Hi all,
Recommend me a game! I’m looking for something casual (to play for 20-30 minutes from time to time), challenging (like in difficult to master), not super complicated (I don’t want to spend hours learning all the rules), but not super simple (when it’s too repetitive the patters get ingrained in my brain. anyone else has this?), cheap (don’t want to spend $30 on a game I will play from time to time). Must work on Linux and on an integrated GPU. Games I enjoyed previously:
- Fistful of Frags
- smashcarts.io
- xevil
What I did a lot years ago was to play single levels of games over and over until I totally crashed it even if I wasn’t that interested in the entire game. I guess what I like most is figuring out the smallest details of a game, not getting into long campaigns.
So, what can I play?
Edit: Thanks for all recommendations so far but I see I need to add one more requirement: no levels. I’m looking for something quick, in and out, skirmish, death match, melee type of game. Not something where you build a character, solve puzzles and so on.
Hades
I can definitely recommend FTL: Faster Than Light. I still play it after many years in the exact same way you describe, that is short sessions. t’s all based on battles that last minutes at most while part of an overall campaign. You can quit anytime, even during battle, and it will just saw the state. You can pause during battle to think as well.
it also has simple rules but with a lot of depth. You upgrade your ship from time to time and also get new weapons or defences. It actually sounds like a perfect fit for what you want. It’s cheap too.
Yes, played and liked it. Never managed to beat the final boss. Maybe I should try again…
there is also a significant modding community, with FTL Multiverse being a complete overhaul/expansion
Definitely try again because there’s so much depth when you unlock new ship designs that are manned by other races than just human. Every time I boot it up I’m surprised how quickly 3 hours zaps by.
I think I did unlock new ships but it was ever harder to play with them. Do you have to win the last fight to get new ships?
Into The Breach by the same devs
A friend recommended mi this some time ago. Will check it out, thanks.
It’s free on Android and iOS if you have a Netflix account.
Good to know, thanks!
Definitely. Just start on easy mode and make sure you upgrade your engines. :)
Slay the Spire ! If you like card game and roguelike
Love rougelike (played some nethack back in the day), card games not so much. More agility, less reading.
Then you have short session roguelikes like :
- Vampire survivors
- Brotato
- Noita
Noita
Wow, this one looks amazing. I will add to a list.
I highly recommend it! It can be really brutal but if you get a good run going it’s really satisfying. The depth the mechanics like wand building offer is amazing
Also 20 Minutes Till Dawn
Slay the Spire
Dead Cells is a game I always have installed just to pick it up in bursts of 30 minutes or an hour.
It’s a roguelike, it’s challenging and it’s easy to pick up any time.
Even though it has levels, the intended way to play it is in runs. You start the game, start a new run, and try to go as far as you can, you die and repeat.
Multiple paths to choose, so it never becomes boring, and the levels are generated, so you can’t memorize everything.
Looks interesting. Adding it to a list.
Hollow Knight is a masterpiece worth recommending. Furthermore, it satisfies most of your criteria. But you might need one of the better integrated GPUs to run it smoothly on your system.
Hades is another masterpiece worth recommending and perhaps satisfies even more of your criteria. Though, once again, it requires you to have one of the better integrated GPUs.
I don’t think hk is that demanding tbh.
If you are going to play it then you need to complete the 2D indie game trifecta with Celeste and Rain World though
Vampire Survivors (and just get the DLCs as well, it’s cheap)
You’ll never get more bang for your buck on steam. 60 hours and counting, even with only one DLC. I just keep unlocking amazing new stuff
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth sounds like what you’re looking for.
Looks interesting (and cute) but I’m not sure how I feel about levels. Anything more death match like?
came to reccomend this ;)
Factorio.
There is a free demo, start there. Most people can get a good 20 hours out of that if they enjoy it.
It can get somewhat complex if you go with mods etc. But you will get 100 hours out of it before you go down that path
The full game is worth every cent (5500 hours later…)
One do a not simply stop playing factorio after 20-30 minutes
Tried it. Great game but as with lots of games of this type after some time it gets repetitive. I usually stop enjoying them after couple or hours.
Any of the Portal Series. You can slowly progress through the game (first one ain’t long at all) and it has a great story.
3 different genres:
- Serious Sam
- Running with rifles
- Baba is you
Running with rifles is so good, yet so underrated. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
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I tried it some time ago and after some time it’s just gets too complex. Looks to much like work :)
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HoloCure. It’s on itch.io and Steam. For free.
Sounds like you’d enjoy Nuclear Throne or Enter the Gungeon. Both are very similar, they are roguelike in 2D top-down view with enemies that shoot a lot of projectiles and gameplay is about using dodge rolls and taking cover
Nuclear Throne
This one looks nice, adding to my list.
minesweeper? /s
