A Beginner's Guide to Gaming on Linux

Hello r/linux_gaming. This is a brief guide submitted by a beginner for beginners.

INTRO: If you are a beginner at Linux gaming or a person considering switching to Linux but are reluctant to because of game support, check this out. I came across a bunch of programs and confusing info while on my way to a free-from-windows life, and I hope to make your journey clearer.

TO VETERANS: You may think, okay dude all this is obvious. But I just spent 3 hours troubleshooting my setup because my destination hard drive was formatted NTFS, because I have a dual-boot system with Windows. So go ahead and laugh if you want but 1) I had to figure this out for myself and 2) let’s not gatekeep Linux gaming, let’s try to get as many people through as we can.

SCENARIO 1: I play GOG games or other non-Steam games and I want to play on Linux.

1: Install Heroic. Heroic is a Linux game launcher. Here’s their website: https://heroicgameslauncher.com/
2: Ensure your destination drive is formatted “ext4.” You can do this via GParted or Disk Usage Analyzer.
3: Sync your GOG account to Heroic, if desired, and use Heroic to install your games.
4: Sometimes, stuff is screwy. If your game does not launch at all, or if it has bugs, graphical glitches, crashes, etc, open the game settings box and under “Wine Version” you will see three options: Wine Default, Wine Lutris, and Proton. Try all three of them with your game and see if one works.

SCENARIO 2: I want to play my Steam games on Linux.

1: Install Linux Steam.
2: Ensure your destination drive is formatted “ext4.” You can do this via GParted or Disk Usage Analyzer.
3: Go to Steam > Settings > Compatibility > Enable Steam Play for all other titles -> YES.
4: On the same screen, Run Other Titles With: Proton Experimental

This will allow you to install all your steam games into your Linux ecosystem. However, some games will not launch at all. Some games will work with Proton Experimental. Some games will only work with a specific version of Proton. You just need to try and see, and experiment.

Good luck!