Gaming on Alpine: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 22:03, 2 September 2025

This page documents the various game related packages available in Alpine Linux and lists alternate ways to game. If you are interested in developing games on Alpine Linux visit Game development on Alpine Linux.

Installing Games

Like with installing any other package, run the following:

# apk add [game]

Where [game] is the name of the package containing the game, like micro-tetris from among the available games.

Steam

Steam, a popular game distribution platform by Valve can be run on Alpine Linux through Flatpak or this AppImage

Wine

wine allows you to run some Windows software, including games, under Linux. If you use x86_64, 32-bit applications will run in Wine's WoW64 mode, which may not be compatible with all software.

Wine inside docker

To run windows app/games inside a docker container with alpine Linux, libcap is required to fix issues related to raw sockets

RUN apk add --no-cache libcap
RUN setcap cap_net_raw+epi /usr/bin/wine-preloader

Permissions

To make sure your account is in the "games" group, run the following:

# adduser youruser games

Log-off and then log back on in order for the changes to take effect. Most games don't require this in order to work.

List of games

Below is the list of games packages available in Alpine Linux:

Game	Package name	Description
AdvanceMAME	advancemame	Arcade simulator.
Aisleriot	aisleriot	Solitaire card games.
Chocolate Doom	chocolate-doom	Portable release of Doom, Heretic, Hexen, and Strife
DOSBox Staging	dosbox-staging	DOS-emulator that uses SDL.
FlightGear	flightgear	Flight simulator.
Freeciv	freeciv	Free and Open Source empire-building strategy game.
Freedoom	freedoom	an entirely free software game running on a Doom engine.
Frotz	frotz	Z machine (Infocom interactive fiction) Interpreter.
GCompris	gcompris-qt	Educational software suite comprising of numerous activities for children aged 2 to 10.
GNU Chess	gnuchess	Play chess against the computer.
GZDoom	gzdoom	Modern game engine resembling modern FPSes compatible with Doom WADs
LBreakout2	lbreakout2	Ball-and-paddle game.
LBreakoutHD	lbreakouthd	Note: No level editor available. The successor to LBreakout2. lbreakout2 is needed for level creation.
LPairs	lpairs2	Classical memory game.
Luanti	luanti	An open source voxel game engine.
Micro Tetris	micro-tetris	A version of Tetris that uses ANSI escape sequences and can fit in embedded devices.
NetHack	nethack	A single player Rogue-like dungeon crawler or dungeon exploration game
OpenRCT2	openrct2	Note: Requires original files of “RollerCoaster Tycoon 2” to play. A free and open-source reimplementation of “RollerCoaster Tycoon 2”.
OpenTTD	openttd	A business simulation game.
RetroArch	retroarch	Frontend for emulators, game engines, and media players using libretro.
ScummVM	scummvm	Engine for several graphical adventure games.
SuperTux	supertux	Classic 2D jump'n'run side-scroller game in a style similar to the original Super Mario games.
SuperTuxKart	supertuxkart	Kart racing game with OSS mascots.
Xonotic	xonotic	The Free and Fast Arena Shooter. Clients are: xonotic-sdl or xonotic-glx. Install xonotic-server to run a dedicated server.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Gaming on Alpine''' is a thing.
+This page documents the various game related packages available in Alpine Linux and lists alternate ways to game. If you are interested in developing games on Alpine Linux visit [[Game development on Alpine Linux]].
-== Installing games ==
+== Installing Games ==
- sudo apk add micro-tetris
+Like with installing any other package, run the following:
+{{Cmd|# apk add [game]}}
+Where <code>[game]</code> is the name of the package containing the game, like <code>micro-tetris</code> from among the [[#List of games|available games]].
+== Steam ==
+{{Main|Steam}}
+Steam, a popular game distribution platform by Valve can be run on Alpine Linux through [[Flatpak]] or this [https://github.com/ivan-hc/Steam-appimage AppImage]
+== Wine ==
+{{Pkg|wine}} allows you to run some Windows software, including games, under Linux. If you use x86_64, 32-bit applications will run in Wine's WoW64 mode, which may not be compatible with all software.
+=== Wine inside docker ===
+To run windows app/games inside a [https://www.reddit.com/r/linux4noobs/comments/1fegh0i/winealpine/ docker container] with alpine Linux, {{pkg|libcap}} is required to fix issues related to [https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine/-/wikis/FAQ#failed-to-use-icmp-network-ping-this-requires-special-permissions raw sockets]
+<Pre>
+RUN apk add --no-cache libcap
+RUN setcap cap_net_raw+epi /usr/bin/wine-preloader
+</Pre>
 == Permissions ==
-To make sure your account is in the games group.  You could do.
+To make sure your account is in the "games" group, run the following:
- sudo gpasswd -a name games
+{{Cmd|# adduser youruser games}}
-Log off then relog back on.
+Log-off and then log back on in order for the changes to take effect. Most games don't require this in order to work.
-== List of games available on Alpine Linux ==
+== List of games ==
-* [http://www.advancemame.it/ AdvanceMAME] - advancemame -- Arcade Simulator
+Below is the list of games packages available in Alpine Linux:
-* [https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Aisleriot Aisleriot] - aisleriot -- Solitaire card games
+{|class="wikitable" align="center" style="width:100%; border:1px #0771a6 solid; background:#f9f9f9; text-align:left; border-collapse:collapse;"
-* [https://www.dosbox.com/ DOSBox] - dosbox -- DOS-emulator that uses SDL-library
+|- style="background:#333333; color:#ffffff; font-size: 0.9em; text-align:center;"
-* [http://frotz.sourceforge.net/ Frotz] - frotz -- Z machine (Infocom interactive fiction) Interpreter
+| width="20%" |Game
-* [http://home.flightgear.org FlightGear] - flightgear -- Flight Simulator
+|width="20%" | Package name
-* [https://freedoom.github.io/ Freedoom]+[https://www.chocolate-doom.org/ Chocolate Doom] - freedoom, chocolate-doom -- a free Doom game and an  engine to run it
+|| Description
-* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Chess GNU Chess] - gnuchess -- Play chess against the computer
+|-
-* [https://github.com/troglobit/tetris Micro Tetris] - micro-tetris -- Uses ANSI escape sequences and can fit in embedded devices
+| [https://www.advancemame.it/ AdvanceMAME] || {{Pkg|advancemame}} || Arcade simulator.
-* [https://www.minetest.net/ Minetest] - minetest -- An Inspired Minecraft game
+|-
-* [https://openrct2.org/ OpenRCT2] - OpenRCT2 -- Re-implementation of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2
+| [https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/aisleriot Aisleriot] || {{Pkg|aisleriot}} || Solitaire card games.
-* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenTTD OpenTTD] - openttd -- A business simulation game
+|-
-* [http://www.retroarch.com RetroArch] - retroarch -- Frontend for emulators, game engines and media players using the libretro API
+|[https://www.chocolate-doom.org/wiki/index.php/Chocolate_Doom Chocolate Doom] || {{Pkg|chocolate-doom}} || Portable release of Doom, Heretic, Hexen, and Strife
-* [https://www.nethack.org NetHack] - Rogue-like dungeon crawler
+|-
-* [https://www.supertux.org/ SuperTux] - supertux -- Classic 2D jump'n run sidescroller game in a style similar to the original Super Mario games.
+| [https://www.dosbox-staging.org/ DOSBox Staging] || {{Pkg|dosbox-staging}} || DOS-emulator that uses SDL.
-* [https://supertuxkart.net/Main_Page SuperTuxKart] - Kart racing game with OSS mascots
+|-
-* [http://www.xonotic.org/ Xonotic] - xonotic -- A FPS arena game
+| [https://www.flightgear.org/ FlightGear]|| {{Pkg|flightgear}} || Flight simulator.
+|-
+| [https://www.freeciv.org Freeciv]|| {{Pkg|freeciv}} || Free and Open Source empire-building strategy game.
+|-
+|[https://freedoom.github.io/ Freedoom]|| {{Pkg|freedoom}} || an entirely free software game running on a Doom engine.
+|-
+| [https://davidgriffith.gitlab.io/frotz/ Frotz] || {{Pkg|frotz}} || Z machine (Infocom interactive fiction) Interpreter.
+|-
+| [https://gcompris.net/index-en.html GCompris] || {{Pkg|gcompris-qt}} || Educational software suite comprising of numerous activities for children aged 2 to 10.
+|-
+| [https://www.gnu.org/software/chess/ GNU Chess]|| {{Pkg|gnuchess}} || Play chess against the computer.
+|-
+|[https://zdoom.org/index GZDoom] || {{Pkg|gzdoom}} || Modern game engine resembling modern FPSes compatible with Doom WADs
+|-
+| [https://lgames.sourceforge.io/LBreakout2/ LBreakout2]|| {{Pkg|lbreakout2}} || Ball-and-paddle game.
+|-
+| [https://lgames.sourceforge.io/LBreakoutHD LBreakoutHD] || {{Pkg|lbreakouthd}} || {{Note|No level editor available.}}
+The successor to LBreakout2.
+{{Pkg|lbreakout2}} is needed for level creation.
+|-
+| [https://lgames.sourceforge.io/LPairs LPairs]|| {{Pkg|lpairs2}} || Classical memory game.
+|-
+| [https://www.luanti.org/ Luanti] || {{Pkg|luanti}} || An open source voxel game engine.
+|-
+| [https://github.com/troglobit/tetris Micro Tetris] || {{Pkg|micro-tetris}} || A version of Tetris that uses ANSI escape sequences and can fit in embedded devices.
+|-
+| [https://www.nethack.org NetHack] || {{Pkg|nethack}} || A single player Rogue-like dungeon crawler or dungeon exploration game
+|-
+| [https://openrct2.io/ OpenRCT2] || {{Pkg|openrct2}} || {{Note| Requires original files of “RollerCoaster Tycoon 2” to play.}}
+A free and open-source reimplementation of “RollerCoaster Tycoon 2”.
+|-
+| [https://www.openttd.org/ OpenTTD]|| {{Pkg|openttd}} || A business simulation game.
+|-
+| [https://www.retroarch.com/ RetroArch] || {{Pkg|retroarch}} || Frontend for emulators, game engines, and media players using libretro.
+|-
+| [https://www.scummvm.org/ ScummVM]|| {{Pkg|scummvm}} || Engine for several graphical adventure games.
+|-
+| [https://www.supertux.org/ SuperTux] || {{Pkg|supertux}} || Classic 2D jump'n'run side-scroller game in a style similar to the original Super Mario games.
+|-
+|[https://supertuxkart.net/Main_Page SuperTuxKart] || {{pkg|supertuxkart}} || Kart racing game with OSS mascots.
+|-
+|[https://www.xonotic.org/ Xonotic] || {{Pkg|xonotic}} || The Free and Fast Arena Shooter.
+Clients are: {{Pkg|xonotic-sdl}} or {{Pkg|xonotic-glx}}.  Install {{Pkg|xonotic-server}} to run a dedicated server.
+|}
-== Game related software ==
+== See also ==
-* [[Steam]] can be installed on Alpine, although Valve only support using Steam on Ubuntu.
+* [[Steam|Steam on Alpine Linux]]
-* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_(software) Wine] - wine -- It is typically used to play Windows games - You may need to chroot/multiboot as 32-bit Alpine to use 32 bit Windows games.  If you use x86_64, you can only run 64 bit Windows programs.
+* [https://gitlab.winehq.org/wine/wine/-/wikis/FAQ  Wine FAQ]
-* [https://obsproject.com/ OBS Studio] - obs-studio -- It is used to live stream a gaming session.
+* [https://obsproject.com/ OBS Studio] ({{Pkg|obs-studio}}) - Used by live streamers on streaming platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.
+* [https://wine.htmlvalidator.com/install-wine-on-alpine-linux-3.html  How to Install Wine on Alpine Linux 3]
+[[category:Gaming]]