This document provides summaries of 15 games that are playable on Linux to help make gaming on Linux easier. It discusses each game briefly, including title, price, description of gameplay, and screenshots for some. Overall it aims to demonstrate that gaming on Linux is viable by highlighting popular games that run well natively on Linux systems.

1. Article from Fitcom.co
Gaming On Linux Is It Worth A Try ?
2013-07-02 18:07:42 Osei Fortune
Is Gaming On Linux As Bad As People
Say It Is ? No
Most gamers would say gaming on linux is a waste of time or some may
even say Linux ?? Whats that . Well about a few years ago i probably was in
the same position saying windows all the way and linux that os is a waste of
time LOL shame on me.
But it wasn’t till browsing the web and reading lots of reviews from first time
linux users and the advantages the NIX family (Unix/Linux) got over win-

2. dows also it was about time to try something new . Mac OS hmmm don’t
think I could have afford that without selling an organ and Microsoft had
recently release their latest installment of windows called vista and both
know how bugged out that was …. LOL (facepalm)

3. So after doing all the research possible i finally decided to give Linux a try
an it so happens the first Linux Distro I tried was Ubuntu . After the first
month using ubuntu only one thing the OS had me saying .
Mother OF OS Where Have You Been All My Life
Gaming On Linux it’s Alive Its Alive

4. Well before i bore you anymore let’s get down to business with the help of a
couple of people from the google plus group Gaming On Linux and a bit of re-
search we created a list of games to help with gaming on linux and make the
process easier.
Shank | Price $9.99 USD
Shank is the cult-classic revival of the sidescrolling beat-em-up.
Play as Shank in an over-the-top grindhouse game, packed to
the rim with enemies, bosses, combos, and more. In the 2D
sidescroller beat-em-up embark on a brutal path of blood soaked
revenge as Shank battles his way through the criminal under-
ground in his quest for retribution. Boasting fast-paced bloody
action, silky smooth controls and a signature pulpy grindhouse art
style, Shank is a must-play for action fans.

5. Shank 2 | Price $9.99 US
The fan- favorite 2D brawler is back as ex- mob hit man Shank returns to
action in Shank 2. With those closest to him under attack, Shank is once
again forced on the offensive. Now he must put his trusty arsenal of hand-
guns, shotguns, automatic weapons, chainsaws, machetes, grenades, plus
all-new weaponry and moves to use in order to protect those close to him.
The original game set a new standard for its visual style and Shank 2 raises
the bar. Shank 2 expands on the original game’s amazing combat system to
redefine the 2D side-scrolling brawler.

6. Team Fortress 2 | Price Free
Team Fortress 2 is focused around two opposing teams, Reliable Excavation &
Demolition (RED) and Builders League United (BLU) competing for a combat-
based principal objective. Players can choose to play as one of nine classes in
these teams, each with his own unique strengths, weaknesses and weapons.
Although the abilities of a number of classes have changed from earlier Team
Fortress incarnations, the basic elements of each class have remained, that
being one primary weapon, one secondary weapon, and one melee weapon

7. Bastion | Price $14.99 USD
Bastion is an action role- playing experience that redefines storytelling in
games, with a reactive narrator who marks your every move. Explore more
than 40 lush hand- painted environments as you discover the secrets of the
Calamity, a surreal catastrophe that shattered the world to pieces. Wield a
huge arsenal of upgradeable weapons and battle savage beasts adapted to
their new habitat. Finish the main story to unlock the New Game Plus mode
and continue your journey.

8. Minecraft | Price €19.95
Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks. At first, people built
structures to protect against nocturnal monsters, but as the game grew players
worked together to create wonderful, imaginative things.
It can also be about adventuring with friends or watching the sun rise over a
blocky ocean. It’s pretty. Brave players battle terrible things in The Nether,
which is more scary than pretty. You can also visit a land of mushrooms if it
sounds more like your cup of tea.

9. Heroes Of Newerth |Price Free
Heroes of Newerth pits two teams of players against each other: the Legion and
the Hellbourne. Both teams are based at opposite corners of the map in their
respective bases. Bases consist of buildings, creep spawn points, towers, a
hero spawning pool, and a central structure. The goal of the game is to either
destroy the central structure, world tree (Legion) or Sacrificial Shrine
(Hellbourne), of the opposite base or force the other team to concede. Players
achieve this by selecting heroes with unique skills to combat the other team.

10. Dungeon Defenders | Price $14.99 USD
Dungeon Defenders is a Tower Defense Action-RPG where you must save
the land of Etheria from an Ancient Evil! Create a hero from one of four dis-
tinct classes to fight back wave after wave of enemies by summoning de-
fenses and directly participating in the action-packed combat!
Customize and level your character, forge equipment, gather loot, collect pets
and more! Take your hero through multiple difficulty modes and challenge/
survival missions to earn more experience & even better treasure. Join your
friends with 4-player online and local (splitscreen) co-op to plan your strategies
together or compete in PvP Deathmatch.

11. Alien Arena | Price Free
Do you like old school deathmatch with modern features? How about rich, col-
orful, arcade like atmospheres? How about…retro Sci Fi? Then you’re going to
love what Alien Arena has in store for you! This game combines some of the
very best aspects of such games as Quake III and Unreal Tournament and
wraps them up with a retro alien theme, while adding tons of original ideas to
make the game quite unique.

12. Awesomenauts | Price $9.99 USD
The year is 3587. Conflict spans the stars as huge robot armies are locked in an
enduring stalemate. In their bid for galactic supremacy, they call upon the most
powerful group of mercenaries in the universe: the Awesomenauts!
Awesomenauts is a MOBA fitted into the form of an accessible 3-on-3 action
platformer. Head out to the online battlefields together with your friends as an
online party or in local splitscreen, and never worry about having to wait for an
online match because of drop-in matchmaking!
Devise strategies as you upgrade and customize each character’s skills to suit
your playing style

13. True Combat | Price Free
TrueCombat pits two teams against each other, the Terrorists and the Counter-
Terrorists. Weapon availability depends on what side you’re on
and what class you have selected. There are three classes, As-
sault, Recon and Sniper. The Assault class get assault rifles and
are basically standard infantryman. The Recon class uses light
weapons such as submachine guns. The Sniper class gets long
range weaponry to take out enemies from afar. The game at-
tempts to stimulate realism as much as possible. Unlike most
shooters, there is no crosshair on the screen. To aim accurately
you must aim down the sights. The player can lean around cor-
ners and while walking. The game implements ‘AA’ or armament
availability to decide what weapons will be available to you,
based on your performance. Poor performance will get you only
basic weapons, good performance will get you a larger variety of
weapons. Gameplay is entirely online, though the player may
add computer controlled bots to play offline

14. Trine | Price $9.99 USD
Trine is a fantasy action game where the player can create and use phys-
ics-based objects to beat hazardous puzzles and threatening enemies. Set
in a world of great castles and strange machinery, three heroes are bound
to a mysterious device called the Trine in a quest to save the kingdom from
evil…
The gameplay is based on fully interactive physics – each character’s differ-
ent abilities help the player battle an army of undead and defeat hazardous
contraptions. The player can at any time freely choose whoever is best
suited for the upcoming challenge or puzzle: The Wizard is able to summon
objects to help solve puzzles and create new ways to overcome obstacles,
the Thief uses her agility and dead-on accuracy to swiftly surprise the mon-
sters, and the Knight unleashes mayhem and physical destruction wherever
he goes.

15. Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory | Price Free
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a multiplayer game in which players wage
war as Axis or Allies in team-based combat. It’s a team game; you will win
or fall along with your comrades. The only way to complete the objectives
that lead to victory is by cooperation, with each player covering their team-
mates and using their class special abilities in concert with the others.

16. Quake Live | Price Free
The gameplay of Quake Live consists of players attempting
to frag more of their opponents than any other player or team in a given
match. This is achieved by navigating a 3D environment and shooting other
players with a variety of weapons, while collecting health, armor, weapons,
ammo and various power -ups. As players get more advanced, they use
other tricks and techniques such
as rocket and strafe jumping.

17. Machinarium | Price $10
The goal of Machinarium is to solve a series of puzzles and brain teasers.
The puzzles are linked together by an overworld consisting of a traditional
“point and click” adventure story. The overworld’s most radical departure is
that only objects within the player character’s reach can be clicked on.
Machinarium is notable in that it contains no dialogue, spoken or written,
and apart from a few tutorial prompts on the first screen, is devoid of under-
standable language entirely. The game instead uses a system of animated
thought bubbles.

18. Shadowgrounds Survivor | Price $9.99 USD
Surviving is only half the game. The award-winning atmosphere and
gameplay mechanics of the original Shadowgrounds make a triumphant return
in this spin off/sequel armed with a slick new feature set! Shadowgrounds Survi-
vor tells the story of the last remaining humans on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede,
where the alien onslaught is in full force.

19. 0 A.D. | Price Free
0 A.D. features the real-time strategy gameplay components of building a base,
training an army, combat, and technology research. The game is about eco-
nomic development and warfare. Wildfire Games aims to deliver an innovative
but familiar experience, focusing mostly on the military aspect of real-time strat-
egy. The game will pursue a sense of historical accuracy without damaging
gameplay. It also aims for a high degree of replayability by being easily
moddable and the formation of a large online community. The player will have
to build a city and an army following the rules of standard real-time strategy
games, collecting resources and constructing buildings. The game will include
multiple units and buildings specific to each civilization as well as both land and
naval units.

20. Capsized | Price Free
Capsized is a fast paced 2D platformer focused on intense action and ex-
ploration. As a intrepid space traveler, your ship has crash landed on a
mysterious alien planet. You must navigate through the perilous environ-
ment and fight off blood-thirsty creatures to save your crewmates and es-
cape with your lives!
Use your jetpack to fly through the alien jungle, and tools such as the Gravity
Hook to manipulate your environment to skilfully dodge and defeat attacking
enemies. You will be challenged – with platforming, puzzle solving, and
deadly skirmishing, often all at the same time!

21. Nexuiz Classic | Price Free
Nexuiz is an FPS game, heavily inspired by the original Quake games, even
running on a modified Quake engine known as DarkPlaces engine. It includes
thirteen weapons, 24 official maps and over 240 community created maps, as
well as 15 player models.
Nexuiz is primarily multiplayer (though it includes a full single-player cam-
paign, which allows one to play through the various multiplayer game types
and maps with bots), and allows for hosting and joining of games. It can also
support new gametypes, or whole conversions quickly applied to it (much like
Quake). Nexuiz supports
most Quakemodifications (although with varying functionality). Currently
there are a few custom mods and maps used.

22. SuperTuxKart | Price Free
SuperTuxKart’s gameplay is similar to Mario Kart, but has become more dis-
tinctive over time it also features
the Linux mascot Tux and The Mozilla Thunderbird is the race referee.

23. Games To Look Out For
Planetary Annihilation | Price $40 +
Planetary Annihilation is planned to feature a planet-based map system, includ-
ing multiple star systems, different types of planets and asteroids. Players will
be able to conquer other planets and even entire systems on maps said to in-
clude “hundreds of worlds”. These planets are also planned to be dynamic in
that they can be ‘annihilated’ using asteroids, a major focus for Uber Entertain-
ment. The game’s creators have also stated that Planetary Annihilation will re-
semble something of the 1997 RTS Total Annihilation as its focus is more to-
wards ‘macro’ gameplay as opposed to ‘micro’ gameplay. In development up-
dates, Mavor has commented that “a million” in-game units is a design goal of
the development team. It has also been hinted that Planetary
Annihilation will feature a commander-focused system, in
which the player loses when their commander dies.

24. McDROID | Price Unknown
From the creator
It’s the love child of my two favorite games: RTYPE and DUNE 2.
It is a very fluid hybrid of action strategy game that is challenging
to your trigger finger and your brain.
It demands you to manage resources, repair, upgrade, shoot at
stuff, deploy turrets, put them on your back for hands on action,
upgrade, run around, “kite” mutated snails eating on your all-
important shuttle and off course jump. The soundtrack is a really
cool 60s music Maurice La Police recorded in Paris for us.
It starts easy like a tower defense but quickly becomes a tough ac-
tion strategy where you have to balance so many things that only
the most skilled multi tasker can handle it. It’s something really
new.

25. Final Thoughts
Thats is for our list of games for linux I hope they can help you change your
mind about Gaming on Linux . If this article helped you in any way please
share it with your friends and followers. Did we miss any games worth play-
ing ? feel free to tell us in the comments below.