Ambermoon.net Open-Source Remake
The most significant active Thalion-related project is the open-source Ambermoon remake at ambermoon.net, led by developer Pyrdacor. Written entirely in C#, the project is a ground-up reconstruction of the Ambermoon engine that uses the original game data files to faithfully recreate the 1993 RPG on modern hardware.
The remake runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It reproduces the original game's world, mechanics, and audio with high accuracy, while adding quality-of-life improvements and fixing original bugs. The project is under active development with regular releases and an engaged community of contributors and players.
The source release of the original Ambermoon code in 2023 has informed the remake's development, allowing Pyrdacor and contributors to verify their reverse-engineering against the actual original implementation. The GitHub repository is at github.com/Pyrdacor/Ambermoon.
Ambermoon-Advanced
Ambermoon-Advanced is a community modification for the Ambermoon remake that expands the game with additional content, balance changes, and quality-of-life improvements beyond the base remake. It builds on the open foundation that Pyrdacor's project provides, demonstrating the extensibility of the open-source approach.
The mod is an example of the creative activity the source code release has enabled. With access to both the original Ambermoon data and Pyrdacor's documented engine, community members have the tools to expand and remix the game in ways that were previously impossible.
Amberworld Tools
Amberworld is a long-running community project providing walkthroughs, maps, item databases, and research tools for the Amber RPG series. The site's maps and encyclopaedic item and NPC databases are the most comprehensive guides to Amberstar and Ambermoon available in English or German.
Amberworld has also documented the differences between game versions, regional releases, and the various patches applied by the community over the years. For anyone undertaking a first playthrough of either game, Amberworld's guides are an invaluable companion.
The 2023 Source Release
In 2023, the source code and assets for both Amberstar and Ambermoon were publicly released. This was a landmark event for the Amiga preservation and retro gaming communities. The code - original 68000 assembly - provides a direct window into how Thalion's programmers solved the extraordinary technical challenges of the games.
Developers studying the code have confirmed what players long suspected: the performance achieved in Ambermoon's 3-D dungeon engine and seamless world transitions required profound optimisation at the machine-code level. The release also confirmed that the Atari ST Ambermoon version reached an advanced state before being shelved - partial ST assets are present in the release.
Details of the release are documented at intelligent-artifice.com.
Looking Forward
Thalion closed in 1994. Thirty years later, their most ambitious creation is being actively played on modern hardware, its source code is publicly available for study, and a dedicated community continues to extend and celebrate the work. That is not a common fate for games of this era.
The open-source Ambermoon remake at ambermoon.net is the clearest expression of that ongoing vitality. If you have not yet played Ambermoon, the remake is the place to start. If you have played it and want to contribute, Pyrdacor's GitHub repository welcomes issues, pull requests, and discussion. See the play page for setup instructions.