VCMI (open-source Heroes of Might and Magic III engine)

This site is not affiliated with the VCMI team or Ubisoft. We do not host any files and only link the project’s official pages.

What it is

Heroes of Might and Magic III came out in 1999, followed by the Armageddon’s Blade and Shadow of Death expansions. The original runs only on Windows (an old Mac version aside), at its original resolution unless you add community patches.

VCMI is “an open-source recreation of Heroes of Might & Magic III engine, giving it new and extended possibilities” (VCMI README). The project rewrote the engine from scratch and reads the graphics, sounds, maps and campaigns from your Heroes III files. The FAQ stresses the difference from popular community projects: “Unlike HotA and WoG, which are mods for the original Heroes of Might and Magic 3, VCMI is a full-fledged remake.” Its AI is entirely new.

The repository dates from April 2014; the project itself is older and has been actively developed for well over a decade.

Current status

• Status: Working. Major releases come about three times a year, with daily builds for testers.
• Latest release: 1.7.5, 15 August 2026. Saves from 1.6 can be loaded in 1.7.
• Official builds: Windows (x64, x86 and Arm64 installers), macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Linux AppImages (x64 and Arm64) plus Flathub and an Ubuntu PPA, Android APKs and an iOS IPA.
• Android: also on Google Play and F-Droid.

What you need

• Heroes III data files from a copy you own. The Windows installation guide recommends the GOG offline backup installer (an .exe plus a .bin file), which the VCMI Launcher can unpack for you. An existing Complete or Shadow of Death installation works too.
• A device: Windows 7 SP1 or newer, a Mac, Linux, an Android phone or tablet, or an iPhone or iPad you can sideload apps on.

We do not link any copies of the game data. Heroes III is sold on GOG and, as the HD Edition, by Ubisoft.

How setup works (overview)

The README links separate guides for macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, and one for the Heroes Chronicles games.

What it adds

• Any resolution and scalable interface on every platform, including phones.
• Online multiplayer through a global lobby, plus hot-seat and LAN games.
• A new AI written for the remake.
• Mods in VCMI’s own format, installed from the launcher. The FAQ says some features of HotA, WoG and HD Mod have been partly ported as VCMI mods, with fuller versions planned.
• Touch controls on Android and iOS.
• Translations maintained on Weblate.

Other versions

The only other Heroes III project in our list is homm3-decomp, an early decompilation of the original executable. It is a research project, not something you can play. For the original game with community fixes, HD Mod and Horn of the Abyss run on Windows on top of the Complete edition; those are mods, not ports.

Common problems

• Launcher cannot find the game: use the GOG installer import, or copy Data, Maps and Mp3 into the VCMI data folder as above.
• Old save will not load: saves usually do not carry across major versions. Finish the game on the old version or keep it installed alongside.
• Daily build crashes: daily builds are not guaranteed stable; switch back to the latest release.
• Cheats: the docs list VCMI’s cheat codes, which differ in places from the original game’s.

Unofficial. This page is written by an independent directory. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with The 3DO Company (now Ubisoft) or VCMI team (VCMI (open-source Heroes of Might and Magic III engine)'s author). We do not host any files, and we never link to game files, ROMs or ISOs.