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5 Open-Source Projects To Donate via Kivach, Episode VII: Games To Play for Free!

by ObyteFebruary 26th, 2024

Too Long; Didn't Read

Discover five captivating open-source games like SuperTux and OpenTTD, and learn how you can contribute to their development through Kivach donations. By supporting these projects, you not only help sustain the open-source gaming ecosystem but also empower passionate developers worldwide. Join the movement of decentralized funding and make a difference today!

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The open-source developer community is full of volunteers, so, it was to be expected that their creations were also made for fun. That’s how we can enjoy a lot of free and ad-free games on mobile and desktop, all of them designed with passion. The teams behind these titles cover all potential expenses (domains, hardware, distribution, etc.) by themselves —and that’s why they’d appreciate a tip if you had a nice time with their software.

Developers on GitHub usually share their PayPal or Patreon accounts, but these platforms always charge high fees, aren’t available for everyone, and aren’t censorship-resistant. If you want to donate to an open-source project available on GitHub, you can use Kivach as a decentralized, globally available, unstoppable, as well as faster and cheaper option. This Obyte-based application only asks for the GitHub profile to send some cryptocurrencies, even if the recipient doesn’t have a wallet yet.

Besides, Kivach has a unique feature: recipients can distribute their received funds automatically among other repositories, considering their contribution to their projects —creating ‘cascading donations.’ This way, you could be helping several projects with just one donation.

In this episode, we’ll explore five interesting games that you can try for free and, maybe, donate some coins via Kivach. Let’s go!

SuperTux

If you enjoyed the classic Super Mario Bros., you could enjoy SuperTux as well. This is a 2D jump'n'run sidescroller game inspired by that series, created and released by Bill Kendrick in 2004. Players control Tux, the Linux penguin, as he navigates through various levels, overcoming obstacles and enemies to rescue his kidnapped friend, Penny.

Key features include colorful and engaging graphics, diverse levels, power-ups, and boss battles. SuperTux is currently developed by a community of contributors worldwide, who are improving the software and adding new features and levels continually. Besides the main story, there are community-contributed levels available as add-ons or in the forums, and an integrated level editor for further contributions.

Funding for the project primarily comes from donations. They help to pay for domains, servers, and salaries. In exchange, donors can enjoy exclusive content. The team accepts funds via PayPal and cryptocurrencies via Coinbase. In addition, you can send them coins via Kivach, where they appear as supertux/supertux.

OpenTTD

Not an adventurer but a businessman? OpenTTD, based on the original Transport Tycoon Deluxe, allows players to build and manage transportation networks. It was initially released in 2004 by Ludvig Strigeus --also the creator of uTorrent. The game has been praised for the improvements applied to the original version, including multiplayer support, modding capabilities, and a customizable interface.

In OpenTTD, players build railways, roads, airports, and waterways to connect cities and industries. They must efficiently transport passengers and cargo, navigate complex terrain, and compete with AI or other players in a sandbox environment. With its deep simulation and strategic challenges, the game offers an immersive and rewarding experience.

The current team behind this software willingly offers their free time to keep it running, but additional costs like server infrastructure and hosting come from donations. They accept bank transfers, LiberaPay, PayPal, and cheque. However, all these methods have their own (often high) fees. You could send them some coins via Kivach for much less, just by clicking on “Donate” here.

FreeOrion

Inspired by the commercial series Masters of Orion, this is a space empire and galactic conquest game set in a vast universe filled with diverse alien species, ancient ruins, and strategic opportunities. Players control their own customizable empire, managing resources, researching technologies, and engaging in diplomacy and warfare with rival factions. It was initially released in 2003 by a team led by Zach Laine.

It has an engaging gameplay, procedurally generated galaxies, customizable ship designs, and a rich lore-driven universe. Players have a multitude of options and opportunities at their disposal. They can design and customize their ships to fit specific roles and strategies, engage in epic space battles against AI-controlled factions or other players in multiplayer mode, explore the galaxy to discover ancient relics and artifacts that provide unique bonuses, and terraform planets to make them more habitable for their population.

The development team is formed by volunteers, but they accept donations to cover costs derived from hosting, servers, hardware, artists, and others. They shared their PayPal and Flattr accounts for this purpose, but we have to note that the last one closed its operations in late 2023. You can still send them crypto via Kivach, where they’re available as freeorion/freeorion.

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead (CDDA)

This one could be a great option for fans of the post-apocalyptic genre. In a world devastated by zombies, robots, and interdimensional creatures, players can create their own avatar with a unique set of traits and dedicate to anything to survive or help others to do so: craft objects like clothes, weapons, or chemicals, build houses or shelters, farm the land and grow food, or directly fight against a plethora of creatures.

The game features a procedurally generated world filled with diverse locations, including towns, forests, and underground bunkers, each offering unique challenges and opportunities. There's no specific goal to win the game, instead, what matters is the experience, and to survive one more day. The software features ASCII graphics, creating a retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic roguelike games, with detailed environmental descriptions enhancing immersion and gameplay depth.

CDDA was originally launched by “Whales” in 2010 and subsequently forked by the community in early 2013. They accept donations via Patreon, or you can sponsor an individual developer via GitHub Sponsors. Of course, it’s also possible to send them funds via Kivach, where they appear as cleverraven/cataclysm-dda.

Enigma

We have something simpler but equally challenging on this list as well: Enigma. This is a game inspired by Oxyd (Atari, 1990), which offers over 1,000 diverse levels blending logic puzzles with dexterity challenges. Players control marbles through landscapes, overcoming obstacles, navigating hazards, and aiming for quick completion to beat personal and world records.

Released in 2002 by Daniel Heck and its team to keep the spirit of Oxyd alive after its publisher's departure, Enigma features Lua-generated landscapes, a level editor, and music by Andrew 'Necros' Sega (from Iris). Praised as a faithful Oxyd clone, it reached a stable version in 2007 and boasts high-resolution 2-D graphics, realistic physics, 500 in-game objects, and availability across multiple platforms.

While free to play, Enigma welcomes donations to support ongoing development, ensuring its longevity and continued improvement. As they mention on the official website: “Just donating a fraction of the amount you would be willing to spend for a commercial 'Enigma' in a store would help us to improve Enigma.” The project is available on Kivach as Enigma-Game/Enigma.

Contribute to more projects!

There are all kinds of open-source software available on GitHub for you to explore and use for free. Most developers there aren’t paid for their work though, and a lot of projects are orphaned and often lose their functionality. Every software requires maintenance, after all. If you want your favorite projects to keep running, please consider donating! And don’t forget to check our previous chapters to discover more awesome tools.