Feels like the original
Familiar GoldSrc tabs and olive green chrome, with country flags beside server names. Flags use the server's AMX Mod X language when available, then an offline IP lookup.
FREE · OPEN SOURCE · FOR WINDOWS
Skip the fake servers.
Find a real game.
Steam's Counter-Strike 1.6 list is flooded with fake and redirect servers. cs16browser checks every server before showing it, so the list only has servers you can actually play on.
01 / THE PROBLEM
Most of the server list is fake.
A few redirect farms have registered tens of thousands of made-up servers with Steam. The in-game browser shows whatever Steam sends it, so the few hundred real servers get buried. Pick the wrong entry and you can end up on a server you never chose.
A / CHECKED
Every server gets asked
Before a server appears, the app queries it directly. The name, map and player count you see come from the server itself, not from what it told Steam.
B / FILTERED
Fakes never make the list
Redirects to another address, server farms, impossible player counts and copies of other servers' names are dropped. They don't flash up while the list loads either.
C / VISIBLE
You can see what was removed
The Banned tab shows flagged servers and endpoints the scan could not verify. Right-click a row to whitelist one server, or clear all saved bans. You can also ban a server from Internet, Favorites or History.
02 / FEATURES
Made for playing, not just browsing.
Keeping fakes out is the main job. The rest makes it pleasant to use every day.
See who's playing
Open a server's info to see its players with their scores and time on the server, so you can tell a busy match from a quiet one before you join.
Filters and search
Filter by name, map, ping, anti-cheat, bots (including ones a bot plugin reports as players), full or empty servers and passwords. The list updates as you type.
Favorites and history
Right-click a server to keep it in Favorites. Every server you join lands in History, so last night's game is easy to find again.
Quick to join
Move with the arrow keys, then press Enter or double-click. Steam starts the game and connects you.
Updates itself
When a new version is out, the app offers to install it and waits for your OK. Updates are signed, so only builds from this project get installed.
03 / FAQ
Before you install.
Why does it need a Steam Web API key?
Steam only gives out the full server list through its Web API, and that requires a key. Getting one is free and takes a minute: sign in on Steam's API key page, enter any domain name (localhost is fine) and copy the key. Steam doesn't give keys to limited accounts.
What does the app send, and where?
Your key, favorites, history and settings are stored on your PC. The key is sent only to Steam, to fetch the server list. The app then contacts each game server to check it, and GitHub to look for updates. You can turn the update check off in Settings. There's no account and no tracking.
Do I need Counter-Strike 1.6 installed?
You can browse without it. To join a server you need Steam and Counter-Strike 1.6 in your library, because joining goes through Steam, just like it does from the game's own browser.
Windows says it protected my PC. Is the installer safe?
The installer isn't signed with a paid code-signing certificate yet, so SmartScreen doesn't recognize it. Click More info, then Run anyway. The source code is public, and GitHub builds every release straight from it.
Won't all those checks flood the servers?
No. If a server answered in the last minute, the app reuses that answer. No server gets more than three queries a minute, and servers that keep timing out are left alone for a while.
Is it really free?
Yes. It's open source under the GPL-3.0 license, with no ads and no sign-up.
04 / DOWNLOAD
Up and running in a few minutes.
Download for WindowsPrefer to build it yourself? The source code and build steps are on GitHub.
Run the installer
If Windows shows a SmartScreen warning, here's why.
Get a Steam Web API key
It's free from Steam's API key page.
Paste it into Settings
Settings opens the first time you start the app. Save the key and the server list starts filling in.