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Endless Runner Canabalt Released On Steam For Linux

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Canabalt was originally released as a Flash game on developer Adam Saltsman's website in 2009, and is the game that popularized the endless runner platformer sub genre. The game is now available on Steam for the first time, with a new engine and 8 new game modes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PynN-aZUGeA

The original version can still be played online in a Flash enabled browser. A standalone Adobe AIR version was also included for Linux in the Humble Bundle for Android #2 and #4, but the Steam release is the first regular commercial release for PC platforms. And it's a good thing they waited, since the new version, which uses the Unity engine, performs much better on Linux than the original Flash version.

In Canabalt you control a guy who's running for his life in randomly created levels. As you run, you pick up more and more speed; and as you run faster, you'll have less time to react to obstacles. Falling off a building or crashing into a bomb will kill you instantly. You control the protagonist by pushing a button to jump. Beyond that, there's nothing you can do to affect his increasingly wilder flight; short of strategically crashing into a crate to slow down.

This new version contains 8 new game modes; most of which are focused on a specific obstacle found in the original mode. Of these, Defenestration and Box Tripper are the ones I like the least. Defenestration is focused on jumping through windows, but doing so gets pretty annoying once you're running more than a little fast. Box Tripper is set on levels strewn with boxes. Avoiding all hardly feels doable, and constantly tripping over them breaks pace and lessened my enjoyment of this mode.

Apart from these two, I enjoy the other modes, despite not being the biggest fan of endless runners. Leap of Faith is my favourite so far. In this mode you can't see the buildings themselves – only the birds that take to flight when you land on the building – so you'll have to time things pretty well to avoid running off the invisible edges. The most challenging mode appears to be Fractured, where most buildings will crumble and fall when you land on them.

I enjoy the game so far. As mentioned, I'm not really into endless runners, but as a game to play quick bursts of between other games, this one's pretty good. It's one I'll probably keep playing until I've at least beaten all the challenges that don't require a second player.

The game is available on Steam, and if you already own the game through one of the bundles, you should have a Steam key waiting for you on your Humble account.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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About the author -
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A big fan of platformers, puzzle games, point-and-click adventures and niche indie games.

I run the Hidden Linux Gems group on Steam, where we highlight good indie games for Linux that we feel deserve more attention.
See more from me
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3 comments

Shmerl May 3, 2015
It's also playable without Flash, using Shumway: http://www.areweflashyet.com/adamatomic/canabalt2.html
emphy May 3, 2015
Note: if you have the humble bundle Canabalt version you get a steam key!

This new version's performance is finally good enough that I can retire the c64 version I have been playing.
flesk May 3, 2015
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  • Contributing Editor
Quoting: emphyNote: if you have the humble bundle Canabalt version you get a steam key!

Thanks, I forgot to mention that. That's how I got my key. I also just realized that I completely forgot to include a link to the game on Steam, so I'll have to fix that.

EDIT: Fixed.
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