MODES

CS 1.6 game modes people actually play

Every kind of CS 1.6 server, from plain Classic to Surf and JailBreak, ranked by real players on servers from the Steam list. The mode is worked out from the maps a server runs and its name.

All game modes

14 modes
#ModePlayers nowServers nowAverageShareTrend
1Classic4,2403822,874on 310 servers53%-
2Zombie1,113116973on 106 servers18%-
3Deathmatch65157464on 43 servers8.6%-
4Other37760293on 53 servers5.4%-
5Fight Yard27744226on 40 servers4.2%-
6GunGame19121180on 19 servers3.3%-
7AWP14317131on 19 servers2.4%-
8AIM1062788on 20 servers1.6%-
9DeathRun50944on 11 servers0.8%-
10Surf541840on 17 servers0.7%-
11Warcraft 348334on 2 servers0.6%-
12KZ / Bhop201127on 11 servers0.5%-
13Hide and Seek36526on 8 servers0.5%-
14JailBreak201121on 9 servers0.4%-

Players now and Servers now - at the last check, every 10 minutes. Average - real players at any moment over the period, day and night, so it is lower than the evening numbers. Share - of all real players over the period. Trend - against the period before. Fake servers and farms are left out everywhere.

What each mode is

Classic
Classic is CS 1.6 the way it comes out of the box: two teams, the official goals - plant or defuse the bomb, rescue or hold the hostages - and one life per round. Most public servers add only small things on top, like a map vote, ranks or VIP slots, and keep the game itself as it is.
Zombie
Zombie servers run Zombie Plague, Biohazard or a similar mod. At the start of the round one or a few players turn into zombies, and every human they hit becomes one too. The humans hold corners and high ground and spend ammo packs on weapons and items; the round ends when everyone is infected or the time runs out. zm_ maps are made for it, and ze_ maps for the escape version, where the humans run through the level with the zombies behind them.
Deathmatch
Deathmatch servers, usually CSDM, take the rounds away: you respawn a second or two after you die, pick your guns from a menu and carry on. No objectives and no waiting, which is why it is the usual way to warm up before a match or to practise aim.
Other
Servers that don't fit any of the modes above, or mix several of them: fun servers, custom mods and everything in between.
Fight Yard
Fight Yard: tiny maps such as fy_snow and fy_pool_day, where the weapons lie on the ground and both teams spawn almost in sight of each other. Rounds are short and loud.
GunGame
GunGame: everybody starts with the same pistol and gets the next weapon for every kill, up a fixed ladder of guns. The first player to get a kill with the last one - usually the knife or a grenade - wins the map.
AWP
AWP servers give everybody the sniper rifle. Duels across open maps like awp_india, where one missed shot can cost the round.
AIM
AIM maps are small open arenas where both teams spawn facing each other, often with one weapon handed out to everybody. A round takes seconds, so the only thing that matters is aim.
DeathRun
In DeathRun one player is the "death" and stands by buttons that set off traps along a long course; everybody else has to run it. Whoever makes it to the end gets to deal with the death. deathrun_ and dr_ maps are made for it.
Surf
Surf comes from a quirk of the engine: on a steep slope you slide instead of falling, and holding a strafe key turns the slide into flight. Surf maps are long ramps over empty space, and you get to the end - or to the other team - by riding them.
Warcraft 3
Warcraft 3 servers run the War3FT mod. Players pick a race, earn experience and level up skills that work on top of normal CS - more speed or health, invisibility, ultimate abilities. On most servers the progress is saved between visits.
KZ / Bhop
KZ (Kreedz Climbing) and bhop servers are about movement only: long jumps, bunny hops and climbing a map from start to finish against the clock, with checkpoints on the way. kz_, bkz_ and xc_ maps; the best times are kept as records.
Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek: the Terrorists hide, usually with only a knife and a few flashbangs, and the Counter-Terrorists hunt them down. Movement and knowing every corner of the map decide the round.
JailBreak
JailBreak splits the server into guards and prisoners. The guards give orders and run little games, the prisoners obey - or try to break out and take the guards' weapons. The last prisoner left alive usually gets a "last request", a duel with a guard of his choice. jail_ and jb_ maps are built for it.