Another year has completely flown by and with that another year of our GOTY Awards comes to a close, here's the results of the Linux 2017 GOTY Awards, as voted by you!
Some categories didn't get a huge amount of votes, likely category fatigue since we had 16 of them. A little overkill, so we will probably tone it down a bit for next year to help with that. Also keep in mind, these are only the Top 10 from each category, there were plenty more votes for games that didn't reach the top, so keep that in mind.
First up, let's take a look at what the current Favourite fully open source game is: 0 A.D. is the winner!
The developers behind 0 A.D. have put in an incredible amount of effort into making the game look as good as possible. I'm always blown away by the quality of it and I look forward to watching it grow as the developers continue getting it ready for a final release.
I have to say, I'm not even the tiniest bit surprised by what the current Favourite FOSS project is for Linux gamers: Wine is the winner!
Wine is always a hot topic, as there's extremes on both sides of the Wine argument. You have to be impressed by what the Wine developers have been able to achieve though, to be able to play some well-known and popular titles on Linux without needing Windows is good for a lot of people dipping their toes into Linux gaming for the first time. It certainly helped me stay interested in Linux in the early days, so I fully appreciate it.
I have to say, what was voted as having the Best graphics for a game released in 2017 did take me by surprise: HITMAN is the winner!
I wouldn't say HITMAN was a bad looking game, far from it (and I certainly enjoy it), however it's certainly not something I would have considered to be top here. That's the fun of voting, I like knowing what you think!
As for the Best story for a game released in 2017: Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition is the winner!
Some real tough choices for best story, my personal favourite was probably Observer! I was absolutely hooked on Observer from start to finish, it was quite an experience.
Ps. Yes, I am well aware Planescape is an older title, but it wasn't officially on Linux until 2017 with the Enhanced Edition release.
The Most promising Early Access game in 2017 was incredibly close, there's only one winner here though: Factorio is the winner!
I'm so totally torn by the best EA game, I love so many of them! With the exception of Black Mesa that crashed on me last I played, I've enjoyed a lot of time in each of those EA games, a very hard category for me to vote in that's for sure.
In the Best update released in 2017 it seems Croteam got a lot of love: Serious Sam Fusion 2017 (beta) is the winner!
Again, not surprising. Croteam put out Vulkan support quickly and their games are well supported on Linux. The Fusion engine was a great thing for us Linux gamers too, since it gives us proper access to the older Serious Sam titles in an official and supported way.
Next up, Best free game released in 2017: Doki Doki Literature Club! is the winner!
I guess I really should try Doki Doki soon then…
Feral Interactive and Croteam battled it out for this one—Best version quality & performance released in 2017: DiRT Rally is the winner!
That's some serious competition there, but DiRT Rally was not only a release many Linux gamers wanted, it turned out the Linux version was really quite good too! I regularly boot it up to do daily runs and have a blast, especially after watching The Grand Tour, I can't help but load it up for a blast. There's also a regular community tournament going on for DiRT Rally, check it out in our forum.
We made this category a little tough, I will admit, as we bundled what could have been multiple categories together. Even so, the competition was fierce for Best audio of a game released in 2017: Hollow Knight is the winner!
Our Friday livesteamer Samsai will be upset his beloved Pyre didn't win…
It was absolutely no contest here for the Best DLC release in 2017: XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is the winner!
Surprised? I'm certainly not! XCOM 2: WotC was an absolutely massive expansion to the strategy game XCOM 2. For me, it's absolutely hands-down the best DLC release last year. It made a game I already enjoyed, even better.
The Biggest surprise Linux release of 2017: HITMAN is a winner again!
Personally, I was more surprised by F1 2017. I'm still surprised to this day, but hopefully it's a sign that racing games on Linux are doing okay.
And here's the Best local multiplayer gamer released in 2017: Gang Beasts is the winner!
Here we have the Best online multiplayer game released in 2017: Ballistic Overkill is the winner!
I'm shocked by this, considering the popularity of Ballistic Overkill has taken a nosedive, must be a bunch of hardcore fans on Linux! I honestly thought Tooth and Tail or possible Faeria would have grabbed this one!
Taking everything into account, the Overall best Linux game released in 2017: HITMAN is the winner!
Personally, I thought the Favourite Linux game porter of 2017 category was going to be quite obvious: Feral Interactive is the winner!
I personally feel that Feral Interactive firmly deserve to be at the top of such an award category. They put out some really fantastic Linux games, a lot of which I enjoy regularly and I'm sure we will see more this year! Well done to all the others too, you're all doing amazing work for Linux gaming!
Finally, let's see what you voted as your Most anticipated game for 2018: Rise of the Tomb Raider is the winner!
It seems there's a lot of people that think Rise of the Tomb Raider is coming to Linux, despite there not being any confirmation yet! I wonder how many of those titles will actually launch for Linux this year? It's going to fun to find out. I'm sure there's plenty more people haven't even thought about.
Congratulations to every game that was nominated, that made it to the Top 10 lists above and the winners!
2017 was great, let's make 2018 even better!
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
MintedGamer Jan 23, 2018
There are quite a few games in the lists that I wouldn't have considered, or hadn't heard of, but seeing their popularity I will look at them and maybe buy them.
Hmmm - do I sense the potential for a bet in the air here now?... ;)Do you want a wager? I like the idea! My bet: I bet "The Witcher 3" will not be released on Linux, ever, but let's span the time frame by 2018), hence, I buy you a gift code for "The Witcher 3" on GOG IF it gets Linux version.
Your bet? :D
Do you want a wager? I like the idea!
Let's keep this on topic. Lara Craft. I bet it will come in 2018. Do you bet against? I raise the pot if we say within the next two years.
What say you?
I'm personally a bit disappointed that wine won. I believe wine is terrible for Linux gaming as a whole and I don't believe it should be used but oh well.
First, I think the project is an amazing feat.
For Linux gaming, I'm not 100% sure. I guess it makes Linux users buy Windows games, which is a bad thing. On the other hand, I've seen people on the forums switching to Linux who asked how they could run the games they own and love, and WINE is the answer to this question.
I don't use WINE for gaming, though.
Yeah the project is an amazing feat although the buying Windows games to play on Linux is the big problem I have with it.I'm personally a bit disappointed that wine won. I believe wine is terrible for Linux gaming as a whole and I don't believe it should be used but oh well.
First, I think the project is an amazing feat.
For Linux gaming, I'm not 100% sure. I guess it makes Linux users buy Windows games, which is a bad thing. On the other hand, I've seen people on the forums switching to Linux who asked how they could run the games they own and love, and WINE is the answer to this question.
I don't use WINE for gaming, though.
Second choice would have been MESA.
MintedGamer Jan 24, 2018
I'm personally a bit disappointed that wine won. I believe wine is terrible for Linux gaming as a whole and I don't believe it should be used but oh well.
First, I think the project is an amazing feat.
For Linux gaming, I'm not 100% sure. I guess it makes Linux users buy Windows games, which is a bad thing. On the other hand, I've seen people on the forums switching to Linux who asked how they could run the games they own and love, and WINE is the answer to this question.
I don't use WINE for gaming, though.
I am starting to change my mind about WINE, I now think it would be great if someone could switch to Linux and still have easy access to all their Windows games. It would greatly lower the barrier to switching, many of the big developers (EA, Ubisoft, Activision) don't support Linux because the market is too small, if WINE could help the switch in the long term it would increase the viability of native games, which could then in turn cause a sea change of migrations.
I think many people on Windows would be much more inclined to switch the underlying OS to a better one if all their software investment still worked.
So then it's ok for MS to call all the shots across all OSes? If wine was the solution to gaming on Linux then any change MS made to the windows API would have to be mirrored by wine or else it would break compatibility. I personally have a problem with that. That's part of why I'm not a huge fan of the gaming industry moving to C# but ultimately C# is just a language so it's not that big of a deal.I'm personally a bit disappointed that wine won. I believe wine is terrible for Linux gaming as a whole and I don't believe it should be used but oh well.
First, I think the project is an amazing feat.
For Linux gaming, I'm not 100% sure. I guess it makes Linux users buy Windows games, which is a bad thing. On the other hand, I've seen people on the forums switching to Linux who asked how they could run the games they own and love, and WINE is the answer to this question.
I don't use WINE for gaming, though.
I am starting to change my mind about WINE, I now think it would be great if someone could switch to Linux and still have easy access to all their Windows games. It would greatly lower the barrier to switching, many of the big developers (EA, Ubisoft, Activision) don't support Linux because the market is too small, if WINE could help the switch in the long term it would increase the viability of native games, which could then in turn cause a sea change of migrations.
I think many people on Windows would be much more inclined to switch the underlying OS to a better one if all their software investment still worked.
burningserenity Jan 25, 2018
I second this. I thought we are the Fringe. What, do you mostly play obscure DOSBox games or something?Sometimes I do, yes. ;)
More to the point though I don't use Steam, and have not played a single title from Feral Interactive. I remember back when the first few Humble Indie Bundles came out we ALL had a common experience of buying and playing them. Now the market is so diverse that you can be a Linux gamer and not play ANY of the games your peers are playing.
Granted I have always been a retro gamer at heart, so my tastes are always going to lag behind the trend. But even I have a ton of newer Linux releases waiting to be played in my backlog.
That right there is the growth in Linux gaming that people often seem to overlook.
I could say that you're missing out on some great games by eschewing Feral/Steam, and you are, but I'm sure that I too am missing out on some great games that you play.
burningserenity Jan 25, 2018
So then it's ok for MS to call all the shots across all OSes? If wine was the solution to gaming on Linux then any change MS made to the windows API would have to be mirrored by wine or else it would break compatibility. I personally have a problem with that. That's part of why I'm not a huge fan of the gaming industry moving to C# but ultimately C# is just a language so it's not that big of a deal.I'm personally a bit disappointed that wine won. I believe wine is terrible for Linux gaming as a whole and I don't believe it should be used but oh well.
First, I think the project is an amazing feat.
For Linux gaming, I'm not 100% sure. I guess it makes Linux users buy Windows games, which is a bad thing. On the other hand, I've seen people on the forums switching to Linux who asked how they could run the games they own and love, and WINE is the answer to this question.
I don't use WINE for gaming, though.
I am starting to change my mind about WINE, I now think it would be great if someone could switch to Linux and still have easy access to all their Windows games. It would greatly lower the barrier to switching, many of the big developers (EA, Ubisoft, Activision) don't support Linux because the market is too small, if WINE could help the switch in the long term it would increase the viability of native games, which could then in turn cause a sea change of migrations.
I think many people on Windows would be much more inclined to switch the underlying OS to a better one if all their software investment still worked.
Microsoft is trying to utterly rewrite the Windows API by switching from Win32 to UWP. Did you notice the gnashing of teeth from the industry? It's not easy to just change everything like that, because Microsoft is no longer the only major player in the market, changes have to be done incrementally, which makes it easier for WINE to adapt.
RE it being bad for Linux gaming in general: I for one would never have switched without it. Now, I need it less and less. Furthermore, have any developers gone on record as saying they didn't port because of WINE? What about the games that were ported via a WINE wrapper? I bet most if not all of those games would never have ported otherwise.
I don't exactly get warm fuzzy feelings from wine wrappers and I generally check to see how much windows wrapping is going on and will decide if I want to play/own the game based on that. It's why I refunded saints row. The game still depends on native windows dlls. I refused to support it and as a result I don't buy games "ported" by VP anymore. There's always a certain amount of wrapping that companies like Feral do but at a certain point it's too far. Also while it isn't easy for MS to change stuff that doesn't have anything to do with my point. My point is they're in control regardless of how quickly they can make changes. I don't like Win32 anymore than I like UWP. I don't like Windows at all. Tbh for a long time I had to argue with myself if I wanted to play feral games at all but they seem to be committed to making Linux a better gaming platform so I deal with them when they release games I like but I try to stick largely to games built on engine's that natively run on Linux.So then it's ok for MS to call all the shots across all OSes? If wine was the solution to gaming on Linux then any change MS made to the windows API would have to be mirrored by wine or else it would break compatibility. I personally have a problem with that. That's part of why I'm not a huge fan of the gaming industry moving to C# but ultimately C# is just a language so it's not that big of a deal.I'm personally a bit disappointed that wine won. I believe wine is terrible for Linux gaming as a whole and I don't believe it should be used but oh well.
First, I think the project is an amazing feat.
For Linux gaming, I'm not 100% sure. I guess it makes Linux users buy Windows games, which is a bad thing. On the other hand, I've seen people on the forums switching to Linux who asked how they could run the games they own and love, and WINE is the answer to this question.
I don't use WINE for gaming, though.
I am starting to change my mind about WINE, I now think it would be great if someone could switch to Linux and still have easy access to all their Windows games. It would greatly lower the barrier to switching, many of the big developers (EA, Ubisoft, Activision) don't support Linux because the market is too small, if WINE could help the switch in the long term it would increase the viability of native games, which could then in turn cause a sea change of migrations.
I think many people on Windows would be much more inclined to switch the underlying OS to a better one if all their software investment still worked.
Microsoft is trying to utterly rewrite the Windows API by switching from Win32 to UWP. Did you notice the gnashing of teeth from the industry? It's not easy to just change everything like that, because Microsoft is no longer the only major player in the market, changes have to be done incrementally, which makes it easier for WINE to adapt.
RE it being bad for Linux gaming in general: I for one would never have switched without it. Now, I need it less and less. Furthermore, have any developers gone on record as saying they didn't port because of WINE? What about the games that were ported via a WINE wrapper? I bet most if not all of those games would never have ported otherwise.
I understand perfectly your desire to take a stand Scoopta, but to a certain extent we all must pick our battles. We just drew different lines in the sand for ourselves.
Last edited by Hamish on 25 January 2018 at 3:20 am UTC
I will just regurgitate something I posted in another thread, since it is relevant here: It is my love of old games that makes me still lean heavily on WINE these days. I do not buy modern titles that often anymore, and when I do buy them they are always Linux native, but I have been purchasing old titles on GOG.com or from thrift stores to play through WINE. There was a time I would not have done this, at least not through something like GOG.com where sales are still being tracked, but over the past few years the fight against DRM has become more important to me than even something being Linux native, and GOG.com has been doing a great job at pushing the tide back and freeing titles that never were DRM Free in the first place. At this point I would rather play a DRM Free game through WINE than use a native Linux binary tied to Steamworks, such as those from Feral.Yeah my personal opinion on DRM is it doesn't bug me for games but it does for streaming video. Simply for the fact that I shouldn't have to run a closed source binary blob on my system to enforce video DRM. Games on the other hand are almost always closed source to begin with so I hardly see a little DRM as a problem provided it's not of the always online variety. Not to mention while Steam does do DRM the DRM they provide is weak and valve has been trying to push Linux gaming. Albeit less than I'd like and less than they seemed to in the past. Wine is a much bigger issue IMO but that's just me. As you said we draw our lines in different places.
I understand perfectly your desire to take a stand Scoopta, but to a certain extent we all must pick our battles. We just drew different lines in the sand for ourselves.
Last edited by Scoopta on 25 January 2018 at 3:58 am UTC
Let's keep this on topic. Lara Craft(sic). I bet it will come in 2018. Do you bet against? I raise the pot if we say within the next two years.
What say you?
And your bet is? (Like, what do you offer in case of loss)
Last edited by Alm888 on 25 January 2018 at 5:32 pm UTC
And your bet is? (Like, what do you offer in case of loss)
How about a game of winners choice, max €10, during Steam December Holiday sales?
And your bet is? (Like, what do you offer in case of loss)
How about a game of winners choice, max €10, during Steam December Holiday sales?
€10? Seems fine, but there are two "small" problems here:
1) I don't use Steam and won't use it no matter what;
2) I heard games purchased in CIS region only valid in that region so unless you are living in this region I won't be able to give you your prize (or, more accurately, you won't be able to play the game I gave you).
How about other stores? Something that not restrict games by region… GOG? itch.io?
How about other stores? Something that not restrict games by region… GOG? itch.io?
If they include Steam keys in their offerings it's fine with me?
Or how about the Humble Bundle store? That's Steam keys too. Or maybe only Steam keys?
Last edited by Beamboom on 27 January 2018 at 8:49 pm UTC
How about other stores? Something that not restrict games by region… GOG? itch.io?
If they include Steam keys in their offerings it's fine with me?
Or how about the Humble Bundle store? That's Steam keys too. Or maybe only Steam keys?
Fine by me.
So, to summarize, we make a wager.
I, Alm888, say "Rise of the Tomb Raider" will not be released on Linux during 2018 and if this is true you, Beamboom, are obliged to gift me a game of my choosing not exceeding $12 (sorry, I want to count in $, hope it is OK) on a store of my choosing.
You, Beamboom, say "Rise of the Tomb Raider" will be released on Linux during 2018 and if true, I, Alm888, am obliged to gift you a game of your choosing not exceeding $12 on a store of your choosing, except Steam.
Is everything OK?
This should be fun. In the worst case scenario (for me) I will have the opportunity to actually test a gifting system! :)
How about other stores? Something that not restrict games by region… GOG? itch.io?
If they include Steam keys in their offerings it's fine with me?
Or how about the Humble Bundle store? That's Steam keys too. Or maybe only Steam keys?
Fine by me.
So, to summarize, we make a wager.
I, Alm888, say "Rise of the Tomb Raider" will not be released on Linux during 2018 and if this is true you, Beamboom, are obliged to gift me a game of my choosing not exceeding $12 (sorry, I want to count in $, hope it is OK) on a store of my choosing.
You, Beamboom, say "Rise of the Tomb Raider" will be released on Linux during 2018 and if true, I, Alm888, am obliged to gift you a game of your choosing not exceeding $12 on a store of your choosing, except Steam.
Is everything OK?
This should be fun. In the worst case scenario (for me) I will have the opportunity to actually test a gifting system! :)
Sounds correct under the circumstance that you have so much against Steam. I'm a bit worried that I in reality will have very little to choose from, since I don't want several sources/accounts for my games. To have all games on one distribution platform have such huge advantages - similar to the package repo for a distro.
But at least the Feral store do sell keys, so there's that. :)
Last edited by Beamboom on 1 February 2018 at 10:09 am UTC
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