Best Linux Games

Linux gaming has evolved considerably over the last few years. In 2010, the first Humble Bundle appeared and since them, new titles have been often released on this operating system. One of the main contributors to the growth of Linux gaming is Valve, one of the largest digital publishing platforms on PC. They made Steam available for Linux, which has resulted on a high number of AAA games becoming available on this platform. Thanks to Valve’s SteamMachines, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the majority of games supporting Linux. That being said, even before the latest developments, a great selection of open source games were and have been available for Linux. Here you will find a list of open source and triple A options that offers something for different kinds of players.

Xonotic

Xonotic used to be called Nexuiz and it is a free and fast arena-style first person shooter where you can get access to a wide selection of weapons with a variety of firing modes. This action-packed game features intuitive mechanics and innovative twists such as laser jumping and weapon comboing. Xonotic offers many configuration options and it is regularly updated. It supports Fedora, Arch, SuSe and Ubuntu via playdeb.net.

Battle for Wesnoth

This free turn-based strategy game is available for Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSe, Arch and Mint. If you enjoy fantasy games, this is a great option that allows you to explore the magical world of Wesnoth and participate in thrilling campaigns. There are 16 races and several unit types, and once you finish the single player campaigns, it is possible to set off into multiplayer lands, whether is locally through hotseat or online. Thanks to the map editor included, you can create your own maps and scenarios.

Voxelands

Voxeland is a fast, free and fun game that will remind you of Minecraft. This is not a coincidence, after all, Voxelands is a fork of Minetest, which is based in Minecraft and Infiniminer. Voxelands takes the basic Minetest to the next level, adding more options to make the experience more entertaining. There are hundreds of tools, item types, creatures, large maps, as well as single-player modes and multiplayer modes. In addition, Voxelands runs smoothly on any computer. It is available for the following Linux distributions: Slackware, Arch (AUR) and Chakra (CCR) and Fedora.

The Dark Mod

The Dark Mod takes you to a Gothic Steampunk World inspired by the Thief series by Looking Glass Studios. In this free first-person stealth game, you take the role of a hooded figure who is in the search for valuable items, while avoiding the attacks from those who try to stop you. While The Dark Mod will remind you of Thief a lot, it is a full-fledged game that has created its own universe. You will find some tutorial missions and will be able to download other missions from the official website. It is free and available for Arch.

Tales of Maj’Eyal

Tales of Maj’Eyal (ToME) is a popular option that you have probably seen on digital game stores. This free, open-source roguelike RPG offers tactical turn-based combat and dungeons that are generated randomly. ToME features an impressive variety of classes and races in Eyal, a land inspired in the work of H.P. Lovecraft and J.R.R. Tolkien. There is a lot to explore, challenging battles to face and the game offers advanced character building, which means that you wile always find something new to do in Tales of Maj’Eyal. It is available for Arch.

Metro: Last Light redux

This is a a sequel to Metro 2033 and it brings a thrilling gaming experience that combines first-person shooter action and survival horror. In this post-apocalyptic story, the sinister atmosphere will captivate players as they fight to stay alive in the ruins of Moscow, fighting again mutants and other deadly threats.

Hedgewars

Hedgewars will remind you of Worms, but in this case, there are pink hedgehogs taking part in battles using a large selection of weapons. There are standard options, as well as really crazy weapons that you can use to face your opponents. There is local and multi-player mode and you can find a lot of free content to download including hundreds of costumes, more than 50 weapons, minigames and a wide variety of community content packs. Hedgewars is free and it supports SuSe, fedora, Arch and Ubuntu.

Borderlands 2

Here is a paid game that combines first-person shooter and RPG. Borderlands 2 is very popular thanks to its unique cell-shaded graphics and the arsenal of weapons that are randomly generated. There are multiple classes with a variety of play styles and online collaboration campaigns. “Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel” is available for Linux, as well as Windows and macOS.

SuperTuxKart

This kart racing game resembles Mario Kart and Wacky Wheels, but it offers a 3D experience. In SuperTuxKart, the characters are FOSS mascots like PHP elephant, BSD daemon and Tux. There are over 20 tracks, split-screen multiplayer option and different game modes to choose from. There is new content regularly being added including new game modes and characters. The game is also upgraded often, ensuring better quality of graphics and more. SuperTuxKart is free and can be played on Debian, SuSe, Mint, Arch, Gentoo and Ubuntu.