Transylvania: 2 Open Source Clones Compared
Re-Comprehend is a public-domain (CC0) implementation of the Comprehend/Graphics Magician engine, the same engine it uses to run Crimson Crown and OO-Topos as well as Transylvania; it needs a copy of the original DOS Transylvania files, and its own README notes it has so far only been tested on Linux, though the author expects it would be easy to port elsewhere. ScummVM also requires the original game data to run, but is a far more broadly platform-tested and actively developed project, covering many more games across many more operating systems, under a GPL-3.0 license rather than Re-Comprehend's public-domain code.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX, PS3, PSP, Android, iOS, Wii, BeOS, Amiga, Atari
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- Android, iOS
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- today
- Stars
- 2,811
- Contributors
- 970
- License
- GPL-3.0
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires original game data files from supported games to run.
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Linux
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 11y ago
- Stars
- 32
- Contributors
- 1
- License
- CC0-1.0
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires a copy of the original DOS version of Transylvania, Crimson Crown, OO-Topos, or Talisman.
| Title | ScummVM | Re-Comprehend |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, OSX, PS3, PSP, Android, iOS, Wii, BeOS, Amiga, Atari | Linux |
| Play in browser | No | No |
| Mobile | Android, iOS | No |
| Project health | ||
| Development status | Active | Halted |
| Last updated | today | 11y ago |
| Stars | 2,811 | 32 |
| Contributors | 970 | 1 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | CC0-1.0 |
| Compatibility | ||
| Requires original assets | YesRequires original game data files from supported games to run. | YesRequires a copy of the original DOS version of Transylvania, Crimson Crown, OO-Topos, or Talisman. |
| Preview | |
Known limitations
- compatibility: Talisman, Challenging the Sands of Time is not currently working.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Transylvania 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 Transylvania clones use?
ScummVM (GPL-3.0); Re-Comprehend (CC0-1.0).
Do I need to own the original Transylvania to play these clones?
ScummVM and Re-Comprehend require original game assets to play.
Which Transylvania clone is the most actively maintained?
ScummVM 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 Transylvania.