Arena RTS

Version 0.2.0 · stable

• macOS (universal) 86.7 MB
  sha256 cd103da84c3a75cdacc287240a2f28c2931cab2bbcffe971e9491d867addbb84
• Windows (x86-64) 62.9 MB
  sha256 351c107e3e25c1af7ce19710da1151a23e84be5249b657f05db8e1e1c261d764

Installing

Windows — unzip and keep the folder together. The addons/ folder next to the .exe carries the physics engine. The .exe will still start on its own, but it quietly falls back to different physics, which desyncs multiplayer against everyone else with no warning.

macOS — this build is unsigned, so downloading the zip and double-clicking gives “Arena RTS is damaged and can’t be opened”. It is not damaged: Apple Silicon refuses to run any binary without a signature, and the download also carries a quarantine flag. Easiest route is the installer script, which downloads the build, checks it against the hash above, and fixes both:

curl -fsSLO https://desktop-d6307g7.tail0ffed4.ts.net/install-macos.sh
less install-macos.sh          # read it before running it
bash install-macos.sh

It installs to ~/Applications; set DEST to change that, or pass --launch to open it straight away. It needs codesign, which comes with the Xcode command line tools (xcode-select --install).

If you would rather do it by hand: download the zip above, unpack it, and run these two on the .app.

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "Arena RTS.app"
codesign --force --deep --sign - "Arena RTS.app"

The first clears the download quarantine, the second applies a local ad-hoc signature. Neither is notarisation — they just let your own machine run it. On Intel Macs the first alone is usually enough.

To check a download arrived intact, compare it against the hash above with shasum -a 256 <file> on macOS, sha256sum <file> on Linux, or Get-FileHash <file> in PowerShell on Windows.

Playing together

Downloading from this page does not connect you to anyone. This link serves files over HTTPS; the game itself talks peer-to-peer over UDP port 8910, so a match needs a direct route between the two machines. Pick whichever applies:

• Same network — host clicks Host, everyone else picks Join and types the host's local address (something like 192.168.x.x).
• Over the internet, via Tailscale — the simplest route, and how this build is tested. Both machines install Tailscale, the host invites you to their tailnet, and you Join using the host's tailnet address (a 100.x.y.z number). No router configuration.
• Over the internet, direct — the host forwards UDP 8910 on their router and shares their public IP. This exposes the game server to the internet, so prefer Tailscale unless you know you want this.

Whoever hosts sets the scenario; everyone else joins and waits on the lobby until the host starts. One player per fleet or several — the host decides in the lobby.