JacobWe've all heard it. "[Insert open-source OS] has no good games."
You know they are wrong. But what do you do?
You use a top-ten list. Or in our case, top thirteen. Whatever works, right?
Now when you want to defend your title as the FOSS Gaming king, prove your position with these gems (listed in no particular order):
Frozen Bubble - One of Linux's biggest and oldest games, Frozen Bubble has the classic puzzle action you've longed for. Not only that; it also has network, hotseat, and even online play for up to five players. It was rumored that this game was the cause of a delay for an older Debian release. (Linux)
Battle for Wesnoth - I think I really covered Wesnoth in this review. But for the lazy, Wesnoth is a RTS type game. It has a pretty big following behind it and lets you play competitively online, as well as offering a server to download new campaigns. The story mode itself is pretty deep, and is enough reason to get this game. (Win, Mac, Linux)
Stepmania - If you are a fan of Dance Dance Revolution, or even if you aren't, get this gem. You won't find it in any package manager, so you will just have to download it directly from their site. It supports DDR and SM songs among other types, although they do not come with the game itself (see the Songs page on the Stepmania website). I personally have a ton of user-made tracks for this game, and it can keep you addicted for hours on end. Version 4.0 in development even includes online play, though it is a bit tedious to set up. (Win, Mac, Lin)
Neverball - Ever played Super Monkey Ball? Haven't? You will like this game. Neverball is where you simply roll a ball around on a stage to pick up coins to open up a goal. The controls are intuitive and the graphics can be shiny for a new computer or can be toned down for an older one. (Linux)
Neverputt - Based on the same engine as Neverball, Neverputt provides a decent mini-golf game with the same bouncy physics. More different than Neverball is that you will be left screaming on how you managed to miss the hole from a meter away. (Linux)
Pingus - Again, I covered this here. Pingus is basically a Lemmings clone that has been Tux-ified. With its flaws and lack of completion, it is still a fun one to play in your free time. (Win, Linux)
Planet Penguin Racer - A basic racing game with a large number of tracks. You are a penguin sliding down a hill, and you need to collect as much fish as you can before you finish. A very good looking (graphically) game that doesn't tax your processor. (Win, Lin)
SuperTux - SuperTux is a Mario clone, but again has been "Tuxified." The game is somewhat incomplete, but still is very fun (and sometimes hard) to complete. A new version is in the works aiming to solve some of the problems the current one has. SuperTux is available for every platform imaginable, even for homebrew PSP and Gamecubes. (Win, Mac, Lin, BSD, more)
Wine - Okay, okay, this isn't a game. But if you have a game on Windows you are deathly attached to, chances are you might be able to run it in Wine. A pristine example: RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 runs flawlessly in the latest version of Wine. (Lin, Mac, BSD)
Open Arena - A very well done clone of Quake III Arena. A very awesome first-person shooter. Runs very fast but looks pretty. What more can I say? Go try it out: it is available in tons of package managers (though it is quite the hefty download). (Win, Lin, Mac)
X-Moto - Peter covered X-Moto pretty well. You drive a dirtbike along a track, while performing tricks to get points and to finish harder courses. Includes a level editor. (Win, Lin)
Gweled - A basic clone of Bejeweled. It has background music and sounds and some nice images, though it is just a simple application. Supports Standard and Timed modes, and is guaranteed to take your day away if you are a Bejeweled fan. (Linux)
GTetrinet - Well, this one is Tetris. Not much to that. However, the key feature of this is the online play. Connect to a Tetrinet server and go crazy with others. Great for parties. Or anything. (Linux)
We'll review some of these games in detail (if we haven't already!) later. For now, go download all (yes) of these. Then set aside a week. Or four.
