Linux (including Ubuntu 24.04 under WSL) is not a “gaming desert”; it supports a wide range of games including lightweight terminal games, classic single-player games, cross-platform multiplayer games, and emulator games. The following is organized by “ease of installation + scenario” with detailed installation/launch methods (adapted for Ubuntu 24.04):
1. Zero Barrier: Terminal Games (No GUI Required, Play Directly on WSL)
Suitable for quick play and lightweight experience, purely command-line operation, no graphics card/graphics environment configuration required:
| Game Name | Description | Installation Command | Launch Command |
| Snake | Classic terminal snake game | <span>sudo apt install -y snake4</span> |
<span>snake4</span> |
| Nibbles | Multi-directional snake variant | <span>sudo apt install -y nibbles</span> |
<span>nibbles</span> |
| Tetris | Terminal version of Tetris | <span>sudo apt install -y bastet</span> |
<span>bastet</span> |
| 2048 | Terminal version of 2048 | <span>sudo apt install -y 2048-cli</span> |
<span>2048-cli</span> |
| Pacman | Terminal Pacman | <span>sudo apt install -y pacman4console</span> |
<span>pacman4console</span> |
| Minesweeper | Terminal Minesweeper | <span>sudo apt install -y gnome-mines</span> |
<span>gnome-mines</span> |
| Rogue | Classic text-based dungeon game | <span>sudo apt install -y rogue</span> |
<span>rogue</span> |
Example: Install and Launch Terminal Snake
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y snake4
snake4 # Use arrow keys to control, Esc to exit2. Lightweight Graphical Games (Adapted for WSL GUI/Physical Machines, Playable on Low Configurations)
Requires installation of WSL graphical interface (e.g., Xfce4/GNOME), games are small in size and have low performance requirements:
1. Classic Casual Games (Install Directly from System Repositories)
| Game Name | Description | Installation Command | Launch Method |
| SuperTux | Open-source Mario clone | <span>sudo apt install -y supertux</span> |
Execute in terminal <span>supertux</span> |
| Frozen Bubble | Classic Bubble Shooter | <span>sudo apt install -y frozen-bubble</span> |
<span>frozen-bubble</span> |
| Neverball | 3D rolling ball puzzle game | <span>sudo apt install -y neverball</span> |
<span>neverball</span> |
| AisleRiot | Card game collection (Spider/Solitaire) | <span>sudo apt install -y aisleriot</span> |
<span>aisleriot</span> |
| GNOME Chess | Chess | <span>sudo apt install -y gnome-chess</span> |
<span>gnome-chess</span> |
2. Open-source Indie Games (Install via GitHub/Flatpak)
- • Minetest (Open-source Minecraft):
sudo apt install -y minetest # System repository version # Or install the latest version via Flatpak: flatpak install flathub net.minetest.Minetest flatpak run net.minetest.Minetest - • Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead (Post-apocalyptic survival Roguelike):
sudo apt install -y cataclysm-dda cataclysm-dda # Launch (supports graphical/terminal mode)
3. Mainstream Single-player/Multiplayer Games (Installed via Steam, Native to Linux)
Steam for Linux is the core entry point for Linux gaming, with thousands of games supported (including AAA titles). WSL requires additional graphics card passthrough configuration (install directly on physical machines):
Step 1: Install Steam (Ubuntu 24.04)
# Enable multiverse repository (Steam dependency)
sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
sudo apt update
# Install Steam
sudo apt install -y steam
# Launch Steam (first launch will download updates)
steamStep 2: Notable Linux Native Games on Steam
| Game Name | Type | Compatibility Status |
| CS2 (Counter-Strike 2) | Multiplayer Shooter | Perfectly native compatible |
| Dota 2 | MOBA | Perfectly native compatible |
| Team Fortress 2 | Multiplayer Shooter | Native compatible |
| Stardew Valley | Casual Simulation | Native compatible |
| Minecraft | Sandbox | Launcher natively supported |
| Portal 2 | Puzzle | Perfectly native compatible |
| Half-Life 2 | Shooter | Native compatible |
| Risk of Rain 2 | Multiplayer Roguelike | Native compatible |
| Civilization VI | Strategy | Native compatible |
Note (Special Instructions for WSL):
WSL 2 does not support GPU hardware acceleration by default (graphics interface only software rendered), making it unable to run Steam 3D games smoothly; to play AAA games on WSL, you need:
- 1. Windows 11 version 23H2 or later;
- 2. Configure WSL GPU passthrough (NVIDIA/AMD drivers must support WSL):
- • NVIDIA users: Install NVIDIA WSL driver;
- • AMD users: Windows built-in drivers are already adapted, no additional installation required;
<span>sudo apt install -y mesa-utils</span>, verify GPU recognition:<span>glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"</span>.4. Emulator Games (Play Windows/Console Games)
Run non-Linux native games through emulators/compatibility layers, covering Windows games, arcade, and console games:
1. Wine (Run Windows Games)
Compatibility layer that can run some Windows games directly (no virtual machine required):
# Install Wine (Ubuntu 24.04 recommended to use official repository)
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo mkdir -pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo wget -O /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key
sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/noble/winehq-noble.sources
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y winehq-stable
# Launch Wine configuration (first run)
winecfg
# Run Windows game (example: double-click exe file, or execute in terminal)
wine /path/to/game.exe✅ Compatible Windows games: “Plants vs. Zombies”, “Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2”, “Warcraft III”, “Stardew Valley” (Windows version), etc.
2. Lutris (Game Launcher/Compatibility Layer Integration)
One-stop management for Wine/Proton/emulators, simplifying Windows game installation:
# Install Lutris
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:lutris-team/lutris
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y lutris
# Launch Lutris
lutrisIn Lutris, you can install “League of Legends”, “Genshin Impact”, “Cyberpunk 2077”, etc. with one click (requires Proton compatibility layer configuration).
3. Console/Arcade Emulators
- • RetroArch (All-in-one console emulator, supports FC/SFC/PSP/arcade):
sudo apt install -y retroarch retroarch # Launch and download the corresponding core to play - • MAME (Arcade emulator):
sudo apt install -y mame mame # Launch and load ROM to play arcade games
5. Browser Games (No Installation, Play Directly)
No client installation required, play directly through Chrome/Firefox, compatible with all Linux environments (including WSL):
- 1. Classic Online Mini Games: Crazy Games, Pokémon Showdown;
- 2. Cloud Gaming:
- • NVIDIA GeForce Now (requires graphics card support): https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce-now/;
- • Google Stadia (requires an account): https://stadia.google.com/;
6. Installation Notes (WSL vs Physical Machines)
| Environment | Recommended Game Types | Limitations |
| WSL 2 | Terminal games, lightweight graphical games, browser games | 3D games require GPU passthrough, performance slightly lower |
| Physical Machine Linux | All types (Steam/emulators/AAA) | Requires installation of graphics card drivers (NVIDIA/AMD) |
Physical Machine Graphics Driver Installation (Optional):
- • NVIDIA users:
sudo apt install -y nvidia-driver-550 # Latest driver compatible with Ubuntu 24.04 - • AMD users:
sudo apt install -y mesa-vulkan-drivers libvulkan1
Conclusion
- • Quick Experience: Start with terminal games (snake4/bastet), zero configuration to play;
- • Casual Entertainment: Install SuperTux/Minetest from system repositories, compatible with WSL GUI;
- • Heavy Gaming: Install Steam + graphics drivers on physical machines to play native games like CS2/Dota 2;
- • Cross-platform Gaming: Use Wine/Lutris to run Windows games, or RetroArch to play console/arcade games.
The Linux gaming ecosystem has significantly improved, with Steam adding a large number of natively compatible games each year. The experience of lightweight and classic games is nearly indistinguishable, while AAA titles require attention to hardware and compatibility layer configuration.