather than reusing RenderWare, but is currently listed as unplayable while under active development. OpenRW is the more established, SDL2-based reimplementation built on RenderWare-derived formats; its development has halted, but it is already semi-playable and supports Linux, Windows, and macOS.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Semi-playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 1y ago
- Stars
- 2,222
- Contributors
- 51
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesA legitimate copy of the original Grand Theft Auto III PC game is required to run.
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
Availability
- Status
- Unplayable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 2d ago
- Stars
- 454
- Contributors
- 4
- License
- MIT
- Engine
- Godot
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesThe GTA3 files must be placed in the gta folder for the project to run.
- Modding support
- YesThe project supports modding as indicated in the TODO list.
- Multiplayer
- Multiplayer
| Title | OpenRW "Open ReWrite" | OpenLiberty |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Semi-playable | Unplayable |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, OSX | Windows, Linux, OSX |
| Play in browser | No | No |
| Mobile | No | No |
| Project health | ||
| Development status | Halted | Active |
| Last updated | 1y ago | 2d ago |
| Stars | 2,222 | 454 |
| Contributors | 51 | 4 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Engine | SDL2 | Godot |
| Compatibility | ||
| Requires original assets | YesA legitimate copy of the original Grand Theft Auto III PC game is required to run. | YesThe GTA3 files must be placed in the gta folder for the project to run. |
| Modding support | — | YesThe project supports modding as indicated in the TODO list. |
| Multiplayer | — | Multiplayer |
| Preview | | |
Frequently asked questions
Are the Grand Theft Auto III 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 Grand Theft Auto III clones use?
OpenRW "Open ReWrite" (GPL-3.0); OpenLiberty (MIT).
Do I need to own the original Grand Theft Auto III to play these clones?
OpenRW "Open ReWrite" and OpenLiberty require original game assets to play.
Which Grand Theft Auto III clone is the most actively maintained?
OpenLiberty 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 Grand Theft Auto III.