Exploring the Open Source Indie Game Scene
Indie Gems
© Lead Image © arseniipalivoda, 123RF.com
The best indie games are fun, substantial, and well designed. And because they are Free software, curious programmers can view the source code to learn about game development.
For those of us who love to game on Linux computers, there is a treasure trove of indie games, many of which are also open source software projects. Indie games are games that are developed by small teams or individuals. Open source games afford programmers the opportunity to tinker, learn, or create their own games based on the source code.
When exploring this scene, don't expect the emphasis on cutting edge graphics and enormous worlds filled with bespoke content that you're used to with mainstream AAA releases. Additionally, the indie scene is fairly independent of mainstream trends, so a gamer interested in genres that have fallen out of favor could well find themselves at home with an open source game. Despite how they work or how they were developed, the example games that I look at in this article pass an important test – they are all great fun to play!
Justification
Does the method of development have any impact on whether a game is worth playing? Linux can now play the majority of mainstream commercial PC game releases due to either the developer making a Linux version or through an emulation layer such as Proton. So, what is the attraction of playing independent and open source releases?
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