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I recently came across my first Windows 10 casualty – Civilisation V installed in Steam wouldn’t work. It did work in Win 7. It looked like a graphics problem as audio was working and the opening video played but when the game started I was greeted with a blank screen. I tried lots of things to remedy the fault including latest video drivers, all to no avail.
Looking at the Steam forums I wasn’t alone and lots of people couldn’t get the game to run in Win 10. Some blamed Win 10 while others blamed the game publishers arguing that they’d had the Win 10 codes needed for a year before launch. At time of writing there is no cure.
Wondering what to do I stumbled across the fact that Civ 5 works in Linux. I play games mostly on my living room machine which has a swappable hard disk caddy which I use to run Linux Mint 18. So I fired that up, updated Mint, configured Thunderbird email client (Steam send a confirmation email to install) and installed Steam then installed Civilisation 5. And in Linux it works perfectly.
While I was there I went through all my Steam games and found out which ones installed in Linux. Quite a few more than I expected. It did occur to me though that some games work best with a controller and my pair of Microsoft Xbox 360 wireless controllers won’t work in Linux. I wondered if any controllers worked in Linux apart from the Steam controller. Or, for that matter, any steering wheels.
I’d guess probably not but I’m assuming the Steam wireless controller works in Linux so that should be ok. Can anybody confirm this?
I then compiled a list of the games I own in Steam that work in Linux and decided to add some small comment after each one. The greater majority of games I bought in a sale, some I only paid about a quid for, I paid full price for very few. It did strike me how many games I’d purchased and not actually played, which will become apparent if you read all this list. Does anybody else do that? See a bargain, buy it then forget about it?
Anyhow, just out of interest, here’s a list of the games I own in Steam that work in Linux:
Adventures Of Shuggy – This was a cheapie game, I can’t remember what it’s all about but I’ve only played 30 minutes so it can’t be much cop.
Age Of Wonders III – I thought this would be like Age Of Empires but it wasn’t. In fact I couldn’t work out what the hell you had to do to play it so I gave up. Glad it didn’t cost much in a sale.
Alien isolation – The first game listed here I’m surprised works in Linux. A full length top game, I’ve only played a little so far but it’s looking good. Note it has a poor save system and it can be frustrating playing scenes over and over when you die.
Amnesia A Machine For Pigs – I haven’t played it yet
Amnesia The Dark Descent – Quite an odd game, scary, full of atmosphere, good so far
Bastion – I can’t remember what this is all about but I’ve played a few hours so it must be OK
Bioshock Infinite – Good game, really enjoyed playing this and there are some DLC’s to be had as well
The Book Of Unwritten Tales – A point and Click puzzle adventure game. I like it but it may not be to everybody’s taste. Relaxing
The Book Of Unwritten Tales 2 – As comments for the first game
Borderlands 2 – Possibly my favourite game as I’ve spent 1075 hours playing it though I have finally stopped playing it just recently.
Borderlands The Pre-sequel – Of the 3 Borderlands games this is the least engaging but still worth a spin. Avoid the DLC.
Broken Sword 1 Shadow OfThe Templars Directors cut – point & click, I haven’t played it
Broken Sword 2 The Smoking Mirror, Remastered – Point & click, I haven’t played it
Broken Sword 5 – The Serpents Curse – Point & click, pretty good.
Brutal Legend – This could have been good but it’s riddled with Quick Time sequences which totally spoils it. Also needs a controller to play smoothly. Frankly, I’d avoid it.
Capsized – Can’t remember what this was all about but I’ve spent a couple of hours on it.
Clockwork Tales: Of Glass & Ink – I really enjoyed this game, it’s a sort of sophisticated point and click. It’s cheap and it kept me interested from start to finish. Recommended.
Counter Strike: Source – Classic online fps
Day Of The Tentacle Remastered – Another point and click, classic game, though it doesn’t keep my attention like it did in the nineties.
Dead Island – Zombie killing. You’ll like this game at first but after a while it becomes repetitive and eventually stupidly difficult. Only buy if in a sale
Deponia – a point and click adventure game that so far I haven’t played
Dirt Showdown - A great arcade racing game with stock car racing, I finished this one in Windows with a Microsoft 360 controller. To play in Steam you will need a controller that works, the Steam controller is probably a good bet. I wonder if there are any steering wheels that work in Linux?
Duke Nukem 3D Megaton Edition – The classic nineties game updated to play on current operating systems. Good fun.
Dust: An Elysian Tale – A sort of full size side scroller with cutesy characters that I enjoyed a great deal, I finished this game and might play it again.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 – Not for me but Mucks likes it a lot. It’s a good thing we’re not all the same eh?
Gone Home – A puzzle adventure game, I haven’t played it yet.
All the Half Life Games work in Linux and in my opinion they’re all good. These are the ones I have listed in my Steam folder:
Half Life
Half Life 2
Half Life 2 Deathmatch
Half Life 2 Episode 1
Half Life 2 Episode 2
Half Life 2 Lost Coast (A demo released at the time to show off the new game engine)
Half Life Deathmatch: Source
Half Life Blue Shift
Half Life Opposing Force
Half Life: Source
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream – I haven’t played this yet
Kairo – I haven’t played this yet
Killing Floor – Zombie killing, I didn’t like it at all
Left 4 Dead 2 – Zombie killing – now THIS is what a good zombie game should be like, a great game
Lifeless Planet – I haven’t played it yet
Limbo – A puzzle game, very good, it’s all in black and white
Mad Max – I’m surprised this is on Linux, one of the best uses of the Batman game engine, this is a good game.
The Mean Greens – Plastic warfare – a toy soldiers fps that I didn’t realise was multiplayer only and therefore I have no idea what it’s like.
Metal Slug 3 – I haven’t played this yet but I do know it’s a very old game
Metro last Light & Metro Last Light Redux – Both really good, the redux version just has improved graphics
Metro 2033 Redux – I never got on with this game, I thought the redux version might have improved things for me but it didn’t. I didn’t like it, others do like it.
Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor – As the title suggests, a game drawing inspiration from the Lord Of The Rings saga. It uses the Batman game engine and imo is very difficult. I gave up on it, being a wuss. It does look very good indeed.
Millie – A sort of Bejewelled type of thing, a fun time-waster
Mountain – I Haven’t played it yet but apparently it’s a very simplistic sort of puzzle thing
Outlast – Horror survival. Hard. Dark & murky. I didn’t enjoy it at all.
Overlord – I haven’t played it yet
Overlord: Raising Hell – I haven’t played it yet
Overlord II – I played this on Windows and really enjoyed it until I got about 75% of the way through and got stuck.
Painkiller: Hell & Damnation – ALL of the painkiller games are great if you love mindless shoot ‘em ups. Which I do.
Portal – Too clever by far
Portal 2 – Too clever by far 2
Postal 2 – Absolute tosh
Psychonauts – good fun, good game, quirky, cheap
Road Redemption – An attempt to make a modern version of Road Rash. Worth a try if it’s in a sale.
Saints Row: The Third – A poor mans GTA V
Saints Row IV – A poor mans GTA V
Sid Meirs’ Civilisation V & all DLC’s – I’m sure this is a good game – once I can figure out how to play the bloody thing
Skullgirls – Mortal Kombat with cutesy Japanese girlies
Stacking – I played this briefly, it’s probably quite good, puzzle game based around the idea of Russian dolls fitting into each other
System Shock 2 – Classic game, it set a standard. Good but imo a little over-rated
The Talos Principle – Great puzzle game. I enjoyed this until it got stupidly hard. Are we detecting a pattern here?
Team Fortress Classic – as the title, classic multiplayer game
Team Fortress Classic 2 – played with cartoon characters, this multiplayer is, imo, good. I played it for about a year
Terraria – a side scroll game, didn’t appeal to me
Tomb Raider – the first of two great Lara Croft Games made in recent times – very good indeed
Torchlight II – an RPG I haven’t played yet
Trine 2 – I haven’t played this yet
Undertale – supposedly a very clever game, it left me cold. Maybe I’m daft.
The Witcher 2 – Oddly enough I haven’t played this one. I almost finished Witcher 1 and I’m currently playing Witcher 3 but somehow I passed this one by.
X3: Terran Conflict – Haven’t played it yet
X3: Albion Prelude – Haven’t played it yet
Xcom: Enemy Unknown – I played a little of this, it didn’t exactly grab me, maybe I’ll get back to it. Got it as a freebie with some hardware or other.
Ziggurat – I have no idea what this is all about.
And there we have it
The main purpose of this list was to show some of the games that work in Linux, my personal comments are an afterthought
Looking at the Steam forums I wasn’t alone and lots of people couldn’t get the game to run in Win 10. Some blamed Win 10 while others blamed the game publishers arguing that they’d had the Win 10 codes needed for a year before launch. At time of writing there is no cure.
Wondering what to do I stumbled across the fact that Civ 5 works in Linux. I play games mostly on my living room machine which has a swappable hard disk caddy which I use to run Linux Mint 18. So I fired that up, updated Mint, configured Thunderbird email client (Steam send a confirmation email to install) and installed Steam then installed Civilisation 5. And in Linux it works perfectly.
While I was there I went through all my Steam games and found out which ones installed in Linux. Quite a few more than I expected. It did occur to me though that some games work best with a controller and my pair of Microsoft Xbox 360 wireless controllers won’t work in Linux. I wondered if any controllers worked in Linux apart from the Steam controller. Or, for that matter, any steering wheels.
I’d guess probably not but I’m assuming the Steam wireless controller works in Linux so that should be ok. Can anybody confirm this?
I then compiled a list of the games I own in Steam that work in Linux and decided to add some small comment after each one. The greater majority of games I bought in a sale, some I only paid about a quid for, I paid full price for very few. It did strike me how many games I’d purchased and not actually played, which will become apparent if you read all this list. Does anybody else do that? See a bargain, buy it then forget about it?
Anyhow, just out of interest, here’s a list of the games I own in Steam that work in Linux:
Adventures Of Shuggy – This was a cheapie game, I can’t remember what it’s all about but I’ve only played 30 minutes so it can’t be much cop.
Age Of Wonders III – I thought this would be like Age Of Empires but it wasn’t. In fact I couldn’t work out what the hell you had to do to play it so I gave up. Glad it didn’t cost much in a sale.
Alien isolation – The first game listed here I’m surprised works in Linux. A full length top game, I’ve only played a little so far but it’s looking good. Note it has a poor save system and it can be frustrating playing scenes over and over when you die.
Amnesia A Machine For Pigs – I haven’t played it yet
Amnesia The Dark Descent – Quite an odd game, scary, full of atmosphere, good so far
Bastion – I can’t remember what this is all about but I’ve played a few hours so it must be OK
Bioshock Infinite – Good game, really enjoyed playing this and there are some DLC’s to be had as well
The Book Of Unwritten Tales – A point and Click puzzle adventure game. I like it but it may not be to everybody’s taste. Relaxing
The Book Of Unwritten Tales 2 – As comments for the first game
Borderlands 2 – Possibly my favourite game as I’ve spent 1075 hours playing it though I have finally stopped playing it just recently.
Borderlands The Pre-sequel – Of the 3 Borderlands games this is the least engaging but still worth a spin. Avoid the DLC.
Broken Sword 1 Shadow OfThe Templars Directors cut – point & click, I haven’t played it
Broken Sword 2 The Smoking Mirror, Remastered – Point & click, I haven’t played it
Broken Sword 5 – The Serpents Curse – Point & click, pretty good.
Brutal Legend – This could have been good but it’s riddled with Quick Time sequences which totally spoils it. Also needs a controller to play smoothly. Frankly, I’d avoid it.
Capsized – Can’t remember what this was all about but I’ve spent a couple of hours on it.
Clockwork Tales: Of Glass & Ink – I really enjoyed this game, it’s a sort of sophisticated point and click. It’s cheap and it kept me interested from start to finish. Recommended.
Counter Strike: Source – Classic online fps
Day Of The Tentacle Remastered – Another point and click, classic game, though it doesn’t keep my attention like it did in the nineties.
Dead Island – Zombie killing. You’ll like this game at first but after a while it becomes repetitive and eventually stupidly difficult. Only buy if in a sale
Deponia – a point and click adventure game that so far I haven’t played
Dirt Showdown - A great arcade racing game with stock car racing, I finished this one in Windows with a Microsoft 360 controller. To play in Steam you will need a controller that works, the Steam controller is probably a good bet. I wonder if there are any steering wheels that work in Linux?
Duke Nukem 3D Megaton Edition – The classic nineties game updated to play on current operating systems. Good fun.
Dust: An Elysian Tale – A sort of full size side scroller with cutesy characters that I enjoyed a great deal, I finished this game and might play it again.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 – Not for me but Mucks likes it a lot. It’s a good thing we’re not all the same eh?
Gone Home – A puzzle adventure game, I haven’t played it yet.
All the Half Life Games work in Linux and in my opinion they’re all good. These are the ones I have listed in my Steam folder:
Half Life
Half Life 2
Half Life 2 Deathmatch
Half Life 2 Episode 1
Half Life 2 Episode 2
Half Life 2 Lost Coast (A demo released at the time to show off the new game engine)
Half Life Deathmatch: Source
Half Life Blue Shift
Half Life Opposing Force
Half Life: Source
I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream – I haven’t played this yet
Kairo – I haven’t played this yet
Killing Floor – Zombie killing, I didn’t like it at all
Left 4 Dead 2 – Zombie killing – now THIS is what a good zombie game should be like, a great game
Lifeless Planet – I haven’t played it yet
Limbo – A puzzle game, very good, it’s all in black and white
Mad Max – I’m surprised this is on Linux, one of the best uses of the Batman game engine, this is a good game.
The Mean Greens – Plastic warfare – a toy soldiers fps that I didn’t realise was multiplayer only and therefore I have no idea what it’s like.
Metal Slug 3 – I haven’t played this yet but I do know it’s a very old game
Metro last Light & Metro Last Light Redux – Both really good, the redux version just has improved graphics
Metro 2033 Redux – I never got on with this game, I thought the redux version might have improved things for me but it didn’t. I didn’t like it, others do like it.
Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor – As the title suggests, a game drawing inspiration from the Lord Of The Rings saga. It uses the Batman game engine and imo is very difficult. I gave up on it, being a wuss. It does look very good indeed.
Millie – A sort of Bejewelled type of thing, a fun time-waster
Mountain – I Haven’t played it yet but apparently it’s a very simplistic sort of puzzle thing
Outlast – Horror survival. Hard. Dark & murky. I didn’t enjoy it at all.
Overlord – I haven’t played it yet
Overlord: Raising Hell – I haven’t played it yet
Overlord II – I played this on Windows and really enjoyed it until I got about 75% of the way through and got stuck.
Painkiller: Hell & Damnation – ALL of the painkiller games are great if you love mindless shoot ‘em ups. Which I do.
Portal – Too clever by far
Portal 2 – Too clever by far 2
Postal 2 – Absolute tosh
Psychonauts – good fun, good game, quirky, cheap
Road Redemption – An attempt to make a modern version of Road Rash. Worth a try if it’s in a sale.
Saints Row: The Third – A poor mans GTA V
Saints Row IV – A poor mans GTA V
Sid Meirs’ Civilisation V & all DLC’s – I’m sure this is a good game – once I can figure out how to play the bloody thing
Skullgirls – Mortal Kombat with cutesy Japanese girlies
Stacking – I played this briefly, it’s probably quite good, puzzle game based around the idea of Russian dolls fitting into each other
System Shock 2 – Classic game, it set a standard. Good but imo a little over-rated
The Talos Principle – Great puzzle game. I enjoyed this until it got stupidly hard. Are we detecting a pattern here?
Team Fortress Classic – as the title, classic multiplayer game
Team Fortress Classic 2 – played with cartoon characters, this multiplayer is, imo, good. I played it for about a year
Terraria – a side scroll game, didn’t appeal to me
Tomb Raider – the first of two great Lara Croft Games made in recent times – very good indeed
Torchlight II – an RPG I haven’t played yet
Trine 2 – I haven’t played this yet
Undertale – supposedly a very clever game, it left me cold. Maybe I’m daft.
The Witcher 2 – Oddly enough I haven’t played this one. I almost finished Witcher 1 and I’m currently playing Witcher 3 but somehow I passed this one by.
X3: Terran Conflict – Haven’t played it yet
X3: Albion Prelude – Haven’t played it yet
Xcom: Enemy Unknown – I played a little of this, it didn’t exactly grab me, maybe I’ll get back to it. Got it as a freebie with some hardware or other.
Ziggurat – I have no idea what this is all about.
And there we have it
The main purpose of this list was to show some of the games that work in Linux, my personal comments are an afterthought
Last edited:
. Will the wireless controller run on Mint?
