Vassal (game engine)
| Vassal Engine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | The Vassal Team. |
| Release | 1996 |
| Stable release | 3.7.23
/ June 8, 2026 |
| Written in | Java |
| Operating system | Any |
| Platform | Cross-platform |
| Available in | Multilingual (English and 6 other languages) |
| Type | Game engine |
| License | GNU LGPLv2+ |
| Website | vassalengine.org |
| Repository | |
The Vassal Engine is a game engine for building and playing online adaptations of board games, tabletop games and card games. It allows users to play in real time over a live Internet connection, and also by email (PbeM). It runs on all platforms, and is free, open-source software.[1][2] For example, there is a Star Wars Miniatures module, where players can play with up to three others in a digital replica of the table-top game.
It is written in Java and the source code is available from GitHub under the LGPL open source license.[3]
History
[edit]Vassal began as an application for playing Advanced Squad Leader. This program was named VASL, an acronym for "Virtual Advanced Squad Leader." In 2002, this was expanded into a generic board game engine now called Vassal, with VASL being changed into just one out of many modules for Vassal.[4][5]
Available modules
[edit]Vassal modules exist for over 3400 games.[6]
Copyright and licensing
[edit]In September 2008, Games Workshop issued a cease-and-desist order regarding the Vassal module for Warhammer 40K to Tim Davis, its maintainer at that time.[7] The module is still played.
Games Workshop has also issued a cease-and-desist order regarding Space Hulk[citation needed].
Similar projects
[edit]Similar engines for making board games include ZunTzu[8] and Boardgame.io.[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ Geryk, Bruce (August 2007). Green, Jeff (ed.). "Line of Attack: Your monthly guide to hard-core wargaming" (Print Magazine). Games for Windows (9). Ziff Davis Media: 92. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
- ↑ Ardwulf's Lair (7 October 2015). Exploring the Vassal Engine for Online Boardgaming and Wargaming. Retrieved 22 Jul 2021.
- ↑ "Official Vassal Website". Archived from the original on 2021-07-22. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
- ↑ R.Flaibani (14 December 2010). "The Master and His Vassal". Archived from the original on 31 March 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- ↑ https://vassalengine.org/about.html
- ↑ "Module Library - Vassal". vassalengine.org. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
- ↑ "GW V40k Legal Action". Archived from the original on 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- ↑ "ZunTzu - the Online Boardgaming Platform". Archived from the original on 2019-01-26. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
- ↑ "Boardgame.io - Open-Source Game Engine for Turn-Based Games". Archived from the original on 2021-02-14. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
