2D Turn-based FOSS Linux game with online and hotseat multiplayer

Question

What 2D FOSS, low-resource, native, turn-based Linux games are available which support at least two players, both locally using the same machine (hotseat) and online?

1. Runs on Linux, natively
2. FOSS (Free and open-source)
3. Low hardware requirements
4. a turn-based game (it should be an actual substantial game, rather than a minigame)
5. Multiplayer:
6. Online: Connect via IP or some room listing type of selection
7. Local: Hotseat mode (playing on the same device)

I am looking for a game that meets all of these requirements. Note that multiplayer is a mechanic, in the extended MDA framework (more here too). MDA is an alternative categorization for games, which fixes the blurring of genres as the medium evolves.

Games are software, and have been shown to be on-topic here.

Answer 1

Hedgewars is a gratis FLOSS (License: GPLv2) turn-based "artillery game, featuring fighting Hedgehogs!". It’s similar to games from the proprietary Worms series.

It’s available for Android, Apple iOS, FreeBSD, GNU/Linux (*), Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows.

(*) You can install it from the software repositories in ArchLinux, Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, openSUSE, Ubuntu (and maybe more).

There is also a WebGL version of Hedgewars which can be played in the browser (currently only works with Firefox). (I did not try it.)

It supports the following multiplayer modes:

• Local → Multiplayer:
  • play on the same screen against each other
  • play on the same screen together against a computer player
• Network (all players would need to play with the same version):
  • play in a LAN
  • play online on a dedicated server
  • play online on the official server (I guess you need to register your nick name first)

Answer 2

Battle for Wesnoth is a turn base strategy game where you have to wait for the other players to do their turn than can do yours. Its Gameplay is based on the more famous "Heroes of Might and Magic".

In this screenshot you see yourself (figures with red) in a complex fight against two opponents (black and green). The black figure above the castle tried to attack your figure inside the castle and lost 3 HP.

The game is quite complex and to play the tutorial game before actual games is highly recommended. (Units gain advantage due to terrain, day/night, leadership, magic, etc.)

You can play this as hot-seat multiplayer game because everybody takes their turns after another anyway. If you play this via network you also have to wait for the others to make their turn.

It has full game documentation here, but I've never read much of this site, can't tell how it is.

Wesnoth is FOSS software.

Liquid war is a very special game (not turn based, but matching the other criteria). You control a pointer where your Liquid tries to get to. You should control this via mouse, but can do it with keyboard as well. It supports multiple of each. When the liquids of two players meet they start to consume each other. So, you need to "surround" you opponent while at the same time ensure that no place of "you" is too thin for you opponent to break through.

It supports hot seat and as of version 6 network game.

The core concept is easy, but this game can be very challenging.

In this screenshot you see red and purple being at war quite intense while blue tries to reach the action.

Answer 3

Back in the days of DOS, Scorched Earth was a family favourite. There is a decent write-up of it on Wikipedia.

That was then, and this is now, and now there is Scorched3D, an "open-source, multiplayer modernisation of the classic DOS game Scorched Earth, 'The Mother Of All Games', with fully destructible 3D landcapes and stunning visual effects."

Basically, one tank attempts to wipe out another by lobbing artillery at it. It involves:

• calculating trajectory, velocity, etc. (i.e., aim, shoot! Scorched Earth got there long before Angry Birds)
• collecting $$$ to purchase different weapons
• messaging between players ("Hasta la vista, baby!", etc.) to taunt opponents
• more fun than it might sound like!

As for OP's specific criteria:

1. Runs on Linux, natively
2. FOSS (Free and open-source)
3. Low hardware requirements looks low to me
4. a turn-based game
5. Multiplayer:
6. Online: Connect via IP or some room listing type of selection
7. Local: Hotseat mode (playing on the same device) appears to be from comments in community forum, but not 100% clear from docs.

There are a number of reviews on YouTube. Here's a screenshot: