Frequently asked questions

Minkowski Kart is a free, open-source 3D relativistic kart-racing game created by Robson Christie. It combines arcade kart racing with special-relativistic visual transforms, proper-time telemetry, time-related mechanics, and curved-spacetime-inspired power-ups.

Yes. The current public release is version_1.92, with working packages for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. Windows CI enters a race, and the exact published Windows archive separately passed integrity, extraction, gameplay-asset, and 44-second headless race-initialisation checks.

Yes. The release downloads cost zero, and the repository contains no requirement to purchase the game.

Yes. The program is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later. Individual assets retain the licences recorded beside them in the repository.

Use the official download page or the GitHub release page. The Windows release currently has the broadest automated test coverage.

Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android have working packages. The Android build is ARM64 and targets Android 5.0 or later. An ad-hoc iOS package is also available for developer testing.

It implements several special-relativistic calculations inside an arcade game: beta and Lorentz factors, proper-time bookkeeping, a Lorentz-derived aberration transform, retarded apparent positions, directional Doppler colour effects, and a relativistic speed cap. Read the physics guide for source links and limitations.

Black holes, wormholes, gravitational waves, and lensing become gameplay mechanics and visual effects. The emphasis is on spectacular, readable racing moments.

Minkowski Kart is a physics-inspired arcade racer. Inspectable optical equations and telemetry sit alongside responsive kart handling, imaginative power-ups, colourful lensing, and wormhole shortcuts.

The current Doppler colour effect appears during selected item and status conditions, giving those moments a distinctive directional colour shift.

It is developed from the SuperTuxKart codebase and retains its racing engine, many systems, and extensive upstream contributions. Minkowski Kart adds project-specific relativity, rendering, gameplay, track, packaging, and documentation work. Upstream notices and asset credits remain part of the project.

The project adapts relativistic visual-model ideas and colour-shift code from the MIT Game Lab's OpenRelativity project under the MIT License. The implementation is credited in the repository and technical manuscript.

Local split-screen and LAN play are implemented. Online networking code also exists, including server-authoritative relativity settings, but a turnkey public account/API/relay service is not currently deployed.

Use the project-specific forms on GitHub Issues. Include the exact version, platform, reproduction steps, and logs. Report sensitive security problems privately through the repository's security advisory form.