Old-school shooters are a source of joy and nostalgia, but finding and running them on modern hardware is often challenging, and sometimes the experience doesn’t live up to your memories. Fortunately, these free clones are available to provide a fresh and exciting twist.
Most games on the list were created by small teams or solo developers and provided for free. If you enjoy these games, consider donating to support their work.
11 AQtion
AQtion is an open-source standalone version of Action Quake 2, which itself was a mod for Quake II. AQtion is a fast-paced arena deathmatch shooter with an emphasis on realism. While you can play the game with bots, it’s far more fun with real players.
If you’ve ever played Quake, you’ll be familiar with its sci-fi dark fantasy themes, so the devs behind Action Quake 2 had quite the ambitious goal of turning that game into a realistic action movie-style shooter.
If you thought that the game looked like old-school Counter-Strike at first glance, you’re actually right on the money. The developers who worked on Action Quake II later worked on Half-Life and created Counter-Strike, which itself was a Half-Life mod. This effectively means AQtion is a predecessor to Counter-Strike, which alone makes it worth trying.
10 Cube 2: Sauerbraten
Cube 2: Sauerbraten is a Quake-inspired game, though it’s quite old itself having been released in 2004. The standout feature in Sauerbraten is its real-time map editing. This allows players to create and collaborate on whole new maps and game modes.
The end result is a ton of single- and multi-player game modes filled with creative map designs, including famous maps from other games like de_dust and Facing Worlds. What’s interesting about Sauerbraten‘s gameplay is that there are only seven weapons (eight if you include fists) in the game, which can make the game feel more approachable for beginners.
9 Freedoom
Freedoom isn’t a game per se, but rather a collection of game data. If you want to play it, you need to combine it with a compatible Doom source port (engine), such as GZDoom. Freedoom exists because Doom‘s source code was under the GNU GPL, allowing for free use and modification, while the original game assets remained under copyright.
The Freedoom project includes two single-player campaigns and a collection of deathmatch maps. There’s plenty of content to enjoy if you want to relive the nostalgia of Doom in a new light and without relying on the original assets.
8 OpenLara
If Tomb Raider I–III Remastered inspired you to step back into the shoes of Lara Croft but you dislike the remastered graphics or just want a free alternative, OpenLara is the project for you. In fact, XProger, the lead developer behind OpenLara, worked as the technical director for the Remastered trilogy.
The original goal of OpenLara was to recreate the first five games but it seems that goal has been abandoned, at least for now. However, you can still play through the first Tomb Raider game, and the best part is that it supports 60 FPS and even works in a web browser (what a time to be alive).
7 Shrine I and II
Shrine and its sequel, Shrine II, were both created using the aforementioned Doom engine. They’re essentially conversion mods for Doom II, meaning the core gameplay is quite similar. However, Shrine is a special game in its own right. It’s certainly my favorite boomer shooter.
What makes Shrine special is its gorgeous color palette, the hordes of eldritch enemies, a fine selection of unique guns and gun animations, and creatively designed levels. If you have always wondered what Doom would look like if it were set in a Lovecraft novel, this is it.
6 ULTRAKILL Prelude
ULTRAKILL Prelude is the free demo of ULTRAKILL, a game that costs money and is still in early access. It’s a frantic, fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping shooter that blends Doom, Quake, and Devil May Cry (the developer’s words, not mine).
There are a few differences between Prelude and its final release. It includes a tutorial, the first five levels, and a secret mission. Although it’s short, it’s designed around replayability, so you can get a couple of fun afternoons from it.
5 Netscape Cybermind
Netscape Cybermind is yet another Quake and Half-Life-inspired shooter, which shows you just how influential those early shooters really were. You play as a hacker exploring cyberspace with the goal of retrieving important corporate data from a server. The guns are pretty creative, the coolest of which is a CD gun that shoots ricocheting CDs. It’s a short little adventure that’s perfect for speedrunning.
4 Memoirs of Magic
The developer behind Memoirs of Magic looked at the Doom engine and wondered what would happen if they combined it with RPG, dark fantasy, and platforming elements. The end result is Memoirs of Magic, a fully fleshed-out arena RPG shooter that features seven unique classes, 15 upgradeable weapons, and over 40 unique maps, just to name a few of the standout features.
3 PICOHOT
PICOHOT is a direct homage to SUPERHOT, the viral first-person shooter that’s famous for its bullet time mechanic. Enemies only move when you move, which sounds deceptively simple. PICOHOT was actually developed by three members of the SUPERHOT team, so it’s a game with pedigree.
The idea was to re-create SUPERHOT as an 8-bit game that could fit onto a floppy disk. It’s a short experience that you shouldn’t miss out on.
2 Templar
Templar was brought to life by Christopher Yabsley, an indie developer known for his horror first-person shooters. The entire game was built in only seven days using the RGM engine, which itself was heavily inspired by Wolfenstein 3D. You play as a templar on a mission to clear a demon-infested church. With a timer and kill counter at the end of each floor, it offers a fun challenge that encourages replayability.
1 Quake II RTX
There’s no better way to end this list than with Quake II RTX, the original that inspired so many others. However, this isn’t the dusty old Quake II you spent countless hours on in the ’90s and 2000s. This is the ray-traced version. It was built to showcase how ray tracing, sharper textures, and other graphical improvements can breathe new life into a timeless classic.
The only caveat is that only the first three levels are free if you don’t own the original Quake II. Still, it’s well worth your time, if only to see what ray-tracing can do to an old game (as long as you have the hardware to run it).
Free clones of classic shooters don’t just imitate, they innovate. These games provide a refreshing way to play old games, often in a completely new light that simultaneously provides a way to relive the nostalgia of your childhood while creating new memories.
