Best Science Linux Games on Steam
Steam currently has 949 Science games, but not all of them are able to be played on Linux builds. Explore our list of the best picks ranked by Player Score. Our Player Score rankings are calculated directly from reviews left on the Steam store and will be updated in real-time as more players leave their feedback. Science game rankings were last updated on 5/18/2024.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best science games on Steam
- Best science Steam Deck games
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- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. Portal 2
The "Perpetual Testing Initiative" has been expanded to allow you to design co-op puzzles for you and your friends!
Portal 2 holds the #1 spot for "best Linux Science game on Steam" with a Player Score of 98. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 392,151 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 387,141 positive reviews and 5,010 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
2. Portal
Portal™ is a new single player game from Valve. Set in the mysterious Aperture Science Laboratories, Portal has been called one of the most innovative new games on the horizon and will offer gamers hours of unique gameplay.
Portal has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Linux Science games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 156,541 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 154,187 positive reviews and 2,354 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
3. Portal Reloaded
Portal Reloaded is a free, community made modification for Portal 2. The mod builds on the concepts of the main game by allowing you to place a third portal, which enables traveling between two different timelines. Thinking in four dimensions is vital to solving 25 brand new mind-bending puzzles.
Portal Reloaded has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Linux Science games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 19,698 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 18,976 positive reviews and 722 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Portal Reloaded on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
4. Portal Stories: Mel
Portal Stories: Mel is a community made, free modification for Portal 2 based in the Portal universe. It tells the story of Mel, who meets a new personality core and faces an undiscovered threat to the Aperture facility.
Portal Stories: Mel has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Linux Science games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 21,550 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 20,731 positive reviews and 819 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Release Date | 6/25/2015 |
| Developer | Prism Game Studios Ltd. |
| Publisher | Prism Game Studios Ltd. |
| Steam App Id | 317400 |
5. Besiege
Besiege is a physics building game about constructing mechanical machines to annihilate armies, obliterate castles and overcome challenging obstacles. Conquer the campaign or skirmish with friends in Multiplayer!
Besiege has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Linux Science games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 46,995 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 44,900 positive reviews and 2,095 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Besiege on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $14.99 |
| Release Date | 2/18/2020 |
| Developer | Spiderling Studios |
| Publisher | Spiderling Studios |
| Steam App Id | 346010 |
6. Kerbal Space Program
In Kerbal Space Program, take charge of the space program for the alien race known as the Kerbals. You have access to an array of parts to assemble fully-functional spacecraft that flies (or doesn’t) based on realistic aerodynamic and orbital physics.
Kerbal Space Program has achieved a Player Score of 94, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Linux Science games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 120,831 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 114,778 positive reviews and 6,053 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $39.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Kerbal Space Program on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $39.99 |
| Release Date | 4/27/2015 |
| Franchise | Private Division |
| Developer | Squad |
| Publisher | Private Division |
| Steam App Id | 220200 |
7. The Talos Principle
The Talos Principle is a first-person puzzle game in the tradition of philosophical science fiction. Made by Croteam and written by Tom Jubert (FTL, The Swapper) and Jonas Kyratzes (The Sea Will Claim Everything).
The Talos Principle has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Linux Science games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 29,821 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 28,483 positive reviews and 1,338 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $4.49 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play The Talos Principle on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $4.49 |
| Release Date | 12/11/2014 |
| Developer | Croteam |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 257510 |
8. South Scrimshaw, Part One
South Scrimshaw is the story of a newborn whale in a vast alien ocean. It is a richly illustrated experimental visual novel, written in the style of a nature documentary.
South Scrimshaw, Part One has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Linux Science games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,069 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,062 positive reviews and 7 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play South Scrimshaw, Part One on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 6/9/2023 |
| Developer | Nathan O. Marsh |
| Publisher | Nathan O. Marsh |
| Steam App Id | 2443110 |
9. Portal: Revolution
The Portal Mod you've been waiting for. Delve into a new story with original characters, spanning over 8 hours of gameplay and featuring over 40 new challenging test chambers which make use of new mechanics.
Portal: Revolution has achieved a Player Score of 93, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Linux Science games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 17,444 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 16,670 positive reviews and 774 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Release Date | 1/6/2024 |
| Developer | Second Face Software |
| Publisher | Second Face Software |
| Steam App Id | 601360 |
10. Liftoff®: FPV Drone Racing
Liftoff® is a drone simulator that translates the rush of first-person view drone flight to the digital world. Join the biggest community for virtual FPV racing and freestyle!
Liftoff®: FPV Drone Racing has achieved a Player Score of 91, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Linux Science games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 8,782 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 8,285 positive reviews and 497 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Liftoff®: FPV Drone Racing on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $14.99 |
| Release Date | 9/13/2018 |
| Developer | LuGus Studios |
| Publisher | LuGus Studios |
| Steam App Id | 410340 |
More Science Linux Games on Steam
Explore even more rankings for the 10 best Science games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1,884 | 4/18/2011 | 98 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 493 | 10/10/2007 | 97 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 117 | 4/19/2021 | 94 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 46 | 6/25/2015 | 94 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 333 | 2/18/2020 | 94 | $14.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 1,998 | 4/27/2015 | 94 | $39.99 | Steam Charts | |
 | 337 | 12/11/2014 | 93 | $4.49 | Steam Charts | |
 | 1 | 6/9/2023 | 93 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 330 | 1/6/2024 | 93 | Free | Steam Charts | |
 | 324 | 9/13/2018 | 91 | $14.99 | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Reviews and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 18). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 18). Portal 2 on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 18). Portal on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 14). Portal Reloaded on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, March 24). Portal Stories: Mel on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 17). Besiege on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 15). Kerbal Space Program on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 16). The Talos Principle on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, March 12). South Scrimshaw, Part One on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 9). Portal: Revolution on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2024, May 16). Liftoff®: FPV Drone Racing on Steam. Steam Store.