Archipelago vs Randovania

Archipelago randomizes supported games and connects them in a shared multiplayer experience. An item found in one player's game can be assigned to another player and sent over the internet. Sessions may be synchronous, with everyone playing at once, or asynchronous, with players connecting at their own pace. Supported games can also be generated as single-player experiences through the website or installed generator software. Website generation uses an uploaded YAML configuration or ZIP of configuration files and the current Archipelago release. To host a game, users can upload a locally generated ZIP or multidata file, then provide a tracker and patch files to players. Race games are made without spoiler logs and use protections that vary by game, such as ROM encryption or cheat-mode removal. The project lists included games and provides guides, including instructions for macOS clients; it directs players and developers to Discord for questions. Archipelago is free and open source, with Linux, macOS, web, and Windows support. Its supported-games page also points to guides for custom worlds and other games.

Randovania is a free, open-source randomizer for supported games on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It rearranges weapons, keys, and other items among locations, and can also change area connections, travel requirements, starting equipment, and starting location. Its randomization aims to keep games completable without glitches or exploits. Multiworld can distribute items among several games and players, including a session played alone, and the project lists integrations for the Prime games, Cave Story, Metroid Dread, AM2R, and Samus Returns. Multiworld requires a Discord account. There are no hard limits on players or worlds, but sessions above 30 have seen little testing. When disconnected from its server, Randovania retains collected-item information and sends it after reconnection, including after a restart. It only supports unmodified game files; Prime and Prime 2 require uncompressed GameCube ISO files. The Metroid Prime page specifies a GameCube ISO and either a modded Wii or Dolphin Emulator. Larger Multiworld sessions can be discussed with the community on Discord.