Abuse (video game)
A run and gun game with public domain source code.
Abuse is a run and gun video game from Crack dot Com, published by Electronic Arts in North America and Origin Systems in Europe. It first came out on February 28, 1996, for MS-DOS, with a Mac OS port from Bungie following on March 5, 1996. The game’s source code and some shareware content entered the public domain in the late 1990s, leading to ports for Linux and many other systems.
The story follows Nick Vrenna, a prisoner locked up for a crime he didn’t commit. The prison staff conduct unethical medical experiments on inmates. A riot breaks out, and one experiment goes wrong, infecting everyone inside—except Nick, who is immune—with a substance called Abuse that turns them into monsters. Nick arms himself, fights through the horde to keep the water supply safe, and escapes the complex.
Gameplay is side-scrolling platform action. The keyboard moves Nick, while the mouse aims his weapons. Players fight swarms of mutant enemies and solve simple puzzles, often involving switches. Networked play is supported via IPX/SPX.
The game’s development originally had a different plot: an alien species called “ants” invaded, and the player was a special ops agent sent to destroy their hive by shutting down the cooling system. This was hinted at in a hidden area near the end of level 14, filled with maroon tiles. The final version replaced that intro with the prison storyline. Abuse was built in six months by three people, though the exact budget is not reliably documented.
The initial release was an incomplete shareware version for MS-DOS and Linux. The Mac port, handled by Crack dot Com’s Oliver Yu, was heavily reworked, with graphics partially redone for 640x480 resolution. An AIX port from IBM was rumored but lacks reliable evidence.
About two years after launch, Crack dot Com released the source code. The shareware game data (excluding sound effects) also entered the public domain. The community first focused on maintenance, like adding TCP/IP support. In 2001, Abuse was adapted to the SDL multimedia library, allowing more than the original 8-bit color depth. This SDL version enabled ports to Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, BeOS, Nintendo Wii (via homebrew), OpenBSD, and AmigaOS 4 in 2009. Mobile ports followed, including Abuse Classic for iPhone/iPod Touch. Sam Hocevar maintained the game until 2011. In 2014, it moved to SDL2 and a GitHub repository.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Abuse
- Developer
- Crack dot Com / Exakt Entertainment (iOS)
- Publisher
- MS-DOS / NA · Electronic Arts · EU · Origin SystemsMac OS / Bungie
- Producer
- Dave Taylor
- Designer
- Duong Nguyen
- Programmer
- Jonathan Clark
- Artist
- Murray McMillan / Duong Nguyen
- Composer
- Bobby Prince
- Platforms
- MS-DOS, Mac OS, Archimedes, AmigaOS, AmigaOS 4, iOS, Android, Linux, OpenBSD, IBM AIX
- Released
- MS-DOS / NA · March 1996 · EU · 1996Mac OS / NA · March 5, 1997Amiga / EU · 1998iOS / August 13, 2009 / Linux / October 11, 2011 / AIX / September 26, 1996
- Genre
- Run and gun
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game's protagonist, Nick Vrenna, is unjustly incarcerated in a prison where staff perform unethical medical experiments. A riot and an experiment gone wrong infect inmates with a substance called Abuse, transforming them into monsters. Nick, seemingly immune, arms himself to prevent the water supply from being infected and escapes the complex. Gameplay resembles a side-scrolling platformer, using the keyboard for movement and the mouse for aiming, with puzzles involving switches and swarms of mutant enemies. Networked play via IPX/SPX is supported.
Development lasted six months with three people, though the exact budget is not reliably documented.
Reader's Guide
Abuse holds a notable place in video game history as an early example of a commercial game whose source code was released into the public domain, fostering a long-lived community development effort. This release allowed the game to be ported to numerous platforms—from Linux and Windows to Nintendo Wii and mobile devices—ensuring its playability decades after its original release. The game's open-source nature also made it a subject of study for programmers interested in game engine modification and cross-platform development. Its selection as a 'HotPick' by Linux Format in August 2011 reflects its continued relevance in the open-source community. While the original commercial release received positive reviews for its gameplay and level editor, the game's legacy is largely defined by its post-source-code life, demonstrating how public domain code can preserve and extend a game's reach beyond its original commercial context.
Did You Know?
- The game's original storyline involved an alien species called 'ants' and a special ops agent, replaced before release but alluded to in a hidden area in level 14.
- The Mac OS port was published by Bungie and released on March 5, 1997, with graphics partially redone for 640x480 resolution.
- The game's source code and shareware data (excluding sound effects) were released into the public domain approximately two years after the game's release.
- In 2016, a '20th anniversary source port' added custom resolutions, OpenGL rendering, and Xbox 360 controller support.
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