Brief: This article lists the best command line games for Linux.

Linux has never been the preferred operating system for gaming. Though gaming on Linux has improved a lot lately. You can download Linux games from a number of resources.

There are dedicated Linux distributions for gaming. Yes, they do exist. But, we are not going to see the Linux gaming distributions today.

Linux has one added advantage over its Windows counterpart. It has got the mighty Linux terminal. You can do a hell lot of things in terminal including playing command line games.

Yeah, hardcore terminal lovers, gather around. Terminal games are light, fast and hell lotta fun to play. And the best thing of all, you’ve got a lot of classic retro games in Linux terminal.

Best Linux terminal games

So let’s crack this list and see what are some of the best Linux terminal games. If you like to see the terminal games in action, you can watch this video on our YouTube channel:

1. Bastet

Who hasn’t spent hours together playing Tetris? Simple, but totally addictive. Bastet is the Tetris of Linux.

Use the command below to get Bastet:

sudo apt install bastet

To play the game, run the below command in terminal:

bastet

Use spacebar to rotate the bricks and arrow keys to guide.

2. Ninvaders

Space Invaders. I remember tussling for high score with my brother on this. One of the best arcade games out there.

Copy paste the command to install Ninvaders.

sudo apt-get install ninvaders

To play this game, use the command below:

ninvaders

Arrow keys to move the spaceship. Space bar to shoot at the aliens.

3. Pacman4console

Yes, the King of the Arcade is here. Pacman4console is the terminal version of the popular arcade hit, Pacman.

Use the command to get pacman4console:

sudo apt-get install pacman4console

Open a terminal, and I suggest you maximize it. Type the command below to launch the game:

pacman4console

Use the arrow keys to control the movement.

4. nSnake

Remember the snake game in old Nokia phones?

That game kept me hooked to the phone for a really long time. I used to devise various coiling patterns to manage the grown up snake.

We have the snake game in Linux terminal thanks to nSnake. Use the command below to install it.

sudo apt-get install nsnake

To play the game, type in the below command to launch the game.

nsnake

Use arrow keys to move the snake and feed it.

5. Greed

Greed is little like Tron, minus the speed and adrenaline.

Your location is denoted by a blinking ‘@’. You are surrounded by numbers and you can choose to move in any of the 4 directions,

The direction you choose has a number and you move exactly that number of steps. And you repeat the step again. You cannot revisit the visited spot again and the game ends when you cannot make a move.

I made it sound more complicated than it really is.

Grab greed with the command below:

sudo apt-get install greed

To launch the game use the command below. Then use the arrow keys to play the game.

greed

6. Air Traffic Controller

What’s better than being a pilot? An air traffic controller. You can simulate an entire air traffic system in your terminal. To be honest, managing air traffic from a terminal kinda feels, real.

Install the game using the command below:

sudo apt-get install bsdgames

Type in the command below to launch the game:

atc

ATC is not a child’s play. So read the man page using the command below.

7. Backgammon

Whether You have played Backgammon before or not, You should check this out. The instructions and control manuals are all so friendly. Play it against computer or your friend if you prefer.

Install Backgammon using this command:

sudo apt-get install bsdgames

Type in the below command to launch the game:

backgammon

Press ‘y’ when prompted for rules of the game.

8. Moon Buggy

Jump. Fire. Hours of fun. No more words.

Install the game using the command below:

sudo apt-get install moon-buggy

Use the below command to start the game:

moon-buggy

Press space to jump, ‘a’ or ‘l’ to shoot. Enjoy

9. 2048

Here’s something to make your brain flex. 2048 is a strategic as well as a highly addictive game. The goal is to get a score of 2048.

Copy paste the commands below one by one to install the game.

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mevdschee/2048.c/master/2048.c gcc -o 2048 2048.c

Type the below command to launch the game and use the arrow keys to play.

./2048

10. Tron

How can this list be complete without a brisk action game?

Yes, the snappy Tron is available on Linux terminal. Get ready for some serious nimble action. No installation hassle nor setup hassle. One command will launch the game. All You need is an internet connection.

ssh sshtron.zachlatta.com

You can even play this game in multiplayer if there are other gamers online. Read more about Tron game in Linux.

Your pick?

There you have it, people. Top 10 Linux terminal games. I guess it’s Ctrl+Alt+T now. You may also check out our list of best Ascii games for Linux.

What is Your favorite among the list? Or got some other fun stuff for the terminal? Do share.