Hi all,
Recommend me a game! I’m looking for something casual (to play for 20-30 minutes from time to time), challenging (like in difficult to master), not super complicated (I don’t want to spend hours learning all the rules), but not super simple (when it’s too repetitive the patters get ingrained in my brain. anyone else has this?), cheap (don’t want to spend $30 on a game I will play from time to time). Must work on Linux and on an integrated GPU. Games I enjoyed previously:
- Fistful of Frags
- smashcarts.io
- xevil
What I did a lot years ago was to play single levels of games over and over until I totally crashed it even if I wasn’t that interested in the entire game. I guess what I like most is figuring out the smallest details of a game, not getting into long campaigns.
So, what can I play?
Edit: Thanks for all recommendations so far but I see I need to add one more requirement: no levels. I’m looking for something quick, in and out, skirmish, death match, melee type of game. Not something where you build a character, solve puzzles and so on.
Have you played ‘Vampire Survivors’? Rounds last at maximum of 30 minutes Easy to learn, but there’s a lot of content to keep you occupied It’s $5 but it goes on sale often
Yes, that was the last game I tried. Falls under the ‘so repetitive it hurts my brain’ category. Once you max out all the weapons it just running around with the same visuals and sounds for minutes and minutes. Fun game, enjoyed it for a bit but after couple of levels I had to put it down.
I can definitely recommend FTL: Faster Than Light. I still play it after many years in the exact same way you describe, that is short sessions. t’s all based on battles that last minutes at most while part of an overall campaign. You can quit anytime, even during battle, and it will just saw the state. You can pause during battle to think as well.
it also has simple rules but with a lot of depth. You upgrade your ship from time to time and also get new weapons or defences. It actually sounds like a perfect fit for what you want. It’s cheap too.
Yes, played and liked it. Never managed to beat the final boss. Maybe I should try again…
Definitely try again because there’s so much depth when you unlock new ship designs that are manned by other races than just human. Every time I boot it up I’m surprised how quickly 3 hours zaps by.
I think I did unlock new ships but it was ever harder to play with them. Do you have to win the last fight to get new ships?
Into The Breach by the same devs
A friend recommended mi this some time ago. Will check it out, thanks.
It’s free on Android and iOS if you have a Netflix account.
Good to know, thanks!
there is also a significant modding community, with FTL Multiverse being a complete overhaul/expansion
Definitely. Just start on easy mode and make sure you upgrade your engines. :)
Hollow Knight is a masterpiece worth recommending. Furthermore, it satisfies most of your criteria. But you might need one of the better integrated GPUs to run it smoothly on your system.
Hades is another masterpiece worth recommending and perhaps satisfies even more of your criteria. Though, once again, it requires you to have one of the better integrated GPUs.
I don’t think hk is that demanding tbh.
If you are going to play it then you need to complete the 2D indie game trifecta with Celeste and Rain World though
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I play Tetravex - the 4 x 4 version. It’s available for free in the games section of Linux Mint or Gnome.
There’s also a free android game on the Play Store.Any of the Portal Series. You can slowly progress through the game (first one ain’t long at all) and it has a great story.
Have you tried Double Action Boogaloo? It is probably right up your alley if you like Fistful of Frags.
You might enjoy Quake or other arena shooters like Warsow or Ratz Instagib.
If you want to try something new that still fits the bill I’d go with Enter the Gungeon or Dead Cells. Both are easy to pick up but incredibly challenging to master. Both are roguelikes with a short time per run, so the game already does the job of breaking itself into short play periods. And both are action heavy.
Yeah, I played some Warsow and liked it. I will give Dead Cellsa try.
OpenTTD. You can play it for 20 minutes if you want but I usually end up around 20 hours 😅
I tried it some time ago and after some time it’s just gets too complex. Looks to much like work :)
Thats fair. It basically is a business budget and logistics simulator.
I also usually throw in the towel when the money in the corner spins so fast I can’t even really track it 😅
You might enjoy Broforce. Very chaotic and fast.
Another force-based recommendation is Dustforce, although that one might be a bit repetitive.
Not a Hero is pretty frantic and levels are over very quickly.
Risk of Rain 1 has native Linux. 2 does not but runs on Proton.
Broforce is a co-op, right? Not a hero looks great.
It can be played local/online 4P co-op or single player and is fun in both.
Ok, looks really great. Will try it out.
Your Only Move is Hustle - Basically a TAS Fighting game, the game plays like chess meets a fighter game, you preselect moves at the same time as your opponent, then they play out. Sounds super simple when explained like that but there are so many complications to this basic formula (cancels, bursts, DI, parries, to name a few), that it is actually very interesting.
Omega Strikers - Air Hockey meets MOBA, although the game is dying a little, but the devs are still active and they just released a new character, their design never disappoints and the OST is fire.
Slay the Spire ! If you like card game and roguelike
Love rougelike (played some nethack back in the day), card games not so much. More agility, less reading.
Then you have short session roguelikes like :
- Vampire survivors
- Brotato
- Noita
Noita
Wow, this one looks amazing. I will add to a list.
I highly recommend it! It can be really brutal but if you get a good run going it’s really satisfying. The depth the mechanics like wand building offer is amazing
Also 20 Minutes Till Dawn
3 different genres:
- Serious Sam
- Running with rifles
- Baba is you
Running with rifles is so good, yet so underrated. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I’d recommend Borderlands 2. It runs beautifully even on Intel HD4000 and it’s less than $5 on sale. It’s much better with friends, but I’ve enjoyed most of it by myself and absolutely love it.
You may also try Hero’s hour and Death road to Canada.
Death road to Canada
Got it. It’s awesome.
Death road to Canada.
I made it to Canada!
That’s so cool. What was you playthrough like? I believe the first time I got to the border I only had a dog with a shotgun left.
Fairly easy. I found a guy with a huge sword and good melee weapons. I was able to smash everything and save enough ammo to just shoot my way through the last hoards.
Factorio.
There is a free demo, start there. Most people can get a good 20 hours out of that if they enjoy it.
It can get somewhat complex if you go with mods etc. But you will get 100 hours out of it before you go down that path
The full game is worth every cent (5500 hours later…)
Tried it. Great game but as with lots of games of this type after some time it gets repetitive. I usually stop enjoying them after couple or hours.
One do a not simply stop playing factorio after 20-30 minutes
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth sounds like what you’re looking for.
came to reccomend this ;)
Looks interesting (and cute) but I’m not sure how I feel about levels. Anything more death match like?
