v0.2.1

Download OpenPopTB-MacOS-0.2.1.zip below, unzip it and open Populous TB.app (Populous UW.app for Undiscovered Worlds, Populous TB (Direct3D).app for hardware rendering).

Requirements

• Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 14 or later
• Apple's Command Line Tools (the app offers to install them)
• Your own copy of the game: the GOG offline installer or an installed game folder. The download contains no game code or data; the first launch recompiles your copy (about a minute), later launches take seconds.

Added

• The release download includes Populous TB (Direct3D).app. Like the other apps, it recompiles the player's own D3DPopTB.exe (shipped with the GOG version) on first launch.
• App icons for the release download (an original design drawn by tools/make_icons.py; the release still contains nothing taken from the game).

v0.2.0

Download OpenPopTB-MacOS-0.2.0.zip below, unzip it and open Populous TB.app (or Populous UW.app for Undiscovered Worlds).

Requirements

• Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 14 or later
• Apple's Command Line Tools (the app offers to install them)
• Your own copy of the game: the GOG offline installer or an installed game folder. The download contains no game code or data; the first launch recompiles your copy (about a minute), later launches take seconds.

Added

• Direct3D build (D3DPopTB.exe, Direct3D 5): build.sh recompiles it into Populous TB (Direct3D).app when the game folder has the executable. SDL_GPU renders the 3D scene at the window's resolution with texture filtering and overlays the 2D draws at game resolution. Validated in the tutorial. Not in the v0.2.0 download (added in v0.2.1). Known differences in docs/ROADMAP.md.
• tools/d3d_compare.sh: plays the same scripted path in the software and Direct3D builds and writes a side-by-side image.
• Input scripts take a hold time: click:x,y,hold (default 120 ms).

Fixed

• Clicks that press and release in the same instant (trackpad tap) were ignored in the main menu. The release is now held until the press is 50 ms old.

v0.1.2: signed and notarized

Download OpenPopTB-MacOS-0.1.2.zip below, unzip it and open Populous TB.app (or Populous UW.app for Undiscovered Worlds).

The apps are now signed and notarized by Apple: macOS opens them normally, no more "Open Anyway" in System Settings.

Requirements

• Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 14 or later
• Apple's Command Line Tools (the app offers to install them)
• Your own copy of the game: the GOG offline installer or an installed game folder. The download contains no game code or data; the first launch recompiles your copy (about a minute), later launches take seconds.

Changed

• The download is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple.
• Apps use the hardened runtime with the disable-library-validation entitlement, needed to load the game bundle compiled on the player's Mac.
• tools/package_release.sh signs and notarizes when given credentials; CI does it when the signing secrets exist and builds an ad-hoc signed app otherwise.

v0.1.1: prebuilt download

First prebuilt download. Unzip, open Populous TB.app (or Populous UW.app), and choose your GOG installer or game folder. The first launch recompiles your own copy of the game for your Mac (about a minute) and caches it; later launches take seconds.

• Needs Apple Silicon and macOS 14+, plus Apple's free Command Line Tools (the app offers to install them).
• Not notarized: the first time, allow it in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway.
• The download contains no game code or data: you need your own copy of Populous: The Beginning (GOG).

Added

• Prebuilt download (OpenPopTB-MacOS-0.1.1.zip): the apps contain no game code; on first launch
  they recompile the player's own copy (about a minute; 40 s measured on a 15-core M-series Mac)
  and cache the result. Needs Apple's Command Line Tools, which the app offers to install. Built
  and attached to GitHub releases by CI.
• The app accepts the GOG offline installer directly (unpacked with a bundled innoextract), besides
  an already extracted or installed game folder. Also --installer <setup.exe> on the command
  line and in build.sh.
• tools/package_release.sh and .github/workflows/release.yml.

Changed

• Generated tables are named gen_fn_table/gen_import_table; the runtime reaches them through
  pointers so the same code works linked in or loaded from a bundle. Regenerate gen*/ (build.sh
  always does).

v0.1.0 — first public version

First public version of OpenPopTB-MacOS: a native Apple Silicon port of Populous: The Beginning and Undiscovered Worlds, built by statically recompiling the original executables.

No game files are included. You need the GOG release of the game; the build recompiles your copy locally.
Prebuilt downloadable apps are planned for v0.2.0 (see ROADMAP, item 0).

How to get it running

xcode-select --install
brew install cmake ninja sdl3 python
git clone https://github.com/iagodemacedo/OpenPopTB-MacOS.git && cd OpenPopTB-MacOS
./build.sh "/path/to/Populous The Beginning"
open "dist/Populous TB.app"

What works

• Single player: front end, tutorial, campaign, Rolling Demo, options, 640x480 and 800x600
• Undiscovered Worlds
• Sound effects and music (recompiled QMixer + DirectSound 3D on SDL3)
• FMVs with audio

Known limitations

• Multiplayer disabled (work in progress)
• Direct3D build not supported; the original software renderer is used
• Tested only with the GOG v1.01 files (hashes in the README)

Full list: CHANGELOG.md. Help wanted: CONTRIBUTING.md.