In a world where people are glued to their phones and laptops, it can be refreshing to take a break and enjoy some simple games that can be played on the Linux terminal. While they may not be as flashy as some of the more popular games out there, these five games are surprisingly fun and can keep you entertained for hours on end.
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nSnake
The Nokia Snake game was one of the most popular games of the 90s. Now, you can play it on the Linux terminal with nSnake. This version of the game is made with C++ and ncurses and features a GUI-like interface with nice animations. You can customize the gameplay, appearance, and key bindings to suit your preferences.
There are also different levels to choose from, as well as different game modes such as teleport, scroll map, random walls, etc. scores are saved for each setting.
2048.c
A GNU/Linux version of the popular game “2048” is available under the name 2048.c. 2048 was an instant hit when it was published by 19-year-old Gabiele Cirulliie on GitHub in 2014. The game is played on a 4×4 grid, with the objective of combining tiles of matching numbers to create a tile with the value of 2048.
Players can move the tiles in four directions – up, down, left, and right – using the arrow keys on their keyboard. If two tiles of matching numbers collide while moving in the same direction, they will combine to form a new tile with the value of the sum of the two original tiles.
Each turn, a new tile with a value of 2 or 4 will appear randomly on the grid. The game is won when a player creates a tile with a value of 2048, but it is lost if the grid becomes full and there are no more moves that can be made.
Nudoku
For those who enjoy Sudoku, nudoku is a great clone to play in the Linux terminal. Just like the original game, you’re provided a 9×9 box with partially filed values and your objective is to fill the boxes in such a way that a number appears only once in any particular row and column.
However, what makes nudoku unique is that it is ncurses based. This means that it utilizes text-based graphics in order to create a user interface within a terminal emulator. As a result, nudoku is perfect for those who want to play Sudoku in a more old-school way.
Ninvaders
Ninvaders is a clone of the classic game, Space Invaders. The purpose of the game is to prevent aliens from invading Earth by shooting them with a cannon. The game takes place in the Linux terminal, and the player controls the cannon with the mouse. The aliens are divided into two rows, and each row consists of six aliens.
The bottom row of aliens is worth more points than the top row. The player can earn bonus points by shooting the UFO that appears occasionally. Ninvaders is a simple but addicting game.
Ascii Patrol
Ascii Patrol is an ASCII game project that was primarily inspired by the classic arcade game Moon Patrol. In Ascii Patrol, you pilot a moon buggy across the lunar surface, avoiding obstacles like mines and craters while trying to shoot down two UFOs that are attacking you from overhead. It is unquestionably one of the most beautiful and fun Linux terminal games available, and it is sure to bring hours of enjoyment to any player.