Last Updated on December 11, 2018
Linux has a prodigious library of free games many of which are released under an open source license. A large proportion of these open source games are eye catching. Popular games often have full motion video, vector graphics, 3D graphics, realistic 3D rendering, animation, texturing, a physics engine, and much more. Early computer games did not have these graphic techniques. The earliest video games were text games or text-based games that used text characters rather than vector or bitmapped graphics.
The idiom ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ can be extended to ‘don’t judge a computer game by its graphics’. Whilst many of the games featured in this article have unremarkable graphics, they have many redeeming qualities, including challenging gameplay, and stretching the brain.
The purpose of this article is to identify our favourite puzzle games. These games are mentally stimulating, and a great diversion from everyday life.
The purpose of this article is to focus on free Linux games that garner very little attention, certainly far less than any of the commercial counterparts on Steam. All of the games featured here are worth trying out. Whilst many of them lack some of the polish and finesse of their commercial brethren, they are still good fun to play.
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
- Must be playable and great fun
Now, let’s scrutinize the 30 games at hand. For each game we have compiled its own portal page, providing screenshots of the game in action, a full description of the game, with an in-depth analysis of the features of the game, together with links to relevant resources and reviews.
| Puzzle Games | |
|---|---|
| Neverball | Tilt the floor to roll a ball through an obstacle course |
| Incredipede | Celebrates the vast diversity of life in the world |
| Frozen Bubble | Throw colourful bubbles to build groups and destroy the groups |
| Enigma | Uncover pairs of identically colored Oxyd stones |
| Crack Attack! | Similar to the Super Nintendo classic game "Tetris Attack" |
| Puzzle Collection | 36 puzzles, mostly reimplementations |
| Zaz | Simple addictive puzzle game |
| Berusky | Based on an ancient puzzle named Sokoban |
| gbrainy | Train memory, arithmetical and logical capabilities |
| Monsterz | Arcade puzzle game similar to Bejeweled, Zookeeper and Zooo |
| levelHead | 3D spatial memory game |
| gjid | Move crates through a complex maze into recycling bins |
| Bombermaaan | Classic Bomberman game with multiplayer support |
| Angry, Drunken Dwarves | Fun puzzle game like Puzzle Fighter |
| Berusky 2 | Challenges your visual/spatial thinking |
| Numpty Physics | Drawing puzzle game in the spirit of Crayon Physics |
| Amoebax | Puyo-style puzzle game |
| Klest-crossword | Cross-platform game for guessing crossword puzzles |
| Xwelltris | 2.5D tetris like game |
| I Have No Tomatoes | Extreme leisure time activity |
| Cube Trains | Build elevated railways in a city |
| Pingus | Lemmings-like game |
| Trackballs | OpenGL-based game of marbles through a labyrinth |
| Brain Workshop | Dual n-back brain training exercise |
| rezerwar | Puzzle game involving organizing pipes with blocks |
| Brain Party | Puzzle-solving, brain-stretching game |
| JAG | 2D game similar to KDiamonds |
| Atomic Worm | Exciting puzzle oriented snake game |
| Pioneers | Based on the Settlers of Catan |
| Fish Fillets NG | Port of Fish Fillets from Altar Interactive |
 Read our complete collection of recommended free and open source software. Our curated compilation covers all categories of software. The software collection forms part of our series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. There are hundreds of in-depth reviews, open source alternatives to proprietary software from large corporations like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. There are also fun things to try, hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. |