Free Quake fan pack adds 19 rooftop maps to id Software’s shooter

The Quake community has released Rooftops Jam, a free fan-made pack for id Software’s 1996 shooter. It contains 19 custom maps built around rooftops as their primary play spaces.

Rooftops are an unusual setting for Quake, whose levels are generally focused on corridors and enclosed areas. The pack’s creators turn the tops of buildings into arenas and explore the theme through several distinct designs.

Three maps in Rooftops Jam

Robert Yang’s Mermaids in the Basement is a nonlinear, sunlit map set in a Mediterranean village partly submerged in water. Once, But No More presents a sprawling city with multiple architectural styles and platforming sections, while City of Traitors is a maze of Gothic spires set in a misty purple void.

Running the pack with a source port

Rooftops Jam is available from Slipseer. It is intended for use with a Quake source port such as Ironwail or vkQuake. Players must extract the files into a separate `qrtjam` folder inside their Quake directory and add `-game qrtjam` to the source port’s shortcut.

The release arrives during continued community activity around Quake three decades after its launch. The series’ broader future remains unclear: reports previously linked MachineGames to Quake 6, but signs point to the studio’s next project being Wolfenstein 3. Quake Champions has also stopped receiving live-service updates, although it remains playable as a standalone paid game.