Everybody loves board games and they are a great way to spend time with your friends and family and have a lot of fun. Playing board games on an open-source platform like Linux is great because you can play board games on your own but still have the same experience as if you were playing with other people. Computer board games have transformed the board game experience and there are so many great options that you can try out. In this article, we will present the 5 best classic board games that you can play on Linux.

1. PyChess

PyChess is a really great chess software that you can download and play for free. Pychess enables you to play against the computer as well as against other Pychess players all over the world. Many great in-built PyChess features can help your overall chess game like digital tutorials, expert strategies that you can learn step by step. PyChess also has global online leaderboards so you can track your progress and skills on a worldwide scale and challenge top players to test your wits against the very best players. PyChess is quickly becoming one of the most popular board games available on Linux and is now available in 51 different languages.

2. Scrabble3D

The ultimate word game, Scrabble is loved by people all over the world and is the perfect way to challenge your friends and family to some vocabulary based fun. The classic board game Scrabble is one of the highest-selling board games worldwide but now there are some great word games online which are played similarly and you can learn more about them with a quick google search. Scrabble3D is one of the most popular word games available on Linux which has taken scrabble to another level. Scrabble 3D offers not only the classic Scrabble board but also special new 3D boards that challenge you to think out of the box and create a huge number of new word-building opportunities.

3. GNU Backgammon

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world and dates back 5,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia. It is a really simple game that is played by two people and lends itself well to digital versions. GNu Backgammon is a great Linux version of the game which has been developed to play at the same level as a tournament level human player. GNU Backgammon is a great way to develop your backgammon skills and test yourself against a quality computer player. GNU Backgammon allows you to go back and analyze your game and teaches you about how to avoid the mistakes that you made to help you grow as a player.

4. Triple A

One of the most popular board games for families and friends to play is the empire-building game Risk. In Risk, you start with a small territory and try to take over the other player’s countries through tactics and invasive strategy. There are many similar board games like Axis and Allies and recently some great digital versions have been developed. Triple-A is similar to these games but one of the best features is that it has so many built-in maps to make gameplay interesting. The original version utilizes a WWII map but there are a huge number of other great maps like Middle Earth and other fantasy and Sci-Fi maps. You can play Triple-A against the computer or other players through Online Play.

5. Kajongg

The ancient game of Mahjong was developed during the Qing Dynasty in ancient China and is usually played by four players. Mahjong is loved by people all over the world and there are some great applications and online versions that follow the standard game rules. Kajongg is unique in that it implements the four-player rummy style that is played mostly in South East Asia as well as in the classic game. Kajongg allows players to play against 3 computer players simultaneously to make up the four players, or online against human players or a mixture of human and computer opponents.


There are so many fantastic board games and it is so awesome how many great digital versions are available online and on Linux. No matter whether you are a wordsmith or love nothing more than a well-executed checkmate, there is a digital board game out there for you. Try out some of the games in this guide or do a quick online search and you can find some great options.
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