Codepad – The ClassHelper.org™ Blog

Everyone needs a little down time every now and again. Whether you’re taking a break from hours of programming, trying to calm a conference-induced headache, or just relaxing at home, these Linux-based games offer a nice chance to unwind. The titles listed here are all available in the Ubuntu software repositories; just search for “games” in Synaptic if you want an idea of just how many choices are available.

The games listed here are some of my personal favorites. Listed in alphabetical order, here they are:

Abe’s Amazing Adventure – A side-scrolling action game that requires you to guide your hero (Abe, of course) through a series of levels.

Abe's Amazing Adventure

Atomix – This puzzle game requires the player to assemble common molecules from their component atoms. It’s easy to learn, but challenging enough that people have actually taken the time to write out mathematical proofs related to solving some levels in the fewest possible moves.

Atomix

Childsplay – Designed for children, this title features multiple educational games rolled into a single package. It’s a great choice for elementary school kids.

Childsplay

Freeciv – Inspired by the mega-hit Civilization, this open source gem leads you on an adventure from prehistory to the space age.

Freeciv

Gnometris – This Tetris clone might just be the perfect way to kill some time while you’re waiting for that new pot of coffee to percolate.

Gnometris

GNU Chess – This highly configurable chess game uses the gnuchess engine by default, but can also serve as a front end to other popular chess engines.

GNU Chess

KBattleship – You’ve sunk my (insert class of warship here), or at least the computer’s. You can play against the PC or host/join network games. This one’s good for a bit of classic fun.

KBattleship

Kubrick – If you’re in the mood for a little mental torture, this title is based on the famously difficult cube of despair. Good luck peeling the stickers off this one.

Kubrick

Nibbles – You may remember a popular game from the QBasic era by the same name; it’s the same game, updated with (slightly) better graphics. Not that you care about graphics that much if you’re going for nostalgia…

Nibbles

OpenCity – Based on a certain extremely popular city-building game (nudge, nudge), this title challenges you to build a functional economy from scratch. This is good practice for surviving in our current economic conditions.

OpenCity

KSudoku – If you weren’t already having bad dreams about puzzle cubes, you can up the challenge by delving into a few sudoku puzzles. For an added bonus, the application lets you easily print out sets for later enjoyment.

KSudoku

SuperTux – He’s not a plumber, but he still wants to rack up those coins. Why risk dropping your prized NES console when you’ve got a great side-scroller at your fingertips?

SuperTux

Tux Math Command – Another great choice for kids, the player must solve basic math problems to blast the baddies.

Tux Math Command

None of these games require much processing power to run; you can probably run all of them on a five year old spare PC without any issues. Have fun!