Ok, so I am seeing articles a lot that try to show Linux Gaming has something to offer. They then hold up a dozen first person shooters as proof that Linux Gaming is alive and well. I dunno about everyone else, but I do eventually get sick of playing FPS type games. Give me a nice RTS (Real Time Strategy) Game or a nice Sim of some sort. So I thought I would put a list together of Games that I have found that were a bit different, and lots of fun. And I refuse to fill this list with the standard Arcade style Games.
- Regnum Online : This is a nicely done MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game.) Many quests already, and more still being added. It is a Kingdom vs Kingdom type of Game. As in, you get big, and then try to take over areas by fighting other players who belong to other Kingdoms. Kinda fun, and adds a new twist. Or an old one if you ever played DAoC. (Dark Age of Camelot) Currently has some slow spots, but is a nice solid game, and has a new and interesting pay for premium content business model. Worth a look if you like MMORPG’s!
- Majesty Gold : A cool little Kingdom Sim. You are the ruler, you pay your heroes to go out and do things like rescue a princess, or get a book, or go out and kill the evil mage. Decent graphics, although slightly out dated now. Still a lot of fun to play!
- Knights and Merchants : A RTS(Real Time Strategy) game. Again, like Majesty, you are the ruler of your own Kingdom, this time though, you take direct control of your soldiers. If you ever played games like Dune 2/C&C(Command and Conquer)/Warcraft 2 and enjoyed them, this is probably a good game choice for you. Sadly, the graphics are a bit out dated, but it is still a good game.
- Alpha Centauri : When the colony ship from Earth reaches Alpha Centauri, the crew, once a united group, have splintered into seven factions. You are the leader of one of these factions as you explore this new world and attempt to gain the upper hand against the other groups. Research new technologies, make alliances, and betray your friends, all whilst defending your territory from those annoying aliens that seem to think they have some right to this planet.
- Dune Legacy : Lead one of three interplanetary houses, Atreides, Harkonnen or Ordos, in an attempt to harvest the largest amount of spice from the sand dunes. Exchange your spice stockpiles for credits through refinement and build an army capable of thwarting attempts of the other houses to stop your harvesting! This is based off the first ever RTS game as far as I am concerned, and is a good game. I got it running pretty well on Mepis 6.0 just by following their directions on the page I linked to.
- Penumbra : Overture is a first person adventure game which focuses on story, immersion and puzzles. Instead of using violence to progress the player has to use his/her wits to guide Philip on his quest to unravel the past. Similar in thought and play to Games like Mist. Adventure and solve puzzles.
- X2 – The Threat : X2 features stunning graphics, beyond anything seen before in the space genre.
Open ended gameplay allows you to choose your path freely, in a universe that would take you almost 2 days playing time just to fly from one end to the other. Pilot any of over 60 classes of ship ranging from the tiny Argon Discoverer, a one man fighter, all the way to the Teladi Albatross, a huge carrier class ship over 2km long, capable of carrying a squadron of fighters, all at your command. Complex yet intuitive interface allows complete control of your empire. Be it a trading fleet of merchant vessels flying between the factories and stations littering space, or a fighter wing of deadly Split Raptors. - Danger from the Deep : A cool Submarine Simulation Game. You are in control of a WWII German Sub. Very cool game, and the graphics are even pretty cool. 🙂 Worth a look!
- Flight Gear : A cool flight Simulator. Decent graphics, cool game play, good physics. If you are into Flight Sims, this is worth a look!
- Thunder&Lightning : Thunder&Lightning is a futuristic action flight simulator game that takes place in a large 3D environment. Jump into the pilot seat of your Lightning aircraft and fight against Thunder tanks in a fierce battle for control of the island! In the long run, Thunder&Lightning will incorporate features from the 80’s classics Carrier Command and Midwinter . There will be multiple Islands to conquer, each with its own defense strategy.
- Neverwinter Nights : is a computer game set in a huge medieval fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons. This role-playing game (RPG) puts you at the center of an epic tale of faith, war, and betrayal. As a player, you are able to choose what skills and abilities you will develop as you voyage though the complex and dangerous fantasy world of Forgotten Realms. Be a deadly and dangerous Rogue moving through the shadows using stealth and secrecy, be a scholarly Wizard and wield powerful magic against your enemies, be a hulking Barbarian whose lust for battle is matched only by his terrible rage, be an armor-clad Paladin who protects the innocent and vanquishes his foes, be a crusading Cleric who heals the sick and defends the helpless… be all this and more.
- Tribal Trouble : A bunch of clueless Viking raiders have stranded on a group of tropical islands – much to the annoyance of the local Natives. Help the tribesmen settle their disputes in this fast paced realtime strategy game.
- Lunar Domination : This looks like a cool finance sim meets RTS, but I have never gotten the demo to run right on Mepis 6.5. So Can not really recommend it. However, that being said, it looks really cool, so if you can get it to run, let me know!
Those are some of my favorite games that are not FPS types, and not arcade games. Do they make Linux a viable Gaming platform? Maybe not, but they are at least a bridge to get people to start using Linux. The more people we get into Linux, who then buy games to run on Linux, the more chance there is that we will be able to get more great games on Linux! So as I have always said,”Want Games in Linux? BUY GAMES IN LINUX!”
