TrenchBroom review
A broad, open-source editor for building and validating Quake-style maps.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
TrenchBroom is a free, GPLv3+-licensed level editor for brush-based Quake-engine games. It is aimed at creators working on Quake, Quake 2, Quake 3, Hexen 2, Daikatana, and custom engines configured through the editor. Official builds support Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its core workspace combines a 3D view with up to three 2D editing views, making it suitable for shaping maps, placing entities, applying materials, and managing game-specific settings in one tool.
The editor’s strongest area is the depth of its map-building toolkit. Brush vertex, edge, face, clipping, scaling, and shearing tools are paired with CSG operations such as merge, subtract, and intersect. Texture and UV editing supports multiple material collections, while the entity browser adds drag-and-drop placement. FGD and DEF entity definitions, point and portal files, map validation, automatic quick fixes, unlimited undo/redo, and automatic backups extend the workflow beyond basic geometry editing.
Format and ecosystem coverage are also central to the product. TrenchBroom supports Standard Quake map, Valve map, Quake2, Quake2 (Valve), Quake3 (legacy), Quake3 (Valve), Hexen2, idpak, dkpak, and zip/pk3 formats. Mod configuration and management help organize game-specific projects, and external compiler plus game-engine launching connects the editor to the wider build process. Choose TrenchBroom if you want free, cross-platform, open-source tooling for Quake-style level creation and need broad map-format support. An alternative is more appropriate if your work is outside brush-based Quake-engine workflows or requires a general-purpose game development environment.
TrenchBroom pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Combines 3D and 2D editing with detailed brush and CSG tools
- Supports textures, UVs, entities, materials, mods, and map validation
- Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with broad format support
- Where it doesn't
- Focused on brush-based Quake-engine games and custom game configurations
- External compilers and game engines are part of the workflow
- The feature set is specialized for level editing rather than general game development
TrenchBroom fact sheet, pricing and score →
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