10 Best Games For Linux
I wrote a list of the best FPS games for Linux a few years ago. At the time, there were only a few games available that could compete with Windows games. But Linux gaming has come a long way since then.
Valve released Steam Play in 2018. Steam is the most popular gaming platform for Windows-based computers. Counter-Strike, Dota 2, Team Fortress 2, Rocket League, and all of the century’s biggest games are available on Steam.
Steam Play allows you to play Windows-only games on Linux that would otherwise be impossible to install.
How Steam Play works?
Steam Play makes use of Proton, a Valve software solution that allows gamers to play Windows-only games on Linux. It accomplishes this through the use of Wine and a variety of other tools on the back end. When Steam Play was first released in 2018, there was a limited number of games that had been transferred to Linux, but that list has since grown.
Best Games For Linux
In this article, I’ll go over the 10 top games for Linux. As I test out new games, the list will grow even further. To play any of these games, simply install Steam, which will install all of the binaries required to play Windows-only games on Linux.
If you are having trouble with a specific game, go to protondb and search for it. Read the reviews to find the solution. The games I’ll be listing in this article may require some further tweaks before you can play them. Most of the time, a minor adjustment is required to play your favorite game.
So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the most popular game of all time, is also known as CS: GO. Counter-Strike source was first made available 19 years ago. It is a team-based 5v5 action game.
In 2012, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was published on Steam. It is completely free to play. If you want to play an FPS game, go ahead and do so. Most Linux distributions support the game fairly well.
The game has been marked as Gold by the protondb, which means you may need to alter it a little before you can play. Nonetheless, I installed it on Ubuntu 20.04 and it worked flawlessly without any modifications. However, for some distros, there may be a few bugs that you may remedy by going to the protondb page and reading the reviews. Someone may have already fixed the problem.
Stability – Gold
Dota 2
If you’ve ever heard of Steam, you’ve most likely heard of Dota 2. Dota 2 is the most popular steam game. It was released in 2013 and features strategy-based action gameplay. Dota 2 was launched on Linux just a few days after its first release. As a result, it is natively accessible for Linux. There is no need to add any extra weight to your PC in order for it to work on your Linux computer.
Rating – Native support
Warframe
Warframe is a popular online third-person action game. It is completely free to play. It is constantly updated with new and interesting stuff. If you enjoy sci-fi games, you will enjoy this one. Warframe is set in an ever-changing sci-fi environment where you can experience everything out of this world with breathtaking graphics.
Warframe is not available on Linux natively. However, there is a reason why this game and other non-native Linux support titles are included on this list.
On protondb, Warframe has a Gold rating. The gold rating indicates that it may be played on Linux with Steam Play after some modifications.
Rating – Gold
Team Fortress 2
The first game I played on Steam was Team Fortress 2. I’ve forgotten about a lot of games, but not this one. It has one of the highest ratings on Steam.
For those who are unfamiliar with Team Fortress 2, it is a free-to-play action game with a variety of characters and missions. Capture the Flag, Control Point, Payload, Arena, King of the Hill, and numerous other modes of play are available.
TF2 is available on Linux natively. So you can simply install Steam without Steam Play support and then install TF2 without issue.
Rating – Native support
GTA V
And who hasn’t heard of GTA, or Grand Theft Auto? The best open-world game of all time, and it’s still thriving with frequent updates. GTA V is not available out of the box for Linux, however, Proton and Steam Play have ported the game. It takes a few adjustments to play comfortably on Linux.
Rating – Gold
Among Us
Among Us is one of my favourite Linux games. The game was released in 2018, and it quickly gained popularity, particularly during the Covid-19 lockdown period. It is a multiplayer online game in which crewmates must vote out the imposter(s) before the imposter murders them all.
Among Us was initially launched for iOS and Android, however, it was shortly ported to Windows. The game is now available on nearly all major gaming platforms, including Epic Games.
This game is available for Linux users via Steam Play. I tested it myself on Ubuntu 20.04 and was able to play without issue. ProtonDB rates the game as Gold, which means it’s playable but may need some tweaking.
Rating – Gold
Rocket League
Rocket League is another popular Steam game. Once you see it, it is not difficult to comprehend how to play this game. In the game, two teams of cars compete to hurl a giant ball into the goal. The game’s dynamics are quite smooth, and you have complete control over the car.
Rocket League is available for Linux users natively on Steam. I haven’t tried it on Linux yet, but I’ve heard from friends that it’s a good game.
Rating – Native support
ARK: Survival Evolved
Who doesn’t want to travel back in time and befriend dinosaurs? ARK: Survival Evolved, on the other hand, is an open-world game. It is the ideal game to play if you want to experience what it would be like to live in the time of dinosaurs. The game drops the player on the beach of an island, where he or she must survive by utilizing the resources present on the island, such as the ability to tame dinosaurs.
ARK: Survival Evolved is now available on Linux via Steam. However, if you want to try out the proton version of the game, it has a Platinum rating, indicating that it works flawlessly.
Rating – Native support
Payday 2
Payday 2 is an online shooter game in which participants plan heists, kidnappings, and other activities. Players can choose their mission type, form a team, and earn money by completing their goal.
The game is available for Linux natively, and the Steam Play version is rated Gold. If you are having problems with the game, go to its proton page and read the reviews to find a solution.
Rating – Native support
Terraria
Terraria is a sandbox survival RPG with an open environment. The gameplay is unique, as the player must investigate the environment and construct a foundation for NPCs to move and deliver various benefits. The player must beat several bosses before facing the final boss.
Terraria is available on Linux natively. As a result, playing this game on Linux should be a breeze.
Rating – Native support
Conclusion
These are only a few of the games I’ve mentioned in this article. There are many more that I will continue to add in the coming days as I explore the Steam Play catalog. So far, the games I’ve described range from playable to excellent on Linux. More games will be ported to Linux as time goes on. I’m hoping that after Epic Games opens its Online Services to game creators, we’ll see many more games released for Linux.