Best games
Best Linux games of 2003
The 11 best Linux games released in 2003, ranked from 1,273 critic and player ratings.
The best Linux game of 2003 is Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic, with a critic score of 89/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 2003.
- 11 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,273 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 29 September 2026.
Top 11
01
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is the third entry in the award winning fantasy strategy series. This fan-favorite enhances the series' praised fusion of empire building, role-playing and tactical combat with the eerie Shadow World and battle with races never before seen, across new and diverse landscapes. Combined with the option of creating a totally unique environment with the map generator and rewriting the history of this world through the enhanced campaign editor, you are ensured a constant stream of completely new game experiences.
89
/100
02
Soldat
Soldat (meaning "soldier" in Italian, German, Russian, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, French, Catalan and Romanian) is a Polish 2D multiplayer game for Windows. It is a side-scroller inspired by Liero and Scorched Earth, combined with elements from Counter-Strike and Worms. The game is shareware. Registration unlocks extra aesthetic options, such as colored jet flames and custom interfaces. Version 1.5.0 also includes a minimap and changeable screen resolution for registered users. Soldat is written and maintained by programmer Michał Marcinkowski, who started working on the game in November, 2001. It is coded in the Delphi programming language using the JEDI libraries. Though Marcinkowski is the primary developer, he works with a few others on the dedicated server and lobby, in addition to a small beta team which aids in testing prior to new releases.
82
/100
03
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a multiplayer spin-off to Return to Castle Wolfenstein. In this game, two teams battle each other through a series of three missions that make up a single campaign. There are two campaigns: North Africa and Northern Europe. Within a mission there are objectives that must be completed by each team. These are as varied as escorting tanks, building bridges, stealing gold, or blowing up fuel dumps. Each player picks a character class, such as engineer, soldier, field ops, or covert ops, and then makes use of that class's special abilities, class-specific weapons, and inventory items.
81
/100
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is the third entry in the award winning fantasy strategy series. This fan-favorite enhances the series' praised fusion of empire building, role-playing and tactical combat with the eerie Shadow World and battle with races never before seen, across new and diverse landscapes. Combined with the option of creating a totally unique environment with the map generator and rewriting the history of this world through the enhanced campaign editor, you are ensured a constant stream of completely new game experiences.
89
/100
02
Soldat
Soldat (meaning "soldier" in Italian, German, Russian, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, French, Catalan and Romanian) is a Polish 2D multiplayer game for Windows. It is a side-scroller inspired by Liero and Scorched Earth, combined with elements from Counter-Strike and Worms. The game is shareware. Registration unlocks extra aesthetic options, such as colored jet flames and custom interfaces. Version 1.5.0 also includes a minimap and changeable screen resolution for registered users. Soldat is written and maintained by programmer Michał Marcinkowski, who started working on the game in November, 2001. It is coded in the Delphi programming language using the JEDI libraries. Though Marcinkowski is the primary developer, he works with a few others on the dedicated server and lobby, in addition to a small beta team which aids in testing prior to new releases.
82
/100
03
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a multiplayer spin-off to Return to Castle Wolfenstein. In this game, two teams battle each other through a series of three missions that make up a single campaign. There are two campaigns: North Africa and Northern Europe. Within a mission there are objectives that must be completed by each team. These are as varied as escorting tanks, building bridges, stealing gold, or blowing up fuel dumps. Each player picks a character class, such as engineer, soldier, field ops, or covert ops, and then makes use of that class's special abilities, class-specific weapons, and inventory items.
81
/100
04
Day of Defeat
Enlist in an intense brand of Axis vs. Allied teamplay set in the WWII European Theatre of Operations. Players assume the role of light/assault/heavy infantry, sniper or machine-gunner class, each with a unique arsenal of historical weaponry at their disposal. Missions are based on key historical operations.
79
/100
05
Eve Online
EVE Online is a free MMORPG sci-fi strategy game where you can embark on your own unique space adventure. EVE's open world MMORPG sandbox, renowned among online space games, lets you choose your own path and engage in combat, exploration, industry and much more.
79
/100
06
Crimsonland
Top-down arena shooter video game with role-playing elements. It was developed by Finnish studio 10tons Entertainment and published by Reflexive Entertainment in 2003. In 2014 an enhanced re-release followed.
68
/100
07
Chaser
Chaser is a first-person shooter action video game that takes place in the future, when humanity has inhabited Mars. The gameplay is fast pace, featuring 12 maps that make up the gameplay over four different game modes.
66
/100
08
Journey to the Center of the Earth
65
/100
09
Postal 2
Try to live a week as The Postal Dude doing everyday chores on your to-do list, such as picking up milk at the grocery store. In a world where cats can be used as assault rifle silencers, it's not surprising that a milk carton costs 5 bucks. Stealing said carton might be relatively easy in your basic corner shop, but when the shop is owned by a bunch of trigger happy jihadists, you might want to think twice about trying to leave without paying for your overpriced groceries. Little mistakes like that might just flip the switch and make you go postal.
59
/100
10
AquaNox 2: Revelation
This is is a new story of the underwater world Aqua. In 2666 a young freighter pilot called William Drake sets out to search for the heritage of a mythical ancestor. He is looking for adventure - and finds greed, ruthlessness, merciless hatred … and also unexpected help.
59
/100
11
Black Mirror I
58
/100
Day of Defeat
Enlist in an intense brand of Axis vs. Allied teamplay set in the WWII European Theatre of Operations. Players assume the role of light/assault/heavy infantry, sniper or machine-gunner class, each with a unique arsenal of historical weaponry at their disposal. Missions are based on key historical operations.
79
/100
05
Eve Online
EVE Online is a free MMORPG sci-fi strategy game where you can embark on your own unique space adventure. EVE's open world MMORPG sandbox, renowned among online space games, lets you choose your own path and engage in combat, exploration, industry and much more.
79
/100
06
Crimsonland
Top-down arena shooter video game with role-playing elements. It was developed by Finnish studio 10tons Entertainment and published by Reflexive Entertainment in 2003. In 2014 an enhanced re-release followed.
68
/100
07
Chaser
Chaser is a first-person shooter action video game that takes place in the future, when humanity has inhabited Mars. The gameplay is fast pace, featuring 12 maps that make up the gameplay over four different game modes.
66
/100
08
Journey to the Center of the Earth
65
/100
09
Postal 2
Try to live a week as The Postal Dude doing everyday chores on your to-do list, such as picking up milk at the grocery store. In a world where cats can be used as assault rifle silencers, it's not surprising that a milk carton costs 5 bucks. Stealing said carton might be relatively easy in your basic corner shop, but when the shop is owned by a bunch of trigger happy jihadists, you might want to think twice about trying to leave without paying for your overpriced groceries. Little mistakes like that might just flip the switch and make you go postal.
59
/100
10
AquaNox 2: Revelation
This is is a new story of the underwater world Aqua. In 2666 a young freighter pilot called William Drake sets out to search for the heritage of a mythical ancestor. He is looking for adventure - and finds greed, ruthlessness, merciless hatred … and also unexpected help.
59
/100
11
Black Mirror I
58
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Linux game of 2003?
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic currently tops the ranking with a score of 89/100 across 33 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.