With the release of Linux Mint 19.3 today and my Linux Mint beginner's guide having been updated for it I'd like to take the opportunity to once again encourage everyone to try Linux with a big Linux-themed giveaway :)

It's a great time to use Linux; it's easier to use and better supported than ever, and as the Linux userbase grows so does the incentive for hardware manufacturers and developers to support it, which will lead to even better support as time goes on.

Wine has also been seeing huge improvements, allowing many more Windows-only games and other software to run on Linux. DXVK has provided an amazing boost to performance and compatibility of many games. Front-ends for Wine such as PlayOnLinux and CrossOver make it a lot easier to use as well. And then there are projects such as vv221's ./play.it project, my own Wine wrappers, Lutris and GameHub to make things even easier still :)

Valve have been doing much to support Linux, resulting in many significant improvements to Vulkan and the Linux graphics drivers in general as well as Wine. On Steam, Steam Play now provides a seamless experience for running many Windows games on Linux using Proton (Valve's own fork of Wine), with new games being added to the whitelist every so often (and many non-whitelisted games also run very well). You can check compatibility reports for SteamPlay at ProtonDB.

And for those still holding out on Windows 7, that formally becomes EOL in less than a month (14th of January) so if you want to avoid Windows 10 while also not putting your security at risk then now is an ideal time to consider trying Linux.

So, I invite anyone who's interested to take a look at my Mint guide and consider trying it: Adamhm's Linux Mint Beginner's Guide

As usual, all games in this giveaway run great on Linux, either natively or via my Wine/Proton wrappers, and all are GOG keys. The prize list is:

> Alan Wake + Alan Wake's American Nightmare
> Anno 1404: Gold Edition
> Arma: Cold War Assault + Arma: Gold Edition + Arma 2: Combined Operations
> Blade Runner
> Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
> Call of Juarez
> Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
> Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
> Clive Barker's Undying
> Consortium: Master Edition
> Deadly Premonition
> Dead Space
> Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive
> Deus Ex: GOTY Edition
> Driftmoon
> Dust: An Elysian Tail
> The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition Deluxe
> Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
> Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition
> FEAR Platinum
> Hard West CE + Scars of Freedom
> Hitman: Blood Money + Hitman: Absolution
> Hotline Miami
> Jazz Jackrabbit Collection
> Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Collection
> Kona
> Magrunner: Dark Pulse
> MDK
> Rayman Origins
> Saints Row 2
> Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package
> Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
> SOMA
> STALKER: Call of Pripyat
> STALKER: Clear Sky
> STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl
> State of Mind
> SteamWorld Heist + DLC
> Stories: The Path of Destinies
> The Original Strife: Veteran Edition
> SWAT 4: Gold Edition
> System Shock 2
> TANGLEWOOD
> The Witcher + The Witcher 2
> TRI: Of Friendship and Madness - Deluxe Edition
> Tropico 3 Gold Edition
> UnderRail
> Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
> XIII

Thanks to sunshinecorp for donating the key for UnderRail

To enter, simply post here listing what you're entering for in order of preference. Using/trying Linux is not a requirement for entering the giveaway but is of course strongly encouraged :)

This giveaway will run until Wednesday 25th December at 20:00 UTC (however it may end up being a bit later than that - if I haven't posted saying the giveaway is closed then it's still open). Please make sure that your chat settings are correct; if they are not set to allow conversations with all other users then I will be unable to send the key if you win anything, so your entry will not be counted.

Rules:
- No rep requirement but I reserve the right to disqualify entries at my discretion.
- If your chat settings will not allow me to contact you then your entry will be disqualified.
- Winners will be selected randomly after the giveaway ends.
- Each winner will receive one prize - whichever of the remaining prizes is their most preferred.
- Please only enter for games that you don't already have.
- Please only enter for games that your system can run.
- Please only enter for games that you're interested in, intend to play & won't just let rot in a backlog.
- Keys are for your own use only/not to be traded (except for leftovers/duplicates from multi-game keys which may be re-gifted but not traded)
- Anything not redeemed within one week after being awarded may be given to another entrant or reused for a future giveaway.

Nice giveaway as usual. Have not had time to look at the new Mint release yet.

NOT in this time.

It's our Linux-loving pal, adamhm! And he's back in action! :)

If I may, I'd like to enter for Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition.

As always big thanks to you, for being awesome and sharing such lovely games while promoting your favorite OS.

Thanks! Downloaded Windows 10 already. Now to download Linux Mint too... I'm in for:

Anno 1404: Gold Edition
Tropico 3 Gold Edition
SteamWorld Heist + DLC
Rayman Origins
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Dead Space
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
FEAR Platinum
Hitman: Blood Money + Hitman: Absolution
Hotline Miami
Saints Row: The Third - The Full Package
STALKER: Clear Sky
UnderRail

I'd like to enter for:

> Arma: Cold War Assault + Arma: Gold Edition + Arma 2: Combined Operations;
> Call of Juarez: Gunslinger;
> Blade Runner;
> The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition Deluxe;
> XIII;
> Hitman: Blood Money + Hitman: Absolution;
> Alan Wake + Alan Wake's American Nightmare.

Thank you, adamhm, for another awesome giveaway and good luck to all participants!

Thanks for the giveaway and for your Linux guides and wrappers.

I'm in for

Arma: Cold War Assault + Arma: Gold Edition + Arma 2: Combined Operations
Blade Runner
State of Mind

JUST updated my laptop to use Mint 19.2. (Though that's mostly for the change from 32 to 64bit)


I'll enter for Tanglewood

I'd like to enter for:

> Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
> Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
> State of Mind
> Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
> Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

Thanks , adamhm

+1 for your generosity. I've been dual-booting W7 + Linux Mint for a while now and am settling into it. It's an order of magnitude better for hardware compatibility than my first failed attempt with SuSe 6 all those years ago. I'd like to be in for Jazz Jackrabbit Collection please.

Wait wait wait, you still have a code for the ARMA series? I have been searching the forums for a spare one for YEARS offering any kind of trade, I so regret to have missed them before they were permanently removed!

Please, I'd absolutely like to take this last chance to get them.
So, formalizing,

I'd like to enter for: Arma: Cold War Assault + Arma: Gold Edition + Arma 2: Combined Operations

I'd be extremely pleased to be lucky enough to get them. Let's hope for once randomness is on my side! :P

Yes, must get round to dual booting this. Had so much to do over the last year or so haven’t even looked at it. The one major thing I note from your post however is steam/valves involvement. That worries me. So often we see companies being involved and then virtually taking over or moving things in a direction more beneficial to themselves. The cynic in me looks at what you have posted and sees valves attempts to create a steam platform, I.e. complete os/client layer, possibly even all ready for some sort of streaming setup. I am sure they have looked at stadia and such like and see the way tv/film streaming are going. Wouldn’t surprise me if this was their version. Hopefully I am wrong...

If one day even GOG officially cuts its support for WinXP, then I’d have to use Linux I guess...

If I may, I’d like to enter for:
1. SWAT 4: Gold Edition
2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Game of the Year Edition Deluxe
3. Blade Runner
4. Deus Ex: GOTY Edition

Thanks!

Thank you for your generosity, please may I enter for -

EDIT - I am out thank you. I would be able to buy the game in the future, and do not like the thought of me possibly taking a game from someone who may not be able to afford it.

I Like Mint, have used it on and off for a while - currently in VM only sadly, whilst I get another pc up and running.

Anyone who isn't using Linux yet, I can strongly and confidently recommend giving it a try. There'll be a learning curve, no doubt, yet I suspect it'd be less - and definitely less painful - than the learning curve for Windows 10. You'll be using an OS that is under your control, where your freedom and desires come first. If there's something which you don't like, you can change it, but otherwise it'll just get out of the way and let you do your thing.

Thanks to adamhm for your continued generosity and promotion of Linux!

I'd like to be in for:
> Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

Hello, thanks for the great news and the even greater giveaway :)

I would like to in for one of them:

> Arma: Cold War Assault + Arma: Gold Edition + Arma 2: Combined Operations
> Hitman: Blood Money + Hitman: Absolution
> Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
> Dust: An Elysian Tail
> State of Mind
> TRI: Of Friendship and Madness - Deluxe Edition
> UnderRail

Best wishes :)