(With a Linux version or at least works good with Proton) Edit: just bought disco Elysium, going to post updates in the comments when I try it tomorrow. It’s on sale until tomorrow in case anyone is going to purchase it.
I’ve been gaming on Linux exclusively for 3 years now. So. These are all proton-tested-and-approved. Though a couple (especially the old ones) require a bit of tinkering.
- Pillars of Eternity I and II – Slow burns. cRPGs. Get very good, but take a while to get there
- Tyranny – Same developer, also a cRPG, but gets to the point faster, and in fact can be finished in one weekend. Do note: It’s an “evil campaign” type of RPG.
- Pyre – A fantasy basketball game with a Visual Novel on the side. Very touching story, made me cry twice. And the gameplay is no slouch either, even if I kinda suck at it. (… Though when you lose the games you don’t game over, the story just changes)
- Wolfenstein the New Order – FPS set in an alternate history where the nazis won WW2, where you play a resistance fighter. Very enjoyable action, and it always feels good to blow nazis away.
- Dishonored 2 – Stealth-FPS/Immersive Sim where you play as an assassin-princess who can turn herself into a horrid tentacle monster. Also a nice story.
- Enderal: Forgotten Stories – Skyrim Total Conversion title. Very surreal and trippy story. Pushes the Skyrim engine to its absolute breaking point to realize the developers’ vision, and doesn’t always get there.
- Fallout: New Vegas – I mean, if I didn’t bring it up, someone would. New Vegas is a flawed and messy game, but it is just about competent enough that you are fine with it being less-than-ideal in the name of getting to the story.
If old games & emulation are on the cards –
- Terranigma (SNES) – What if Legend of Zelda… But you are literally creating the world by doing your quest. It’s nuts. I love it.
- Legacy of Kain series (PS1, PS2, PC) – Very flawed gameplay on all of them (each in its own unique way)… But it is legitimately one of the greatest tales ever told through gaming. (note: It’s also edgy)
- Prince of Persia Sands Trilogy (PC, PS2, GC, Xbox) – This little trilogy of games from the sixth generation delivers in both elegant platforming gameplay and entertaining storytelling. Does suck that they are from a time that game devs thought subtitling your cutscenes would make your skin fall off (or something. No games back then had subbed cutscenes and it sucked)
- Paper Mario/Mario & Luigi series (Nintendo machines) – Comedy RPGs about the Mario characters (duh). Very well written, especially Thousand Year Door (GC/Switch) and the original Mario & Luigi (GBA/3DS). Story is as vanilla as you’d expect, since it’s Mario, but it is worth it for the comedy imho
Enderal is fantastic. If you don’t speak german I would still recommend it. If you do speak german then you have to play it. Yes, this is a gun. Now sit down and install the game!
I’ve got a mod list sitting about waiting for a New Vegas replay. Just some light stuff to make it feel like it holds up more today. What a good game.
I really liked Bastion.
I found Prey to be fantastic.
Just came here to say this. Played it a while back and daaamn it blew my mind, such an awsme, underrated game.
I don’t know if any of these have native Linux versions all I know is that I played them on steamdeck with no issues:
Beacon Pines has a fucking great story and I loved it so much.
Horizon: Zero Dawn has a really cool thing going on where you’re experiencing a fully compelling story unfolding in the present day, but you’re also gathering up data logs and recordings that allow a story from the distant past to reveal itself at the same time. One of my favourite storytelling experiences in gaming.
Night in the Woods was just a joy. Made me miss friends and memories that I never had.
Citizen Sleeper is basically a fully fledged science fiction novel with gameplay elements attached. It takes inspiration from the excellent Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers and holy shit its just. Mm! Its cozy, its thrilling, it is beautiful, its lonely, its warm and welcoming. It has some similar elements to Disco Elysium’s gameplay.
To The Moon has the wonderful voice of Laura Shigihara on the soundtrack, and a story which brought me surprises and to the point of painful, beautiful, big girl tears.
Exit/Corners is actually a free flash game but don’t write it off. It’s an incredibly well crafted cast of characters and a story which will keep you on the edge of your seat. I wish I could go back and play it again for the first time.
Witcher 3 has an amazing story and 2 DLCs that feel like entire games themselves. Runs great for me under Linux Mint (Steam / Proton).
It is probably been said, but roll with the failures in disco elysium, sometimes the failures bring out a better result. It systems do a great job commenting on your decisions and whether you do your job as a cop or not, it still drives across a very human story
In regards to a game with a good story, I can say OneShot surprised me. It breaks the 4th wall by having you be the character that guides the protagonist through the world as they wake up in another world and go on a journey trying to get back. Simple graphics and one has to read everything, but by the story’s end was I left feeling some emotions in regards to its conclusion.
Borderlands 2 is great! Should work with Proton.
It works fine.
Naming Borderlands 2 when asking for great story is bold though.
Story itself is maybe B tier, but the characters are excellent. Handsome Jack’s lines never get old.
I haven’t finished it yet but celeste has a good story and works basically perfectly. It is very difficult though
Seconded, great game
If you consider emulating older games a viable option, I would suggest:
- Chrono Trigger (SNES)
- Silent Hill (PS1)
- Any Legend of Zelda game (Majora’s Mask is my favourite story-wise)
Exquisite taste.
Seconding the Zelda rec, Majora’s being my favourite as well, with Minish Cap being a close second. (narrative-wise, that is)
That’s a fine choice sir/ma’am.
My close second, story wise, would be Link’s Awakening. The story was a real mind fuck when I was a kid.
Disco Elysium hands-down. Has a brilliant story with a bunch of branches, it’s a great way to kill 20+ hours.
A shorter experience but one still pretty fun is Thank Goodness You’re Here which is a comedy with brilliant voice acting and setting. 2.5hrs ish.
Thank Goodness You’re Here
Just by the name and you mentioning it’s a comedy, I suspect it’s a nod to the TV show Thank God You’re Here (or more likely the British version), where performers such as comedians enter a surprise setting and must improvise.
I love the fact that even “failed” skill checks lead to interesting stories, and how having some skills “too high” starts leading down dark alleyways too.
My fiance and I both played it, and wound up with radically different stories.
I died in that game from reading a book that was too sad lol
My first death was from an uncomfortable chair.
I’m sad nobody has mentioned Chrono Trigger…
Pretty sure Portal and Portal 2 are playable in Linux.
They are more than just playable. They have native versions, because Valve wants to push gaming on Linux. Both are awesome games! I have already played them.
I also think the smartest thing Valve ever did was add Proton to their Linux platform. They are going to capture about 90% of gamers migrating from Windows to Linux. It’s a lot easier for gamers to use a pre-configured platform than fiddle with Wine settings for each game.
The Witcher trilogy + awesome books
As a wildcard (my first pick is already here) I put forward Pathologic. I’ve never played it and playing it seems torturous, but it’s absolutely an amazing game with an powerful immersive story. Or perhaps, it’s an amazing game which is a powerful immersive story. The game mechanics are a story-telling mechanism, rather than a mere medium to overlay story onto.
Hbomberguy video: Pathologic is Genius, And Here’s Why
I have seen a loot of old games here so I will throw in a game I have played so many times as a teen and picked up and finish again earlier this month because of the great story and gameplay: Dragon age origins.
It never disappoints me. I am thinking about playing da 2 again too (got a lot of hate but I never thought it deserved it because the story is great, origins is better tho)
I added some texture mods to make it look a bit better but don’t do anything crazy it can’t handle too heavy textures.
It is very tactical (if you play on higher difficulties), I really recommend setting up the skills and conditions (tactics tab for the characters) for your followers. There isn’t anything better than when your followers sync their attacks with you like when your mage freeze an enemy who tried to jumped on your main character so your character won’t get stunned and can do a follow up attack. Or when you use two spells that increase the damage together. You can make the whole group play as you like which I like a lot.
So both story and gameplay is great and that is why I love the game so much.
Almost all of the side quests are worth your time too. there are a few you can miss out on so don’t wait too long with doing them and talk to everyone before it is too late. You can play how ever you like. You can even just play main quest but you will miss out on a lot of story and interactions if you do so. Try to challenge the game like stealing from ppl, you may find stuff out that helps you out by being creative.
This became a book and I had to stop my self. I really recommend dragon age for anyone who likes a good story, likes being creative, strategize and just listen to their followers banters while you run around in the world.
Thank you for coming to my Ted talk I hope you will play the game.
