What do I need to play CorsixTH?

Updated

To play CorsixTH, you need two separate things: the CorsixTH program itself, and the data files from either the Theme Hospital demo or the full Theme Hospital game. CorsixTH only re-implements the original game engine in open source code — it does not include the game's artwork, sounds, or other assets. Those must come from a legitimate copy of Theme Hospital.

Why you need the original game files

CorsixTH's stated goal is to "re-implement the game engine of Theme Hospital, and be able to load the original game data files." That means the engine logic is rebuilt, but the content is not. Without the original data files, there is nothing for the engine to load, so the game cannot run.

This is a common pattern for open source engine recreations: the code is free, but the assets remain the property of the original publisher.

Your two options

Option What it is Where it comes from
Theme Hospital demo A limited version of the original game Widely distributed as a demo
Full Theme Hospital game The complete original release Available for purchase, for example at GOG.com

Either one works as the data source. The demo gives you a restricted slice of the game; the full version gives you everything.

What you download from CorsixTH

The CorsixTH program is downloaded separately from the project site at corsixth.com. The site's "Latest releases" section lists current builds, with the most recent entries shown as:

  • CorsixTH 0.70.1 (28/08/2026)
  • CorsixTH 0.70.0 (10/07/2026)
  • v0.70.0 Release Candidate 2 (28/06/2026)
  • v0.70.0 Release Candidate 1 (20/06/2026)
  • v0.70.0 Beta 2 (10/06/2026)

Release notes are linked from the same page, and the project also maintains a development blog for progress updates.

Putting it together

  1. Download and install CorsixTH from corsixth.com.
  2. Obtain either the Theme Hospital demo or the full game (the full game is sold, for example, at GOG.com).
  3. Point CorsixTH at the original game's data files when prompted or during setup.

If you already own Theme Hospital from a digital storefront or an old disc, you likely have the files you need. If you don't own it at all, the demo is the free route, and purchasing the full game is the way to get the complete experience.