Linux has an ever-expanding library of tens of thousands of free games, many of which are released under an open source license. Of course, a significant proportion of these titles are still in an early stage of development. Even relatively simple games can take several years to mature especially if the development is primarily being undertaken by a single person. However, a game should not be discounted simply because it currently lacks some core features, has a limited number of levels, or is laden with bugs. It can still pack great fun.

The plethora of free games available for Linux makes it time-consuming for gamers to randomly try even more than a small fraction of them. A good proportion of these titles are entertaining, highly addictive, offer captivating gameplay, and are challenging. While there are a variety of both printed publications and online resources which point gamers to the hottest Linux gaming titles, there are still many free games that receive little or no promotion but which exhibit real promise and merit publicity.

There are not many people that are immune from the charms of computer games at some stage of their life. Even the father of Linux, Linus Torvalds, is reported to have been hooked on playing a single game for a month.