GeoQuest vs Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted game servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureGeoQuestCataclysm: Dark Days Ahead
CategoryGame ServersGame Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0CC-BY-SA-3.0
LanguageCSSC++
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM50 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metalbare-metal, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 80★ 12,896
First released20252013
ReplacesNetHack

Why pick each one

Choose GeoQuest if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Written in CSS
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
GeoQuest details

Choose Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead if…

  • Enormous depth
  • Active development
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead details

Frequently asked questions

Is GeoQuest or Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead better?

Neither is universally better. Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are GeoQuest and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead free and open-source?

Yes. GeoQuest is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead under CC-BY-SA-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run GeoQuest and Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead with Docker?

GeoQuest: check the project docs for container support. Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead: check the project docs for container support.

Related comparisons