21 More Notable Free Linux Games (Part 2 of 3)
We have always been strong advocates of computer games. Rather
than rotting the brain, computer games are interactive, teach essential
life skills, and can stimulate learning. They also have been proven to
enhance skills such as creativity, cooperation, teamplay, as well as
encouraging innovative and strategic thinking and improving hand-eye
coordination.
Linux is not championed as a viable gaming platform in many
communities, in part because of its smaller user base and the
relatively low number of commercially supported native Linux games that
are released each year. However, there are a number of encouraging
developments on this front. For example, the Unigine engine should
enable developers to produce high-quality 3D games with up-to-date
visuals and advanced rendering. One title to be released using this
engine is OilRush. This eagerly awaited title fuses a classical real
time strategy with a Tower Wars genre.
Notwithstanding these developments, Linux has an
ever-expanding library of tens of thousands of free games, many of
which are released under an open source license. A good proportion of
these titles are entertaining, highly addictive, offer captivating
gameplay, and are challenging.
This article is the second instalment in a three part series,
identifying free games that are worth giving a whirl. If you missed
the first part, it is available to read here.
We have again tried to cover a wide range of game genres. Hopefully
there will be something in this article which will be of interest to
any type of gamer.
To be eligible for inclusion in this list each game
needed to meet the following requirements:
Free
to play (no download charge, no monthly charge)
Does not require Wine to run. Wine is a compatibility layer
for running Windows software.
Not in the early stages of development
Now, let's scrutinize the 7 games at hand. For each game we
have compiled its own portal page, providing screenshots of the game in
action, a full description with an in-depth analysis of
the features of the game, together with links to relevant resources and
reviews.
| Notable Free Games |
| The
Mana World |
Innovative massively multiplayer online role-playing
game |
| Full
Metal Soccer |
Blend
of first person shooter and sports game |
| FoFiX |
Frets on Fire fork with plenty of features,
customizable themes and options |
| Zaz |
Simple
addictive puzzle game |
| Tibia |
Fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game |
| Blobby
Volley 2 |
Head-to-head
arcade volleyball game with jumping blobs |
| Numpty
Physics |
Drawing puzzle game in the spirit of Crayon Physics |
|
|
If you don't see some of your favourite games covered, they
may
have been featured in one of these articles: 42
of the Best Free Linux Games, 42
More of the Best Free Linux Games, 21
More of the Best Free
Linux Games, three part features entitled 42 Hot
Free Linux Games (Part
1, Part
2, Part
3), and 24 Addictive Free Linux Games (Part
1, Part
2, Part
3), a Chess
feature, and Educational
Games.
Return to our complete collection of Group
Tests, identifying the finest Linux software.
Last Updated Saturday, April 28 2012 @ 01:40 PM EDT
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