Download
OpenRW is a cross-platform, open-source re-implementation of the game engine behind Grand Theft Auto III (GTA III). Its goal is to recreate the original gameplay engine in a modern, maintainable codebase so that GTA III can run natively on modern Windows, Linux, macOS, and BSD systems — long after the original executable becomes unworkable. The project does not ship with game content: users still need a legitimate copy of GTA III (with its original assets) to play, making OpenRW strictly an engine reimplementation, not a re-distribution. By re-writing the engine from scratch under a permissive, community-friendly license (GPLv3), OpenRW ensures long-term preservation, mod-friendliness, and better hardware compatibility (modern GPUs, controllers, cross-platform input, etc.). For developers, it also offers tools such as a “script tracer” to inspect in-game scripts opcode by opcode, a data-file viewer (RWViewer) for studying object data, models, and map files.
Features
- Re-implements GTA III engine to run on modern Windows, Linux, macOS, and BSD platforms
- Requires original game assets — keeps asset licensing intact, only engine code is open-source
- Development tooling including script tracer, data-file viewer (RWViewer), and debugging aids for mapping game behavior
- Cross-platform build stack (CMake + Conan) for easy compilation on multiple OSes
- Compatibility with gamepads and modern input/hardware, bringing old games to new systems
- Mod-friendliness: community can maintain, patch, or extend engine — preserving classic gameplay into the future
Project Samples
