PortedGames
The Elder Scrolls: Arena cover art
The Elder Scrolls: Arena. The Elder Scrolls: Arena artwork, via IGDB. Unofficial site, not affiliated with the publisher.
PC port · MS-DOS → PC

OpenTESArena (The Elder Scrolls: Arena engine)

A from-scratch engine for The Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994) with modern controls, for Windows, Mac, Linux and Raspberry Pi. You can explore and fight, but quests, spells and saving are not done yet.

UnreleasedEngine rewriteNeeds your own copyv0.18.0Updated

You need your own copy of The Elder Scrolls: Arena. This port only runs with files from a copy you own; there is no download or play button here. No copy? These play in your browser right away, no files needed: BO1 Zombies (vel.gg), GTA 3 Online (quenq III Web), The Simpsons: Hit & Run WASM.

What you need

The data files of The Elder Scrolls: Arena, which Bethesda gives away free on Steam, plus a Windows, Mac, Linux or Raspberry Pi 5 computer. Quests, spells and saving are not implemented yet.

Official releases ↗GitHub repository ↗

We do not host any files. Only download from the project's official source.

Every version of The Elder Scrolls: Arena 1

  1. OpenTESArena (The Elder Scrolls: Arena engine)This page

    UnreleasedEngine remake

    Open-source re-implementation of The Elder Scrolls: Arena.

    Runs on Windows (x86-64), macOS (Apple silicon), Linux (x86-64)Needs files from a copy you own★ 1.4k0.18.0 · Aug 13, 2026

    GitHub ↗

We link to each project's own page and host no game files. Version data from project pages, our daily checks and awesome-decomp-games (CC0).

Short answer

OpenTESArena is a free, open-source engine written from scratch for The Elder Scrolls: Arena (1994), for Windows, macOS, Linux and Raspberry Pi 5. You can explore, fight, shop and talk, but quests, spells and saving are not implemented yet. It uses the data files of Arena, which Bethesda gives away free on Steam. Latest release: 0.18.0, 13 August 2026.

This site is not affiliated with OpenTESArena or Bethesda Softworks. We do not host any files and only link the project’s official pages.

What it is

The Elder Scrolls: Arena was the first Elder Scrolls game, released for DOS in 1994. Bethesda now offers it free, running in DOSBox.

OpenTESArena is “a modern open-source engine being written from scratch” for Arena. “The goal is to replicate all aspects of the original game with a clean-room approach while making quality-of-life changes along the way” (OpenTESArena README). Aaron Fritz started it in 2016, and it is still updated almost daily.

Current status

  • Status: in development, partly playable. From the README: enemies attack and drop loot and experience; items can be picked up, equipped and dropped; shopkeepers buy and sell, rent tavern rooms and cure diseases; citizens wander and give directions and rumours.
  • Not implemented yet: plate item materials (Dwarven and so on), potions and on-use items, quests, spells and loading and saving.
  • Latest release: 0.18.0, 13 August 2026, for Windows x86-64, macOS on Apple silicon, Linux x86-64 and Raspberry Pi 5. The repository was updated on 3 November 2026.

What you need

  • The Arena data files, from Bethesda’s free release on Steam.
  • A computer: Windows, Mac (Apple silicon), Linux, or a Raspberry Pi 5.

How setup works (overview)

  1. Install The Elder Scrolls: Arena from Steam (free).
  2. Download OpenTESArena for your system from the releases page and unpack it.
  3. Point it at the Arena data folder, as described in the README’s setup section for your system.
  4. Create a character and explore. Remember that progress cannot be saved yet.

Controls

OpenTESArena offers a modern mode (WASD to move, mouselook, E to activate, right mouse to attack, left mouse to inspect) and a classic mode close to the original. Common keys in both: space to jump, F to draw your weapon, Tab for the character sheet, V for status, M for the world map, N for the local map, P for thieving, R to camp, L for the logbook and Esc for the pause menu.

Should you use it now?

OpenTESArena is a good way to see Arena with modern controls and to follow an impressive long-running project. For a complete playthrough with quests and saves, use Bethesda’s free DOSBox release for now. The sequel, Daggerfall, already has a complete remake: Daggerfall Unity.

FAQ

Can I play through The Elder Scrolls Arena with OpenTESArena?

Not fully yet. In version 0.18.0 you can explore, fight enemies, collect loot, use shops and taverns and talk to citizens, but quests, spells, potions, some item materials and saving and loading are not implemented. For a full playthrough today, the original game in DOSBox is still the way.

Does OpenTESArena need the original game?

Yes, it reads the Arena data files. Bethesda gives The Elder Scrolls Arena away free on Steam, so you do not need to buy anything.

What are the controls in OpenTESArena?

It has a modern mode with WASD movement, mouselook, E to activate and right mouse to attack, and a classic mode closer to the original. Tab opens the character sheet, M the world map, N the local map and Esc the pause menu.

Does OpenTESArena run on a Raspberry Pi?

Yes. The 0.18.0 release includes a Raspberry Pi 5 build alongside Windows, macOS on Apple silicon and Linux.

Unofficial. This page is written by an independent directory. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Bethesda Softworks or Aaron Fritz (afritz1) and contributors (OpenTESArena (The Elder Scrolls: Arena engine)'s author). We do not host any files, and we never link to game files, ROMs or ISOs.

Sources

This page was last updated on Nov 3, 2026. A date after a source is the day we read it. Versions and steps follow the official project; if they differ, the official source wins.

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