This document is available in the following languages: Russian (ru-RU), American English (en-US), Ukrainian (uk-UA), Brazilian Portuguese (pt-BR), Mexican Spanish (es-MX).
The project is licensed and copyrighted © by COPYRIGHT_HOLDER in YEAR_NUMBER.
Through this document, the copyright holder grants non-exclusive, free-of-charge, worldwide permission to use the project to any person who obtains a copy of this software and associated documentation files (hereinafter "the project"), subject to compliance with all conditions listed below. Any use of the project indicates agreement with the terms of this license.
In accordance with the terms of this license, the copyright holder grants you the following rights:
- To reproduce the project - to create copies of the project;
- To modify the project - to create derivative works based on the project;
- To distribute the project - to publish and provide access to the project and its modifications;
- To publicly perform the project - to demonstrate, run, and broadcast the project.
The aforementioned rights are granted only under strict compliance with the conditions specified in this license. Use of the project in ways not provided for in this license is permitted only with prior written consent from the copyright holder.
- Project - all repository contents (code, media, documentation, etc.) distributed under this license;
- Original project - the project in the version distributed by the current copyright holder(s);
- Copyright holder - the person or persons specified in the LICENSE file or other official project documents who have legal property rights to the project (regardless of whether they are the authors or not);
- Changes - any modifications to the project contents, regardless of who makes them;
- Official changes - changes made by the copyright holder to the original project;
- Modification - any version of the project with changes made by a person other than the copyright holder; includes forks, patches, and other changes made by third parties. Modifications may retain the original concept and content or completely transform it while maintaining the same volume or technical framework;
- Build - an executable file or application compiled from the project's source code or its modification;
- Commercial use - any use of the project or its modifications that directly or indirectly brings financial benefit, including but not limited to: selling builds, in-app purchases, selling access, paid demonstrations, or use in commercial advertising;
- Community contribution - any changes proposed by third parties through mechanisms such as pull requests that have been accepted and incorporated into the original project.
Significant changes are changes that collectively transform the project from a modification/patch into an independent commercially viable product. These changes may completely transform the original game's concept, theme, or focus. For objective assessment, the following criteria are taken into account:
- Game content criterion: meeting at least one of the following conditions is sufficient:
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- Adding new game levels, chapters, or story elements that substantially expand or replace the gaming experience (20% or more of the original project's volume). This can be measured in the following ways:
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- Increased or transformed game completion time (by 20% or more from the average completion time of the original project when tested by four different players under any conditions; deliberate distortion of results is a violation of the license);
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- Increased or replaced number of game levels/locations (by 20% or more from the number in the original project);
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- Increased or replaced volume of game text, dialogues, or quests (by 20% or more - measured in characters with spaces in the source files);
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- Increased or replaced number of game missions/tasks (by 20% or more from the number in the original project);
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- Adding at least one new full-fledged game character with unique features and storyline. A full-fledged character is defined as:
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- A character with their own history, dialogues (at least 10 lines), and unique features;
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- A character playing a significant role in the gameplay or plot (influencing the development of the main storyline or having their own side storyline);
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- A character with unique game abilities, if applicable to the game genre;
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- Expanding the game world through adding new locations that did not exist in the original project (at least 2-3 full-fledged new locations with unique gameplay or plot significance);
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- Creating a new story branch or alternative ending (at least one full-fledged storyline different from the original, with a duration of at least 15% of the main plot);
- Game mechanics criterion: meeting at least one of the following conditions is sufficient:
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- Adding at least one new substantial game mechanic that significantly changes the gameplay and player interaction with the game (e.g., introducing a crafting system into a game without one, adding a new type of combat system, etc.);
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- Substantial changes to game balance that significantly alter the gaming experience (e.g., complete overhaul of the character progression system, changes to the game economy affecting more than 50% of game elements). Game elements include: character attributes, item parameters, game mechanics, progression systems, economic indicators, difficulty levels, and other customizable game components;
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- Adding new game modes (e.g., multiplayer to a single-player game or new single-player modes);
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- Redesigning the core control systems or interface that significantly changes the gaming experience (changing more than 30% of interface elements or primary control methods);
- New resources criterion: meeting at least one of the following conditions is sufficient:
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- Creating and adding a significant volume of new original media resources (at least 20% of the volume of original resources by file size in bytes), which may include:
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- New textures, models, or animations;
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- New sound effects;
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- New musical compositions;
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- Redesigning the majority of the game's visual style (at least 30% of visual elements by number of files), while maintaining the core concept but offering a new visual experience;
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- Creating at least 5-7 new original musical compositions with a total duration of at least 15 minutes, significantly enriching the audio component of the game;
- Accessibility criterion: content hidden behind in-game purchases is not considered when determining the significance of changes;
- Measurement notes:
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- When precise measurement by one method is not possible, it is recommended to use several evaluation methods and consider them collectively;
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- Disputed cases are reviewed by the copyright holder taking into account the overall impact of changes on the gaming experience;
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- The modification author may provide their own arguments for compliance with the criteria with a detailed description of the changes.
For informative purposes, it is recommended to accompany the modification with a README file containing a detailed description of changes made to the original project.
- Anyone other than the original copyright holder or authors does not have the right to claim themselves as the author or creator of the original project;
- For any publication of a modification, you must specify:
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- The name of the original project (always required);
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- The name of the original project's copyright holder (required for modifications, but may not be indicated in certain cases according to sections #1 and #2 of the Terms of Use;
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- A link to the source repository;
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- Explicit indication that your project is based on the original project;
- Attribution must be clearly visible to users and can be placed in one or more of the following ways:
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- In the source code (in the README file, in the ATTRIBUTION file, or in file or scene headers in the source file as comments);
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- In the application itself (in one of the game screens, which may include the game information menu, splash screen, or credits);
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- In the project description on all distribution platforms;
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- For public server services - in the service description, documentation, or "About" section;
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- For closed corporate environments - in internal documentation;
- Publication and distribution (but not creation) of forks (modifications) where the only significant change is adding yourself to the list of authors within the project is prohibited. This restriction does not apply to automatically generated information (commit history, names of edit authors) or technical metadata added by the version control platform.
Note: Examples of proper attribution can be found in the document "Attribution Examples".
- You have the right to download, view, and modify the project's source code;
- You may document the source code (e.g., create documentation or articles on wiki resources);
- Republication of the source code on other resources is allowed only with mandatory indication of the original project name, copyright holder name, and link to the original source;
- You have the right to distribute compiled executable files (builds) without providing the source code of your modification to the general public (closed source code is permitted), but the original project's copyright holder has the right to request the source code when suspecting a violation of the license terms for compliance verification. Suspicion of violation includes, for example, discovery of hidden or fictitious attribution, when attribution is shown to the copyright holder but hidden from ordinary users. In this case:
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- The modification author is obligated to provide the source code only to the copyright holder and only for verification within 30 calendar days of receiving the request;
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- The copyright holder agrees not to distribute the provided code;
- Use of the source code for educational purposes, including in paid training courses, is permitted, provided the attribution rules are followed. Such use does not require additional permission from the copyright holder.
- Commercial use of the project is divided into the following categories:
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- Direct commercialization: selling the modification itself, the build, or access to it for a fixed price;
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- Indirect commercialization: generating revenue from advertising, donations, or related products/services;
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- Built-in paid elements: monetization through in-game purchases or paid content (premium content), including free-to-play models with microtransactions;
- For direct commercialization, one of the following conditions is necessary:
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- Presence of significant changes according to the criteria in the Definitions section, which may include completely replacing or transforming the original content while maintaining the volume requirements (in this case, no special permission from the copyright holder is required);
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- Written permission from the copyright holder;
- For indirect commercialization, only compliance with attribution rules is required;
- For built-in paid elements in free modifications, only compliance with attribution rules is required;
- Category distinction: if the main modification is distributed for free but contains paid add-ons or paid content (premium content), this is considered "built-in paid elements," not direct commercialization;
- For commercial publication, the modification author must describe in detail the significant changes made in the accompanying materials and at the place of publication;
- Recommendation (not an obligation): authors of commercial modifications are encouraged to offer their users the opportunity to financially support the original project's copyright holder, for example, by placing a link to relevant resources.
- You can download, modify, share, and publish modifications and their builds while following attribution rules;
- A modification author can create and maintain a fork from the official source code repository;
- You can create and maintain forks from repositories of other modifications if their license allows it;
- A modification must not be created to circumvent internal project restrictions for fraudulent purposes;
- The build name must not match the name of the official source code build;
- The modification/fork/fan game/tool must use a separate path for storing saves to avoid affecting the original project's data, except when:
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- Intentionally designed to modify the original project's saves (for example, as part of the modification's functionality);
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- The modification's name or description explicitly indicates that it modifies the main game's saves;
- Modifications must be clearly distinguishable from the original project:
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- The modification name must not mislead regarding its connection to the original project;
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- The modification description must explicitly state that it is a modification, not the original project;
- Modification authors have the right to retain the logo and trademarks of the original project in their modification, provided they follow attribution rules and do not mislead regarding authorship or official status of the modification.
- Publication of builds is permitted in commercial digital stores (Google Play, Steam, Epic Games Store, etc.) only if there are significant changes or written permission from the copyright holder;
- Recommended platforms for publishing non-commercial modifications: ModDB, GameBanana, Game Jolt, itch.io, Newgrounds, GitHub;
- The publication page of a modification or build must indicate the original project's author and a link to the source;
- The modification must preserve copyright notices in the source files;
- Distribution of builds under DRM mechanisms, proprietary licenses, or with restrictions that prevent compliance with mandatory attribution is permitted only with written permission from the copyright holder. Otherwise, builds must preserve or provide access to authorship information and a link to the original project at first launch or in the documentation. Recommendation: when using DRM protection, it is strongly recommended to duplicate attribution in the product description on distribution platforms (Steam, Epic Games Store, and others).
- Making a contribution does not give the right to be considered a co-author of the original project as a whole, unless explicitly stated by the copyright holder;
- The original project's copyright holder has the right to use ideas, gameplay mechanics, concepts, and other elements from any modifications of their project for inclusion in the original project without limitations. In doing so:
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- The copyright holder agrees to indicate the authorship of ideas if they were borrowed from modifications, in changelogs or other documentation of the original project;
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- Such indication of idea authorship is an acknowledgment of contribution but does not give the idea's author property rights to the original project;
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- This right cannot be limited by modification authors choosing a different license for their projects;
- This right to use ideas does not extend to specific code or media resources created by modification authors, unless they have been provided to the copyright holder or published under a compatible license.
The remaining part is set out in the contribution guidelines. By providing a contribution, you agree to the terms of this license and acknowledge the copyright holder's right to use your ideas in the original project.
If the copyright holder has given written permission for actions that contradict the provisions of this license, such permission takes priority for the persons to whom it was issued.
- This license may be updated by the copyright holder with the release of new editions;
- New license editions will be numbered consecutively (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on);
- Projects already distributed under a previous version of the license may continue to be used under its terms or updated to the new version;
- When forking a project, it is recommended to use the current version of the license.
- The copyright holder may designate a successor who will receive rights to the project in case of the primary copyright holder's inability to further curate the project;
- Information about the designated successor may be contained in a separate SUCCESSORS file in the repository root or in other official project documents. This file has informational value and supplements, but does not replace, legal procedures for the transfer of rights;
- For legal validity of rights transfer, the copyright holder must complete the appropriate documents according to the legislation of their country of residence;
- In the absence of an explicitly indicated successor, standard legislative procedures for inheritance of property rights apply;
- Transfer of rights to the project occurs through official notification to the community via the project repository and updating the copyright holder information in all relevant documents;
- The new copyright holder receives all rights and obligations under this license, including the right to issue permissions for commercial use.
- This license applies to the source code and materials of the project;
- Modifications and builds must comply with the following conditions:
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- When distributed under this license – comply with all its terms;
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- When distributed under another license – maintain this license's requirements regarding attribution, respect for copyright, and commercial use (sections #1, #3, #5, and section #2 of the Terms of Use);
- In the case of distributing a modification under another license that conflicts with the requirements of this license, the following order of priority applies:
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- This license's requirements for attribution (section #1) have absolute priority and must be observed in any case;
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- This license's requirements for commercial use (section #3) take precedence over any less restrictive limitations in the chosen license;
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- If it is impossible to simultaneously satisfy the requirements of both licenses, you must refuse to use the conflicting license or request written permission from the copyright holder for exemption from some requirements of this license;
- If third-party materials with their own license are included in the repository, the licenses of those materials apply.
Information about this license's compatibility with other licenses is described in the contribution guidelines. When using third-party components, it is necessary to follow the principles of preserving the conditions of their licenses.
- The basic jurisdiction for interpretation of the license is the STATE_NAME;
- For international disputes:
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- If both parties are in the same jurisdiction, the law of that jurisdiction may apply;
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- In other cases, the principles of international private law and international copyright agreements apply;
- The terms of this license should be interpreted in such a way as to be maximally valid and applicable in the relevant jurisdiction;
- If any provision of the license is deemed invalid in a particular jurisdiction, this does not affect the validity of the remaining provisions;
- In case of discrepancies between translations of the license, the Russian version is considered authoritative;
- Distribution and transfer of the project must comply with export and sanctions regulations of the jurisdiction of the copyright holder and the distributing person. It is prohibited to export, re-export, or transfer the project to countries or persons subject to official international sanctions without necessary verification and permissions.
This software is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. In no event shall the authors or copyright holders be liable for any claims, damages, or other liability, whether in an action of contract, tort, or otherwise, arising from, out of, or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.
- Any disputes arising in connection with this license, the parties strive to resolve through negotiations;
- If it is impossible to reach an agreement through negotiations, disputes are resolved in accordance with the legislation determined under the International Application section;
- The copyright holder has the right of final interpretation of all provisions of this license; in case of disputes regarding the interpretation of license terms or related documents, the copyright holder's interpretation is final and has precedence;
- In case of violation of license terms, the copyright holder has the right to:
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- Demand cessation of violations;
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- Demand removal of infringing content;
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- Demand public refutation of false information about authorship;
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- Appeal to the appropriate authorities to protect their rights.
- Upon material breach of the terms of this license, all granted rights automatically terminate for the violator;
- Material breaches include:
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- Absence or insufficient attribution of the original project;
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- Commercial use without complying with requirements for significant changes or without permission from the copyright holder;
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- A person falsely presenting themselves as the author of the original project (this does not apply to the original copyright holder or authors);
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- Refusing to provide the source code of the modification upon request from the copyright holder when suspecting a violation;
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- Publishing modifications created to circumvent internal project restrictions for fraudulent purposes;
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- Using the project in any way prohibited in the Prohibited Uses section of the project's Terms of Use;
- appeal mechanism: if the modification author disagrees with the copyright holder's decision regarding the insufficiency of changes or elimination of violations, they may request reconsideration with additional justifications. If agreement cannot be reached, either party may propose involving an independent mediator;
- Temporary cessation of violation without eliminating its consequences does not automatically restore rights under this license.
To restore rights after a violation, it is necessary to eliminate all violations and provide the copyright holder with confirmation of elimination. The copyright holder verifies the elimination of violations by:
- Checking the build and its functionality;
- Checking the source code (if it is open or provided upon request);
- Checking the repository and public materials;
- Requesting demonstration access to the build (for commercial closed products).
- If the copyright holder perceives a possible violation of the license terms, they send a written notification to the modification author at a known email address indicating the violated license points and requested actions (hereinafter referred to as "notification");
- The notification must contain:
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- The date the violation was identified;
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- A detailed description of the violation indicating specific points of the license;
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- Required actions to eliminate the violation;
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- Contact information;
- The notification recipient must within 30 calendar days:
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- Confirm receipt of the notification;
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- Provide explanations or evidence of compliance with the license terms, or eliminate the specified violations;
- If within 30 calendar days no response is received from the notification recipient, the copyright holder has the right to:
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- Send a repeated notification;
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- Publicly declare a license violation;
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- Demand from distribution platforms the removal of infringing content;
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- Resort to legal protective measures;
- After receiving a response, the copyright holder within 15 calendar days reviews the provided explanations or confirms the elimination of violations;
- If the parties cannot reach agreement within 60 calendar days from the first notification, either party may propose involving a neutral mediator.
Additional information about the notification procedure and resolution of issues is set out in the contribution guidelines. When questions arise about license violations, the copyright holder sends a written notification indicating the violated points and requested remedial actions.
For any questions regarding this license, you can contact via email: .
- ⚒️ terms of use - rules for applying the project in various scenarios
- 🤝 contribution guidelines - rules for contributors and collaboration
- 👤 attribution examples - how to properly indicate authorship when using the project