Why FOSS Games?
What is FOSS Games anyway?
Some of you who may notice the title of this blog and ask yourself "What is FOSS?" and "What does it mean if a game is FOSS?"
FOSS is an acronym that stands for free and open-source software. Free in this context does not mean "free of charge" or that a game costs nothing (though many FOSS software are also free of charge). Instead, free and open-source means that the software released under a license which allows the user to use, modify, and distribute the software freely without needing to pay. To put it simply, FOSS means that people can see and modify the code of the software as they please.
On the same token, free and open-source video games (FOSS games) are simply video games released as FOSS software, which means that the game's license allows users to use, modify, and distribute the game freely.
Technically, the term "free" and "open-source" in FOSS actually means two separate things: free software and open-source software. Their definition is as follows:
- Free software is software which grants the users freedom to do the following:
- The freedom to run the program for any purpose
- The freedom to study how the program works and adapt it to their needs
- The freedom to redistribute the software
- The freedom to improve the program and release the improvements to the public
- Open-source software is a kind of software whose source code is open to everyone. Anyone can study, modify, and distribute the software to anyone and for any purpose through the source code.
Most of the time, free and open-source games are developed by small groups of people in their free time. Many of them are volunteer-run by hobbyists and enthusiasts, with profit not being the main focus of the development.
For some, it may be baffling to see people spend their time developing games with no profit in mind. However, there are many reasons as to why people make FOSS games:
- Some FOSS games are made as a hobby project,
- Some are made as a challenge to the developer (e.g. Mindustry and Luanti),
- Some are made as an act of alturism, and
- Some are made to add additional portfolios and experiences in CVs.
Because of their voluntary and often non-profit nature, most open-source games may not have as much budget as their commercial counterparts. Unfortunately, this means that open-source games are often lower in quality, takes longer to develop, and may lack the polish of commercially-developed games. They are also less common compared to commercial titles.
Why Choose Free and Open Source Games?
After learning what FOSS game is, one question likely comes to mind: why would anyone choose to play free and open-source games if they are often lower in quality and lacking in polish?
There are a few reasons why people might choose to play free and open source video games instead of proprietary ones. These reasons include:
- There is no restriction on studying, copying, and modifying the software, allowing users to modify and improve the game in a way they please. This is especially relevant for people who like tinkering with the game by developing mods or looking at the game's code (e.g. computer nerds).
- Free and open source video games (and software in general) tend to be better for privacy. This is because users can inspect the code themselves to see if the game is collecting any data, unlike proprietary software where it is hard to tell if the game is collecting sensitive data.
- Free and open source video games games are often (but not necessarily always) free of charge, so they are a great no-cost alternative to most paid or freemium games. Of course, it would be nice if you are able to contribute to open-source games through donation, though this is not mandatory (especially if you are unable to donate due to financial reasons).
- Free and open source video games typically has no advertisements in the game at all. This is not an inherent advantage of FOSS games, but rather a result of user expectations of privacy and lack of obtrusiveness in FOSS software (since advertisements tend to be a source of privacy issues).
- Free and open source video games allow for better collaboration among individuals and groups with user satisfactions as a driving factor, while proprietary software tend to only focus on profit, putting user satisfaction as an afterthought.
