# OpenCiv3

7 Hacker News commenters recommended OpenCiv3 and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Free open-source reimagining of Civilization III that can use assets from the original game and aims to fix its shortcomings. Caveat: one report says units vanished after moving.

## Why people recommend it

- Uses assets from the proprietary original (1 comments): "It's really cool to see projects like this designed for dropping in assets from the proprietary version." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46919998))
- Aims to fix Civ III shortcomings (1 comments): "openciv3 aims to fix some of civ 3's shortcomings" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46921190))
- Got one fan started on it (1 comments): "this is the ONE that got me started" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46919397))
- Game can now be won (1 comments): "Now you can finally win the game :)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50319236))

## What people warn about

- Units vanished after several turns (1 comments): "i moved my guys around the map for 6 turns then they just disappeared" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46925738))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Battle for Wesnoth](https://hackerapproved.com/p/battle-for-wesnoth.md): 39 recommend
- [Sid Meier's Civilization](https://hackerapproved.com/p/civilization.md): 25 recommend
- [Sid Meier's Civilization III](https://hackerapproved.com/p/civilization-iii.md): 20 recommend
- [Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri](https://hackerapproved.com/p/alpha-centauri.md): 16 recommend
- [Heroes of Might and Magic III](https://hackerapproved.com/p/heroes-of-might-and-magic-iii.md): 16 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "OpenCiv3", https://hackerapproved.com/p/openciv3/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).