Title: Top 12 best opensource games available on OpenBSD
Author: Solène
Date: 07 March 2021
Tags: openbsd gaming
Description: 

# Introduction

This article features the 12 best games (in my opinion) in term of
quality and fun available in OpenBSD packages.  The list only contains
open source games that you can install out of the box.  This means that
game engines requiring proprietary (or paid) game assets are not part
of this list.

# Tales of Maj'Eyal

Tome4 is a rogue-like game with many classes, many races, lot of areas
to explore.  There are fun pieces of lore to find and read if it's your
thing, you have to play it many times to unlock everything.  Note that
while the game is open source, there are paid extensions requiring an
online account on the official website, this is not mandatory to play
or finish the game.

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add tome4
$ tome4
```

Tales of Maj'Eyal official website

# OpenTTD

This famous game is a free reimplementation of the Transport Tycoon
game.  Build roads, rails, make huge trains networks with signals,
transports materials from extraction to industries and then deliver
goods to cities to make them grow.  There is a huge community and many
mods, and the game can be played in multiplayer.  Also available on
Android.

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add openttd
$ openttd
```

OpenTTD official website

[Peertube video] OpenTTD

# The Battle for Wesnoth

Wesnoth is a turn based strategy game based on hexagons.  There are
many races with their own units.  The game features a full set of
campaign for playing solo but also include multiplayer.  Also available
on Android.

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add wesnoth
$ wesnoth
```

The Battle for Wesnoth official website

# Endless Sky

This game is about space exploration, you are captain of a ship and you
can get missions, enhance your ship, trade goods over the galaxy or
fight enemies.  There is a learning curve to enjoy it because it's
quite hard to understand at first.

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add endless-sky
$ endless-sky
```

Endless Sky official website

# OpenRA

Open Red Alert, the 100% free reimplementation of the engine AND assets
of Red Alert, Command and Conquer and Dune.  You can play all these
games from OpenRA, including multiplayer.  Note that there are no
campaign, you can play skirmish alone with bots or in multiplayer. 
Campaigns (and cinematics) could be played using the original games
files (from OpenRA launcher), as the games have been published as
freeware a few years ago, one can find them for free and legally.

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add openra
$ openra
wait for instructions to download the assets of the game you want to play
```

OpenRA official website

[Peertube video] Red Alert

# Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead

Cataclysm DDA is a game in which you awake in a zombie apocalypse and
you have to survive.  The game is extremely complete and allow many
actions/combinations like driving vehicles, disassemble electronics to
build your own devices and many things I didn't try yet.  The game is
turn based and 2D from top, I highly recommend reading the manual and
how-to because the game is hard.  You can also create your character
when you start a game, which will totally change the game experience
because of your characters attributes and knowledge.

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add cataclysm-dda
$ cataclysm-dda
```

Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead official website

# Taisei

Taisei is a bullet hell game in the Touhou universe.  Very well done,
extremely fun, multiple characters to play with an alternative mechanic
of each character.

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add taisei
$ taisei
```

Taisei official website

[Peertube video] Taisei

# The Legend of Zelda: Return of the Hylian SE

There is a game engine named Solarus dedicated to write Zelda like
games, and Zelda RotH is a game based on this.  Nothing special to say,
it's a 2D Zelda game, very well done with a new adventure.

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add zelda_roth_se
$ zelda_roth_se
```

Zelda RotH official website

# Shapez.io

This game is about making industries from shapes and colors in order to
deliver what you are asked to produce in the most efficient manner,
this game is addictive and easy to understand thanks to the tutorial
when you start the game.

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add shapezio
$ /usr/local/bin/electron /usr/local/share/shapez.io/index.html
```

Shapez.io official website

# OpenArena

OpenArena is a Quake 3 reimplementation, including assets.  It's like
Quake 3 but it's not Quake 3 :)

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add openarena
$ openarena
```

OpenArena official website

# Xonotic

This is a fast paced arena FPS game with beautiful graphics, many
weapons with two modes of fire and many games modes.  Reminds me a lot
Unreal Tournament 2003.

```How to install and launch
# pkg_add xonotic
$ xonotic
```

Xonotic official website

# Hyperrogue

This game is a rogue like (every run is different than last one) in
which you move from hexagone to hexagone to get points, each biome has
its own characteristics, like a sand biome in which you have to gather
spice and you must escape sand worms :-) .  The game is easy to play,
turn by turn and has unusual graphics because of the non-euclidian
nature of its world.  I recommend reading the game manual because the
first time I played it I really disliked it by missing most of the game
mechanics...  Also available on Android!

Hyperrogue official website

# And many others

Here is a list of games I didn't include but at also worth being
played: 0ad, Xmoto, Freedoom, The Dark Mod, Freedink, crack-attack,
witchblast, flare, vegastrike and many others.

List of games available on OpenBSD