Gaming on Linux is like trying to run a gourmet kitchen with a flamethrower and a Swiss Army knife—it technically works, but you’ll be sweating, swearing, and somehow proud of yourself by the end. First, you dive into Wine, Proton, Lutris, or something that sounds like a Roman general, just to play a 2013 indie platformer. Then you find a Reddit post from 2017 that says, “It runs flawlessly!” which is a lie, because your screen now looks like it was run through a blender and your audio only comes from the left ear, but only on Tuesdays. Still, there’s a certain badge of honor in screaming, “IT LAUNCHED!” after compiling 16 libraries and sacrificing a USB drive.

But the community? Oh, the community is 90% helpful wizards and 10% smug archers who say “Just switch to Arch” like it’s the answer to your controller randomly rebooting every time you blink. Steam Deck has made things easier, sure, but true Linux gaming still involves occasional terminal incantations and the deep, meditative patience of someone waiting for Half-Life 3. And yet, when that AAA game does run flawlessly, with buttery smooth framerates and open-source glory, you feel like a digital MacGyver. You’ve hacked the Matrix, installed drivers by hand, and now you’re playing Elden Ring on a penguin.