Zandronum supports an abundance of game modes and mode flavors to suite every occasion. Listed below is the currently available game modes for Zandronum and some of the settings available for them.

Competitive

Deathmatch

Description: The classic game mode: simply shoot as many players as you see. The game ends when a player hits the frag limit, or the time limit is reached.

Available settings

Console variable: deathmatch
Settings: fraglimit, timelimit

Team Deathmatch

Description: Team Deathmatch takes Deathmatch and splits players into teams.

Available settings

Console variable: teamplay
Settings: fraglimit, timelimit

Terminator

Description: In the Terminator game mode, the Terminator sphere is spawned in a random spot. Once a player has picked up the sphere, that player will become the Terminator, and will have 200% health, 200% armor, and permanent quad damage! The Terminator can easily be identified by the Terminator icon atop the player's head. When the Terminator is killed, the player that killed the Terminator will gain 10 frags, and the Terminator sphere is dropped, ready to be picked up again.

Available settings

Console variable: terminator
Settings: fraglimit, timelimit

Possession

Description: In Possession, the Hellstone will spawn at a random location. When a player picks up the Hellstone, they must stay alive for a certain amount of time in order to gain a point. However, the player with the Hellstone will lose all of their weapons, rendering them defenseless! The Hellstone will be dropped if the player holding it dies, allowing it to be picked up again.

Available settings

Console variable: possession
Settings: pointlimit, timelimit, sv_possessionholdtime

Team Possession

Description: Team Possession, as the name suggests, adds teams to Possession: if a teammate picks up the Hellstone, defend them from the enemy!

Available settings

Console variable: teampossession
Settings: pointlimit, timelimit, sv_possessionholdtime

Last Man Standing

Description: Last Man Standing (LMS) is similar to Deathmatch, but you have a limited amount of lives, and the goal is to be the last player alive. You receive all the weapons available, minus the BFG. In LMS, you gain points for being the last player alive for each round.

Available settings

Console variable: lastmanstanding
Settings: winlimit, timelimit, sv_maxlives

Team Last Man Standing

Description: Team Last Man Standing (TLMS) takes the rules of Last Man Standing and applies it to a team-based gamemode: the last team standing wins a point.

Available settings

Console variable: teamlms
Settings: winlimit, timelimit, sv_maxlives

Capture the Flag

Description: In Capture The Flag (CTF), you and your team must pick up the flag from the other team's base, and carry the flag back to your team's flag to gain a point. Not only that, but yu still have to defend your team's flag, and make sure that your flag carrier safely scores a point for the team. If the carrier dies while holding the flag, the flag will be dropped allowing enemies to pick it up and allies to return it back to base.

Available settings

Console variable: ctf
Settings: pointlimit, timelimit

One-flag Capture the Flag

Description: A form of CTF where there is only a single white flag in the middle of the map which must be brought back to your team's base.

Available settings

Console variable: oneflagctf
Settings: pointlimit, timelimit

Skulltag

Description: Skulltag (ST) is a game mode similar to CTF. Unlike CTF, however, skulls are used instead of flags, and these skulls must be placed (tagged) on your team's score pillar located somewhere on the map. Some maps may even have multiple pillars, and each pillar may be worth different amounts of points.

Available settings

Console variable: skulltag
Available settings: pointlimit, timelimit

Duel

Description: Duel is effectively one-on-one Deathmatch. Two players fight against each other, while other players wait in line to play the winner. To win in a duel game, you must frag the other player until you reach the frag limit.

Available settings

Console variable: duel
Settings: fraglimit, duellimit, timelimit

Team Game

Description: A basic team game mode for extensive customization by mods. Consult the documentation for a mod for instructions on how to set it up.

Available settings

Console variable: teamgame

Domination

Description: In Domination, there are various domination points around the map, indicated by a giant beam of light, for your teams to capture. If nobody is controlling the point, then the light is white. To take control of the point simply walk over it and it's yours! Every 3 seconds, your team receives 1 point for each point under your control.

Available settings

Console variable: domination
Settings: pointlimit, timelimit

Cooperative

Description: The standard co-operative mode: fight with your friends to defeat the armies of hell.

Available settings

Console variable: cooperative

Survival Co-operative

Description: A twist on co-operative in which each player has a set amount of lives. If you run out of lives, you can't respawn until the next map. If everyone runs out of lives, you lose and have to start again.

Available settings

Console variable: cooperative
Settings: sv_maxlives

Invasion

Description: A co-operative game mode in which there are multiple increasingly difficult waves of monsters to fight. Can be combined with sv_maxlives to create Survival Invasion.

Available settings

Console variable: invasion
Settings: sv_maxlives

Modifiers

Buckshot

Description: This modifier restricts players to use only the Super Shotgun. Fast paced close combat is guaranteed.

Available settings

Console variable: buckshot
Command-line parameter: -buckshot

Instagib

Description: A modifier that causes everyone to spawn with a railgun, with no other items spawning. The railgun is powerful enough that in one hit, it will instantly kill you with so much damage that you're gibbed (hence "instagib".)

Note: By default, Zandronum does not include a railgun. You will need to load one yourself for this modifier to work properly!

Available settings

Console variable: instagib
Command-line parameter: -instagib