Open source games roundup

Week of May 29 - June 5, 2014

In this week's edition of our open source games roundup, we look at Half-Life 2 through VR goggles, the new Steam Machine from Asus, and more.

Half-Life 2 VR mode exits beta

Oculus Rift users—and those still holding out for a Valve VR rig—are in luck. The VR mode for the Linux version of the game is out of beta, so an even better Half-Life 2 virtual experience is waiting. For a full list of changes, check out GamingOnLinux.

Handheld Linux gaming computer design files released

The OpenPandora, a handheld computer with built-in gaming controls and a 800x480 pixel LCD screen, is built on an open version of Ångström-Linux. This past Saturday, the case and hardware design files were also released under a non-commercial license. Repairs, modifications, or rad new casemods are a lot easier when you can download PCB schematics or STLs for 3D printers. (via Slashdot)

Writing rules for board games

Daniel Solis, who wrote about his experience with publicly prototyping board games last year, continues to share his experience as a full-time game designer. In addition to releasing countless game ideas on his blog, Solis also posts ultra-transparent earnings reports each month. He's also not afraid of helping out his fellow designers; this week, Solis shared some tips for streamlining big paragraphs in board game rulebooks.

New Steam Machine from Asus

The new gaming computer, powered by an Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 750Ti graphics card, was announced at the Computex tradeshow in Taipei. While the PC will launch with Windows 8.1, it will be fully compatible with SteamOS and the Steam Controller. A model pre-loaded with SteamOS will launch later, "in alignment with Valve's Steam Machine schedule." No price has been announced.

Crack and code your way through Hack 'n' Slash

Our own Bryan Behrenshausen takes a look at Double Fine Productions' Hack 'n' Slash . In the top-down adventure game, reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda , players control protagonist Alice as she wanders through a fantasy world, defeating puzzles and monsters with source code hacks and debugging tools. Hack 'n' Slash is available as an Early Access title at Steam.