Best Open Source Games You Can Host a Server For (2026)

The best open source games you can host a server for are Luanti (Minetest), OpenTTD, Veloren, Space Station 14, Xonotic, The Battle for Wesnoth, OpenRA, Mindustry, SuperTuxKart and DDraceNetwork. They cost nothing to download, their server software is open too, and most run on 1 or 2 GB of RAM. Because nobody in your group has to buy a copy, an open source game is the easiest way to get a whole friend group, club or Discord playing on one server.

Open source has a second advantage for server owners: nothing about the server is a black box. Config files are documented, mods and scripts are encouraged, and the game will not be switched off when a publisher moves on. Several of these projects have been alive for more than fifteen years for exactly that reason.

Open source games with servers

1. Minetest (Luanti)

The open source voxel engine renamed from Minetest to Luanti in October 2024. The engine is the base and you install a game on top: Minetest Game for classic building, VoxeLibre or Mineclonia for something close to Minecraft, NodeCore for puzzle survival. Mods are Lua, protection mods like areas let players claim builds, and privileges are granted one player at a time. It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android.

• RAM: 2 GB for Minetest Game with friends, 4 GB for VoxeLibre with mods.

2. OpenTTD

The open source take on Transport Tycoon Deluxe, grown far past the original. A server holds up to 15 companies, several players can share one, and far more can spectate. Games are long, so a server that stays on while companies wait for their owners is how OpenTTD multiplayer works. Stable 15.x releases shipped in 2026, with 16.0 in beta.

• RAM: 2 GB for a friends map, 4 GB for a full 15 company public game.
• Read next: how to host an OpenTTD server.

3. Veloren

A voxel action RPG written in Rust by volunteers: a generated world with towns, dungeons, bosses and airships, weapon skill trees, plus mining, cooking and fishing. Version 0.18 came out in January 2026 and weekly builds keep coming. A private server lets your group explore at its own pace with a whitelist, and players toggle PvP for themselves with /battlemode.

• RAM: 2 GB for a small group, 4 GB for 10 to 20 regulars.

4. Space Station 14

An open source remake of Space Station 13, where each round is a shift aboard a station full of jobs and a traitor or two. Communities differ by roleplay standards, so owning the server means owning the rules. Players use the free official launcher and a free account.

• RAM: 3 GB for 10 to 20 players, 4 GB for public rounds of 40 to 60.

5. Xonotic

An arena shooter in the Quake and Unreal Tournament tradition: strafe jumping, rocket jumps and weapons with secondary fire. The public player base is small, which is why groups host their own instagib, CTF or duel server.

• RAM: 1 GB for duels, 2 GB for 16 players with bots and a map pool.

6. The Battle for Wesnoth

Turn based fantasy strategy on hex maps. A server is a lobby where players chat and start games, and many games run at once. Clans and leagues host their own lobby to keep their games, chat and moderation in one place, and to stay on the release series their group plays, since clients only talk to servers from the same series.

• RAM: 1 GB for a clan or league lobby.

7. OpenRA

OpenRA rebuilds Westwood's classic real time strategy games on a modern open source engine, with attack move, replays and observer slots. We host all three mods: Red Alert, Tiberian Dawn and Dune 2000. OpenRA downloads the original game content on first launch. A dedicated lobby stays up when the host's PC sleeps.

• RAM: 1 GB for a private lobby, 2 GB for public team games with observers.

8. Mindustry

A factory game with a tower defense problem: build supply chains, feed turrets and push units into the enemy core. It is open source and runs on PC and phones, and public servers with plugins are a big part of its community.

• RAM: 2 GB for a few friends, 4 GB for long runs with big factories.

9. SuperTuxKart

Free kart racing with races, battles, soccer and capture the flag in one lobby. It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, which makes it a favorite for families and classrooms.

• RAM: 1 GB for a private lobby.

10. DDraceNetwork

A free co-op platformer grown from a Teeworlds mod. Tees hook, hammer and drag each other through maps that range from easy runs to hours of practiced teamwork. Mappers use private servers to test with friends before release.

• RAM: 1 GB for private team runs.

More open source games we host

• Shooters: OpenArena, AssaultCube, Cube 2: Sauerbraten, ET Legacy, Teeworlds and Nazi Zombies: Portable.
• Building: ClassiCube, a Minecraft Classic compatible game that runs in a browser.
• Simulation: OpenRCT2, which needs the original RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 files.
• Mods for paid games: Kerbal Space Program (DMP) and RageCOOP are open source mods for commercial games.

Free game, cheap server

Because nobody pays for the game, the server is the only cost, and most of these run on the smallest plans. A GamezServers server for an open source game is live in about a minute, with the version chosen in the panel so it matches what your players run, a file manager and SFTP for mods and configs, and one click backups. Split the few dollars a month between friends if you like. Browse all our games or see cheap game server hosting.

FAQ

Are open source games really free to play online?

Yes. The games and their server software are free. You only pay if you rent a server to keep a world online.

What is the most popular open source multiplayer game?

Luanti, OpenTTD, Mindustry, Space Station 14 and Veloren all have active communities and busy public servers.

Can I modify an open source game server?

Yes. That is the point of open source. Most of these games support mods or scripts on the server, and you can read the source code.

Do open source game servers need much RAM?

No. Most run on 1 or 2 GB. Veloren and Space Station 14 need 3 to 4 GB for larger groups.