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+0.12 EDuke32 – Duke Nukem 3D (Open-Source) (www.eduke32.com)
209 points by reconnecting 3 days ago | 77 comments on HN | Mild positive Landing Page · vv3.4 · 2026-02-24
Article Heatmap
Preamble: +0.28 — Preamble P Article 1: +0.15 — Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood 1 Article 2: -0.15 — Non-Discrimination 2 Article 3: +0.10 — Life, Liberty, Security 3 Article 4: +0.05 — No Slavery 4 Article 5: 0.00 — No Torture 5 Article 6: 0.00 — Legal Personhood 6 Article 7: 0.00 — Equality Before Law 7 Article 8: 0.00 — Right to Remedy 8 Article 9: 0.00 — No Arbitrary Detention 9 Article 10: 0.00 — Fair Hearing 10 Article 11: 0.00 — Presumption of Innocence 11 Article 12: 0.00 — Privacy 12 Article 13: +0.23 — Freedom of Movement 13 Article 14: 0.00 — Asylum 14 Article 15: 0.00 — Nationality 15 Article 16: 0.00 — Marriage & Family 16 Article 17: +0.17 — Property 17 Article 18: +0.28 — Freedom of Thought 18 Article 19: +0.38 — Freedom of Expression 19 Article 20: +0.33 — Assembly & Association 20 Article 21: +0.07 — Political Participation 21 Article 22: 0.00 — Social Security 22 Article 23: +0.07 — Work & Equal Pay 23 Article 24: 0.00 — Rest & Leisure 24 Article 25: 0.00 — Standard of Living 25 Article 26: +0.17 — Education 26 Article 27: +0.42 — Cultural Participation 27 Article 28: 0.00 — Social & International Order 28 Article 29: +0.10 — Duties to Community 29 Article 30: 0.00 — No Destruction of Rights 30
Negative Neutral Positive No Data
Aggregates
Weighted Mean +0.12 Unweighted Mean +0.09
Max +0.42 Article 27 Min -0.15 Article 2
Signal 31 No Data 0
Confidence 52% Volatility 0.13 (Low)
Negative 1 Channels E: 0.3 S: 0.7
SETL -0.06 Structural-dominant
Evidence: High: 2 Medium: 8 Low: 5 No Data: 16
Theme Radar
Foundation Security Legal Privacy & Movement Personal Expression Economic & Social Cultural Order & Duties Foundation: 0.09 (3 articles) Security: 0.05 (3 articles) Legal: 0.00 (6 articles) Privacy & Movement: 0.06 (4 articles) Personal: 0.15 (3 articles) Expression: 0.26 (3 articles) Economic & Social: 0.02 (4 articles) Cultural: 0.30 (2 articles) Order & Duties: 0.03 (3 articles)
Domain Context Profile
Element Modifier Affects Note
Privacy
No privacy policy observed on-domain.
Terms of Service
No terms of service observed on-domain.
Accessibility -0.05
Article 2 Article 21
Content relies on JavaScript and visual elements; limited alt text or semantic structure observed in provided markup.
Mission +0.10
Preamble Article 27
Open source, free software mission supports cultural participation and intellectual freedom.
Editorial Code
No editorial code observed.
Ownership +0.05
Article 27
Community-driven development model; GPL licensing promotes shared ownership.
Access Model +0.10
Article 20 Article 27
Free, non-commercial software removes economic barriers; supports freedom of assembly in modding community.
Ad/Tracking
No advertising or tracking observed on-domain.
HN Discussion 20 top-level comments
holoduke 2026-02-21 20:44 UTC link
Duke Nukems are still my favorite games ever. One of the first game I played multiplayer with two laptops. I was 12ish years old. First game was actually retaliator, but that aside. Level design, graphics, sounds and the atmosphere was groundbreaking those days. Wish I was that age again.
everyone 2026-02-21 21:06 UTC link
This is the most fun I've had with Duke Nukem this century https://www.moddb.com/mods/duke-nukem-alien-armageddon

It's a sort of duke roguelike with 100's of potential levels, you play through a a certain random number of them in a run. Also you unlock all sorts of power ups as you progress, enemies also get stronger and get random buffs. + Theyve added a load of mechanics, more weapons, enemies, more playable characters etc.

vunderba 2026-02-21 21:07 UTC link
Duke Nukem 3D was probably one of the earlier FPS games that really encouraged modding because of Ken Silverman's Build Engine.

Even the enemy AI could be modified (albeit relatively limited) by editing the text CON files.

Anyone else remember playing over LAN with friends, dropping a Duke hologram in an elevator along with a bunch of pipe bombs hidden at its feet?

midzer 2026-02-21 21:07 UTC link
Classic!

Play the (only?) WASM demo at https://midzer.de/wasm/duke3d/ (ported from https://github.com/GPSnoopy/BelgianChocolateDuke3D). Miserably only software rendering right now.

derwiki 2026-02-21 21:08 UTC link
I spent a lot of time in the Duke Nukem 3D level editor, even had a thick reference book. Really gave me a leg up for CAD in school.
shevy-java 2026-02-21 21:36 UTC link
Hmmm. I do sometimes play old DOS games. And then the era of games that followed, say ... from 1995 to 2005 or so, give or take. Though quite rarely nowadays.

I'd wish there could be an improvement of some of the old games. Not to change their character per se, but to make some small modest improvements to e. g. gameplay, usability, perhaps even the graphics - without killing the old flair it had. Anyone remember Alone in the Dark? I liked the polygons, even though nobody would use these today. So that can probably not be improved a lot without ruining the old feeling. But content-wise? Where is AI when you need it? Can't AI autogenerate more content for those games AND also improve them modestly?

bombcar 2026-02-21 22:15 UTC link
Mac Source Ports has signed and notarized versions of this along with Raze and JFDuke3D - https://www.macsourceports.com/game/duke3d

All ported and ready to go on Apple Silicon - they even have instructions on how to extract the needed data from Steam or GoG.

blundergoat 2026-02-21 22:16 UTC link
Duke Nukem 3D was my first experience urinating in a video game. Hail to the king, baby.
Sarkie 2026-02-21 22:32 UTC link
I pirated this as a kid.

I've probably bought 10 different versions in the meantime to make up for it

eek2121 2026-02-21 22:34 UTC link
Duke Nukem/BUILD was the first level editor that sucked me into level editing/mods, it is also the place where I spent the most hours. I later pivoted to more professional pursuits, however i killed a ton of time building new levels, and exploiting the engine to an obscene level.

I doubt I could get back into it these days, however, I hope the open source effort can inspire some awesome stuff!

reconnecting 2026-02-21 22:44 UTC link
Duke3D deathmatch over IPX was epic, especially to hide in secret places when others didn't know them.
olivierestsage 2026-02-21 23:21 UTC link
Duke3D is one of those weird games where I don't respect it as much as Doom or Quake, but I have to admit I've had a lot of fun playing it at different points in my life. Some seriously great memories deathmatching with friends on the opening map, and the combat in the single player is often really good.
nness 2026-02-21 23:44 UTC link
Blast from the past — I made the EDuke32 logo when I was teenager back in 2004. (I still have the PSD sitting around somewhere...) Back then there was quite an active community on the now defunct 3drealm's forums and I spent a lot of time contributing icons, logos, or web dev help to different Duke Nukem projects.

I don't think I ever properly played Duke 3D until recently, picking up the "Cursed Randy Version" version on Switch. But as a kid I was hooked on the level editor (and pixelated nudity.) Duke 3D's custom maps scene never eclipsed the popularity and duration of Doom or Quake, but there were some fantastic creations that really stirred the imagination and kept me in that editor for hours.

(There is also a port of the Duke Nukem 64 version, which whilst almost identical, does have a few interesting variations which makes it worth the try for a series fan.)

JamesLeonis 2026-02-21 23:55 UTC link
Doom, Duke Nukem 3D, and Dark Forces are my triumvirate of that era. Of all of them, Duke Nukem felt the most interactive. There are times I would clear a level of enemies, then play with all the gizmos the level designers put inside like the jail cell block doors of Death Row. The security cameras were so advanced at the time too! They rendered their view, in real time, on a wall TV. I wouldn't see that effect again until the 2000s. The levels felt intuitive too, at least the Earth levels, that I felt like an urban explorer in a way that Deus Ex would later capture.
markus_zhang 2026-02-22 00:09 UTC link
Back then I got the game from a friend, who handled me a CD. It was apparently a pirated version because it has that sort of red color progress bar installer.

I actually never made through E1L3 back in 1997, because it was very confusing for someone who only had about 15-20 mins of play every night — and I had to dodge from my parents who absolutely thought and still think that games are bad things.

But I was hooked with the end game screen which promised loads of goods (I still remember this phrase ) on the CD to make my own levels. Wow! I was instantly hooked! Alas, as I said it was a pirated version, and there was no map editor in the installer file. Back then people tend to strip any unnecessary contents off from the games and zip them into a compressed file.

I didn’t find the map editor until much later in my life. By then I have lost the interest of level design (I used to dab into Half-Life mapping because the pirated version was mercifully the full set of the original CD so it contained worldcraft.exe).

Nevertheless, very good memory. I still play its mods from time to time. Doom, Quake, Duke3d and Blood all have long lasting communities that produce loads and loads of goods throughout the years. They also built better tools and ports for us to enjoy.

Jeez. So many things to do, yet so little time.

VimEscapeArtist 2026-02-22 00:50 UTC link
I played a lot of Duke Nukem 3D multiplayer in the 90s. We connected PCs with a serial cable, and later the game was available in a local “internet cafe”, except that cafe had no internet. Just games and a local network. I spent a lot of time there. Then, after several years, when I was studying IT in a different city, someone approached me and asked “hey, aren’t you by any chance “Phantom” from that cafe? We used to play together Duke Nukem.
brightball 2026-02-22 01:07 UTC link
Man, I used to be in the top 10 on Cases Ladder for Duke Nukem when I was in high school. Good times.
bsaul 2026-02-22 10:44 UTC link
random fact : duke nukem had this weird configuration bug where maxing sensitivity on the microsoft sidewinder strafe axis could make you go much faster than possible by moving in diagonal ( the sum of strafe + forward combined to a larger vector). That lead to everyone in our cybercafe buying one :)))
HiPhish 2026-02-22 16:51 UTC link
> Open-Source

It's not Open Source, it's source available because of the Build license: https://www.eduke32.com/buildlic.txt

> [2] Any derivative works based on my Build source may be distributed ONLY through the INTERNET.

> [3] Distribution of any derivative works MUST be done completely FREE of charge - no commercial exploitation whatsoever.

> [5] The use of the Build Engine for commercial purposes will require an appropriate license arrangement with me. Contact information is on my web site.

Score Breakdown
+0.28
Preamble Preamble
Medium A: Open source/free software affirms human dignity and freedom F: Community-led development frames democratic participation
Editorial
+0.15
Structural
+0.20
SETL
-0.10
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Emphasizes freedom, community, and non-commercial ethos. Modest alignment with UDHR's dignity principles.

+0.15
Article 1 Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood
Low P: Open access without discrimination
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.15
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Free software available to all without regard to origin; no discriminatory barriers observed.

-0.15
Article 2 Non-Discrimination
Medium P: Accessibility limitations for persons with disabilities
Editorial
ND
Structural
-0.10
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

JavaScript-heavy interface and visual-only design may exclude users with visual/motor disabilities.

+0.10
Article 3 Life, Liberty, Security
Low P: Community support structures present
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.10
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Forum, Discord, wiki indicate community-based security and support.

+0.05
Article 4 No Slavery
Low P: No forced labor or servitude in open-source model
Editorial
ND
Structural
+0.05
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Voluntary community contribution model; no servitude detected.

0.00
Article 5 No Torture
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to torture, cruel, or degrading treatment.

0.00
Article 6 Legal Personhood
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to right to recognition as person before law.

0.00
Article 7 Equality Before Law
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to equality before law or discrimination.

0.00
Article 8 Right to Remedy
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to legal remedies.

0.00
Article 9 No Arbitrary Detention
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to arbitrary arrest or detention.

0.00
Article 10 Fair Hearing
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to fair trial or judicial process.

0.00
Article 11 Presumption of Innocence
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to criminal liability or presumption of innocence.

0.00
Article 12 Privacy
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No privacy policy or data handling practices observed on-domain.

+0.23
Article 13 Freedom of Movement
Medium A: Freedom of movement/exchange across platforms (Windows, Linux, macOS, BSD, handhelds) P: Multi-platform availability enables global access
Editorial
+0.20
Structural
+0.25
SETL
-0.11
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Global software distribution without geographic restriction; supports freedom of movement concept.

0.00
Article 14 Asylum
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to asylum or refuge.

0.00
Article 15 Nationality
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to nationality.

0.00
Article 16 Marriage & Family
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to marriage or family.

+0.17
Article 17 Property
Medium A: Open source GPL/BUILD licensing P: Free, non-commercial use supports property rights accessibility
Editorial
+0.10
Structural
+0.15
SETL
-0.09
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Explicit GPL/BUILD licensing; free non-commercial access supports intellectual property participation.

+0.28
Article 18 Freedom of Thought
Medium A: Modding community enables thought and expression P: Scripting extensions and mod creation tools support freedom of thought
Editorial
+0.15
Structural
+0.20
SETL
-0.10
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Extensive modding and scripting capabilities enable creative expression; community forums support idea exchange.

+0.38
Article 19 Freedom of Expression
High A: Open source code availability enables information access P: Wiki, forums, and documentation provide knowledge sharing F: Community-driven development frames transparency
Editorial
+0.25
Structural
+0.30
SETL
-0.12
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

GPL licensing ensures source code visibility; extensive wiki and forum documentation; active information sharing infrastructure.

+0.33
Article 20 Assembly & Association
Medium P: Discord and forum community structures A: Voluntary association in modding/development community
Editorial
+0.20
Structural
+0.25
SETL
-0.11
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Active Discord server and forums enable peaceful assembly and association; no restrictions on membership observed.

+0.07
Article 21 Political Participation
Medium P: Community-based governance in development P: Accessibility limitations may exclude participation
Editorial
+0.10
Structural
+0.15
SETL
-0.09
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Community-led development suggests participatory model; however, JavaScript-heavy interface may exclude some from full participation.

0.00
Article 22 Social Security
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to social security or economic rights.

+0.07
Article 23 Work & Equal Pay
Low A: Volunteer-based development model P: Free software allows unpaid creative work
Editorial
+0.10
Structural
+0.05
SETL
+0.07
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Community voluntary contribution; no coercion to work observed. However, limited content on labor conditions.

0.00
Article 24 Rest & Leisure
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to rest, leisure, or working hours.

0.00
Article 25 Standard of Living
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to food, clothing, housing, or medical care.

+0.17
Article 26 Education
Medium A: Educational resources (wiki, forums, documentation) P: Free access to learning materials and modding tutorials
Editorial
+0.20
Structural
+0.15
SETL
+0.10
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Extensive documentation, wiki, and tutorials support education; free access removes economic barriers to learning.

+0.42
Article 27 Cultural Participation
High A: GPL and open source licensing protect participation in cultural life P: Free software enables creative participation without cost F: Community modding and 20+ year development history frames cultural contribution
Editorial
+0.30
Structural
+0.35
SETL
-0.13
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

Explicit support for creative participation through modding; GPL licensing ensures cultural benefits are shared; extensive community participation in game creation.

0.00
Article 28 Social & International Order
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to social and international order.

+0.10
Article 29 Duties to Community
Low A: GPL licensing specifies duties and community responsibility
Editorial
+0.10
Structural
+0.10
SETL
0.00
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

GPL license implies shared responsibility for code; community guidelines suggest collaborative duties.

0.00
Article 30 No Destruction of Rights
ND
Editorial
ND
Structural
0.00
SETL
ND
Combined
ND
Context Modifier
ND

No observable content related to prevention of abuse of rights.

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build fc56cf0+0q5s · 2026-02-25 01:32 UTC