Best Games for Linux

Linux can be used for gaming too! In this article, you’ll find out about the best video games you can play on your Linux distro, along with all the other info you need to know.

You can play these games on any distro, however, there are some specialized distros for gaming, like SteamOS, Ubuntu GamePack, Fedora Games Spin, and more. You can find out more about Linux gaming distros here.

In this article, we’ll only feature games that can directly be played on Linux, without the need for an emulator or additional software like Wine or PlayOnLinux.

Humble Bundle has lots of Linux games to choose from. All are discounted or super cheap. All are new.

Without further ado, the best games for Linux (some of which you probably haven’t heard of):

SuperTuxKart

SuperTuxKart is a 3D open-source arcade racer with a variety of characters, tracks, and modes to play. You can play online versus others, play in a single-player arcade mode, play with a friend in a split-screen co-op, and more. If you’re familiar with Mario Kart or Crash Team Racing, you’ll love this game! It’s free, open-source, and fully compatible with Linux.

SuperTuxKart minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 470 GTX, AMD Radeon 6870 HD series card or Intel HD Graphics 4000; At least 512 MB VRAM
• CPU: Any Intel or AMD dual-core processors. Very old models and low-clocked mobile parts may struggle, especially in online play
• RAM: At least 1GB
• Disk: 700MB

Download SuperTuxKart here.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

You probably already know about CS:GO, it’s one of the most popular free-to-play, online multiplayer FPS games out there. This is just a confirmation that it works perfectly on Linux.

CS:GO minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: nVidia GeForce 8600/9600GT, ATI/AMD Radeon HD2600/3600 (Graphic Drivers: nVidia 310, AMD 12.11), OpenGL 2.1
• CPU: 64-bit Dual core from Intel or AMD at 2.8 GHz
• RAM: 4GB
• Disk: 15GB

Download CS:GO here.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

The Witcher 2 is one of the best RPGs that run well on Linux. It’s one of the best games from The Witcher franchise.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: GeForce 9800 GT 512MB (1280×720, low)
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo
• RAM: 4GB
• Disk: 25GB

Download The Witcher 2 here.

Starbound

Starbound is a great, artistic build-your-own-world game where you go on an adventure and choose your own path. It’s a unique game with endless possibilities and interesting gameplay. There’s a multiplayer mode too.

Starbound minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: 256 MB graphics memory and OpenGL 2.1 compatible GPU
• CPU: Core 2 Duo
• RAM: 2GB
• Disk: 3GB

Download Starbound here.

Dota 2

Dota 2 is one of the most popular MMO strategy games out there today. You probably already know about it, so this is just a confirmation that it works great on Linux. It’s free to play.

Dota 2 minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: nVidia Geforce 8600/9600GT (Driver v331), AMD HD 2xxx-4xxx (Driver mesa 10.5.9), AMD HD 5xxx+ (Driver mesa 10.5.9 or Catalyst 15.7), Intel HD 3000 (Driver mesa 10.6)
• CPU: Dual-core from Intel or AMD at 2.8 GHz
• RAM: 4GB
• Disk: 15GB

Download Dota 2 here.

Frogatto & Friends

Frogatto & Friends is a beautiful 2D platformer, action-adventure game with beautiful pixel-art, wonderful music, and unique gameplay. It’s supported for Linux.

Frogatto & Friends minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: 128MB vRAM
• CPU: 1.0 GHz
• RAM: 512MB
• Disk: 500MB

Download Frogatto & Friends here.

Tropico 6

Tropico 6 is one of the best city-building games out there. It’s supported for Linux and it has great graphics. Interesting to play and the game is fun all the time.

Tropico 6 minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: AMD/NVIDIA dedicated GPU, 2GB dedicated VRAM (Radeon HD 7870, Geforce GTX 750)
• CPU: AMD or Intel, 3 GHz (AMD A10 7850K, Intel i3-2000)
• RAM: 8GB
• Disk: 16GB

Download Tropico 6 here.

Tales of Maj’Eyal

A rogue-like RPG with advanced character building and unique gameplay. The game is free and open-source and works perfectly on Linux.

Tales of Maj’Eyal minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: OpenGL 2.1+
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo
• RAM: 512MB
• Disk: 512MB

Download Tales of Maj’Eyal here.

Naev

Naev is a space simulation game about space exploration, trade, and combat. Players travel the galaxy and earn money by trading, fighting, and performing missions. It’s free and works great on Linux.

Naev minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: OpenGL 3.2 or later compatible video card
• CPU: Pentium III class processor or equivalent
• RAM: 512MB
• Disk: 400MB

Download Naev here.

IIN

IIN is a puzzle platformer with eye-catching colors and graphics. Your goal is to move the cubes and get them to the portal. The game is cheap and works on Linux.

IIN minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: Onboard graphics set as “performance”
• CPU: Any quad-core processor
• RAM: 256MB
• Disk: 120MB

Download IIN here.

SuperTux

SuperTux is a Super Mario clone with unique gameplay and fun graphics. Everyone is familiar with the classic 2D platformer Super Mario. SuperTux works great on Linux and it’s free.

SuperTux minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: Any graphics card that supports OpenGL
• CPU: Most CPUs
• RAM: 256MB
• Disk: 256MB

Download SuperTux here.

DiRT 4

DiRT 4 is one of the best rally racing games out there. Incredible, realistic graphics, great tracks and gameplay, and realistic game physics. The game works great on Linux.

DiRT 4 minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 680 (2GB), 2GB AMD R9 285 (GCN 3rd Gen and above)
• CPU: Intel® Core™ i3-3225 3.3ghz​
• RAM: 4GB
• Disk: 39GB

Download DiRT 4 here.

Minecraft

Everyone knows about Minecraft! This is just a confirmation that it works great on Linux.

Minecraft minimum hardware requirements

• GPU: Integrated: Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Ivy Bridge) or AMD Radeon R5 series (Kaveri line) with OpenGL 4.41Discrete: Nvidia GeForce 400 Series or AMD Radeon HD 7000 series with OpenGL 4.4
• CPU: Intel Core i3-3210 3.2 GHz / AMD A8-7600 APU 3.1 GHz or equivalent
• RAM: 2GB
• Disk: 1GB

Download Minecraft here.

Honorable Mentions

We didn’t list some other great games that are worth mentioning here, so here’s a quick list of other games you should check out that work great on Linux:

• Portal 1 and 2
• Borderlands 2
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Half-Life 2
• Limbo
• Kerbal Space Program
• World of Goo
• Team Fortress 2
• Euro Truck Simulator 2
• Civilization V
• Terraria

And there are a lot more! Leave a comment below with your recommendations.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions with answers for the best games for Linux

Do I need to install or use any additional software to play these games?

No – in most cases. Aside from Steam for some of the games, you don’t need to install anything else. We’re assuming you already have the needed drivers for your graphics card.

Why didn’t you include _____?

There are thousands of games that are worth mentioning here, but we couldn’t list them all. We intentionally listed a few not-so-popular ones so they get the much-deserved attention. If you have any recommendations, feel free to leave them in a comment below.

The game you recommended doesn’t work on my Linux distro

All games listed here are verified and tested to work with most Linux distros. All games have their own wikis and support forums, so you can do some extra research there if you run into an issue.