What CS2D is
CS2D is a free top-down multiplayer shooter from Unreal Software. Two teams fight each other in fast matches seen from above, with pixel graphics and dynamic light effects, plus an optional "GTA 2"-like top-down 3D mode. It has been around for over a decade and is a complete game rather than an early access build. The arsenal covers pistols, shotguns, rifles, sniper rifles, submachine guns, machine guns, grenades, launchers, mines, a flamethrower, a laser, a portal gun, a machete, a wrench, a claw and a chainsaw — over 70 items in total, including a tactical shield, medic armor, stealth armor, medikits, bandages and money pickups.
Playing together
You can play online, on LAN, or offline against bots driven by Lua scripted AI. Matches run in many modes: Classic with bomb planting, hostage rescue and VIP assassination, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch with capture the flag and domination maps, Zombies where you either survive or infest survivors, and Construction mode where you build turrets, walls, teleporters, dispensers and more. Special grenades like flares, molotov cocktails, gas grenades, airstrikes and snowballs give each round its own flavour, so a group can settle on a mode that suits how chaotic they want the session to be.
Making it your own
The built-in map editor lets you create maps quickly using an entity and trigger system, and Lua scripts let you modify and extend the game, including mods with funny hats. There is a console with buy scripts, and the community has produced a large supply of custom maps and scripts. The game runs on Windows and Linux clients with a headless dedicated server, so someone in the group can host one for everyone to join.