# dethrace-labs/dethrace

Reverse engineering the 1997 game "Carmageddon"

Repository: https://github.com/dethrace-labs/dethrace
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/dethrace
Homepage: https://twitter.com/dethrace_labs
Language: C
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: c, gamedev, dos, assembly, reverse-engineering, carmageddon
Last push: 2026-08-18T13:12:35+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 81/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 47, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2500, "days_push": 15, "days_rel": 192, "gap_med": 153, "n_releases_24m": 4}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1181, forks 85 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:54.018451+00:00)

## What it is
Dethrace is an open-source reverse-engineering project that rebuilds the 1997 driving/mayhem game Carmageddon to run natively on modern systems. It is written in C, uses SDL2 at runtime, and requires the original game's data files to play.

## Use cases
- play Carmageddon natively on modern Linux, macOS, or Windows
- reimplement a classic DOS game from its original binary and debug symbols
- study how a 1997 racing game engine works internally
- run Carmageddon without DOSBox or an original Windows 95 setup
- use freeware Carmageddon demos with a modern open-source engine
- replace original CD audio with OGG files from the GOG release

## When to choose
- you own the original Carmageddon or Splat Pack data and want a native, modern port
- you want to contribute to or learn from a reverse-engineered classic game engine
- you want to run Carmageddon on Linux or macOS where the original cannot
- you prefer an open-source engine over DOSBox emulation

## When to avoid
- you do not own or have access to the original Carmageddon game data
- you want a finished, bug-free commercial-quality game rather than an in-progress reimplementation
- you need the Splat Pack expansion fully supported and cannot tolerate incomplete features
- you want a modern remake with new graphics rather than a faithful reconstruction

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: game-engine, reverse-engineering, graphics, simulation
- domain: reverse-engineering, gaming-tools, cross-platform
- platform: windows, cross-platform, cpp
- tags: carmageddon, game-reimplementation, sdl2, cmake, retro-gaming, open-source-engine, dos-games, c, game-development, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- dethrace-labs/dethrace (main) score 81

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:54.018451+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T06:25:10.336344+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/dethrace-labs/dethrace (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:54.018451+00:00, sha fcd2b5e35f12)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.