Beyond All Reason
Thousand-unit RTS battles that melt GPUs and minds.
How to install Beyond All Reason for free
Beyond All Reason is a free rts game released under Open Source (GPL-2.0). It runs on Windows, Linux, needs about 2.2 GB of disk space, and requires no account, payment or trial. The fastest route is the PlayBound Launcher, which handles the download and setup in one click.
One-click install
PlayBound fetches the official release — no third-party mirrors.
Installation steps
- 1
Install the PlayBound Launcher, then find Beyond All Reason and press Install. The launcher downloads the official release, unpacks it and creates a shortcut. This is the fastest route and it never uses third-party mirrors.
- 2
Alternatively, download Beyond All Reason directly from the official site at https://www.beyondallreason.info. Always download from the official source — third-party mirrors of free games are a common malware vector.
- 3
Windows
Run the downloaded installer and follow the prompts. If Windows SmartScreen warns about an unrecognised publisher, that is normal for open-source projects without a paid code-signing certificate — choose More info, then Run anyway.
- 4
Linux
Check your distribution's package manager first, which is usually the easiest route. Otherwise download the AppImage from the official site, mark it executable and run it.
chmod +x *.AppImage && ./*.AppImage - 5
Launch the game and look at the settings menu before your first session — resolution and control defaults are worth checking. Beyond All Reason needs roughly 2.2 GB of free disk space.
System requirements
Minimum
3 GHz quad-core CPU · 8 GB RAM · GTX 960 · 4 GB storage
Recommended
4 GHz 8-core CPU · 16 GB RAM · RTX 2060 or better · 6 GB storage
Install questions
Is Beyond All Reason free?
Yes, entirely free and open-source. There are no purchases, no battle pass, no cosmetics for sale and no advertising. Development is funded by donations.
What is the difference between Beyond All Reason and Zero-K?
Both run on the Recoil engine and share maps and models. Beyond All Reason stays closer to Total Annihilation, with a more punishing economy and heavier reliance on player micromanagement. Zero-K deliberately diverges, with unit AI smart enough to command at a general level. BAR has the larger current player base; Zero-K has the smaller download and a Steam presence.
Does Beyond All Reason have a single-player campaign?
There is skirmish play against AI opponents, and the AI is strong enough to be worth practising against, but the game is built around multiplayer. There is no narrative campaign.
What are Beyond All Reason's system requirements?
A 3 GHz quad-core CPU, 8 GB of RAM and a dedicated GPU are realistic minimums for comfortable play. Large late-game battles are CPU-bound, so a faster processor matters more than a faster graphics card.
Is Beyond All Reason on Steam?
Beyond All Reason is distributed through its own launcher from the official site. Zero-K, its close relative, is available on Steam.
How many players does Beyond All Reason have?
It has one of the healthier populations among free open-source games, with team games filling readily at peak hours. Live server and player counts are shown on the Beyond All Reason servers page.