This time, GOL World Tour goes back to the Americas - this time to Canada to see what the country has to offer Linux gamers and who the companies are making those games.
Fun Facts
Despite the Mercator Projection making countries in the northern hemisphere look oversized compared to the south, Canada is still a huge country, being the second largest country in the world but also the country with the longest coastline.
Newfoundland and Labrador are most likely the first places in North America to be explored by Europeans, with Viking settlers having established temporary settlements some 500 years prior to Columbus in the region they referred to as “Vinland”.
The indigenous population of Canada stands at 1.5 million people, or 4.3% of the population and the name “Canada” originates from the First Nations word “Kanata”, meaning “settlement” or “land”.
Canada has two official languages, with provinces like Quebec speaking predominantly French over English as a result of early French settlement.
Some things invented in Canada include: the walkie-talkie, 56k modem, hydrofoil boat, electric wheelchair, Trivial Pursuit, alkaline batteries and the telephone (depending on who you ask).
The moose population in Canada is estimated to number between 500,000 to 1,000,000 - a number which is unfortunately in decline. A male moose is called a bull, females are called cows and young moose are called calves.
In terms of social indicators, Canada ranks among the best in the world in terms of GDP per capita, education, quality of life and civil liberties - not to mention that they have great maple syrup.
A recurring theme in these articles seems to be that countries with amazing natural beauty make great games. Canada is certainly no exception. [photo: Buchanan-Hermit]
Overview of the industry
Canada’s roots in the video game industry stretch back far. Even as early as 1984 the country was producing classics like Boulder Dash for the Apple II and Commodore 64. Canada is today a major player being home to massive studios like Bioware (Edmonton, Alberta) and has divisions of other major studios like EA and Rockstar. In recent years, the indie scene has been thriving there with the likes of Fez (and others which will be covered in the article) being developed. The Canadian government also provides grants to small studios and some of those on this list have benefited from such assistance.
Polytron
Starting with the most obvious is Polytron and their 2012 game Fez. This has become perhaps the archetypal indie game, and is no doubt the first game many people think of when indie games are mentioned. Phil Fish is himself a French Canadian and his former partner (the absent party in Indie Game: The Movie) is also Canadian. Last year Fish announced the cancellation of Fez II and his exit from the industry, perhaps leaving prematurely but also leaving behind a lasting impact on the industry. Fortunately, we were able to get a Linux port of Fez a month or so before this announcement and get to experience one of the indie game industry keystones.
Buy Fez on Steam
DrinkBox Studios
Their very colourful and fun action-platformer Guacamelee! was released in February of this year for Linux by the Toronto-based company. It’s not only notable for its quality and the enjoyment it provides, but also because it is one of the very few Linux titles (and Steam for that matter) to offer local co-op - a feature that I hope we see more of with the release of the Steam Machine. Drinkbox announced their newest title Severed earlier this year, which is currently in development. It does not seem to mention Linux (or any platform) on its page, but it may be safe to assume that it will have Linux support, if not at release then some time after.
Buy Guacamelee! on Steam
Indie Game: The Movie
This isn't actually a game (though it is on Steam), but a film about games, featuring one of the games in this article. James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot - the people behind the film - are both Canadians and they have succeeded in creating one of the most well-known and successful documentaries on video games. Though their Adobe Air player doesn't work natively on Linux, those buying the film through their website or on Steam get the video files for the documentary and extras - so you aren't really missing out on anything other than menus.
Buy Indie Game: The Movie from the website
Torn Banner Studios
The Toronto-based company posted a very tantalizing picture of Tux sitting next to a Mac running their AAA game Chivalry: Medieval Warfare - announcing the upcoming ports of the game to Linux and OS X. The caption for the picture simply read “soon…” and as far as I know, there is no official release date yet, so we will have to wait patiently. The studio is also working on an “unannounced Unreal Engine 4 game” - an engine which now runs on Linux, so fingers crossed!
Tribute Games
Based in Montreal, Tribute Games is the developer behind Wizorb - a pixel art action-adventure in which the player must save the kingdom from evil. The graphical style and setting is somewhat reminiscent of 16-bit era RPGs like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III, but with block-breaking gameplay similar to Arkanoid. The game is available DRM-free on Linux on their website, but there is currently no Steam version.
Buy Wizorb DRM-Free
Gaslamp Games
This Victoria-based studio developed the highly popular rogue-like RPG Dungeons of Dredmor which has received “overwhelmingly positive” user reviews on Steam. Ryan C. Gordon (Icculus) is also involved with the company, presumably working on the Linux port of their Early Access game Clockwork Empires - a strategy-simulator which puts you at the helm of a colonial settlement.
Buy Dungeons of Dredmor on Steam
Firedance Games
The studio, based in in the prairie provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, ported their game Salvation Prophecy to Linux in May of last year, making them an early Linux supporter. This space action-RPG has been described by Firedance as a “military space epic” which puts the player in a setting where numerous factions fight for galactic domination. Gameplay is quite a varied affair and includes space battles as well as commanding and controlling troops on the ground.
[youtube]YJ7sjN5T9SU[/youtube]
Klei Entertainment
Founded in 2005, the Vancouver-based company has made a huge impact with five games published on Linux: Don't Starve, Eets Munchies, Mark of the Ninja, Shank and Shank 2. Jamie Cheng - Klei's founder - started the company by selling shares in THQ and borrowing money off his brother, a pretty good decision considering Klei Entertinment has made some of the best indie games around and THQ no longer exists. It seems kind of a shame to have to limit the trailers per company to just one so as not to spam the article with videos, but considering you'd have to have been living in a cave for the last couple of years to not know these games, perhaps it's not a huge loss. I decided to feature Shank 2 since it's currently in Beta for Linux and due out soon.
[youtube]YOimprmOQbU[/youtube]
Buy Don't Starve, Eets Munchies, Mark of the Ninja and Shank on Steam.
Buy Salvation Prohpecy on Steam
Beamdog
Originally a digital distribution platform, Beamdog created its Overhaul Games division whose first project was re-mastering the 2000 game MKD2 (no Linux port). Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition was released in 2012 for Windows and is now in open Beta for Linux as of last month.
[youtube]86NLGVQ6Iaw[/youtube]
Buy Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition on Steam
Unlike a couple of the previous countries covered in this series, Canada produces a much bigger variety of games rather than mostly focusing on a couple of genres - perhaps mostly due to how well established the industry is. If I missed any Linux games or companies out (very likely this time) then please let me know so I can add them back in. For the next instalment of the world tour, I may re-visit Argentina since I will be attending the Argentine Videogame Exposition in a couple of weeks and this is a good opportunity to talk to some developers first-hand. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Fun Facts
Despite the Mercator Projection making countries in the northern hemisphere look oversized compared to the south, Canada is still a huge country, being the second largest country in the world but also the country with the longest coastline.
Newfoundland and Labrador are most likely the first places in North America to be explored by Europeans, with Viking settlers having established temporary settlements some 500 years prior to Columbus in the region they referred to as “Vinland”.
The indigenous population of Canada stands at 1.5 million people, or 4.3% of the population and the name “Canada” originates from the First Nations word “Kanata”, meaning “settlement” or “land”.
Canada has two official languages, with provinces like Quebec speaking predominantly French over English as a result of early French settlement.
Some things invented in Canada include: the walkie-talkie, 56k modem, hydrofoil boat, electric wheelchair, Trivial Pursuit, alkaline batteries and the telephone (depending on who you ask).
The moose population in Canada is estimated to number between 500,000 to 1,000,000 - a number which is unfortunately in decline. A male moose is called a bull, females are called cows and young moose are called calves.
In terms of social indicators, Canada ranks among the best in the world in terms of GDP per capita, education, quality of life and civil liberties - not to mention that they have great maple syrup.
A recurring theme in these articles seems to be that countries with amazing natural beauty make great games. Canada is certainly no exception. [photo: Buchanan-Hermit]Overview of the industry
Canada’s roots in the video game industry stretch back far. Even as early as 1984 the country was producing classics like Boulder Dash for the Apple II and Commodore 64. Canada is today a major player being home to massive studios like Bioware (Edmonton, Alberta) and has divisions of other major studios like EA and Rockstar. In recent years, the indie scene has been thriving there with the likes of Fez (and others which will be covered in the article) being developed. The Canadian government also provides grants to small studios and some of those on this list have benefited from such assistance.
Polytron
Starting with the most obvious is Polytron and their 2012 game Fez. This has become perhaps the archetypal indie game, and is no doubt the first game many people think of when indie games are mentioned. Phil Fish is himself a French Canadian and his former partner (the absent party in Indie Game: The Movie) is also Canadian. Last year Fish announced the cancellation of Fez II and his exit from the industry, perhaps leaving prematurely but also leaving behind a lasting impact on the industry. Fortunately, we were able to get a Linux port of Fez a month or so before this announcement and get to experience one of the indie game industry keystones.
YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. View cookie preferences.
Direct Link
Direct Link
Buy Fez on Steam
DrinkBox Studios
Their very colourful and fun action-platformer Guacamelee! was released in February of this year for Linux by the Toronto-based company. It’s not only notable for its quality and the enjoyment it provides, but also because it is one of the very few Linux titles (and Steam for that matter) to offer local co-op - a feature that I hope we see more of with the release of the Steam Machine. Drinkbox announced their newest title Severed earlier this year, which is currently in development. It does not seem to mention Linux (or any platform) on its page, but it may be safe to assume that it will have Linux support, if not at release then some time after.
YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. View cookie preferences.
Direct Link
Direct Link
Buy Guacamelee! on Steam
Indie Game: The Movie
This isn't actually a game (though it is on Steam), but a film about games, featuring one of the games in this article. James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot - the people behind the film - are both Canadians and they have succeeded in creating one of the most well-known and successful documentaries on video games. Though their Adobe Air player doesn't work natively on Linux, those buying the film through their website or on Steam get the video files for the documentary and extras - so you aren't really missing out on anything other than menus.
YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. View cookie preferences.
Direct Link
Direct Link
Buy Indie Game: The Movie from the website
Torn Banner Studios
The Toronto-based company posted a very tantalizing picture of Tux sitting next to a Mac running their AAA game Chivalry: Medieval Warfare - announcing the upcoming ports of the game to Linux and OS X. The caption for the picture simply read “soon…” and as far as I know, there is no official release date yet, so we will have to wait patiently. The studio is also working on an “unannounced Unreal Engine 4 game” - an engine which now runs on Linux, so fingers crossed!
YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. View cookie preferences.
Direct Link
Direct Link
Tribute Games
Based in Montreal, Tribute Games is the developer behind Wizorb - a pixel art action-adventure in which the player must save the kingdom from evil. The graphical style and setting is somewhat reminiscent of 16-bit era RPGs like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III, but with block-breaking gameplay similar to Arkanoid. The game is available DRM-free on Linux on their website, but there is currently no Steam version.
YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. View cookie preferences.
Direct Link
Direct Link
Buy Wizorb DRM-Free
Gaslamp Games
This Victoria-based studio developed the highly popular rogue-like RPG Dungeons of Dredmor which has received “overwhelmingly positive” user reviews on Steam. Ryan C. Gordon (Icculus) is also involved with the company, presumably working on the Linux port of their Early Access game Clockwork Empires - a strategy-simulator which puts you at the helm of a colonial settlement.
YouTube videos require cookies, you must accept their cookies to view. View cookie preferences.
Direct Link
Direct Link
Buy Dungeons of Dredmor on Steam
Firedance Games
The studio, based in in the prairie provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, ported their game Salvation Prophecy to Linux in May of last year, making them an early Linux supporter. This space action-RPG has been described by Firedance as a “military space epic” which puts the player in a setting where numerous factions fight for galactic domination. Gameplay is quite a varied affair and includes space battles as well as commanding and controlling troops on the ground.
[youtube]YJ7sjN5T9SU[/youtube]
Klei Entertainment
Founded in 2005, the Vancouver-based company has made a huge impact with five games published on Linux: Don't Starve, Eets Munchies, Mark of the Ninja, Shank and Shank 2. Jamie Cheng - Klei's founder - started the company by selling shares in THQ and borrowing money off his brother, a pretty good decision considering Klei Entertinment has made some of the best indie games around and THQ no longer exists. It seems kind of a shame to have to limit the trailers per company to just one so as not to spam the article with videos, but considering you'd have to have been living in a cave for the last couple of years to not know these games, perhaps it's not a huge loss. I decided to feature Shank 2 since it's currently in Beta for Linux and due out soon.
[youtube]YOimprmOQbU[/youtube]
Buy Don't Starve, Eets Munchies, Mark of the Ninja and Shank on Steam.
Buy Salvation Prohpecy on Steam
Beamdog
Originally a digital distribution platform, Beamdog created its Overhaul Games division whose first project was re-mastering the 2000 game MKD2 (no Linux port). Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition was released in 2012 for Windows and is now in open Beta for Linux as of last month.
[youtube]86NLGVQ6Iaw[/youtube]
Buy Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition on Steam
Unlike a couple of the previous countries covered in this series, Canada produces a much bigger variety of games rather than mostly focusing on a couple of genres - perhaps mostly due to how well established the industry is. If I missed any Linux games or companies out (very likely this time) then please let me know so I can add them back in. For the next instalment of the world tour, I may re-visit Argentina since I will be attending the Argentine Videogame Exposition in a couple of weeks and this is a good opportunity to talk to some developers first-hand. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I had no idea that Ron Gilbert worked on the Penny Arcade Adventures or that there were Linux ports of them. I played the first one while I was still using Windows and it's a casual mix of story focused adventure and turn-based RPG that I really enjoy and would love to see more of for Linux. As far as I know there aren't many of these kinds of games for Linux besides Costume Quest and Costume Quest 2.
The first two Deathspank games that were Ron Gilbert's doing are also great and are inspired by his love for the Diablo series. The humor is top-notch and I loved the story and adventuring. The combat is a bit flawed though, but not so much that it detracted much from the experience for me.
Also, great article, Segata Sanshiro. Looking forward to the next instalment already.
Cool cool. Feel free to nudge me on Steam as well if you want/need.
I didn't really hear about them until after the Linux version was hard to find. IIRC I had some trouble getting them to run in Wine and eventually gave up. It's a shame really. I wonder who did the original ports...
I'd agree with that, but I'm happy to overlook poor mechanics for good story. I had a game breaking save game corruption problem with Thongs of Virtue that put me off though. I couldn't get any support for it, and without a reason to believe it might not happen again, I couldn't really justify investing another 20+ hours of my life into it.
DeathSpank himself reminds me a bit of The Tick - it's a kind of hero that doesn't seem to have much prominence in adventure games (at least, in the ones I've played).
Hear hear!
35,540k actually.
Great article, and thanks for both the visit to Canada and the inclusion of Salvation Prophecy! This site is doing a fantastic job supporting the linux game movement, and I'm happy to be a small part of that.
-Sean / Jabberwocky.