Blog about ScummVM Freeware games of our openSUSE Build Service games project
Status
Lately in my spare time I put some effort in packaging the Freeware games, which are supported by ScummVM engine. I improved packaging of
but also successfully submitted freshly:
- sword25: Broken Sword 2.5 - The Return of the Templars
- drascula: Drascula: The Vampire Strikes Back
- lure: Lure of the Temptress
- DreamWeb: DreamWeb
- MysteryHouse: Mystery House
- griffon: The Griffon Legend
- nippon: Nippon Safes Inc.
- soltys: Soltys Adventure Game
- sfinx: Sfinx Adventure Game
The packages include support for all languages, which have been made available. Also a wrapper script, which on the first run asks for the desired language via xmessage (how retro!) and then creates an appropriate section in scummvm.ini file with fullscreen set, scale factor of 3 (best quality) and enabled subtitles. This section is then used for the scummvm interpreter. Next time the wrappers script runs directly scummvm using this section.
What's missing
- more testing of the packages; improve/fix wrapper scripts if needed
- do some advertising that we have such packages
So I started to blog about these packages. Here is my first blog about Drascula: The Vampire Strikes Back
Outcome/Results
Not so much. I marked the wrapper scripts of the games as bash scripts by replacing #!/bin/sh
in the header with #!/bin/bash
. I tested briefly that language selection works as expected. I couldn't find any issues with that. Also I noticed that - when running in a Wayland session (I've tried GNOME) and using fullscreen mode of scummvm - the input is completely broken and you can't terminate scummvm any longer either (apart from killing the process id manually). I've tried to workaround this by starting scummvm on Xwayland by using environment variable SDL_VIDEODRIVER=x11
but this didn't help at all (seems it doesn't run on Xwayland at all). OTOH fullscreen mode of scummvm works fine in a X session (e.g. GNOME on Xorg).
Update on Wayland/Fullscreen issues
My results above were in a VM running sle15-sp4 using QXL as driver (1024x768 resolution I believe). Looks like things are working fine on Leap 15.4 on bare metal using Intel driver (Tigerlake, 1080p resolution).
This project is part of:
Hack Week 21
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Port some classic game to Linux by MDoucha
Let's pick some old classic game, reverse engineer the data formats and game rules and write an open source engine for it from scratch. Some games from 1990s are simple enough that we could have a playable prototype by the end of the week.
Write which games you'd like to hack on in the comments. Don't forget to check e.g. on Open Source Game Clones, Github and SourceForge whether the game is ported already.
Hack Week 25 - TBD
It's time to pick a game for the upcoming Hack Week. Discuss in the comments what game you'd like to hack!
Hack Week 24 - Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares & Chaos Overlords
Work on Master of Orion II continues but we can hack more than one game. Chaos Overlords is a dystopian, lighthearted, cyberpunk turn-based strategy game originally released in 1996 for Windows 95 and Mac OS. The player takes on the role of a Chaos Overlord, attempting to control a city. Gameplay involves hiring mercenary gangs and deploying them on an 8-by-8 grid of city sectors to generate income, occupy sectors and take over the city.
How to ~~install & play~~ observe the decompilation progress:
- Clone the Git repository
- A playable reimplementation does not exist yet, but when it does, it will be linked in the repository mentioned above.
Further work needed:
- Analyze the remaining unknown data structures, most of which are related to the AI.
- Decompile the AI completely. The strong AI is part of the appeal of the game. It cannot be left out.
- Reimplement the game.
Hack Week 20, 21, 22 & 23 - Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares
Master of Orion II is one of the greatest turn-based 4X games of the 1990s. Explore the galaxy, colonize planets, research new technologies, fight space monsters and alien empires and in the end, become the ruler of the galaxy one way or another.
How to install & play:
- Clone the Git repository
- Run
./bootstrap; ./configure; make && make install
- Copy all *.LBX files from the original Master of Orion II to the installation data directory (
/usr/local/share/openorion2
by default) - Run
openorion2
Further work needed:
- Analyze the rest of the original savegame format and a few remaining data files.
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Hack Week 19 - Signus: The Artifact Wars
Signus is a Czech turn-based strategy game similar to Panzer General or Battle Isle series. Originally published in 1998 and open-sourced by the original developers in 2003.
How to install & play:
- Clone the Git repository
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./bootstrap; ./configure; make && make install
in bothsignus
andsignus-data
directories. - Run
signus
Further work needed:
Advent of Code: The Diaries by amanzini
Description
It was the Night Before Compile Time ...
Hackweek 25 (December 1-5) perfectly coincides with the first five days of Advent of Code 2025. This project will leverage this overlap to participate in the event in real-time.
To add a layer of challenge and exploration (in the true spirit of Hackweek), the puzzles will be solved using a non-mainstream, modern language like D, Crystal, Gleam or Zig.
The primary project intent is not just simply to solve the puzzles, but to exercise result sharing and documentation. I'd create a public-facing repository documenting the process. This involves treating each day's puzzle as a mini-project: solving it, then documenting the solution with detailed write-ups, analysis of the language's performance and ergonomics, and visualizations.
| \ ' / -- (*) -- >*< >0<@< >>>@<<* >@>*<0<<< >*>>@<<<@<< >@>>0<<<*<<@< >*>>0<<@<<<@<<< >@>>*<<@<>*<<0<*< \*/ >0>>*<<@<>0><<*<@<< ___\\U//___ >*>>@><0<<*>>@><*<0<< |\\ | | \\| >@>>0<*<0>>@<<0<<<*<@<< | \\| | _(UU)_ >((*))_>0><*<0><@<<<0<*< |\ \| || / //||.*.*.*.|>>@<<*<<@>><0<<< |\\_|_|&&_// ||*.*.*.*|_\\db//_ """"|'.'.'.|~~|.*.*.*| ____|_ |'.'.'.| ^^^^^^|____|>>>>>>| ~~~~~~~~ '""""`------' ------------------------------------------------ This ASCII pic can be found at https://asciiart.website/art/1831
Goals
Code, Docs, and Memes: An AoC Story
Have fun!
Involve more people, play together
Solve Days 1-5: Successfully solve both parts of the Advent of Code 2025 puzzles for Days 1-5 using the chosen non-mainstream language.
Daily Documentation & Language Review: Publish a detailed write-up for each day. This documentation will include the solution analysis, the chosen algorithm, and specific commentary on the language's ergonomics, performance, and standard library for the given task.