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System Shock cover art
System Shock. System Shock screenshot, via IGDB. Unofficial site, not affiliated with the publisher.
PC port · MS-DOS → PC

Shockolate (System Shock source port)

A cross-platform source port of the original System Shock, built on the PowerPC source Nightdive released, with SDL2, an OpenGL renderer and mod support. Needs the CD or Enhanced Edition data.

WorkingSource portNeeds your own copyv0.8.2Updated

You need your own copy of System Shock. 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

Game data from your own System Shock: the original CD-ROM version or System Shock: Enhanced Edition (floppy data does not load), placed in res/data next to the program. A sound font is optional for music.

Official releases ↗GitHub repository ↗

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

Every version of System Shock 1

  1. Shockolate (System Shock source port)This page

    WorkingSource port

    Shockolate - A minimalist and cross platform System Shock source port.

    Runs on Windows (x64 and x86), Linux (64-bit and 32-bit), macOS (64-bit, older build)Needs files from a copy you own★ 9120.8.2 · Jan 18, 2020

    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

Shockolate is a cross-platform source port of the original System Shock (1994), built on the PowerPC source code that Nightdive Studios released. It runs on Windows, Linux and macOS with SDL2 and adds an OpenGL renderer. It needs data from your own copy: the CD-ROM version or System Shock: Enhanced Edition. Latest release: 0.8.2, 18 January 2020.

This site is not affiliated with Shockolate, Looking Glass, Origin or Nightdive Studios. We do not host any files and only link the project’s official pages.

What it is

Looking Glass Technologies’ System Shock came out in 1994. Nightdive Studios, which now owns it, sells an official Enhanced Edition (2015) and released a full remake in 2023. In 2018 Nightdive also published the source code of the original Mac (PowerPC) version.

Shockolate is “a cross-platform source port of System Shock, using SDL2”, “based on the source code for PowerPC released by Night Dive Studios” (Shockolate README). Its goal is “something like what Chocolate Doom is for Doom: an experience that closely mimics the original, but portable and with some quality-of-life improvements, including an OpenGL renderer and mod support”. The README notes that some features need reviving because they were not included in the released source code.

Current status

  • Status: Working. The README says it “runs well on Linux and Windows right now, with some missing features”.
  • Latest release: 0.8.2, 18 January 2020, with Windows (x64 and x86), Linux (64-bit and 32-bit) and macOS packages.
  • Activity: occasional; the repository was last updated on 18 October 2026.

What you need

  • System Shock game data, from the original CD-ROM or System Shock: Enhanced Edition, placed in a res/data folder next to the executable. The README: “Floppy disk assets are an older version that we can’t load currently.”
  • Optional: a .sf2 sound font in the res folder for music playback.
  • A Windows, Linux or Mac computer.

We do not link any copies of the game data.

How setup works (overview)

  1. Download a package for your system from the releases page, or build it from source.
  2. Copy the CD-ROM or Enhanced Edition data into res/data next to the Shockolate executable.
  3. Optionally add a sound font (.sf2) to the res folder for music.
  4. Start Shockolate and play.

Other ways to play System Shock

  • System Shock: Enhanced Edition (Nightdive, official) updates the original with higher resolutions and mouselook.
  • System Shock (2023) is Nightdive’s official full remake.

Shockolate is for players who want the original game on a fan-maintained, open-source engine, especially on Linux.

FAQ

What is Shockolate?

A cross-platform source port of the original 1994 System Shock, based on the PowerPC source code that Nightdive Studios released. It uses SDL2 and aims to be for System Shock what Chocolate Doom is for Doom, close to the original but portable, with an OpenGL renderer and mod support.

Which System Shock data does Shockolate need?

The original CD-ROM version or the assets of System Shock Enhanced Edition, in a res/data folder next to the executable. The README says the older floppy disk assets cannot be loaded.

How do I get music in Shockolate?

Put a .sf2 sound font file in the res folder. Shockolate uses it to play the game's MIDI music. It is optional.

Is Shockolate the same as the System Shock remake?

No. Nightdive's 2023 System Shock is an official remake built from scratch, and System Shock Enhanced Edition is Nightdive's official update of the original. Shockolate is a fan source port of the original 1994 game.

Is Shockolate still updated?

Its last release, 0.8.2, is from January 2020, but the repository still receives occasional updates (most recently in October 2026).

Unofficial. This page is written by an independent directory. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Origin Systems (developed by Looking Glass Technologies; now Nightdive Studios) or Interrupt and Shockolate contributors (Shockolate (System Shock source port)'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.

More ports

See every native PC version of a console game in our recompiled games list, browse all PC ports of console games, or go back to the full list of ported games.