{"slug": "zero-k", "name": "Zero-K", "category": "media", "category_name": "Media and creative", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 3, "warners": 0, "score": 2.895, "rising": 1.67, "first": "2026-06-21", "latest": "2026-10-11", "why": "I play Zero-K (a related open source game) a few times a month.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 2], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "I play Zero-K (a related open source game) a few times a month.", "kind": "game", "icon": true, "domain": "zero-k.info", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://zero-k.info", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Zero-K"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 800771168, "item_id": 50048198, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50048198", "by": "Tarks", "date": "2026-10-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Zero K is deceptively amazing", "excerpt": "Zero K is deceptively amazing, like StarCraft mixed with supreme commander. The lead Dev's \"Cold takes\" blog series are dripping with the sort of insights you only get from years of hard won iteration and if you like RTS games are a joy to read : https://zero-k.info/mediawiki/Cold_Takes", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Total Annihilation, rebuilt for modern computers"}, {"id": 800769232, "item_id": 50048077, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50048077", "by": "vladms", "date": "2026-10-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I do prefer Zero-K over Beyond All Reason", "excerpt": "Not sure about this one, but there is another engine that started as a Total Annihilation clone: https://recoilengine.org/ Some of the (open source) games on that engine (https://beyondallreason.info/ and https://zero-k.info/) have similar feeling with the original TA, with quite different play styles. I do prefer Zero-K over Beyond All Reason, but I would recommend anyone interested in the genre to try both and deci", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Total Annihilation, rebuilt for modern computers"}, {"id": 777910144, "item_id": 48619384, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48619384", "by": "mboerwink", "date": "2026-06-21", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I play Zero-K (a related open source game) a few times a month.", "excerpt": "I play Zero-K (a related open source game) a few times a month. I really enjoy their 'cold take' blog series discussing game mechanics and the history of TA derivatives. https://zero-k.info/mediawiki/Cold_Takes", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": [], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50045984", "title": "Total Annihilation, rebuilt for modern computers", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48617990", "title": "Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 2}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 800771168, "item_id": 50048198, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50048198", "by": "Tarks", "date": "2026-10-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Zero K is deceptively amazing", "excerpt": "Zero K is deceptively amazing, like StarCraft mixed with supreme commander. The lead Dev's \"Cold takes\" blog series are dripping with the sort of insights you only get from years of hard won iteration and if you like RTS games are a joy to read : https://zero-k.info/mediawiki/Cold_Takes", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Total Annihilation, rebuilt for modern computers"}, {"id": 800769232, "item_id": 50048077, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50048077", "by": "vladms", "date": "2026-10-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I do prefer Zero-K over Beyond All Reason", "excerpt": "Not sure about this one, but there is another engine that started as a Total Annihilation clone: https://recoilengine.org/ Some of the (open source) games on that engine (https://beyondallreason.info/ and https://zero-k.info/) have similar feeling with the original TA, with quite different play styles. I do prefer Zero-K over Beyond All Reason, but I would recommend anyone interested in the genre to try both and deci", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Total Annihilation, rebuilt for modern computers"}, {"id": 777910144, "item_id": 48619384, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48619384", "by": "mboerwink", "date": "2026-06-21", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I play Zero-K (a related open source game) a few times a month.", "excerpt": "I play Zero-K (a related open source game) a few times a month. I really enjoy their 'cold take' blog series discussing game mechanics and the history of TA derivatives. https://zero-k.info/mediawiki/Cold_Takes", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Beyond All Reason (Free Total Annihilation Inspired RTS)"}]}