There are plenty of games available as free/libre and open source software (FLOSS) for GNU/Linux, thanks to a lot of effort by the community. To get a more complete overview read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open-source_video_games or https://www.gamingonlinux.com/wiki/Open_Source_Games.
Wayland
0ad
Oad is one of the great examples of open source games. If you add the prefix SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland to the start parameter then it will work natively in Wayland. So far it doesn’t auto detect Wayland (bug).
pacman -S 0ad
Flare
Flare (license BSD, http://flarerpg.org, https://dorkster.itch.io/flare) has released the version 1.0 on 2018-03-30 after it was in development for many years with a campaign mode. It does run via Wayland if you add the prefix SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland. So far it doesn’t auto detect Wayland (bug). Flare is available as well on itch.io.
- .config/flare/settings.txt
- mouse_move=1 (experimental, doesn’t work well if the enemy walks away then the character continues to fight instead of following the enemy)
Neverball & Neverputt
pacman -Sy neverball
If you add the prefix SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland to the start parameter then it will work natively in Wayland. So far it doesn’t auto detect Wayland (bug).
SuperTux
Supertux. If you add the prefix SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland to the start parameter then it will work natively in Wayland. So far it doesn’t auto detect Wayland (bug).
pacman -Sy supertux
Warzone 2100
Warzone 2100 (license GPLv2, https://github.com/Warzone2100/warzone2100, http://wz2100.net) is a real time strategy game that has been released as free and open source in 2004. If you add the prefix SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland to the start parameter then it will work natively in Wayland.
XWayland (X11)
Several open source games do not work yet on Wayland, even if enforcing it e.g. via SDL (SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland GAMENAME).
Amnesia
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (license GPLv3, https://github.com/FrictionalGames/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent) and Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs (license GPLv3, https://github.com/FrictionalGames/AmnesiaAMachineForPigs) are provided since September 2020 as open source. You need to buy the game content to play the game from Steam or GOG. It works only through XWayland.
Astromenace
Astromenance (GPLv3)
Communist Dogifest
Communist Dogifest (license GPLv3, https://gitlab.com/joshuagiles/TheCommunistDogifesto) is a 3D game with blocky graphics. You can buy it on itch.io and Steam.
Ebony Spire: Heresy
Ebony Spire: Heresy (license MIT) provides the source code and it is based on OpenGL 4.4. You can buy the game on Steam.
Endless Sky
Endless Sky (license GPLv3, https://endless-sky.github.io, https://github.com/endless-sky/endless-sky) is a 2D space game provides as free and open source software. You can install it via Steam.
FlightGear
FlightGear is a flight simulator and it can be installed from AUR or via flatpak.
First install:
yay flightgear-data
And only then:
yay flightgear
Frogatto
Frogatto (license Zlib/CC-BY, https://frogatto.com, https://github.com/frogatto/frogatto) doesn’t work on Wayland so far (bug).
pacman -S frogatto
Nexuiz
Nexuiz is a 3D shooter game that has an additional SDL starter.
OpenTTD
OpenTTD is like the transport tycoon game. OpenTTD doesn’t work on Wayland (bug).
pacman -Sy openttd openttd-opengfx openttd-opensfx
Penumbra Overture
Penumbra Overture (license GPLv3, https://github.com/FrictionalGames/PenumbraOverture) is released as open source including the HPL1 game engine (https://github.com/FrictionalGames/HPL1Engine). To play the game you need to buy the game content from Steam or GOG.
Pioneer
Pioneer (GPLv3)
Red Exclipse 2
Red Exclipse 2 (license , https://www.redeclipse.net
Ryzom
Ryzom (AGPLv3, https://ryzom.com)
You can install the game from AUR. To install all game files run:
ryzom_client_patcher
After downloading all files, you start the game with:
ryzom_client_patcher
You need to create a login to play the game.
Seven Kingdoms Ancient Adversaries
Seven Kingdoms Ancient Adversaries (license GPLv2, https://github.com/the3dfxdude/7kaa) is a classic strategy game that has been released as open source. It supports 64bit and SDL 2.0.8. Build instructions can be found here https://www.7kfans.com/wiki/index.php/Building_From_Source.
Star Ruler II
Star Ruler II (license MIT, https://github.com/BlindMindStudios/StarRuler2-Source) has been released on 2018-07-24 as open source. It includes even the assets except the music. You can compile or buy it on GOG or Steam.
https://www.gog.com/game/star_ruler_2
Superstarfigher
Superstarfighter (license MIT) is available on itch.io. It has been developed with the Godot Engine.
SuperTuxKart
SuperTuxKart (license GPLv3, https://github.com/supertuxkart/stk-code) doesn’t work yet natively on Wayland, at least on Plasma-Wayland (bug). The game is as well available on itch.io.
Vulkan support is planned for a future release https://blog.supertuxkart.net/2020/08/supertuxkart-12-release.html.
pacman -S supertuxkart
The Dark Mod
The Dark Mod (GPLv3) is a game in the style of The Thief.
Verloren
Verloren (license GPLv3, https://gitlab.com/veloren/veloren, https://veloren.net) is a Minecraft like game writte in RUST. It is playable but still in early stages.
Widelands
Widelands (https://widelands.org) is inspired by the old Settlers game.
Yorg
Yorg (license GPLv3, http://www.ya2.it, https://github.com/cflavio/yorg) is a free and open source racing game. It is as well on Itch.io.
First Person Shooters (FPS)
- AlienArena
- Assault Cube (Modified + CC-NC)
- Unvanquised (license GPLv3, https://www.unvanquished.net, https://github.com/Unvanquished/Unvanquished)
- Urban Terror
- OpenSpades (license GPLv3, http://openspades.yvt.jp)
- Warsow
- Xonotic – Install via you Linux distribution or via itch.io.
Other Games
- Lincity
- yay lincity-ng
- To play the game, I had to create a empty folder “.lincity-ng”. Otherwise the game didn’t start as it just tried to create a file with this name.
- Battle for Wesnoth (license GPLv2, https://www.wesnoth.org, https://github.com/wesnoth/wesnoth) is available for Download or on Steam. The game port to the open source game engine Godot is in progress.
- Extremetuxracer
- Frozen-bubble
- Yofrankie
- speed-dreams
- stuntrally
- vdrift
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