03/18/2026 - havPreviewHandler Released
Hi, I'm René "Havoc" Nicolaus.
Senior Software Engineer • Indie Game Developer
I build engines, editors, tools, libraries, web apps, and games - from a Half-Life mod to a Doom-style engine.
02/23/2026 - havTermKit Released
01/31/2026 - havTransparentWnd Released
12/31/2025 - havWndSwitcher Released
12/15/2025 - havCSON Released
12/10/2025 - My Website Turns 25 - Time for a Redesign
10/10/2025 - Windows Keyboard Layout "IntAltGr" Released
09/02/2025 - Projects and Downloads Page Redesigned
08/26/2025 - Times of Darkness Re-Released
07/07/2025 - Minor Website Updates
06/19/2025 - New Domain, New Name, and Projects Page Update
05/28/2025 - Website and Project Updates
03/02/2025 - havGSD Released
12/14/2024 - havSeriLite Released
11/19/2024 - Escape Made Easy (E.M.E.) Version 0.3 Released
11/02/2024 - Havoc 3D Version 0.3.1 Released
10/25/2024 - Havoc 3D Released
09/23/2024 - Projects Page Updated
08/13/2024 - Website Updates and Improvements
08/09/2024 - Escape Made Easy (E.M.E.) Version 0.2 Released
08/08/2024 - Escape Made Easy (E.M.E.) Released
04/13/2024 - havLightbox Released
02/13/2024 - Redesigned website layout of Havoc's Page
01/28/2024 - Screen Saver Released
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Projects
A selection of my projects is showcased below, with more available on my GitHub account.
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Downloads
The Pushing Point
A 3D take on [Sokoban](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokoban "Sokoban") puzzle gameplay.
February 20, 2025
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 0.1.0
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Havoc 3D
A beatable demo of my discontinued [ray casting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_casting "ray casting") engine.
November 02, 2024
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 0.3.1
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Dangerous Adventure in Space
My side-scrolling run-and-gun game, originally made for the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130916234139/http://ludumdare.com/compo/">Ludum Dare competition #27</a>.
Updated: February 05, 2024 (SDL 2.0 Version)
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 0.1.4
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Escape Made Easy (E.M.E.)
My [rougelike](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roguelike "rougelike") game with a dynamic music system.
Updated: January 18, 2026 (SDL 3.0 Version)
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 0.4
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Dark Tide
A small single-player map I originally created for <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2229830/Command__Conquer_and_The_Covert_Operations">Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn</a> on September 4, 2005, now updated to work with the <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1213210/Command__Conquer_Remastered_Collection">Remastered edition</a>. Installation instructions can be found on the project page.
Updated: September 16, 2025 (CnC TDRA Map Editor - Remastered Version)
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn Map"><svg class="bi bi-file-earmark version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-file-earmark"></use></svg></span> C&C TD Map
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Wild Aim
A simple <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/10/CounterStrike">Counter-Strike</a> aim map I created for my old clan. Installation instructions can be found on the project page.
September 07, 2004
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Counter-Strike 1.6 Map"><svg class="bi bi-file-earmark version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-file-earmark"></use></svg></span> CS 1.6 Map
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Times of Darkness
A single-player mod for <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/70/HalfLife">Half-Life</a>. Installation instructions can be found on the project page.
September 27, 2003
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 1.0
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Times of Darkness 2 - Intro Song
Intro song from the canceled sequel: Times of Darkness 2.
February 15, 2004
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="128 kbps MP3"><svg class="bi bi-filetype-mp3 version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-filetype-mp3"></use></svg></span> MP3
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havPreviewHandler
A [shell extension](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_Explorer#Extensibility "shell extension") DLL for File Explorer on Windows 11 that provides animated image previews and representative static thumbnails for GIF, WebP, and PNG files (including APNG content in PNG containers). Previews are displayed directly in the File Explorer Preview Pane.
March 18, 2026
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 0.1.0
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havTermViper
A small game that was created to show how to use [havTermKit](https://github.com/Havoc7891/havTermKit).
March 01, 2026
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 1.0
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havTransparentWnd
A [WinForms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Forms "WinForms") app developed in C# that allows you to make windows transparent. You need Windows 10 or later and the [.NET 10 Desktop Runtime](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/10.0/runtime ".NET 10 Desktop Runtime") to run this app.
January 31, 2026
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 1.0.0.0
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havWndSwitcher
A [WinForms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Forms "WinForms") background app that registers global hotkeys to switch windows with optional switching rules. You need Windows 10 or later and the [.NET 8 Desktop Runtime](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/8.0/runtime ".NET 8 Desktop Runtime") to run this app.
December 31, 2025
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 1.0.0.0
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havCurCtr
A [WinForms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Forms "WinForms")-based background app that registers a global hotkey to center the mouse cursor on the primary monitor. You need Windows 10 or later and the [.NET 8 Desktop Runtime](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet/8.0/runtime ".NET 8 Desktop Runtime") to run this app.
August 24, 2025
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 1.0
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IntAltGr
A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY">QWERTY</a>-based Windows keyboard layout that enables direct input of international characters (e.g., German <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umlaut_(diacritic)">umlauts</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9F">sharp S</a>) via <code>Alt Gr</code> (or <code>Ctrl</code> + <code>Alt</code>) modifier, without the "dead key" behavior of US-International.
Updated: October 10, 2025 (rebuilt)
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 1.0.3.40
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havGSD
A task list plugin for <a href="https://codelite.org">CodeLite</a>.
September 13, 2025
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 0.2
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Havoc Startup Minimizer
A lightweight, efficient, and permission-free extension for <a href="https://www.thunderbird.net">Mozilla Thunderbird</a> that minimizes the main Thunderbird window immediately after startup. Installation instructions can be found on the project page.
November 16, 2025
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span>, <span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="macOS Version"><svg class="bi bi-apple version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-apple"></use></svg></span>, <span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Linux Version"><svg class="bi bi-tux version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-tux"></use></svg></span> Version 1.0
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Havoc's Screen Saver
My very first Windows [screen saver](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screensaver "screen saver").
February 07, 2024
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<span class="has-tooltip" data-tooltip="Windows Version"><svg class="bi bi-windows version-cursor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><use href="/libs/bootstrap-icons/bootstrap-icons.svg#bi-windows"></use></svg></span> Version 0.2
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About
I'm René "Havoc" Nicolaus - a Senior Software Engineer and Indie Game Developer who enjoys building things from the ground up: engines, editors, tools, plugins, libraries, web apps, and the occasional full game or mod.
My projects range from Half-Life and Command & Conquer maps to a Doom-style engine, as well as tools and utilities that make my workflow smoother and more efficient. Some of my projects are on GitHub - others live here, with individual project detail pages, a dedicated downloads area, and a news section for updates.
If you're interested in engines, editors, tools, or games, feel free to follow along via GitHub, YouTube, LinkedIn, or the other feeds linked above.