Mostly they get ignored.
Below are some updates and some tips on Gnome-Games.
Themes!
One thing that always bugged me about Gnome Games is that some of the games don’t match their tango-style icons. The faux-3D stule icons look so dated.
Four-in-a-row
Same Gnome
A minor annoyance, i agree, but thankfully sirblackheart over at gnome-look.org created some tango style themes to match the games and they look so much better for it!
Four-in-a-row With Matching Theme
Same Gnome With Matching Theme
You can download the themes @ ggnome-look.org
Installing the themes is easy, too. Open a terminal and type: –
- gksu nautlius /usr/share/gnome-games/
then simply copy the theme files into the correct theme folders for each game.
(Note that Four-in-a-row is called “gnect four” as it’s directory.)
Change, my dear, and not a moment too soon…
Gnome-Games haven’t changed all that much in various versions of gnome. Being almost 12
That said, one or two games – whilst perhaps looking the same – have actually been re-written/ported to use Intel’s Clutter. (Clutter is a toolkit that provides slick, smooth animations using 2D and OpenGL – Ubuntu Netbook Remix’s launcher uses Clutter, for example.)
Gnometris will be showing off it’s shiny new clutter version in Karmic Koala. You can take a peek below or try it out if you’re using Karmic. It has a very slick “explosion” effect when you create a line.
Gnometris Redux from Jason Clinton on Vimeo.
Gnibbles is another game that has been written to use Clutter. I personally can’t stand this game at all, but i do know it’s popular.
Nibbles clutter from Guillaume Beland on Vimeo.
Aisle-riot is also being ported/written with Clutter. It adds smooth animations when cards are flipped and moved and it makes it look very nice! Check out the video @ http://www.busydoingnothing.co.uk/bildoj/aisleriot-clutter.ogg
Plans are also afoot for Mines and SameGnome to be rewritten in Clutter.
Gnome 3.0
Gnome 3.0 will see other changes made to GnomeGames. Lightsoff, Mines and SameGnome will be rewritten into Javascript and the telepathy framework will be used for networked games.
KGames: The Competition
KDE has it’s own set of game similar to those included in Gnome by default (and a ton more beside!). if you like glossy, good looking games – even simple ones! – then you should try out the KDE version of your favourites.
You’ll find lots more “simple” KDE games in the Ubuntu repo’s. I’m addicted to kBattleship!