this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2025
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Linux Gaming

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Preferably free or at least not to expensive (<20 EUR)

Edit: Thank you so much for all your great suggestions! I now have to buy 2 controllers I think? Steam does not say what input hardware is needed for local multiplayer.

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[–] drspod@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 days ago

Nidhogg 2

It's hilarious, and easy to learn.

[–] PlantDadManGuy@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

Stardew valley

[–] engagewithzorp@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I love worms Armageddon when I was a kid.

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

Liero/OpenLiero is a two-player real-time action variant of Worms. Very recommendable.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 5 days ago
[–] Dreaming_Novaling@lemmy.zip 2 points 5 days ago

Boomerang Fu maybe, haven't played it myself but looks cute and funny from what I've seen. 14.79 rn

[–] stringere@sh.itjust.works 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Off the top of my head.

Peak

Sunderfolk, needs a tablet or phone as a controller, though.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Suns

Sunderered

It Takes Two

Split Fiction

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I second It Takes Two. Amazing game!

[–] stringere@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Split Fiction from the same team is good, too.

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

I heard great things, but I haven't played it yet, so that's why I couldn't second it from experience.

[–] squaresinger@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

It takes two

Horizon Chase

Overcooked (part one is better than two, get the second only if you finish the first and want more)

Unrailed

[–] ook@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 5 days ago

Untitled Goose Game

[–] A_Chilean_Cyborg@feddit.cl 2 points 5 days ago

Kerbal Space Program.

(The original!!)

Depends on their tastes I guess. Stardew Valley is cheap, you can put hundreds of hours in and it does "couch co-op" off a single PC. It also doesn't require very good hardware either.

[–] saimen@feddit.org 1 points 5 days ago

Little Fighters II Remastered

[–] Machinist@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

Atomic Tanks. Old school 2D hot seat fun. Nuke your friends and family.

[–] bassad@jlai.lu 3 points 6 days ago

Goat simulator still exists?

My nephews loved it

[–] meekah@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Ultimate chicken horse

[–] lemba@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)
[–] cannedtuna@lemmy.world 43 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (6 children)

Here's a quick list of inexpensive games I think your kids could enjoy. All of these are shared screen games and I've played (almost) all of these with my kid who is around the same age. All of these run great on my Steam Deck.

All costs are in USD, so they should all fall below the 20 EUR mark.

Of these games, I would absolutely grab EDF 5 while it's on sale. It's just plain, stupid, fun and at $15 it's a steal. Saw EDF World Brothers is on sale as well, though I haven't played that one, it looks like it's the same dumb fun as the others.

[–] bitwolf@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 days ago

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a great game.

Glad it's being recognized

[–] Strider@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

This answer is way too good for such a rough broad question with too many options. 👍

[–] cannedtuna@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I’m always on the lookout for solid games I can play with my kid. For a long while the games had to be shared screen / split screen, at least until I got a Steam Deck. Now I’ve got a lot more options open to me like Risk of Rain 2, but that didn’t really fit their constraints so I left those type of games out.

There’s a bunch of games I left off due to low play time, so I didn’t think they were really worth it to suggest as first picks for someone on a tight budget. It’s definitely by no means a complete list.

[–] Strider@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

As I said, good job! My only answer would've been: could you narrow that down a bit? 😁

[–] cannedtuna@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

If I had to narrow it to 10, it’d be this, keeping audience in mind.

[–] Strider@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

Apologies, a little misunderstanding, I meant as a response to him!

Because the way this was asked there's too many options!

[–] SamuraiBeandog@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago

I will put in a strong vote for Castle Crashers, one of the most fun, charismatic beat em ups of all time, imo. Would be perfect for kids that age.

[–] tamal3@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You can play Portal split screen, or do you mean that they collaborate on the solutions?

Also, my husband and I love playing Overcooked. That's an excellent suggestion.

[–] cannedtuna@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Portal 2 can be played split screen, yes.

I was joking below with someone else that suggested it that Overcooked is more likely to cause a fight. That game is so stressful lol

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 days ago

I hate Overcooked and other games like that. If I wanted that kind of stress, I'd just fucking work and at least I'd be getting paid for it

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[–] salacious_coaster@infosec.pub 26 points 1 week ago

Sure. Get two controllers and Retroarch and they're set on games for life.

[–] SamuraiBeandog@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Overcooked is one of the most popular co-op games of the last few years, simple concept but fun, frantic gameplay. It's pretty cheap at base price but goes on sale pretty regularly too.

Would have to get it through Steam I believe.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 5 days ago

Fuck that game

[–] cannedtuna@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)

They said fun, not anger inducing

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[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 16 points 1 week ago
  • A Hat in Time - $30 USD
  • Caveblazers - $10
  • Unravel Two - $20
  • Alien Hominid Invasion - $20
  • Magicka 2 - $15
  • Jamestown - $10
  • Ship of Fools - $22
  • Pixeljunk Shooter - $9
  • River City Girls - $30
  • Degrees of Separation - $20
  • Speedrunners - $15
  • Blanc - $15
  • Cat Quest 2 - $15
  • Potion Party - $10
  • Double Dragon Gaiden - $25
  • Biped - $15
  • Guacamelee 1 + 2 - $15 & $20
  • KeyWe - $25

All of these are full price, so if you wait for a sale (like I do), you can usually find each of these for $10 or less.

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Basically all the Lego games (although 13y olds might already find them too child-like, depends...).
They all have split screen, so are suitable for couch (or desk) coop.
Also the slightly older ones are quite inexpensive when buying them during sales (a few €).

Special recommendation: Lego City Undercover.

Another fun couch-coop-capable game would be SuperTux, a Super-Mario-Cart like game.
This one is OSS and therefore completely free!

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[–] londos@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] paraplu@piefed.social 1 points 6 days ago

Playing Worms at a friend's house around that age is one of the fondest memories I have of any game.

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 week ago

In that vein, Hedgewars is basically open-source Worms Armageddon.

Very likely available from your distro, so sudo pkcon install hedgewars should set you up in no time.

[–] karthnemesis@leminal.space 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Ordered by amount of "potential" replayability, vaguely

I've played all these through and am confident it'd be ok for 13 yos

If they like silly chaos and cooking games, $20 PlateUp!

If they like absolute madness and precise button inputs to make pretty food, $20 Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!

Rock of ages series I think all have local multiplayer, but I think $30 > on sale for $3 till sept 1 rn Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break is the only one you can do the actual story mode together (which is very fun) instead of just versus. describing this one is hard uh. Both a tower defense as well as a reverse tower defense where you play as a boulder smashing things. historical art humour themed. very silly. highly recommend this series.

$15 Tricky towers is competitive tetris with balancing physics

$14 Neurovoider is a straightforward / small scope game, robot piece-swapping twin stick shooter, very arcadey

$20 Ember knights is in the same vein as neurovoider but with flamey dudes and more fantasy / magic theme

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[–] RushLana@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 week ago

If you are ok with emulation dolphin is pretty great. You can still find wiimotes for cheap and don't need the sensor bar ( use two candle instead ). With that the entire wii games library is yours.

If you want natives games I would recomend indie couch games ( overcook, moving out, etc... ).

[–] Flyswat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 week ago

Rayman Origins

SuperTuxKart is fun

[–] str82L@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Definitely recommend It Takes 2 when it's on sale.

[–] missingno@fedia.io 5 points 1 week ago
  • Lethal League (and the sequel, but I liked LL1 better tbh)
  • Mega Knockdown
  • Panel Attack (FOSS)
  • Petal Crash
  • Streets of Rage 4
  • Them's Fightin' Herds
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