1. RimWorld
Genre: Simulation
Developer: Ludeon Studios
Inspired by legendary Dwarf Fortress (also available for Linux), RimWorld is an intricate sci-fi colony simulation game about colonists trying to build a colony on a frontier world at the rim of known space.
The game was first publicly released on November 4, 2013, and its developer, Ludeon Studios, has been steadily improving it since. To help colonists survive, you must fight hostile creatures and machines, craft structures and weapons, tame and train pets and farm animals, trade with passing ships and caravans, research new technologies, and more.
The faith of your colony is in part in the hands of an AI Storyteller, whose purpose is to analyze your actions and create dramatic events that provide the foundation of memorable stories. The AI also gives RimWorld virtually infinite replayability, so you can be sure that you’ll get a lot of value for your money.
2. Cities: Skylines Deluxe Edition
Genre: City-building
Developer: Colossal Order
Cities: Skylines takes the city-building genre to the next level by introducing countless new gameplay elements and providing extensive modding support.
From a fully realized transport system to a day and night cycle that actually affects the gameplay to a realistic simulation of a city’s economy, Cities: Skylines is like a massive toybox for gamers who enjoy pretending to be city planners.
The base game was released in March 2015, and over 10 expansion packs have been released since. While the Deluxe Edition doesn’t include any of the expansion packs, it comes with a bunch of in-game extracts that can’t be found in the base version of the game.
3. Stellaris
Genre: 4X grand strategy
Developer: Paradox Interactive
Linux gamers have always had a thing for 4X grand strategy video games like Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, FreeOrion, X3: Reunion, and others. Developed and published by Paradox Interactive, Stellaris is a well-received entry in the genre, which revolves around exploration, resource management, diplomacy, and space warfare.
The game’s visuals are stunning, and its gameplay provides enough depth and variety even for the most hardcore fans of 4X games. If you want to, you can create a futuristic utopia that solves intergalactic conflicts through diplomacy. Those who prefer brute force over diplomacy can research deadly weapons and make other races bow to their command.
To enjoy Stellaris in all of its real-time glory, you should have at least an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 4 GB of memory, and a decently powerful graphics card.
4. Stardew Valley
Genre: Simulation, RPG
Developer: ConcernedApe
Sometimes, all you need is to unwind with a video game after a draining day at work or school. Stardew Valley lets you escape the hustle and bustle of modern urban life and spend your time on a virtual farm. You start your farming career with just a few tools that allow you to grow your first crops from seeds. From there, you craft additional items, befriend your neighbors, look for treasures deep underground, and even get married.
Stardew Valley may look like a simple indie game at first, but it offers hours and hours of gameplay that’s so addictive that you’ll stop paying attention to time. Thanks to its retro-inspired pixel graphics, the game runs amazingly well even on older computers without a dedicated graphics card. In addition to Linux, Windows, and macOS, you can also enjoy Stardew Valley on your Android or iOS smartphone, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Vita, Xbox One, and Wii U.
5. Rise of the Tomb Raider
Genre: Action-adventure
Developer: Crystal Dynamics and Feral Interactive
Released in 2015 as the sequel to the 2013 video game, Tomb Raider, this game lets you experience Lara Croft’s first adventure and discover how she became the badass action-adventure hero we know and love today. You will visit some of the most mesmerizing and deadly places on the planet, uncovers an ancient mystery, and fight a ruthless organization known as Trinity.
In Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara Croft isn’t some overpowered action hero. She’s a vulnerable survivor who has to battle the nature itself to live another day. Fortunately, there are many resources just waiting to be discovered and turned into weapons and useful equipment.
The 20th Anniversary edition of Rise of the Tomb Raider lets you experience what it’s like to be in Lara’s shoes via VR. The supported headsets include Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift.
