Luanti (Minetest): free open-source block-world games and mods
Luanti (formerly Minetest) is a free open-source platform for block-world games, with mods and your own games. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.
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Official game screenshot
What it is
Luanti (formerly Minetest) is a block-world game platform. Its website calls it "an open-source voxel game creation platform": you play one of many games, solo or with others, and you can change a game with mods or make your own. Most games are build-and-explore sandboxes. The Getting Started guide says "most games (but not all!) have a sandbox gameplay focused on construction, mining and creativity". It is not an AI tool. We included it as a free game and learning-by-making resource.
Is it free?
Yes, per the project. Luanti's GitHub page describes it as "a free open-source voxel game engine with easy modding and game creation". The downloads page lists installers with no price or account. The website says there are over 3,100 open-source mods on ContentDB, the project's content site.
What you can do with it
- Play offline or online. The docs say you can play singleplayer, on a local server, or connect to an online server.
- Install games and mods from inside the app. The docs say the client connects to ContentDB, where games, mods and texture packs are hosted. On first launch it asks you to install a game.
- Change the look with texture packs.
- Make your own game or mod with its Lua scripting API, per the home page.
- Platforms: Windows 8 to 11, macOS 12.3 or later (recommended), Linux and BSD, and Android 6 or later (recommended), per the downloads page. Current release 5.17.0, 20 August 2026.
What to watch out for
- You pick a game first. The engine alone does not come with a full game. You install one from the in-app content browser, so you need an internet connection for that first step.
- Mods are community-made. We did not check any mod's quality or safety.
- Online servers have chat with other players. Servers are run by different people. We did not find official child-safety guidance, so a parent should supervise a child.
- Android: use the official download. The downloads page advises against unofficial builds found on the Play Store, saying they may have excessive advertisements or spyware.
Privacy and data
- We did not find a privacy policy page on the Luanti site.
- The docs say the client connects to ContentDB to fetch games and mods. We did not check what data that sends.
- The downloads page says unofficial Android builds may contain spyware. We did not run the official build to check what it sends.
- If you play online, other players can see what you type in server chat. Do not share personal details.
India
- The downloads page lists no region limits, and there is no price. We did not find anything India-specific.
Frequently asked questions
Is Luanti free?
Yes, per the project: a free open-source game engine with no price or account on the download pages.
Is Luanti the same as Minetest?
Yes. Luanti's site says "formerly Minetest".
Can I play without internet?
Yes for singleplayer once a game is installed, per the docs. Installing games and mods needs a connection.
Sources: Luanti, Downloads, Getting Started, ContentDB, GitHub. Checked 16 October 2026.
No Luanti logo is used in this article. Independent guide, not affiliated.
Scoped recheck 23 October 2026: website, downloads page, Getting Started guide and GitHub releases re-read. Version 5.17.0 (20 August 2026) is still the latest release. The downloads page still lists Windows 8 to 11, macOS 12.3 or later recommended, Linux packages and Android 6 or later recommended, and still warns against unofficial Play Store builds that may carry advertisements or spyware. ContentDB has grown to about 3,500 packages (the article says over 3,100, still true). Links checked.