Support us on Patreon to keep GamingOnLinux alive. This ensures all of our main content remains free for everyone. Just good, fresh content! Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal. You can also buy games using our partner links for GOG and Humble Store.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

Even the Ocean from Melos Han-Tani, Marina Kittaka and Analgesic Productions recently had the source code released. This follows on from them also releasing the source code to Anodyne back in 2020.

While the source code and assets are now publicly available, it's not open source since it's using a custom license, the same they used for Anodyne which was adapted from the source code release of VVVVVV. They did initially say it's open source but after feedback they've adjusted it to say it's "99%-open-sourced". As for why it's not fully open source they said:

Technically it is not “Open Source” because that would require me to give everything away for free. There’s a clause that prevents us from getting screwed by someone just selling the game as-is or copying it completely.

Unlike other source releases, they provide the full assets so you could get the entire game free, instead of just the code.

What is the game? A physics-shifting puzzle platformer where you'll delve into dangerous power plants and massive creatures! Run into Light and Dark Energy-infused hazards to shift your movement physics to conquer each challenge. Explore towns and cities, and help a world thrown out of balance.

YouTube Thumbnail
YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. View cookie preferences.
Accept Cookies & Show   Direct Link

As for why they open source it they mention how they've "always been worried about its future" and that while "the toolchain to compile it is quite stable, it seems to be broken on Mac, and I can’t figure out how to compile it for Linux". The game is built with open tooling like Haxe, OpenFL, and HaxeFlixel so with the code being open it should allow anyone to tinker with it and perhaps even sort out a Native Linux version.

Read their blog post for more, check it out on GitHub and the game is available on Steam.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
12 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
10 comments

Eike Sep 25, 2023
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
I'm optimistic someone will make it compile and run on Linux. :)
Purple Library Guy Sep 25, 2023
Well, releasing source must be getting pretty popular. I mean, if even The Ocean is doing it--

. . . Oh. Not what that meant, you say? But it says . . .
BloodScourge Sep 25, 2023
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
Hmmm... Not too fond of this license. Open the code under a FOSS license, keep the assets close/proprietary, if you don't want someone to resell the game as is. Best of both world...
Liam Dawe Sep 25, 2023
Quoting: BloodScourgeHmmm... Not too fond of this license. Open the code under a FOSS license, keep the assets close/proprietary, if you don't want someone to resell the game as is. Best of both world...
Yeah, that's the normal way, not really sure why they do it like this.
Talon1024 Sep 25, 2023
Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: BloodScourgeHmmm... Not too fond of this license. Open the code under a FOSS license, keep the assets close/proprietary, if you don't want someone to resell the game as is. Best of both world...
Yeah, that's the normal way, not really sure why they do it like this.

So that the developers can keep making money from the game, whilst having the source code available to anyone who wants to tinker with it, port it to Linux, or whatever.

I whole-heartedly approve of that kind of business model, and I believe more game developers should do this. It's a win-win situation for both the original developers and Linux/FOSS fans.
Liam Dawe Sep 26, 2023
Quoting: Talon1024
Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: BloodScourgeHmmm... Not too fond of this license. Open the code under a FOSS license, keep the assets close/proprietary, if you don't want someone to resell the game as is. Best of both world...
Yeah, that's the normal way, not really sure why they do it like this.

So that the developers can keep making money from the game, whilst having the source code available to anyone who wants to tinker with it, port it to Linux, or whatever.

I whole-heartedly approve of that kind of business model, and I believe more game developers should do this. It's a win-win situation for both the original developers and Linux/FOSS fans.
I think you're misunderstanding. I was agreeing with what BloodScourge pointed out. Releasing the code is the normal way, not giving the entire assets - so devs have no real problem continuing to sell the game.
dyatlov Sep 26, 2023
I was able to compile and run on my debian 12 machine.
To compile game I need to use distrobox and debian 10 image because software and libraries used to compile are little old and those versions are not available as packages in debian12.

how to compile:

 
distrobox-create --name debian10 --image debian:10
distrobox enter debian10

mkdir $HOME/haxe

sudo apt update
sudo apt install haxe neko build-essential gcc-multilib g++-multilib git

haxelib setup
--- you will see promt and enter your absolute path of $HOME/haxe

cd $HOME
git clone https://github.com/analgesicproductions/Even-The-Ocean-Open-Source.git
cd Even-The-Ocean-Open-Source/

cp Open\ Source\ Assets/installHaxeLibraries.bat Open\ Source\ Assets/installHaxeLibraries.sh
cd Open\ Source\ Assets/
sh installHaxeLibraries.sh

cd ../

cp -r txt/flixel/. $HOME/haxe/flixel/4,0,0
cp -r txt/addons/. $HOME/haxe/flixel-addons/2,0,0/flixel/addons/tile

cd $HOME/haxe/hxcpp/3,4,188/tools/hxcpp/
haxe compile.hxml
cd ../build/
haxe compile.hxml
cd ../../project/
neko build.n

cd $HOME/Even-The-Ocean-Open-Source/
haxelib run lime build "Project.xml" linux -release -Dfdb

---exit distrobox
exit


to run the game

 

cd $HOME/Even-The-Ocean-Open-Source/export/linux64/cpp/bin/
./EventheOcean


regards,
Talon1024 Sep 26, 2023
Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: Talon1024
Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: BloodScourgeHmmm... Not too fond of this license. Open the code under a FOSS license, keep the assets close/proprietary, if you don't want someone to resell the game as is. Best of both world...
Yeah, that's the normal way, not really sure why they do it like this.

So that the developers can keep making money from the game, whilst having the source code available to anyone who wants to tinker with it, port it to Linux, or whatever.

I whole-heartedly approve of that kind of business model, and I believe more game developers should do this. It's a win-win situation for both the original developers and Linux/FOSS fans.
I think you're misunderstanding. I was agreeing with what BloodScourge pointed out. Releasing the code is the normal way, not giving the entire assets - so devs have no real problem continuing to sell the game.

The business model I "wholeheartedly agreed with" was the one where the developers release all the code and none of the assets, so that people would still have to buy the game to play it, even if they have access to the source code.

However, the developers may need to release some of the assets so that other developers or contributors can properly play around with them in the engine's editor. But seeing as how Haxe/OpenFL doesn't have an editor (at least AFAIK), it is indeed weird that they would release all the assets free of charge under a proprietary license.

My best guess at this point is that the developer wants to confine their assets to this game, and they don't want the assets being used in other games or things.


Last edited by Talon1024 on 26 September 2023 at 9:33 am UTC
Liam Dawe Sep 26, 2023
Quoting: Talon1024The business model I "wholeheartedly agreed with" was the one where the developers release all the code and none of the assets, so that people would still have to buy the game to play it, even if they have access to the source code.
Right...so you're just agreeing with what both of us said 😅
hardpenguin Sep 26, 2023
Quoting: dyatlovI was able to compile and run on my debian 12 machine. (...)
Amazing! Great job!
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.
Buy Games
Buy games with our affiliate / partner links: