Welcome back to The Cheapskate's Corner my friends in cheapness. We hope you've got some savings prepared to spend on Linux games because this week comes loaded with sales. The main reason behind this abundance of cheap deals you already know, and we bet you're eager to read our analysis about it. Because of this, and just for once, we're altering our habitual column layout to begin with this week's new deals:
As usual at this time of year all hell broke loose at the start of Steam's Summer Getaway Sale, its effects propagating throughout the internet. Virtually all Linux games and DLCs are on sale right now at Steam, so instead of listing every single one of them (you can check our sales page anyway) what we're gonna do is tipping you off about what better deals are available for some of these games.
First of all, these are some games you can purchase cheaper elsewhere:
Guns of Icarus Online, Dungeon Hearts and SpaceChem are all part of Amazon's Indie Combat Pack (and Ticket to Ride) bundle, available for $9.99 (almost 25% off their discounted prices on Steam combined). Certainly a good option if you're interested in these three games.
Indie Gala is offering cheaper Steam keys for three more Linux games: Hacker Evolution: Duality, Hacker Evolution: Untoldand Waveform.
UPDATE: The better-than-Steam Waveform offer is over.
Apart from those Steam games, on Indie Gala you can also find Cardinal Quest and Deadly 30 at a discount, both of them coming with Desura keys.
Secondly, these are some games obtainable directly from the developers through the Humble Store that offer more value for the same price:
FTL: Faster Than Light, Receiver, Lugaru HD, Proteus and Kentucky Route Zero also come with a DRM-free version of the game besides the Steam key.
UPDATE: Two more games and a DLC included in the big Steam sale are now available directly from their developers for the same price (or cheaper, considering the exchange rate to your local currency) while also including a DRM-free version. They are Legend of Grimrock and both Unity of Command and its DLC Red Turn:
On the other hand Gateways, Anodyne, Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten and Organ Trail: Director's Cut come with DRM-free versions and Desura keys for the games, besides the Steam keys:
After two native games (see the What Happened? section for more details) the current IndieGameStand's deal is a game playable on Linux using the AGS Linux port, The Cat Lady:
Pay what you want to get it (more than $0.25), or beat the current $1.60 average to unlock the game's OST. There's only 48h left for this deal to expire, so don't let it pass if you're interested in this game.
UPDATE: This deal has already expired, but the current one features a game that will soon come to Linux, Private Infiltrator:
Pay a minimum of $0.25 to get it, more than $1 for a Desura key or beat the (currently $1.60) average to also get the game OST. This deal will be up for almost 4 days.
Having already dealt with the Steam madness, let's relax a little while reviewing all the expired bundles and sales:
· The fourth Humble Weekly Sale in a row featuring fully cross-platform and DRM-free games ended yesterday and with it, so did the streak. The new sale is for Windows and Mac only, so we're left to play with the games we could acquire last week: Two Tribes' Toki Tori, EDGE and RUSH.
· Indie Gala's The Indie Gala Summer Dream and the Indie Gala June bundles ended during the last 7 days, and with them the opportunity to get some of these games: DROD: King Dugan's Dungeon, DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold, Oil Rush, DROD: The City Beneath, DROD: Gunthro and the Epic Blunder or 8-Bit Commando.
· gog.com's 2013 #NoDRM Summer Sale also ended some days ago, and presented a perfect opportunity to get some oldies that can still be played natively on Linux using adequate open source clients.
· Just like the previous sale, Shinyloot's SGC Indie Sale 2013 ended shortly after our last column was published. Before that occurred, you could get Caster, Gravi, Rijn the Specpyre in... Manor of the Damned! or SpaceChem at 50% off.
· In turn, the debuting IndieFort Multiplayer Bundle ended just yesterday after a hardly successful performance. The bundle only included one Linux game, Awesomenauts, which is now available for even less on Steam.
· Finally, last week was quite prolific in IndieGameStand's deals, as we've already said. First there was the The Real Texas + Paradise Perfect Boat Rescue deal, and just afterwards we were offered the 3089 + Gentrieve 2 one.
And if the Steam thingie is not enough for you, let us tell you that there are many other bundles and sales still going on:
The new Groupees' Build a Greenlight Bundle is going full steam ahead and has already unlocked three bonus games. The original 9-game lineup contained only two available Linux titles, OverLight and Rawbots:
However, two other games from that list have some chances to come to Linux someday: Drip Drip (its creators might consider updating the engine themselves to release a Linux version) and BrokenEarth (a future Linux version of which was confirmed by its developers some time ago).
Among the unlocked bonus games we can find the recently released DeCalc:
But there's another bonus game that could eventually turn up being available for Linux: Dwarf Quest (as it could be coming to Linux someday).
That makes a total of 3 Linux-ready titles, with potentially 3 more. This bundle works just like any other Build a Bundle, i.e. you've got to pick 2 or more games and pay at least $0.75 for each. At the time of writing there are still more than 5 days to go and it remains at least another bonus game to uncover. We'll keep an eye on it, ready to inform you about any development in this front.
The Pixeljam Octology bundle has been around for more than two weeks now and there's still two more weeks to snatch almost everything Pixeljam has ever done. Pay what you want ($1 min) to get Potatoman Seeks the Troof, Dino Run SE, Dino Run: Marathon of Doom, Planeteri, Bitku Beta and Snowball!, as well as the Potatoman OST and Pixeljam's Volume 1 music album:
Paying $10 or more will also grant you access to Pixeljam's Treat List, a special website where members can download free Pixeljam-related bonuses.
Charlie's Games MegaBundle Pack is on its way to win the longest-standing bundle trophy. So in the rare case that you're interested in his games and you still haven't got them you can pay $1 or more to obtain Irukandji, Bullet Candy (2013 update) and Bullet Candy Perfect. If you pay more than $9.99 you'll also get a DRM-free copy and a Steam key for Scoregasm. If you're interested in Steam and/or Desura keys for any game in the lower tier, ask Charlie himself and he'll do his best to provide them to you.
The usual Indiebundle.org's bundles are still live, although one of them is ending in less than 2 days:
· The Perilous Puzzle Bundle offers Hairy Tales and Great Permutator (recently released on Linux) at the $5 level. Paying $7 or more will also get you Wyv and Keep. This is the bundle ending this weekend, so get it now if you're interested!
UPDATE: This bundle is now over.
· The Deadly Dungeons Bundle gives you the chance to obtain Dungeon Fray (already available for Linux), Knytt Underground (the Linux version of which is currently in beta state) and Dwarf Quest (a game that could be coming to Linux someday), all for as little as $5. But as we always say, buy this bundle at your own risk since right now it only contains one Linux game which is worth less than the bundle price.
· And finally more caution should be employed when assessing the Kids & Charity Bundle as it doesn't include any game available on Linux right now. However, many of its titles might be coming to our OS someday: the $1-$4 level includes 3 Teddy Floppy Ear games named The Race, Mountain Adventure and Kayaking (they are all made with Unity so they could easily be ported to Linux); the $5-$7 level contains Wimp: Who Stole My Pants? (a game allegedly being ported to Linux) and Woodle Tree (another Unity game that will purportedly have a Linux version in a future release). This deal is a lot like a lottery and you can end up empty-handed if buying it, so again act on your own responsibility.
Chipmunk2D for Unity Kickstarter campaign is less than 48h away from finishing, so you've got little time left to back this already successful project and get Waking Mars and NightSky with the minimum $15 pledge:
However, if you're only interested in the games you can find them much cheaper at Steam's Summer Getaway Sale.
UPDATE: This Kickstarter campaign has -successfully- ended, so these games are no longer available from this source.
We are as clueless as ever regarding the incoming deals. Although we're pretty sure that something else will unexpectedly come up, we'll list the possible Linux games to be featured on the next IndieGameStand deal. A third batch of possible games has been issued so the list has grown: Scoregasm, DROD RPG: Tendry's Tale, Pandora: Purge of Pride and SickBrick as the games already available on Linux; or maybe Party of Sin (there's a Linux version planned) or Private Infiltrator (a Linux version being a possibility). On Monday we'll see whether it's one of these or not.
So that's all for this week. Keep checking our sales page and don't hesitate to contribute in case you spot some absence or erroneous information, a likely possibility given the current amount of data in it. Apart from that, see you next week in case by then you've still got some money left to spend on Linux games. And remember: talk is cheap, but so can be videogames if you know who to listen to. :)
As one anonymous reader pointed out, the current Humble Weekly Sale does include a Linux game, Avadon: The Black Fortress:
So you can pay whatever you want ($1 or more in order to get a Steam key) for it. It's a good deal (what PWYW deal isn't a good one? :P) but it certainly feels not enough, considering there are fifteen games included in the sale, no less.
And yet another bundle with Linux presence that had gone under our radar! Thanks to Cheese for pointing out that the current Indie Royale's The Debut 3 Bundle contains Tales of Maj'Eyal:
Beat the current £3.25 / $5.00 / 3.75€ minimum and get the game along all the extra features that normal donators get. The regular version can be obtained for free on the game's website.
.
As usual at this time of year all hell broke loose at the start of Steam's Summer Getaway Sale, its effects propagating throughout the internet. Virtually all Linux games and DLCs are on sale right now at Steam, so instead of listing every single one of them (you can check our sales page anyway) what we're gonna do is tipping you off about what better deals are available for some of these games.
First of all, these are some games you can purchase cheaper elsewhere:
Guns of Icarus Online, Dungeon Hearts and SpaceChem are all part of Amazon's Indie Combat Pack (and Ticket to Ride) bundle, available for $9.99 (almost 25% off their discounted prices on Steam combined). Certainly a good option if you're interested in these three games.
Indie Gala is offering cheaper Steam keys for three more Linux games: Hacker Evolution: Duality, Hacker Evolution: Untold
UPDATE: The better-than-Steam Waveform offer is over.
Apart from those Steam games, on Indie Gala you can also find Cardinal Quest and Deadly 30 at a discount, both of them coming with Desura keys.
Secondly, these are some games obtainable directly from the developers through the Humble Store that offer more value for the same price:
FTL: Faster Than Light, Receiver, Lugaru HD, Proteus and Kentucky Route Zero also come with a DRM-free version of the game besides the Steam key.
UPDATE: Two more games and a DLC included in the big Steam sale are now available directly from their developers for the same price (or cheaper, considering the exchange rate to your local currency) while also including a DRM-free version. They are Legend of Grimrock and both Unity of Command and its DLC Red Turn:
On the other hand Gateways, Anodyne, Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten and Organ Trail: Director's Cut come with DRM-free versions and Desura keys for the games, besides the Steam keys:
UPDATE: This deal has already expired, but the current one features a game that will soon come to Linux, Private Infiltrator:
Pay a minimum of $0.25 to get it, more than $1 for a Desura key or beat the (currently $1.60) average to also get the game OST. This deal will be up for almost 4 days.
Having already dealt with the Steam madness, let's relax a little while reviewing all the expired bundles and sales:
· The fourth Humble Weekly Sale in a row featuring fully cross-platform and DRM-free games ended yesterday and with it, so did the streak. The new sale is for Windows and Mac only, so we're left to play with the games we could acquire last week: Two Tribes' Toki Tori, EDGE and RUSH.
· Indie Gala's The Indie Gala Summer Dream and the Indie Gala June bundles ended during the last 7 days, and with them the opportunity to get some of these games: DROD: King Dugan's Dungeon, DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold, Oil Rush, DROD: The City Beneath, DROD: Gunthro and the Epic Blunder or 8-Bit Commando.
· gog.com's 2013 #NoDRM Summer Sale also ended some days ago, and presented a perfect opportunity to get some oldies that can still be played natively on Linux using adequate open source clients.
· Just like the previous sale, Shinyloot's SGC Indie Sale 2013 ended shortly after our last column was published. Before that occurred, you could get Caster, Gravi, Rijn the Specpyre in... Manor of the Damned! or SpaceChem at 50% off.
· In turn, the debuting IndieFort Multiplayer Bundle ended just yesterday after a hardly successful performance. The bundle only included one Linux game, Awesomenauts, which is now available for even less on Steam.
· Finally, last week was quite prolific in IndieGameStand's deals, as we've already said. First there was the The Real Texas + Paradise Perfect Boat Rescue deal, and just afterwards we were offered the 3089 + Gentrieve 2 one.
And if the Steam thingie is not enough for you, let us tell you that there are many other bundles and sales still going on:
The new Groupees' Build a Greenlight Bundle is going full steam ahead and has already unlocked three bonus games. The original 9-game lineup contained only two available Linux titles, OverLight and Rawbots:
However, two other games from that list have some chances to come to Linux someday: Drip Drip (its creators might consider updating the engine themselves to release a Linux version) and BrokenEarth (a future Linux version of which was confirmed by its developers some time ago).
Among the unlocked bonus games we can find the recently released DeCalc:
But there's another bonus game that could eventually turn up being available for Linux: Dwarf Quest (as it could be coming to Linux someday).
That makes a total of 3 Linux-ready titles, with potentially 3 more. This bundle works just like any other Build a Bundle, i.e. you've got to pick 2 or more games and pay at least $0.75 for each. At the time of writing there are still more than 5 days to go and it remains at least another bonus game to uncover. We'll keep an eye on it, ready to inform you about any development in this front.
The Pixeljam Octology bundle has been around for more than two weeks now and there's still two more weeks to snatch almost everything Pixeljam has ever done. Pay what you want ($1 min) to get Potatoman Seeks the Troof, Dino Run SE, Dino Run: Marathon of Doom, Planeteri, Bitku Beta and Snowball!, as well as the Potatoman OST and Pixeljam's Volume 1 music album:
Paying $10 or more will also grant you access to Pixeljam's Treat List, a special website where members can download free Pixeljam-related bonuses.
Charlie's Games Mega
The usual Indiebundle.org's bundles are still live, although one of them is ending in less than 2 days:
UPDATE: This bundle is now over.
· The Deadly Dungeons Bundle gives you the chance to obtain Dungeon Fray (already available for Linux), Knytt Underground (the Linux version of which is currently in beta state) and Dwarf Quest (a game that could be coming to Linux someday), all for as little as $5. But as we always say, buy this bundle at your own risk since right now it only contains one Linux game which is worth less than the bundle price.
· And finally more caution should be employed when assessing the Kids & Charity Bundle as it doesn't include any game available on Linux right now. However, many of its titles might be coming to our OS someday: the $1-$4 level includes 3 Teddy Floppy Ear games named The Race, Mountain Adventure and Kayaking (they are all made with Unity so they could easily be ported to Linux); the $5-$7 level contains Wimp: Who Stole My Pants? (a game allegedly being ported to Linux) and Woodle Tree (another Unity game that will purportedly have a Linux version in a future release). This deal is a lot like a lottery and you can end up empty-handed if buying it, so again act on your own responsibility.
UPDATE: This Kickstarter campaign has -successfully- ended, so these games are no longer available from this source.
We are as clueless as ever regarding the incoming deals. Although we're pretty sure that something else will unexpectedly come up, we'll list the possible Linux games to be featured on the next IndieGameStand deal. A third batch of possible games has been issued so the list has grown: Scoregasm, DROD RPG: Tendry's Tale, Pandora: Purge of Pride and SickBrick as the games already available on Linux; or maybe Party of Sin (there's a Linux version planned) or Private Infiltrator (a Linux version being a possibility). On Monday we'll see whether it's one of these or not.
So that's all for this week. Keep checking our sales page and don't hesitate to contribute in case you spot some absence or erroneous information, a likely possibility given the current amount of data in it. Apart from that, see you next week in case by then you've still got some money left to spend on Linux games. And remember: talk is cheap, but so can be videogames if you know who to listen to. :)
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ UPDATE $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
As one anonymous reader pointed out, the current Humble Weekly Sale does include a Linux game, Avadon: The Black Fortress:
So you can pay whatever you want ($1 or more in order to get a Steam key) for it. It's a good deal (what PWYW deal isn't a good one? :P) but it certainly feels not enough, considering there are fifteen games included in the sale, no less.
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ UPDATE $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
And yet another bundle with Linux presence that had gone under our radar! Thanks to Cheese for pointing out that the current Indie Royale's The Debut 3 Bundle contains Tales of Maj'Eyal:
Beat the current £3.25 / $5.00 / 3.75€ minimum and get the game along all the extra features that normal donators get. The regular version can be obtained for free on the game's website.
.
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10 comments
I'll probably end up doing the same thing. :) I already own OverLight and Drip Drip developers don't seem all that convinced to do a Linux port...
So there is one game for Linux in this weeks sale.
I've added this game to the sales page but unfortunately I don't have any more time to update the article. Will do it tomorrow.
You're right! I had initially dismissed as Tales of Maj'Eyal is a free game, but I didn't realize it includes all the bonus material regular donors get so I'm updating the article once again! ^_^