This 2021 installment of Lee Reilly’s GitHub Blog roundup covers 11 games across strategy, rhythm, exploration, shooters, roguelikes, factory defense, and platforming. It is a personal selection, not a ranked list or a current compatibility guide: check each project’s present Linux support and release information before installing.
Lee Reilly introduced the series as a way to highlight “30 of my favorite free and open source Linux games, their communities, and their stories.” The final installment, published August 27, 2021 and updated August 28, 2021, presents the games in no particular order. An editor’s note says the three parts contain 31 games by the editor’s count, despite the series title promising 30. Read the original GitHub Blog article.
Strategy, building, and defense
OpenRA
OpenRA reworks classic real-time strategy games such as Dune 2000, Command & Conquer, and Red Alert for modern systems. Reworked campaigns, curated and user-created maps, and online play are among its attractions. The original article advises practicing before entering competitive multiplayer.
Zero-K
Built on the Spring engine, Zero-K is a real-time strategy game featuring land, air, and sea combat. Its described options include a single-player campaign, multiplayer, AI opponents, and a selection of maps and units.
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#1 Best Overall
- Compatible with Windows and Android.
- 1000Hz Polling Rate (for 2.4G and wired connection)
- Hall Effect joysticks and Hall triggers. Wear-resistant metal joystick rings.
- Extra R4/L4 bumpers. Custom button mapping without using software. Turbo function.
- Refined bumpers and D-pad. Light but tactile.
Wyrmsun
Wyrmsun draws on history, mythology, and the lore of other open source games, including Battle for Wesnoth. An in-game encyclopedia explains units and buildings as well as the inspirations behind them.
Mindustry
Mindustry combines tower defense with factory-building. You create conveyor-based supply chains, manufacture materials, and supply turrets to hold back waves of enemies.
Rank #2
- With broad game support, the Logitech Gamepad F310 works with old standbys to today's biggest titles, so it's easy to set up and use with your favorite games.
- Profiler software allows the gamepad to be programmed to perform keyboard and mouse commands for games without gamepad support.* * Requires software installation.
- A familiar control layout that doesn't require a learning curve to be able to use, with all the same buttons as on an Xbox 360.
- The unique floating D-pad rests on four switches-instead of a single pivot point-making it responsive to quick changes in direction.
- The six-foot cord lets you lean back and play a comfortable distance from your PC monitor.
Minetest
Minetest is a voxel game engine as well as a place to play: players can use existing games or create games and mods. The 2021 article describes solo, local multiplayer, and online play. It gives a world span of 62,000 blocks in each direction, a figure from that article rather than a current technical specification.
Action and multiplayer
AssaultCube
AssaultCube is a multiplayer first-person shooter with modes including Deathmatch, Survivor, and Capture the Flag. The 2021 article calls it a 50 MB package and notes a built-in map editor with real-time cooperative editing. The size is historical, not a verified current download figure.
Rank #3
- TMR Joysticks - Offering higher sensitivity, greater precision, and enhanced durability.
- 8BitDo Exclusive Wireless Technology - “8Speed”, it delivers an exceptionally stable 2.4G connection with ultra-low latency under 1ms. Engineered for rock-solid reliability, it features strong anti-interference and a 10m range with virtually no lag.
- Trigger Mode Switch - Easily switch between linear Hall Effect triggers and non-linear tactile triggers for optimal control across different gaming scenarios.
- 1000Hz Polling Rate (for 2.4G and wired connection). Customizable 6-Axis Motion Control. Turbo function. Rumble vibration. Support 8BitDo Ultimate Software V2.
- 2 Pro back paddle buttons, extra R4/L4 bumpers, and tactile bumpers & D-pad for enhanced control and faster response. Includes a multifunctional charging dock and USB-C adapter for seamless connectivity.
C-Dogs SDL
This run-and-gun game supports up to four players in cooperative or competitive play. It began as freeware DOS software by Ronny Wester, was open-sourced in 2002, and was ported to SDL by Jeremy Chin and Lucas Martin-King. Later additions described in the article include cooperative AI, moddability, campaigns, and maps.
Rhythm, exploration, and role-playing
StepMania
StepMania is a free dance and rhythm game with dance-pad support and an editor for creating step charts. It began as a Dance Dance Revolution clone and later expanded. The 2021 article also mentions Project OutFox, a fork seeking to modernize the code and support more game types; those release details describe the period when the article was published. The source does not establish compatibility with any current dance-pad model, so check the device against your Linux distribution and setup.
Rank #4
- Multi-Platform PC Gaming Controller: Working with Switch, PC, Android, and iOS devices via Bluetooth, wired, and wireless dongle connections.
- Hall Effect Joysticks: Delivering enhanced recentering performance for smoother control and superior anti-drift capability. Plus, with anti-friction rings.
- 2-Way Trigger Lock: With trigger stops, gamers can toggle between short and long pull positions. Additionally, gamers can activate hair trigger mode by pressing M+LT/RT (triggers must be in the long pull position).
- 1000Hz Polling Rate: This ensures that your inputs are registered almost instantaneously, minimizing lag and maximizing your performance during competitive play.
- Mechanical Circular D-pad: Designed for quick reactions and accuracy in every direction, this D-pad elevates your gaming experience with superior responsiveness.
Pioneer
Pioneer is a space trading and combat simulator inspired by Frontier: Elite 2. Its described scope includes exploration across millions of star systems, with options such as trading, piracy, and smuggling.
Shattered Pixel Dungeon
Created by Evan Debenham (@00-Evan), Shattered Pixel Dungeon is a pixel-art roguelike RPG. It began in 2014 as a mod for Pixel Dungeon and developed into a standalone game.
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- Versatile compatibility: supports Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One X/S consoles and PC Win10 and above (including the game platform Steam).
- Precise control: features Hall joysticks and Hall triggers for a comfortable feeling, long service life and improved game accuracy.
- Plug and Play Convenience: Wired USB connection (removable) for easy setup and instant play without the need for additional drivers.
- Customizable experience: Includes 2 custom backbuttons that allow users to eliminate false triggers and improve their gaming experience.
- Impressive gameplay: Provides a pulsating vibration trigger and an asymmetric vibration grip motor for intense tactile feedback.
A platformer with community levels
SuperTux
SuperTux is a classic platformer with a story mode and community-created levels available as add-ons.
How to choose among these games
The roundup is useful as a genre and play-style sampler, not as a head-to-head comparison. Use the features described in the article to narrow the field:
- For campaign-focused strategy: consider OpenRA, Zero-K, or Wyrmsun.
- For building and creation: Minetest offers game and mod creation; Mindustry centers on building supply lines; OpenRA and AssaultCube include map-related creation or editing features.
- For multiplayer: OpenRA and Zero-K describe online play, AssaultCube is multiplayer-focused, and C-Dogs SDL supports up to four players cooperatively or competitively.
- For rhythm play with a dance pad: StepMania is the title in this list that explicitly calls out dance-pad support.
- For exploration, quick runs, or platforming: Pioneer focuses on space exploration and trading, Shattered Pixel Dungeon on roguelike role-playing, and SuperTux on platforming.
These descriptions reflect Lee Reilly’s 2021 roundup. They do not establish current releases, Linux compatibility, or peripheral support; verify those details with each project before downloading or choosing hardware.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
