Playable· Real-time strategy · 1997

Akte Europa Reborn

The 1997 real-time strategy game, reimplemented in Godot 4 and C#.

A faithful reimplementation of "Akte Europa" (1997). Skirmishes and the 33-mission campaign are playable. Not a single byte of the original ships with it — the program derives maps, graphics, fonts and texts from your own CDs on first launch.

Download Open the wiki View on GitHub

Built with: Godot 4.7 · C# (.NET)
Platform: Windows
License: GPL-3.0

missions playable: 33missions playable
maps: 44maps
unit pictures: 4307unit pictures
bundled .pck: ~200 KBbundled .pck

Trailer

The video is hosted on YouTube. Clicking it opens a connection there and YouTube may process data. Nothing is loaded before that; the preview image is served from this site.

What the first launch derives

Maps: 44, baked up to 10160 × 5285 pixels
Game states: 44 — units, buildings, objectives, deposits, rail lines
Unit pictures: 4307, composed out of ROBO.CWR
Tables: 12, from the map files and GAME.EXE
Interface: original typeface, side panel, effects, mission briefings

Requirements

The two original Akte Europa CDs — in the drive or as folders
Windows; builds for other systems are not set up yet
To build it yourself, Godot 4.7 (Mono/.NET) and the .NET SDK as well

How this project works

Every mechanic is reconstructed from the original binary before it is implemented — even where inventing something would be quicker. A reading only counts once there is a number behind it: counted across every map, held against a second implementation, measured in the running engine. What comes from the data and what comes from us is kept apart and named in the code. Misreadings get withdrawn rather than overwritten.

The simulation runs on the original’s own numbers: prices, hit points, attack and defence, range, reload time, speed, fuel and ammunition all come from the game’s records rather than from guessed constants. Where something could not be recovered, the code says so.

File formats opened up

The disc’s formats were opened up one at a time: CWP (tiles and objects), CWM (maps with over 130 sections), CWR (unit sprites), CWD (fonts), CWA (effects), the CD’s InstallShield cabinet, and the tables inside GAME.EXE. Mission briefings appear on the original’s own screen — the picture comes out of BRIEFG.DAT, the text out of BRIEFG.TXT, and the typeface is the game’s own.

Installation

Run the installer from the releases page. On first start the program asks for the discs or an installation folder and derives the content from them. This takes a few minutes; the derived files go to your user profile and the program directory stays untouched.

Self tests

13 sprite frames verified pixel-identical against a second implementation
26 map files consumed with zero bytes left over
4147 unit pictures reproduced identically
601 design records reproduced exactly
33 mission texts matched character for character

Building it yourself


          $ 
          dotnet build "Akte Europa Reborn.csproj"
          
        
          $ 
          godot --path . --headless --export-release "Windows Desktop"

Importing content without the interface


          $ 
          godot --path . --headless -- --import-cd
          
        
          $ 
          godot --path . --headless -- --import=<folder>

Running the self tests


          $ 
          godot --path . --headless -- --selftest-cwp=<toolsdir>
          
        
          $ 
          godot --path . --headless -- --selftest-designs
          
        
          $ 
          godot --path . --headless -- --selftest-briefings

Coming next

Website
Full original campaign
Reborn campaign
Multiplayer
Better skirmish mode
German/English language switch in game
UI/UX improvements
Reborn graphics mode — switchable between original and new
Wiki
Discord

Legal

Akte Europa and all related content belong to their respective rights holders. This project is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with them. Our downloads contain no original data — graphics, sounds and missions are read from your own original CDs on first launch. Without them, nothing runs. The code is licensed under GPL-3.0, copyright © 2026 chr1zZo.

Last updated: 12 August 2026

Support

This is spare time, not a product

I build this in the evenings and on weekends: opening up file formats, checking numbers, withdrawing misreadings. If that is worth something to you, you can leave something behind. It is not required, everything stays free.

PayPal

One-off, no account needed, any amount. Goes straight to chr1zZo.

Donate via PayPal

Free, and still helps

Report bugs, test the format readers, star the repository, tell someone. For a niche project, visibility is often worth more than money.

View on GitHub

Donations are voluntary and buy nothing in return: no features, no support entitlement, no receipt for tax purposes.