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:

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.

    • ExLisper@linux.communityOPEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Love rougelike (played some nethack back in the day), card games not so much. More agility, less reading.

  • Kidplayer_666@lemm.eeEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    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.

    • ExLisper@linux.communityOPEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      I tried it some time ago and after some time it’s just gets too complex. Looks to much like work :)

  • 50MYT@aussie.zoneEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    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…)

    • ExLisper@linux.communityOPEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      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.

  • throwawayish@lemmy.mlEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    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.

  • rayon@lemm.eeEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    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

  • rgalex@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    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.

  • Floey@lemm.eeEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    Have you tried Double Action Boogaloo? It is probably right up your alley if you like Fistful of Frags.

    You might enjoy Quake or other arena shooters like Warsow or Ratz Instagib.

    If you want to try something new that still fits the bill I’d go with Enter the Gungeon or Dead Cells. Both are easy to pick up but incredibly challenging to master. Both are roguelikes with a short time per run, so the game already does the job of breaking itself into short play periods. And both are action heavy.

    • ExLisper@linux.communityOPEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Looks nice but I have to get a disk and AppImage and so special runners? Bah. But it’s interesting idea. I never really played melee games but it does sound like something I would enjoy. I will do a steam search.

      • SaveComengs@lemmy.federa.netEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Rivals of Aether is like a PC smash brothers knockoff but it’s actually really fun and has a lot of mods for community made characters. I really recommend it.

        maybe I’m not cultured enough, but I find rivals more fun than smash

      • regalia@literature.cafeEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Nah you go to your local college and find a group a guys there who are huddled around an ancient artifact called a “GameCube” and are vigorously moving their joysticks on a controller back and forth.

  • FinalBoy1975@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    If you want to pay: Anything by Adamvision Studios (Note: Force compatibility mode for these games on Steam, the linux versions are wonky) Demon’s Tilt or Xenotilt

    Free: Neverball (this one is probably fits best what you’re most looking for) avail in Software store on most linux distros