linuxmemes

In my experience, 90% of games work on Linux just by using proton. I've even had some of my GoG games that just absolutely did not work on modern Windows just straight up be "install and click play" on Linux via just Wine or by using Proton. The 10% that don't are multiplayer games with heavy anticheats--which, unfortuenatly are what a lot of people play. Some of them already work (Apex, Dead by Daylight, Halo) some are getting worked on (Genshin--tho there IS a way to play it on Linux, at the risk of a ban, a buncha easy-anticheat games like Hunt: Showdown, etc) and some have just plain said a Linux version is out of the cards (Fortnite, Destiny 2 AFAIK).

Modding games also works fine on Linux, but there's a bit of a catch: it's not as simple as installing MO2 and Vortex (you CAN install both via Lutris or Steamtinker, but I've personally never gotten either to work like that so i can't say how well it does or doesn't), you kinda have to play around and see what works. I was able to mod Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout New Vegas, and Morrowind exactly as i do on Windows (the former three using Rockerbacon's Mod Organizer 2 script, the last one manually), Fallout 4 manually (haven't tried the script since i don't really play FO4, tho I'm sure it works), Pathfinder WOTR via using it's mod manager in Proton, using Steam Workshop if a game supports it, and using Mod Managers for Linux when they're available, like Baldur's Gate 3's LAMP. Yeah, it's a hassle depending on the game. For me, it's fine because I accepted long ago that there would be some annoyances to Linux, and as long as there isn't any native mod managers built specifically for Linux and we're stuck jury rigging mod managers made for Windows, modding will be one of those annoyances. But my tolerance is not everyone's tolerance and I completely understand if people are put off by this and just stick to Windows for modded games.