Great Linux Games I Actually Play

Posted byneifferhussian

You know what? Linux gaming isn’t a rumor. I play on Linux every week. I work, then I play. And it feels good. I put together an extended rundown of the titles that make the cut in my own library, which you can read in my article on great Linux games I actually play.

If you want to see how different distros stack up for gaming, I recommend taking a look at DesktopLinuxReviews where detailed walkthroughs break it all down.

I’ll tell you what runs great for me, what’s a bit weird, and the few things that still bug me. Real games. Real time on my desk.

My setup (so you know where I’m coming from)

  • Fedora on a mid-range PC
  • AMD Ryzen 5, 32 GB RAM
  • Radeon 6700 XT (Mesa drivers)
  • 144 Hz monitor
  • Xbox Series controller over Bluetooth
  • Steam, Proton, and a little MangoHUD for frame rates

Why AMD? The drivers are simple on Linux. Fewer headaches. I tried NVIDIA before; I spent more time tweaking than playing. Not sure which distro to pick before you start? My hands-on comparison of Fedora vs. Ubuntu vs. Linux Mint walks through the pros, cons, and gaming quirks of each.

The native Linux hits I keep returning to

These run without Proton. I just hit Play.

  • Dota 2: This one’s my weeknight habit. Vulkan feels smooth. I get 144 fps on high. Voice chat works fine with PipeWire. I did see one audio pop after a long alt-tab, but it went away after a restart.

  • Hades: Fast, bright, and snappy. Loads quick. My controller mapped right away. I had one crash after I closed the lid and came back, so now I quit before sleep. Easy fix.

  • Stardew Valley: Cozy farm, zero fuss. Co-op with my sister works great. Mods are simple too. I keep a “no fishing rage” mod because, well, I rage.

  • Factorio: This thing is a machine. It runs like a dream and sips resources. My friend hosts a headless server on Linux, and it’s rock solid. We lost three hours to belts and laughed about it.

  • Hollow Knight: Crisp movement at 144 Hz with V-Sync on. I saw tearing once, turned on full-screen “exclusive,” and it was gone. That jump slash still feels perfect.

  • Slay the Spire: If I have 20 minutes, this is it. No stutter. Steam Workshop mods are fine on Linux. My “Silent” decks still stink, but that’s on me.

  • Divinity: Original Sin 2: Larian’s Linux build is legit. Couch co-op with two controllers works. Text looked tiny on my high-dpi screen once; I bumped UI scale and it stuck.

  • Civilization VI: The Feral port holds up. Late-game turns get long, same as Windows. Fans spin, map grows, time melts. Very normal Civ behavior.

  • XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, many hours. Runs smooth, but big mods want RAM. I watch MangoHUD and keep it around 60 fps. Miss a 95% shot? Yeah, still hurts.

  • 0 A.D.: Free, open source, and way better than people think. It scratches that RTS itch. My kid likes the elephants. Honestly, same.

Proton games that surprised me

These are Windows games I run with Proton in Steam. I don’t tweak much unless I have to.

  • Elden Ring: It works. I lock to 60 fps with a frame limiter. First few minutes had shader stutter, then it smoothed out. I use a controller and it feels great. Margit still got me.

  • Baldur’s Gate 3: Vulkan, medium-high settings, very playable. Cutscenes look sharp. My mic didn’t show once for voice chat; I toggled input in the game and it fixed it. Save times are a bit long, but fine.

  • Cyberpunk 2077: Looks wild on Linux with FSR. I keep a sane preset and it hugs 60 fps. Night City eats GPUs for breakfast, but it runs. I map quick save to a back button. It saves me. A lot.

If one Proton build acts weird, I switch to Proton GE in Steam’s settings (after checking the Proton Compatibility Database to see how others are running the game).

Tiny things that still bug me

  • Some launchers fight me. A few publisher launchers throw errors, then magically work after a Proton swap. It’s silly.
  • Anti-cheat can block online play in a few games. Most of mine are fine, but I do check first.
  • HiDPI and multi-monitor setups sometimes forget the full-screen mode I want. I nudge a setting, and it sticks. Until it doesn’t.
  • Suspend and resume can confuse a game once in a while. I try not to sleep mid-dungeon.

My small tweaks that made a big difference

  • GameMode: I turn it on in Steam launch settings. It gives me a bit more punch and fewer hiccups.
  • MangoHUD: Shows fps and frame time. If the line gets choppy, I drop a setting. Done.
  • Proton choice: I start with the default. If that fails, I pick Proton GE. Two clicks, no drama.
  • Controller: Xbox Series pad pairs clean over Bluetooth. If it jitters, I re-pair it and it’s fine.
  • Heroic Launcher: For Epic stuff, Heroic on Linux works well. I keep it as a backup shelf.

What I play for each mood

  • Need to sweat? Dota 2 or Elden Ring.
  • Need to chill? Stardew Valley or Slay the Spire.
  • Want story? Baldur’s Gate 3 or Divinity: Original Sin 2.
  • Want brain burn? Factorio or XCOM 2.
  • Want “just one run?” Hades. Then, five runs later, I remember sleep.

A quick note on hardware

Linux gaming loves AMD right now. The open drivers are smooth. My old NVIDIA card worked, but I spent more time fixing screens and less time playing. If you already have NVIDIA, you can still play plenty. I’ve done it. But if you’re picking a new card, I’ve had less fuss with AMD.

Also, 16 GB RAM is fine for most games I play. 32 GB helps for modded XCOM 2, big Civ games, or a bunch of Chrome tabs. We all leave tabs open. It happens. If those tabs get out of hand and you’re wondering which browser behaves best on Linux, check out my breakdown of the best browser for Linux based on daily use.

Sometimes after a marathon gaming session I like to freshen up my desktop with a new wallpaper before diving back in. If you’re on the hunt for ultra-high-resolution photo sets—including tasteful, adults-only images shot by local creators—swing by LocalNudes, where location-tagged collections make it easy to grab striking backgrounds that fit any monitor size in just a click.

On the even rarer nights when I actually shut the PC down and want to trade pixels for real-world adventure, I browse the regional classifieds at Backpage Del Rio for up-to-date, no-hassle listings that make lining up an impromptu night out in the border town quick and drama-free.

Little wins that felt big

  • First time Elden Ring ran at 60 on Linux, I grinned. I didn’t tweak much. It just worked.
  • Co-op in Divinity on the couch with two controllers, smooth as butter.
  • A Stardew night where my save didn’t hiccup once. Pure calm.
  • Factorio late game at stable frame times. No judder while the factory sings.

What I’m still testing

  • Cities: Skylines II: The first game runs fine on Linux. The second is heavy. I’m still poking it with Proton and settings.
  • Monster Hunter: World: Works, but cutscenes used to stutter a bit for me. Recent Proton builds feel better. Still watching it.

Final take

Can you game on Linux? Yeah. Real games. Big games. Indie gems. I do it every week. Some days I tweak a bit. Most days, I just play.

If you’re curious, start simple. Install Steam. Try a native game like Hades or Stardew. Then flip on Proton and launch Elden Ring or Baldur’s Gate 3. If something feels off, switch Proton builds, turn on GameMode, and keep going.

It’s not magic. It’s a stack of good tools that keep getting better. And when a run in Hades hits that sweet flow on a clean Linux setup? You feel it. I did.