Luanti
An infinite voxel sandbox — and an engine for a thousand games.
How to install Luanti for free
Luanti is a free sandbox game released under Open Source (LGPL-2.1). It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, needs about 150 MB 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 Luanti 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 Luanti directly from the official site at https://www.luanti.org. Always download from the official source — third-party mirrors of free games are a common malware vector.
- 3
Official releases are published on GitHub at github.com/luanti-org/luanti/releases. Pick the newest stable release matching your operating system.
- 4
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.
- 5
macOS
Open the downloaded .dmg and drag the app into Applications. On first launch macOS may refuse to open it as unidentified — right-click the app and choose Open to approve it once.
- 6
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 - 7
Launch the game and look at the settings menu before your first session — resolution and control defaults are worth checking. Luanti needs roughly 150 MB of free disk space.
System requirements
Minimum
1.5 GHz CPU · 2 GB RAM · OpenGL 2.0 GPU · 500 MB storage
Recommended
2.5 GHz CPU · 4 GB RAM · Any modern GPU · 1 GB storage
Install questions
Is Luanti free?
Yes, entirely. Luanti is open-source under LGPL-2.1 with no purchase, subscription, account requirement or advertising. Every game mode in the content browser is also free.
Is Luanti the same as Minetest?
Yes. Minetest was renamed to Luanti in 2024. It is the same project with the same engine and content ecosystem.
Is Luanti a good Minecraft alternative?
It is the strongest free one, with important caveats. It is smaller, faster, runs on far weaker hardware, has first-class Lua modding, and cannot be shut down. But it is an engine with hundreds of community game modes rather than one curated game, so the default experience is sparse — install a game mode before judging it.
Why does Luanti feel empty when I start it?
Because vanilla Luanti is a platform, not a finished game. Open the content browser, install a game mode such as MineClone or a survival pack, and start a world with that instead. The default sandbox is not representative.
Can Luanti run on a Raspberry Pi?
Yes. Luanti runs on Raspberry Pi and other low-powered hardware, which is one of its clearest practical advantages over Minecraft.
Does Luanti have multiplayer?
Yes. You can join public community servers or host your own, with no account requirement and no subscription. Live server and player counts are shown on the Luanti servers page.