Questions and answers
Where do I get an .iso file? I only have the old box of the game
If the disc is lost or scratched, or your computer has no disc drive (new ones rarely do), you can look for an image of your own edition of the game on the internet.
If you still have the disc, make an image of it on a computer with a drive: ImgBurn or AnyBurn on Windows, Disk Utility on a Mac (a “DVD/CD master” image, renamed from .cdr to .iso) or the dd command on Linux. A phone cannot read discs, so copy the .iso file over.
Does Beach Life run on Windows 11 and Windows 10?
Yes. In the browser there is nothing to install and no compatibility mode to set up; it is built and tested with Chrome and Edge on Windows. If you prefer a program on your computer, there is also a Windows installer (see the question about installing the game).
Can I play Beach Life on a Mac or on Linux?
Yes. A current desktop browser on a Mac or a Linux PC runs the web page too; Chrome and Edge are the best tested, so if something breaks in another browser, please report it on GitHub. There are also downloads for Linux and, experimentally, for macOS (see the question about installing the game).
Can I install the game on my computer instead of using the browser?
Yes. Every release on GitHub has a Windows installer and zip, a Linux archive and an experimental macOS disk image for Apple silicon. Download the one for your system and start it; it asks for your own copy of Beach Life the first time (the zip and the Linux archive come with a README that explains the same). No GitHub account is needed.
Open the releases on GitHub
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Experimentally. Touch controls are new and still rough: tap to click, drag with one finger to move the map, press and hold to keep the left button down, tap with two fingers to right-click and drag with two fingers to scroll. While placing a building, drag a finger to aim and lift it to place; the Space and Esc buttons below the game turn the building and leave the mode. The game keeps about 1 GB of data in the browser, so a desktop or laptop is still the better choice.
Do I need the original game?
Yes. OpenBeach contains no graphics, music or other data of the game. Drop your own copy on the page: a disc image (.iso) or a mounted drive, or the folder of an installation.
Which copies of the game work?
The European and the French/German CD, the UK/US CD (Virtual Resort: Spring Break), the later English CD, and the installed folders of these. A copy the importer does not know is refused with a message and nothing is changed.
Is my copy uploaded anywhere?
No. Your browser converts the copy on your own computer, which takes a few minutes and happens once, and keeps the result in storage that only this page can reach. Nothing is sent to a server.
Which languages can I play in?
The ones your copy has: English for the UK/US and the later English CDs, and French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish for the European and the French/German CDs. You pick the language on the screen before the game starts.
Where are my saves, and can I move them?
Saves are kept in this browser only, so clearing its site data deletes them. "Download saves" keeps a copy and "Import saves" loads it again, also on another computer.
Is OpenBeach free, and is it the official game?
It is free and open source (GPL-3.0-or-later) and an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with the makers of the original game. You need your own legal copy of the game.
Is the project finished? Where do I report a bug?
It is still under development. The campaign and sandbox scenarios can be played, but you may meet bugs. Please report them on GitHub or Discord, where you can also follow the progress.
