For most Linux gamers, the best setup is Steam with Proton for Steam games, Heroic for Epic and GOG, and Lutris or Bottles for the weird stuff. That mix covers the most common Windows game cases without forcing every title into one app. ProtonDB has user reports for thousands of Windows games running through Proton, which is why Steam is still the easiest starting point for compatibility checks [source: ProtonDB].
TLDR: Use Steam Proton first if the game is in your Steam library. Use Heroic Games Launcher if your game is on Epic or GOG, since it handles login, downloads, and Wine versions cleanly. Use Lutris when you need community install scripts, older games, emulators, or odd launchers. For example, if you have 50 PC games split across Steam, Epic, and GOG, a practical setup is Steam for about 60%, Heroic for 30%, and Lutris or Bottles for the remaining 10% that refuses to behave.
1. Steam with Proton: the easiest first stop
Steam Proton is the tool most Linux gamers should try first. It is built into Steam, so there is no extra launcher drama. You turn on compatibility support, pick a Proton version, and press Play.
It works best for Steam games that do not need special launchers or strange anti cheat systems. It also plays nicely with the Steam Deck, controller profiles, cloud saves, and shader pre caching.
- Best for: Steam libraries, Steam Deck users, controller friendly gaming.
- Strength: Very little setup.
- Annoyance: Non Steam games feel bolted on, not native.
The catch is simple: when a game fails, Steam does not always explain why. You may spend 20 minutes switching Proton versions with no clear message beyond “it did not launch.”
2. Heroic Games Launcher: best for Epic and GOG
Heroic Games Launcher is the cleanest choice for Epic Games Store and GOG libraries on Linux. It supports account login, game installation, cloud saves for some games, Wine and Proton GE selection, and per game settings.
Heroic feels modern. It does not try to do everything. That is a good thing. If your goal is to install Control from GOG or grab a free Epic game, Heroic usually gets out of the way.
- Best for: Epic Games Store, GOG, Amazon Games in some setups.
- Strength: Clean interface and simple compatibility controls.
- Annoyance: Some Epic online features still break or act strange.
Honestly, it feels like the launcher Epic should have made for Linux years ago. It is not perfect, but it is far less painful than manually wiring Epic through Wine.
3. Lutris: the old reliable toolbox
Lutris is less polished than Heroic, but it is more flexible. It can manage Windows games, native Linux games, emulators, browser games, and custom runners. It also has community install scripts that can save hours when dealing with older PC games.
Lutris shines when a game needs extra steps. Maybe it needs a certain Wine version. Maybe it needs DXVK. Maybe it needs a launcher inside a launcher, because PC gaming loves making simple tasks annoying.
- Best for: older games, modded games, emulators, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, custom installs.
- Strength: Huge flexibility.
- Annoyance: The interface can feel busy, and failed scripts are irritating.
If you like control, Lutris is great. If you want one big green Play button, it may feel like homework.
4. Bottles: clean Wine containers for fussy games
Bottles takes a different approach. Instead of focusing on game stores, it creates separate Wine environments called bottles. Each bottle can have its own settings, dependencies, runners, and Windows style file system.
This is useful when games fight each other. One title may need old DLLs. Another may need a newer runner. Keeping them separate reduces breakage. Bottles is also good for non gaming Windows apps, which makes it handy beyond your game library.
- Best for: isolated Wine setups, launchers, old games, Windows utilities.
- Strength: Clean separation between apps.
- Annoyance: Game library management is not as smooth as Heroic or Steam.
Bottles is the tool you open when you want to stop guessing what changed. It gives you tidy boxes. Sometimes that is exactly what a broken Windows game needs.
5. ProtonUp Qt: the small tool that fixes many headaches
ProtonUp Qt is not a game launcher. It installs compatibility tools like GE Proton and Wine GE for Steam, Lutris, and Heroic. That sounds boring until one game needs GE Proton to run videos, fix cutscenes, or get past a black screen.
Expect to waste time on compatibility versions at some point. ProtonUp Qt makes that less awful. Instead of manually downloading files and placing folders in hidden directories, you pick the tool, pick the version, and install it.
- Best for: managing Proton GE and Wine GE versions.
- Strength: Simple and fast.
- Annoyance: It does not explain which version your game needs.
Which one should you use?
If you want the short answer, here it is:
- Steam game? Use Steam Proton.
- Epic or GOG game? Use Heroic.
- Old, strange, or heavily modded game? Use Lutris.
- Game needs its own sealed Wine setup? Use Bottles.
- Need GE Proton or Wine GE? Use ProtonUp Qt.
Lutris vs Heroic vs Bottles is not really about picking one winner. It is about matching the tool to the problem. Heroic is the friendliest for Epic and GOG. Lutris is the broad toolbox. Bottles is the clean lab for stubborn Windows software. Add Steam Proton and ProtonUp Qt, and Linux gaming starts to feel less like a workaround and more like a real setup.