Minetest Voxel Game Engine

Minetest is a free and open-source voxel game engine (similar to Minecraft) that enables players to explore, mine, build, and create in procedurally generated 3D worlds made of blocks. Created by Perttu Ahola (celeron55) in 2010, Minetest is written in C++ and has been continuously developed by a global community of contributors. Unlike Minecraft, Minetest is not a single game but a game engine, designed to be easily moddable and extensible. Key features: voxel world: the world is composed of cubic blocks (nodes) arranged in a 3D grid. Worlds are practically infinite (over 62,000 blocks per axis), generated procedurally using noise-based terrain generation with biomes, caves, ore deposits, trees, and structures. Block-based interaction: players can dig (mine) and place blocks to modify the world. The engine tracks every block modification, enabling persistent and collaborative world building. Modding API: Minetest provides a powerful Lua-based modding API. Mods can define new blocks (nodes), items, crafting recipes, entities, biomes, ore generation, HUD elements, formspecs (GUI), and gameplay mechanics. The API is well-documented and supports both client-side and server-side mods. Games: Minetest ships with Minetest Game, the default game providing survival mechanics, crafting, and exploration. Community-developed games (MineClone2, NodeCore, Everness) provide different gameplay experiences. Multiplayer: built-in server functionality allowing multiple players to explore and build together in shared worlds. Servers can host up to 100+ players. Creative and survival modes. Rendering: IrrlichtMt engine (a fork of Irrlicht) with OpenGL and OpenGL ES support. Supports shaders, lighting, fog, and water effects. Cross-platform: Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and FreeBSD. Server headless operation. C++/Lua. LGPL-2.1.