Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Minecraft Realms

Luanti (formerly Minetest) is a free and open-source voxel game engine and game-creation platform. It provides a configurable client and a dedicated server to build, mod, and host voxel-based games and multiplayer worlds.

Key Features

• Voxel world engine with support for singleplayer and multiplayer gameplay
• Lua-based modding and game creation for extensible mechanics and content
• Dedicated server for hosting persistent worlds and community servers
• In-game chat and command system with privileges for server administration
• Configurable controls and settings via config files and command-line options

Use Cases

• Host a private multiplayer voxel world for friends, classrooms, or communities
• Build a custom voxel game by combining or writing Lua mods
• Run a lightweight game server for sandbox, survival, or creative gameplay modes

Luanti is well-suited for developers and communities that want a moddable voxel engine with an active ecosystem of games and mods. It can run as a client, a standalone server, or both, depending on your deployment needs.

OpenTTD is an open-source transport management and simulation game based on the classic Transport Tycoon Deluxe. It focuses on building profitable transportation networks using trains, road vehicles, ships, and aircraft, with both single-player and multiplayer modes.

Key Features

• Build and manage transport networks across procedurally generated maps
• Multiplayer gameplay for cooperative or competitive company management
• Extensive modding via NewGRF content and in-game online content downloads
• Scriptable AI and Game Scripts support (for custom AIs and gameplay scenarios)
• Broad platform support and long-term savegame compatibility across versions
• Frequent updates with UI improvements, new map generation options, and gameplay additions

Use Cases

• Hosting a persistent multiplayer server for friends or a community
• Creating custom gameplay scenarios with Game Scripts and mod packs
• Experimenting with logistics optimization and large-scale transport networks

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires separate graphics/sound base sets (downloaded or installed alongside the game)
• Multiplayer desyncs can be difficult to debug in complex modded setups

OpenTTD is a mature, feature-rich simulation game with a strong community and a long history of compatibility and mod support. It is well suited for both casual play and highly technical, large-scale sandbox simulations.

Veloren is an open-source action-adventure role-playing game set in a large fantasy world with voxel visuals and multiplayer support. It focuses on exploration, character progression, and dynamic combat within a procedurally generated, simulated world.

Key Features

• Vast fantasy biomes to explore, including mountains, deserts, jungles, and caves
• Fast-paced action combat with multiple weapons and play styles
• Procedural world generation with interconnected simulation as you play
• Towns with NPC interactions and crafting systems for equipment and progression
• Dungeons, hideouts, bosses, and hostile creatures to encounter
• Mining and resource gathering in expansive underground cave networks
• Tameable creatures that can act as companions or mounts
• Multiplayer gameplay on public servers, LAN play, and the ability to host your own server

Use Cases

• Host a private multiplayer RPG server for friends or a community
• Explore and progress solo in a procedurally generated fantasy world
• Contribute to an open-source game project (gameplay, assets, engine, or tooling)

Veloren is a strong fit for players who want a community-driven open-source RPG and for hobbyists interested in running their own game servers. Its procedural world and multiplayer focus make it especially suitable for long-running shared-world play.