Real-time strategy

MegaGlest

MegaGlest is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that's a reinterpretation of an older game called Glest. Both games have been abandoned at various points in the past, but MegaGlest has recently relaunched its website and started tweaking its source code, and it's great to see the project back again. It's also conveniently available from Steam if you want to support the developers and get a one-click install for your Steam Deck, but of course, the game itself is also open source and can be installed from packages or built yourself. MegaGlest will immediately feel familiar to anyone who has played an RTS. There are elements that feel like the ancient Settlers game and battles that look like they're from the brilliant Magicka. You look down on your people as the local deity – reflected literally in the tilted top-down 3D graphic view of your lands and figuratively in the way your denizens react to your instructions without question. You need to put them to task mining resources, building structures, and fighting neighbors across many different kinds of terrain and seven different factions. These include tech, magic, Egyptian, Native American, Norse, Persian, and Roman. Your choice of faction will affect what you can build, which resources are needed, and which technology is unlocked through the faction's "tech tree."

The game offers a beginner scenario to ease you into the game's mechanics. While you can start fighting immediately, you're better off gathering resources and building up your infrastructure. In this way, you can develop a large army before finally revealing your narcissistic tendencies by invading your neighbor and hopefully winning their territory and resources. It's tough, and there's a learning curve, but you can play alone first against some excellent computer-controlled opponents, before going online against some equally adept humans. Either way, it's great fun and, for an open source game, relatively complete and fully realized.

Project Website

https://megaglest.org

MegaGlest offers a huge range of terrain and playing scenarios, plus online opponents, making it both deep and diverse.