# OpenClaw: reimplementing Captain Claw

> OpenClaw is a C++ reimplementation of the 1997 game Captain Claw. It uses SDL2, Box2D, and TinyXML, and reads the original CLAW.REZ archive from Build_Release. The assets in Build_Release/ASSETS are zipped to ASSETS.ZIP. Windows can open the Visual Studio 2017 solution or run cmake -G "Visual Studio 15 2017". Ubuntu installs the SDL2 development packages and then runs cmake and make. An Emscripten build produces openclaw.html, openclaw.js, openclaw.wasm, and openclaw.data.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-11-07
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/pjasicek/OpenClaw>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/pjasicek/OpenClaw/blob/5ee5740ca98377c76b13b50c84f610b0066a4717/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/openclaw/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/openclaw/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/openclaw/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- The original CLAW.REZ in Build_Release. Windows uses the bundled SDL2 libraries. Ubuntu needs the SDL2 development packages.
- The README does not name a license.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/pjasicek/OpenClaw/blob/5ee5740ca98377c76b13b50c84f610b0066a4717/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.