AI-driven networked dogfights · real Newtonian gravity · 100% procedural · up to 16 ships
What it is
XSpaceWar-AI is a modern, AAA-styled networked space-fighter with a strong AI focus —
a 2026 reimagining of the classic networked Spacewar! / xspacewar.
Bird's-eye view like the 1962 original, but with space-accurate Newtonian
physics, 100% procedurally generated graphics and audio (every
sound synthesized from math at load), and LAN + internet multiplayer for up to 16
ships. Built in Godot 4. Free, Apache-2.0.
Features
- Top-down arena dogfights around a gravity well, up to 16 ships.
- Real Newtonian flight — conserved momentum, inverse-square gravity on ships and torpedoes, gravity-assist slingshots, hyperspace.
- Procedurally generated everything — stars, planets, nebulae, ships, VFX, and audio; every match a fresh seeded arena.
- Modes: Free-for-all, Team battle, AI bots (Rookie → Insane), and an all-AI Movie Mode attract.
- Multiplayer today: host-authoritative netcode with client-side prediction + reconciliation, automatic LAN discovery, direct IP, and internet play via room codes and a server browser — no port forwarding required.
- Seven UI languages — English, Spanish, French, Simplified Chinese, Arabic (RTL), and Hindi.
Screenshots
Get it — everywhere
Opening on macOS: no paid Apple Developer account yet, so the build is ad-hoc signed but not notarized — Gatekeeper may say “XSpaceWar-AI is damaged and can’t be opened.” It isn’t damaged; macOS just quarantines un-notarized downloads. Clear the flag in Terminal and it opens normally: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /path/to/XSpaceWar-AI.app. (Right-click → Open does not clear this warning — only the command does.)
Heritage
Stands on one of gaming's oldest lineages — Spacewar! (MIT, 1962, PDP-1),
the 1974 PDP-11 networked port, and Ron Frederick's 1992 X11 xspacewar 1.2.
An original clean-room implementation.
Play Testers (alphabetical by last name)
Roger Bergling · Al Bredthauer · Samuel Bredthauer · Kevin Christiansen (PE) · Brad Cramer · Claude Fable 5 · Trevor Flurry · Henry Hannah · Patrick Hannah · Shannon (Learn) Koski · Beaux Onofrio · Nick Onofrio · Rob Orr · Adam Testagrossa · Nate Tiller · John Van Lowe · Jeremy Zhao
Dedication
To John Van Lowe (JVL), for all the nights gaming in 90s-era Dickinson, Texas.
HTMFPWGCBNOTDOD!