Unvanquished
Aliens vs humans in asymmetric FPS-strategy warfare.
The PlayBound Bar
Unvanquished clears all five: free with no monetisation, complete and playable, actively developed, genuinely distinctive on its own merits, and open-source so it cannot be shut down.
Genuinely free
No trial, no paywalled campaign, no pay-to-win, no cosmetic treadmill. Free means free, forever.
Finished enough to enjoy
Playable and satisfying start to finish today — not a promising alpha you should check back on.
Actively maintained
A release or meaningful commit within the last twelve months. Someone is still looking after it.
Stands on its own merits
Good enough that we would recommend it even if it cost money. Free is not the reason it is here.
Won't disappear
Open-source or self-hostable, so no shutdown, delisting or licence expiry can take it away from you.
Unvanquished last verified against the bar on . Read the full standard →
About Unvanquished
Unvanquished does something no commercial game currently does: it puts a real-time strategy game and a first-person shooter in the same match, on opposite sides.
Two asymmetric teams face off. The humans are a conventional FPS side — projectile weapons, armour upgrades, and a base of turrets, armouries and repair stations that someone has to actually build and maintain. The aliens are melee-focused, wall-climbing, and evolve into larger and more dangerous forms as they accumulate resources, expanding their hive through organic structures. Neither side plays remotely like the other, and neither wins by shooting alone. Construction, resource control and map presence decide matches.
The result is a team game with genuine strategic texture, descended from the beloved Tremulous, running on a modern engine with far better performance and visuals. When it works — a coordinated team pushing a fortified position while their base holds behind them — there is nothing else quite like it.
The honest problem is that it requires a team willing to coordinate. A side that ignores building loses, and a side where nobody communicates loses to one that does. This makes Unvanquished excellent on a populated, engaged server and frustrating on an empty one. Bot support exists but is limited, so it is not a satisfying solo game. Player counts are the smallest of anything we list.
At 850 MB it installs quickly and is not especially demanding, though it wants a dedicated GPU.
Why we picked it
We list Unvanquished because nothing else does what it does. The FPS/RTS hybrid is a genuinely rare design, and the free open-source world is the only place it survived. It needs a populated server to shine, which is a real caveat — but when it has one, it is the most interesting multiplayer game in this catalog.
Who it's for
Great if you want
- Something structurally unlike any commercial game
- Asymmetric team play with real strategic decisions
- Players who enjoy base building inside a shooter
- Coordinated groups playing together
- Fans of the original Tremulous
Look elsewhere if
- You want to play alone — bot support is limited
- You want a populated server at any hour
- You dislike coordinating with teammates to win
- You want a straightforward deathmatch shooter; Xonotic is that
Features
System Requirements
Minimum
2 GHz dual-core CPU · 4 GB RAM · OpenGL 3.2 GPU · 2 GB storage
Recommended
3 GHz quad-core CPU · 8 GB RAM · GTX 1050 or better · 3 GB storage
Frequently asked questions about Unvanquished
Is Unvanquished free?
Yes, entirely. Unvanquished is open-source with no purchases, cosmetics or advertising.
What kind of game is Unvanquished?
An asymmetric FPS/RTS hybrid. Humans use projectile weapons and build a base of turrets and support structures; aliens use melee and wall-climbing and evolve into larger forms. Both sides depend on construction and resource control, not just combat.
Is Unvanquished related to Tremulous?
Yes. Unvanquished is a spiritual successor to Tremulous, keeping the asymmetric humans-versus-aliens design while running on a substantially more modern engine.
Can I play Unvanquished alone?
Not satisfyingly. Bot support exists but is limited, and the game depends on coordinated teams on populated servers. It is a multiplayer game first and foremost.
How many players does Unvanquished have?
The population is small — the smallest in the PlayBound catalog. Check the Unvanquished servers page for live counts before setting aside an evening for it.
