Serious Sam: The First Encounter: 3 Open Source Clones Compared
Serious Engine is the original GPL release of the base engine: it ships its own SE1_10.GRO resource file so it runs without any original game data, though only on Windows, and development has halted. Serious Sam Classic: Vulkan and SeriousSamClassic are both later SDL2 ports covering Windows, Linux, macOS, and Raspberry Pi that require copying .gro files from a purchased copy of the game and add XPLUS mod support for HD assets; the Vulkan build additionally implements a Vulkan renderer, built on the separate open-source Serious-Engine-Vk project.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 6y ago
- Stars
- 3,179
- Contributors
- 12
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoEngine comes with a set of resources (SE1_10.GRO) that allow free use without additional resources required.
- Modding support
- YesIncludes fully featured Serious Editor and Serious Modeler for creating levels, mods, textures and other content.
- Multiplayer
- Online, Local Co-op, Split-screen
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX, Raspberry Pi
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Sporadic
- Last updated
- 8mo ago
- Stars
- 184
- Contributors
- 2
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires .gro files from original Serious Sam Classic games (The First Encounter and/or The Second Encounter).
- Modding support
- YesIncludes level editor and modding tools; supports XPLUS modification for HD enhancements.
- Multiplayer
- Online, Local Co-op, Split-screen
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX, Raspberry Pi
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Sporadic
- Last updated
- 8mo ago
- Stars
- 158
- Contributors
- 5
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Engine
- SDL2
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires .gro files from original Serious Sam Classic games (The First Encounter and/or The Second Encounter).
- Modding support
- YesIncludes level editor and modding tools; supports XPLUS modification which adds HD effects, models, weapons and textures.
- Multiplayer
- Online, Local Co-op, Split-screen
| Title | Serious Engine | SeriousSamClassic | Serious Sam Classic: Vulkan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable | Playable |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Linux, OSX, Raspberry Pi | Windows, Linux, OSX, Raspberry Pi |
| Play in browser | No | No | No |
| Mobile | No | No | No |
| Project health | |||
| Development status | Halted | Sporadic | Sporadic |
| Last updated | 6y ago | 8mo ago | 8mo ago |
| Stars | 3,179 | 184 | 158 |
| Contributors | 12 | 2 | 5 |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Engine | — | SDL2 | SDL2 |
| Compatibility | |||
| Requires original assets | NoEngine comes with a set of resources (SE1_10.GRO) that allow free use without additional resources required. | YesRequires .gro files from original Serious Sam Classic games (The First Encounter and/or The Second Encounter). | YesRequires .gro files from original Serious Sam Classic games (The First Encounter and/or The Second Encounter). |
| Modding support | YesIncludes fully featured Serious Editor and Serious Modeler for creating levels, mods, textures and other content. | YesIncludes level editor and modding tools; supports XPLUS modification for HD enhancements. | YesIncludes level editor and modding tools; supports XPLUS modification which adds HD effects, models, weapons and textures. |
| Multiplayer | Online, Local Co-op, Split-screen | Online, Local Co-op, Split-screen | Online, Local Co-op, Split-screen |
| Preview | | | |
Frequently asked questions
Are the Serious Sam: The First Encounter 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 Serious Sam: The First Encounter clones use?
Serious Engine, SeriousSamClassic, and Serious Sam Classic: Vulkan (GPL-2.0).
Do I need to own the original Serious Sam: The First Encounter to play these clones?
Serious Engine runs standalone, no original files needed; SeriousSamClassic and Serious Sam Classic: Vulkan require original game assets to play.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Serious Sam: The First Encounter.