It's true but is only one core, it run better on 386. Apart that I only have 4gb of RAM, so no real advantage.

You get access to more registers and new instructions, both of which help performance. And the AMD64 codebase is actually maintained, whereas the i686 codebase isn't.

Any suggestion on really low resources games ?

A Short Hike maybe?
The Putt-Putt adventures, if she's not feeling too old for that?

Looking if they are in Spanish! But I like them for her.

Any suggestion on really low resources games ?

A Short Hike maybe?
The Putt-Putt adventures, if she's not feeling too old for that?

Looking if they are in Spanish! But I like them for her.

A big advantage of Putt-Putt for my 6 yo children was that many of these games had voice-overs in our language, German. It seems they were not translated to Spanish though.

It's true but is only one core, it run better on 386. Apart that I only have 4gb of RAM, so no real advantage.

You get access to more registers and new instructions, both of which help performance. And the AMD64 codebase is actually maintained, whereas the i686 codebase isn't.

I have to ask what is your recommendation then ?

I have to ask what is your recommendation then ?

For distro? Anything you like. Personally, I favour Kubuntu, but there's no shortage of choices if that doesn't float your boat. But if one's hardware can use AMD64 then it should use AMD64.

For games? That hardware wasn't great 10 years ago, so you're limited to older and low-spec games. You're also likely going to struggle with Proton through lack of Vulkan support. That's still quite a lot of games to choose from, though.

Dropping back in to update!!

So, for the entire summer, my house has been filled with Zelda as the game of choice, lol. While I don't play, I must admit, Nintendo has done a good job making a SP game that's not only really good, but really fun to watch as a family and add commentary on!!

Noticing my 9 year old seems to really enjoy the building aspect of the game, making tanks and walkers and other battle weapons, I decided to have him try Besieged on Linux. It's a lot harder, but he had fun with the first few levels!

They've been asking for the own PC recently, so I might cave in and get them something midrange (?). I'm debating between something super cheap (and older) vs something more modern and capable.

Dropping back in to update!!

So, for the entire summer, my house has been filled with Zelda as the game of choice, lol. While I don't play, I must admit, Nintendo has done a good job making a SP game that's not only really good, but really fun to watch as a family and add commentary on!!

Noticing my 9 year old seems to really enjoy the building aspect of the game, making tanks and walkers and other battle weapons, I decided to have him try Besieged on Linux. It's a lot harder, but he had fun with the first few levels!

They've been asking for the own PC recently, so I might cave in and get them something midrange (?). I'm debating between something super cheap (and older) vs something more modern and capable.

The big question for me was for what they need it ? Why they ask for it ? My kid view the PC as the homework resource and Kirby playing, so it was really easy for me, but my nephew wanted to play Minecraft so they have to get a more powerful machine because an old one wasn't enough.

So I must have a smaller attention span than 4 year old. I lost patience with Talos Principle in about 30 minutes after the first few puzzles lol

(P.S. Oops, that was an old post on the first page that just caught my attention, not a recent one)

Last edited by Grogan on 18 September 2023 at 10:43 pm UTC

So I must have a smaller attention span than 4 year old. I lost patience with Talos Principle in about 30 minutes after the first few puzzles lol

(P.S. Oops, that was an old post on the first page that just caught my attention, not a recent one)

I played through it and consider it a great puzzle game. One evening during Christmas vacations, far away from my computer, I found the solution for a puzzle i had struggled with for days. So, the puzzle wasn't too complex, I could remember all the parts and figure it out, it was just difficult in a good, satisfying way.

Maybe the game takes a slow start, and then, of course, there's the philosophy, which may or may not resonate with you.

Last edited by Eike on 19 September 2023 at 6:41 am UTC

Dropping back in to update!!

So, for the entire summer, my house has been filled with Zelda as the game of choice, lol. While I don't play, I must admit, Nintendo has done a good job making a SP game that's not only really good, but really fun to watch as a family and add commentary on!!

Noticing my 9 year old seems to really enjoy the building aspect of the game, making tanks and walkers and other battle weapons, I decided to have him try Besieged on Linux. It's a lot harder, but he had fun with the first few levels!

They've been asking for the own PC recently, so I might cave in and get them something midrange (?). I'm debating between something super cheap (and older) vs something more modern and capable.

The big question for me was for what they need it ? Why they ask for it ? My kid vithe PC as the homework resource and Kirby playing, so it was really easy for me, but my nephew wanted to play Minecraft so they have to get a more powerful machine because an old one wasn't enough.

I did have a talk with them the other day. School, journaling, Web browsing, and gaming. With that in mind, I think, if I can afford it, I'll aim for a good CPU platform and add GFX and memory later, as needed.

I did have a talk with them the other day. School, journaling, Web browsing, and gaming. With that in mind, I think, if I can afford it, I'll aim for a good CPU platform and add GFX and memory later, as needed.

The problem is: "Gaming" might be gaming, gaming or gaming.

I played through it and consider it a great puzzle game. One evening during Christmas vacations, far away from my computer, I found the solution for a puzzle i had struggled with for days. So, the puzzle wasn't too complex, I could remember all the parts and figure it out, it was just difficult in a good, satisfying way.

Maybe the game takes a slow start, and then, of course, there's the philosophy, which may or may not resonate with you.

I don't like puzzles like that though... I didn't get half way through either of the Portal games either. I got further because the puzzles were easier. I'm just not interested enough to continue. My young niece (12'ish at the time?) did them though.

Didn't get far enough in Talos to know about the philosophy (the "text" others were talking about earlier in the discussion?)

Another thing that turned me off is that it ran like shit for me at the time (Croteam's games did until they switched to Vulkan). I didn't send it back, so maybe I'll try it again some day.

I did have a talk with them the other day. School, journaling, Web browsing, and gaming. With that in mind, I think, if I can afford it, I'll aim for a good CPU platform and add GFX and memory later, as needed.

The problem is: "Gaming" might be gaming, gaming or gaming.

Hahahaha, lol!!!! I love that!!
Most of their gaming experience is on the Switch, and they've mentioned Minecraft. Most of what they've played on my PC isn't very demanding (Slime Rancher, Besieged, Super Tux Cart, Lit, etc). I think if I aim for "Steam Deck"-ish performance, I'll be ok (and I can use remote play for more demanding titles).

Our little one's old enough now that he's having lots of fun with Hypercharge Unboxed.

The Syberia series is well worth a look the graphics are super and the story is neat. They come up every now and again in sales. The first three play well on linux. I have not played the fourth one yet as I am waiting for it to appear in a sale.

https://www.microids.com/game-syberia/

Robotfindskitten is available for most distros and on-line or as a Snap and there are many variations of it.

https://www.crummy.com/software/robotfindskitten/

https://github.com/noncombatant/robotfindskitten

"Machinarium is a prime example of why point ‘n’ click adventure games are not dead. It was created by people who clearly love the genre with aim to deliver a top-notch entertainment for all those gamers who really miss the magical world of adventure games."

https://www.gog.com/en/game/machinarium_collectors_edition

YoFrankie is well worth a look. Itried it way back in 2010 on Arch and it ran ok.

https://apricot.blender.org/yofrankie-11/

Dink Smallwood HD is the newly remixed version of the classic RPG brought to you by the original creators.

https://www.dinknetwork.com/file/dink_smallwood_hd/

"The Book of Unwritten Tales is a classic point-and-click adventure game with a cornucopia of humorous references. Whether it gently lampoons a particularly popular MMO or the stereotypical fantasy conventions, it’s sure to put a knowing smile on the face of even the most hardened adventurer! If you're looking for a comedic relief from all the super-serious plots of modern games, this beautifully-presented point-and-click adventure will be perfect for you. "

https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_book_of_unwritten_tales

"One of the most acclaimed adventure games of all time is now back, better than ever. Grim Fandango's epic story of four years in the life (or death) of Manny Calavera, travel agent to the dead, has been remastered to look, sound, and control even better than when it won GameSpot's Game of the Year award upon its original launch. Grim Fandango still stands as a classic of the genre, with unforgettable characters and unique combination of film noir and Mexican folklore."

https://www.gog.com/game/grim_fandango_remastered

Zork and any version of NetHack are worth a looksee too.

I never ever buy a game at full price and always buy in sales. Happy gaming.

Are you sure you've posted in the correct thread? All these adventure games are clearly not something children will persevere with.

Are you sure you've posted in the correct thread? All these adventure games are clearly not something children will persevere with.

For young children playing solo, I agree. But playing as a family (perhaps with some Duck Duck Go assistance), it could be a fun thing. I recall someone posting earlier playing Talos Principal with a younger Child and having a good experience. Might depend on the kid too. My oldest was just complaining Stardew Valley was "too boring", while my youngest could sit there and farm and forage all day long.

Zork and any version of NetHack are worth a looksee too

Nethack wasnt my jam, but got me thinking about TOME, Transcendence and then Endless Sky. Might be interesting for an "older" kid.

Last edited by denyasis on 4 October 2023 at 7:35 pm UTC

Are you sure you've posted in the correct thread? All these adventure games are clearly not something children will persevere with.

A previous poster said

Both my now 7 and 9 year old are enjoying Portal and Portal 2. I might try to find some other games like that!

So it seems my choices could be played by children. I agree that the choices might be more suited to slightly older children.

Gah, I missed the obvious connection. Portal is JUST like Syberia.

Our little one (10) got a PinePhone for her birthday.

She's playing that Solitaire clone by now a lot.

And when an external display + kbm is connected there's also Chromium BSU and Tux Racer. Both work okayish considering the poor hardware. Frozen Bubble sadly doesn't start, have yet to find out why.

On PC they play mostly Minecraft because everybody at school does. You know. Peer group pressure.

…and together with parents it's even World of Warcraft or Elite Dangerous ;-)

It's seldom that they want to try something different. The Books Of Unwritten Tales for example worked but didn't keep em captivated. They did manage to proceed to chapter 2 though.