Linux

PikoPixel - a program for drawing pixel images.

PikoPixel is not overloaded with unnecessary functions and has basic functionality for drawing pixel images. Contains a minimal set of drawing tools.

Key Features

• Drawing tools: pencil, line, rectangle, circle, fill, eraser, eyedropper.
• Selection tools: rectangular selection, free-form selection, closed-area selection.
• Layer support.
• Supports layer transparency.
• Editing grid.
• Customizable canvas background.
• Supports hotkeys.
• Unlimited undo.
• Export enlarged images.
• Color selection dialog with several palettes.
• Interface with floating panels.
  
  

  Installation in ArchLinux from AUR

  git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/pikopixel.git
  cd picopixel
  makepkg -sri

  Installation in Gentoo

  sudo emerge -a gnustep-apps/pikopixel

Mindustry is a tower defense game with strategy elements. Construction of towers, protection from enemies, production of materials for construction.

Features

• Tower defense genre with strategy elements.
• Creating conveyors for supplying ammunition to towers.
• Production/extraction of materials for construction.
• Material creation.
• Creating drones for automatic resource extraction.
• Single player campaign.
• Tutorial level as part of the campaign.
• Network game.
• Custom Game - Custom Conditions.
• Level editor.
  
  

  Installation via Flatpak

  Installation:

  flatpak install flathub com.github.Anuken.Mindustry

  Launch:

  flatpak run com.github.Anuken.Mindustry

  Installation via Snap

  sudo snap install mindustry

OnlyOffice Desktop is an office suite that has good support for Microsoft Office formats. Includes word processor, spreadsheet, presentations.

OnlyOffice Composition:

• Text processor.
• Table processor.
• Program for creating presentations.

Supported formats:

• DOCX
• ODT
• XLSX
• ODS
• CSV
• PPTX
• ODP
• And others.

Name

Previously called TeamLab.

Installation

OnlyOffice can be installed on Linux using the following methods:

• Use a ready-made DEB or RPM package that can be downloaded from the developer’s website.
• Use the AppImage version available on the developer's website. This version does not require installation.
• Installation via Snap.
• Installation via Flatpak.

flatpak install flathub org.onlyoffice.desktopeditors

flatpak run org.onlyoffice.desktopeditors

sudo snap install onlyoffice-desktopeditors

Oh My Giraffe is an endless runner in which you control a giraffe eating fruit along the way. He is being chased by angry lions.

The game was originally developed for mobile systems rather than desktop PCs. Paid version available for iOS and Android.

There is a free version for Linux, Windows and MacOS. On the game’s website it says “try for free” about this version. I did not find any time or functionality limitations.

Gameplay

You control a giraffe that runs and eats fruits hanging in its path. He is chased by lions, which can be destroyed with the same fruits. To do this, you need to bite the thread on which the fruit is hanging, then it will fall on the giraffe’s back and can bounce back at the enemy.

During the game, day turns into night and the lions fall asleep. If suddenly a fruit hits a sleeping lion, the lion will wake up and run after you.

If the lion catches you, the game ends.

You get points for eating fruits and destroying lions. The goal of the game is to score as many points as possible.

Graphics

The game has simple, pixelated, cartoon graphics, which are typical for simple games for mobile devices.

Manage

Control by mouse. You need to move the mouse in the desired direction and the giraffe’s head will move, repeating the movements of the cursor.

Development

The game is written in the Lua programming language and uses the Open Source LÖVE framework.

Installing Oh My Giraffe on Ubuntu Linux

On Ubuntu Linux I installed the game from a snap package. To do this, run the following commands in the terminal:

sudo apt install snapd
sudo snap install ohmygiraffe

Cross-platform game:

• Android
• iOS
• Linux
• MacOS
• Windows

Newsboat - console program for reading RSS/Atom feeds (news feeds).

Installation

sudo snap install newsboat

sudo apt install newsboat

sudo pacman -S newsboat

sudo dnf install newsboat

sudo zypper install newsboat

sudo emerge -a net-news/newsboat

KGoldrunner is an arcade game in which the hero runs through a maze, climbs stairs, digs holes and dodges enemies.

Features

• You need to collect all the gold nuggets and go to the next level. Enemies are also hunting for gold and the hero.
• Simple 2D graphics.
• The game features hundreds of different levels. From simple to very complex.
• Two game modes: classic and KGoldrunner-mode, in which the enemies are smarter.
• Control using keyboard and mouse.
• Saving and loading the game.
• Supports changing the theme.
• Reproduction of the solution, tips, demonstration of the walkthrough.
• Level editor available.
  
  

  Installation via Flatpak

  Installation:

  flatpak install flathub org.kde.kgoldrunner

  Launch:

  flatpak run org.kde.kgoldrunner

  Installation via Snap

  sudo snap install kgoldrunner

  Installation on Ubuntu (LinuxMint)

  sudo apt install kgoldrunner

  Installation on ArchLinux (Manjaro)

  sudo pacman -S kgoldrunner

  Installation on Fedora

  sudo dnf install kgoldrunner

  Installation in openSuse

  sudo zypper install kgoldrunner

  Installation in Gentoo

  sudo emerge -a kde-apps/kgoldrunner

GCompris - a large selection of free educational games and activities for children aged 2 to 10 years.

GCompris includes more than 180 various educational games, activities, and exercises for children's development.

Educational and developmental games for children

The range of tutorials in GCompris is impressive. The following exercises and games are presented:

• basic computer literacy
• learning to type on a keyboard
• mouse training
• read
• spelling
• arithmetic
• basic physics
• experiences
• geography
• solar system
• exploring time and calendar
• logic games
• puzzles
• labyrinths
• puzzles
• tag
• Tower of Hanoi
• tanks
• games for memory development and training
• learning colors
• color mixing
• learning shapes
• music notation
• games to find paired cards
• search for paired cards when one of them is an arithmetic expression and the other is an answer
• animal studies
• animal sounds
• music
• music notation
• board games (chess, four in a row)
• number systems
• digital electronics
• and much more

Interface and design

Each developer has its own design.

Everything is done quite simply and without frills. Even in a sense it’s primitive. The design uses simple clipart.

Control by mouse.

Use in schools, student profiles

GCompris can be used for teaching children in schools, kindergartens or developmental groups.

The program provides an interface for creating classes and personal profiles for each student. For each student, statistics of his success are kept.

Students can be combined into groups.

System Requirements

GCompris has the following minimum system requirements:

• Processor: Pentium 3 500Mhz
• RAM: 512Mb
• No 3D acceleration required

Installation:

flatpak install flathub org.kde.gcompris

flatpak run org.kde.gcompris

sudo snap install gcompris

sudo apt install gcompris

sudo pacman -S gcompris-qt

sudo dnf install gcompris

sudo zypper install gcompris

sudo emerge -a games-kids/gcompris

SCID (Shane's Chess Information Database) — is a shell for viewing and managing chess databases.

Cross-platform game
Works in :

• Linux
• MacOS
• Windows

sudo apt install scid

sudo zypper install scid

sudo emerge -a games-board/scid

KMahjongg is a mahjong board game. The goal of the game is to remove all dice from the board.

Features

• Selecting the layout of the playing field.
• Accounting for the number of removed tiles, accounting for game time.
• Ability to select a background image for the playing field.
• Saving and loading the game.
• Pausing the game.
• Rotate the playing field clockwise and counterclockwise.
• Demo mode. The computer plays itself, highlighting the moves.
• Leaderboard.
• Built-in level editor.

Installation

sudo apt install kmahjongg

Einstein - logic game - Einstein puzzle. A remake of the old DOS game Sherlock.

sudo apt install einstein

Installing

sudo apt install tilda

sudo pacman -S tilda

sudo dnf install tilda

sudo zypper install tilda

sudo emerge -a x11-terms/tilda

Pentobi is a board game where you place blocks on the playing field. Analogue of the game Blokus.

Pentobi completely repeats the rules of the classic game Blokus. This is a board game in which you need to place pieces on the playing field, following certain rules. Game for 2-4 people. The player's goal is to place all of his pieces on the playing field and score as many points as possible.

Supported game variants:

• Classic
• Duo
• Trigon
• Junior
• Nexos
• GembloQ
• Callisto

The game is played against the computer. Depending on the mode, you can select the number of opponents.

Installation

sudo apt install pentobi

sudo zypper install pentobi