1.6 GBRPGSandbox

Veloren

A voxel world of dragons, dungeons, and endless horizons.

The PlayBound Bar

4 of 5 met

Veloren clears four of five. It is genuinely free, very actively developed, good on its own merits and permanently open-source — but it is openly pre-release, and systems still change between versions. We list it because what exists is already worth playing, with that caveat stated plainly.

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.

Veloren last verified against the bar on July 29, 2026. Read the full standard →

About Veloren

Veloren is the most ambitious game in this catalog and the one we are most careful about recommending, because it is honest about being unfinished and we should be too.

It is a multiplayer voxel action RPG, drawing openly on Cube World and Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The world is procedurally generated at genuinely large scale, with distinct biomes, weather, dungeons and a day-night cycle, all rendered in a voxel art style that is considerably more attractive than the description suggests. Combat is real-time and skill-based — dodging, timing and stamina management rather than tab-targeting — and there is character progression, crafting, gliding, sailing and mount taming.

What makes Veloren interesting is that it is a fully open-source MMO-scale project that actually runs. You can host your own server for friends, join public ones, or play solo, and none of it costs anything or requires an account with anyone.

The caveat is real. Veloren is pre-1.0 and says so. Progression systems, combat balance and content get reworked between releases, worlds are sometimes reset, and the loot economy is not mature. If you want a stable game with a settled endgame, this is not yet it.

We list it anyway because what exists is already enjoyable — exploring a freshly generated world, fighting through a dungeon with friends, and gliding off a mountain are all good right now. Treat it as an excellent game in progress rather than a finished product, and it will not disappoint you.

At roughly 1 GB it wants a dedicated GPU for comfortable frame rates.

Why we picked it

An open-source, self-hostable action RPG at this scale should not exist, and yet it runs and it is fun. We are including it with the honest note that it is unfinished, because the alternative — quietly omitting it — would hide one of the most impressive things happening in free games right now. Play it for what it is.

Who it's for

Great if you want

Exploring large procedurally generated worlds
Real-time skill-based combat rather than tab-targeting
Self-hosting a small server for friends, free and account-free
Anyone interested in an ambitious open-source project in motion
Players comfortable with a game that changes between releases

Look elsewhere if

You want a finished, stable game with a settled endgame
You dislike progression reworks and occasional world resets
You want a mature loot economy and balanced itemisation
You are on integrated graphics; it wants a dedicated GPU

Features

Multiplayer

Co-op

Dedicated Servers

Cross-play

Procedural Worlds

System Requirements

Minimum

2.5 GHz quad-core CPU · 4 GB RAM · Vulkan-capable GPU · 2 GB storage

Recommended

3.5 GHz quad-core CPU · 8 GB RAM · GTX 1060 or better · 3 GB storage

Frequently asked questions about Veloren

Is Veloren free?

Yes, entirely. Veloren is open-source under GPL-3.0 with no purchases, subscriptions, cosmetics or account requirement.

Is Veloren finished?

No, and it does not claim to be. Veloren is pre-1.0 and under very active development. Progression systems and combat balance change between releases and worlds are occasionally reset. What exists is enjoyable, but it is a game in progress.

Can I host my own Veloren server?

Yes. Self-hosting is fully supported and free, with no account or licence required, which makes it a good option for a small private world with friends.

Is Veloren like Minecraft?

It shares the voxel aesthetic but is a different game. Veloren is an action RPG focused on exploration, real-time combat and character progression rather than free-form building.

What are Veloren's system requirements?

A dedicated GPU is recommended for comfortable frame rates, alongside a quad-core CPU and 8 GB of RAM. It is more demanding than most games in this catalog.