SkiFree: 5 Open Source Clones Compared
GNUSki stands apart technically: it renders the game with NCurses in a terminal rather than graphically, and is distributed through channels like Homebrew, Termux, and SlackBuilds rather than as a standalone graphical build. Skifree Decompilation Project takes the opposite approach, reconstructing the original 32-bit ski32.exe back into compilable C code and aiming for byte compatibility with that specific binary (verifiable against a listed MD5 checksum), which requires supplying the original executable to extract its graphics and icon resources. Among the browser remakes, skifree.js is the most popular and adds mobile touch controls and a local high-score list, but by its own readme still lacks several entities from the original — rocks, snowboarders, dogs, and ski lifts — while Skifree-HTML5-clone is a smaller, earlier attempt that likewise has no jumping or restart implemented yet.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Semi-playable
- Platforms
- Web
- Play in browser
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Sporadic
- Last updated
- 4mo ago
- Stars
- 551
- Contributors
- 8
- License
- MIT
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoUses custom sprites from the Spriters Resource Forum and community contributions.
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 4y ago
- Stars
- 68
- Contributors
- 1
- License
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires the original ski32.exe to extract graphics and icon resources.
Availability
- Status
- Semi-playable
- Platforms
- Web
- Play in browser
- YesPlay in Browser
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 16y ago
- Stars
- 22
- Contributors
- 1
- License
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoThis is a remake with custom sprites and assets.
Availability
- Status
- Semi-playable
- Platforms
- Android, Linux, OSX
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- Android
Project health
- Development status
- Sporadic
- Last updated
- 11mo ago
- Stars
- 0
- Contributors
- 1
- License
- GPL-2.0
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoA reimplementation of Skifree clone using NCurses for graphics; no original assets needed.
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- TI calculator
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Not tracked
- Last updated
- Not tracked
- Stars
- Not tracked
- Contributors
- Not tracked
- License
- Not tracked
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- —
| Title | skifree.js | Skifree Decompilation Project | Skifree-HTML5-clone | GNUSki | SkiFree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Semi-playable | Playable | Semi-playable | Semi-playable | Playable |
| Platforms | Web | Windows | Web | Android, Linux, OSX | TI calculator |
| Play in browser | No | YesPlay in Browser | No | No | |
| Mobile | No | No | No | Android | No |
| Project health | |||||
| Development status | Sporadic | Halted | Halted | Sporadic | Not tracked |
| Last updated | 4mo ago | 4y ago | 16y ago | 11mo ago | Not tracked |
| Stars | 551 | 68 | 22 | 0 | Not tracked |
| Contributors | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Not tracked |
| License | MIT | — | — | GPL-2.0 | Not tracked |
| Compatibility | |||||
| Requires original assets | NoUses custom sprites from the Spriters Resource Forum and community contributions. | YesRequires the original ski32.exe to extract graphics and icon resources. | NoThis is a remake with custom sprites and assets. | NoA reimplementation of Skifree clone using NCurses for graphics; no original assets needed. | — |
| Preview | | | | |
Known limitations
- gameplay: Rocks are not yet implemented.
- gameplay: Snowboarders are not yet implemented.
- gameplay: Dogs are not yet implemented.
- gameplay: Ski lifts are not yet implemented.
- gameplay: This is a first attempt; code needs cleanup.
- gameplay: Jumping is not yet implemented.
- gameplay: Game restarting is not yet implemented.
Frequently asked questions
Are the SkiFree 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 SkiFree clones use?
skifree.js (MIT); GNUSki (GPL-2.0).
Do I need to own the original SkiFree to play these clones?
skifree.js, Skifree-HTML5-clone, and GNUSki run standalone, no original files needed; Skifree Decompilation Project requires original game assets to play.
Can I play any of these SkiFree clones directly in a browser?
Yes — skifree.js and Skifree-HTML5-clone have a browser-playable build linked in the comparison table above, no install required.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to SkiFree.