VCMI

Last reviewed Sep 13, 2026 · 853 words

Heroes of Might and Magic III Complete costs about $10 on GOG at last check, and with VCMI on top it runs natively on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android and iOS, at any resolution, with a multiplayer mode that actually connects in 2026. VCMI is an open-source rewrite of the game engine: it contains no maps, no art and no sound, and it needs the original data files for all of that. What it provides is the executable, and the executable is better than the one from 1999 in every way that matters.

What "engine recreation" means in practice

The 2007-vintage project reimplemented the game's rules, AI, map format, campaign scripting and UI in C++ from scratch, reading the original .lod, .snd and .vid archives for content. The result plays the same maps and campaigns, loads original saves' maps (not save files themselves), and supports the Shadow of Death and Armageddon's Blade expansions. On top it adds what the original could not: widescreen and 4K rendering with interface scaling, a proper launcher with a mod manager, a lobby for online play, controller and touch input, and quality-of-life options like faster combat animation and an in-game map that fits modern screens.

The AI is the honest weak spot. VCMI's own AI is competent but plays differently from the original, and some players find it either too passive on the adventure map or too willing to suicide armies. The developers keep improving it, and mods that tune difficulty exist, but if you want the exact 1999 AI, only the original executable has it.

Installing means two things, not one

First the engine: distro packages on Linux, a Flatpak, DMG for macOS, an installer for Windows, an APK or Play Store listing for Android, and a TestFlight or sideload path for iOS. Second the data: install the GOG version on any machine, then point VCMI's launcher at the game directory or copy the Data, Maps and Mp3 folders into VCMI's data path. On Android and iOS, the launcher imports the files from a GOG installer or a zip you supply. Budget 512 MB of RAM for the client and a couple of GB of storage for the data plus the larger mods.

The launcher's mod tab pulls from a community repository. The "VCMI extras" pack and the community HD-style graphics are the safe first installs; town and faction mods change balance and require every player in a multiplayer game to have the identical set, so agree on a mod list before scheduling a game.

Hosting a game for friends

This is where a self-hosting site's interest lies, and the model is simpler than a dedicated game server. The VCMI client spawns a server process when you host; other players connect to it directly, on TCP port 3030 by default. Over a LAN that works with no configuration. Over the internet the choice is between a port forward, the project's public lobby server which brokers connections and is built into the launcher, or a VPN mesh. I use Tailscale for it: everyone installs the client, the host shares their Tailscale IP, nobody touches a router, and the game runs as if on one LAN. Headscale does the same with your own coordination server if you prefer.

A game of Heroes takes hours, so VCMI's save-and-resume for multiplayer matters more than raw netcode; saves are stored on the host and everyone reloads from them. Simultaneous turns, which the original never had, are supported and make large maps playable in one evening. Hot seat on a single machine remains the zero-setup option and works on a tablet.

There is no headless server binary that a self-hoster leaves running on a NAS the way you would for Luanti or OpenTTD. The server exists only for the duration of a hosted game, and that is the right design for a turn-based title where the host is always playing.

The mod scene is the reason to bother

Beyond graphics, VCMI's mod format supports entire new towns, creatures, artifacts and spells, defined in JSON rather than by binary patching. Several of the large fan expansions that previously required careful patching of the original executable now exist as installable VCMI mods, and campaigns written for VCMI use scripting the original engine never exposed. The community is small compared to the games heavyweights but consistent, with releases every few months for over 15 years.

What I'd do

Buy HoMM III Complete on GOG, install VCMI's Flatpak or the Android build, import the data through the launcher, add VCMI extras and nothing else for the first game. For a recurring group, put everyone on Tailscale, turn on simultaneous turns, agree on a mod list in the group chat, and host from whichever machine has the best uptime for the evening. Do not build a dedicated server for it; there is nothing to run between sessions, and the effort is better spent on the map choice.