Developed as part of the "Linux First Initiative" from Bearded Giant Games, Linux is a true first-class citizen for the arcade space combat game Space Mercs.

Space Mercs is an extreme arcade space combat game where the amount of projectiles and lasers on-screen is only toppled by the amount of stars in the universe! Will you be able to complete all the mercenary missions and become the best pilot in the Galaxy?

For a retro-themed space combat game, the visuals it has in places like the shots above can be pretty awesome. I've been testing it out with the Steam Controller paired with SC Controller and it feels pretty good.

You can find the demo right now on itch.io or their own store. Speaking to the developer earlier, they confirmed that the full release is going to be available on various stores like itch and Steam in addition to their own, with the Steam release seeing a small delay to add in some Steam-specific features. The demo should also be seeing an update when the full game is out.

If you have feedback for the developer, they have a Discord Channel ready and waiting.