Nations Reborn
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Install help

Installing Nations Reborn

A few clicks the first time, then the game opens like any other.

Why your computer shows a warning

Windows and macOS look for a code signature: a paid certificate that tells them who made an app. Nations Reborn is not signed with one yet, so the first time you open it your computer does not recognise the publisher and asks you to confirm.

The warning appears only because the signature is missing. It does not mean anything is wrong with the game, and it does not mean anyone is trying to hack you or your computer. You confirm once for each new version, and the game opens normally after that. If you would like to be sure your download is exactly the file we published, check it.

Windows

For Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit.

  1. Download the installer

    Download NationsReborn-<version>-windows-setup.exe from the Download page.

    Your browser may say the file isn’t commonly downloaded. That only means few people have downloaded it yet. Choose Keep. In Microsoft Edge, open the … menu beside the download, choose Keep, then Show more and Keep anyway.

  2. Open it, and choose “More info”

    Open the installer. Windows shows a blue window titled Windows protected your PC. Select More info.

  3. Choose “Run anyway”

    The window now shows the installer’s name and Publisher: Unknown publisher, because the game is not signed yet. Select Run anyway.

  4. Install and play

    Follow the installer. It installs for your account alone unless you choose to install for all users, adds Nations Reborn to the Start menu (and to the desktop, if you tick that box), and can start the game when it finishes.

macOS

The Mac version runs on Macs with Apple Silicon (M1 or newer) and macOS 11 or later. Intel Macs are not supported.

These steps are for macOS 15 Sequoia and later. On macOS 14 Sonoma and earlier it is quicker: in Applications, right-click (or Control-click) Nations Reborn, choose Open, then Open again.

  1. Copy the game to Applications

    Open NationsReborn-<version>-macos.dmg. In the window that appears, drag Nations Reborn onto the Applications folder.

  2. Open the game once

    Open Nations Reborn from your Applications folder. macOS stops it and says it could not verify that the app is free of malware. Choose Done.

    macOS says this about every app that has not been through Apple’s paid notarisation yet. It is not a finding about the game.

  3. Allow it in Privacy & Security

    Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll down to Security. Beside “Nations Reborn” was blocked to protect your Mac, choose Open Anyway.

  4. Confirm

    macOS asks once more. Choose Open Anyway and enter your Mac’s password (or use Touch ID). The game starts, and from now on it opens like any other app.

Linux

For x86_64 Linux with Vulkan graphics drivers. Linux shows no warning: the steps are only to unpack and run the game.

  1. Extract the archive

    Extract NationsReborn-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz with your file manager, or in a terminal:

    tar -xzf NationsReborn-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz

    This makes a folder, NationsReborn-<version>. Keep its files together: the game needs them side by side.

  2. Run the game

    Open the folder and run NationsReborn.x86_64, or in a terminal:

    cd NationsReborn-<version>
./NationsReborn.x86_64

    If it will not start, mark it as a program first, then run it again:

    chmod +x NationsReborn.x86_64

    The game needs Vulkan graphics drivers. The folder also has a nations-reborn.desktop file and an icon, if you want to add the game to your desktop’s menu.

Check your download

This is optional. Each download on the Download page lists a SHA-256 checksum: a fingerprint of the file. Work out your file’s fingerprint and compare. If the two match, your file is exactly the one we published, byte for byte.

Windows

Open PowerShell in your Downloads folder and run:

Get-FileHash .\NationsReborn-<version>-windows-setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256

PowerShell prints the checksum in capital letters; that makes no difference.

macOS

Open Terminal and run:

shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/NationsReborn-<version>-macos.dmg

Linux

In a terminal, in the folder you downloaded to:

sha256sum NationsReborn-<version>-linux-x86_64.tar.gz

The VirusTotal report

Where a download has a VirusTotal link, it opens the report for that exact file: the file checked by many antivirus engines at once. You can also upload the file to VirusTotal yourself. A new game that is not yet signed is occasionally flagged by one or two engines on general suspicion alone; the report shows what every engine found.

Still unsure, or something looks wrong? See the FAQ.