# Gunboat: a function-level C++ port of the DOS game

> Gunboat reconstructs the 1990 DOS game Gunboat: River Combat Simulation in C++ and SDL3, porting functions from GB.EXE and reading the player's original data at runtime. It includes an executable map, subsystem specifications and differential tests against original code; the author reports native gameplay across the original video modes.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Binary · Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-11-06
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/PlasticCog/Gunboat>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/PlasticCog/Gunboat/blob/2c8d16defcf153118cedf1a79a06be370393dc42/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/gunboat-port-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/gunboat-port-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/gunboat-port-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- **Prerequisites:** The original DOS game files, including GB.EXE and its data files, are required.
- **Prerequisites:** Windows 10/11 or 64-bit Linux with glibc 2.35 or newer is documented for releases.
- **License:** The repository includes a third-party MIT licence notice for test-drive-3-sdl3; no licence for the Gunboat port is stated.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/PlasticCog/Gunboat/blob/2c8d16defcf153118cedf1a79a06be370393dc42/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/PlasticCog/Gunboat/blob/2c8d16defcf153118cedf1a79a06be370393dc42/Game/README.md>

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## About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.
Original editorial content: MIT. Linked projects, papers and assets retain their own rights and licenses.