OpenBallanceBallance, rolling again

A faithful reimplementation of the 2004 Virtools classic. The original game scripts run on a new Virtools-compatible runtime with a port of the game's own physics engine, using the data from your own CD. Runs on macOS, Linux and Windows, and in your browser, through the gasm WebAssembly runtime.

Get started

Play in the browser

How it works

Faithful

Ballance's game logic lives in Virtools behaviour graphs, so OpenBallance runs those original graphs. The Building Blocks they call are ported one by one from the original DLLs, quirks included.

The original physics

The ball's feel comes from the Ipion physics engine inside physics_RT.dll. Its core, collision detection, friction and impact solvers are ported from the disassembly, constant for constant.

Your original data

Reads the levels, textures, sounds and music straight from your Ballance CD image, the mounted CD or an installed copy, including InstallShield cabinets. No assets are included or converted.

Runs on gasm

One openballance.wasm for macOS, Linux, Windows and the browser, on the gasm WebAssembly game runtime with its WebGPU-style graphics.

Running on gasm

In the browser

Choose your Ballance ISO or game folder once and play in a WebGPU-capable browser. Your data stays on your device.

Play

All twelve levels

Intro, menus, the tutorial, all twelve levels with their modules, transformers and extras, lives and score, pause, game over and highscores.

Built for gasm

OpenBallance is one WebAssembly module, openballance.wasm, running on gasm, a portable game runtime: the same engine natively (gasm-run) and in the browser. Read Running on gasm or play in the browser.

Screenshots