Lutris – Gaming Platform for Linux

Play Any Game on Linux with Lutris

Lutris serves as the ultimate gaming companion for Linux users, providing a unified interface to install, configure, and launch games from any source including Steam, GOG, Epic Games, Battle.net, and standalone titles. By integrating Wine, Proton, DOSBox, and various emulators, Lutris eliminates the complexity of configuring each game individually, letting you focus on playing rather than troubleshooting.

The platform bridges the gap between Linux’s growing game support and the practical challenges of managing diverse gaming libraries. Whether you’re playing native Linux games, running Windows titles through Wine, or enjoying retro classics through emulation, Lutris provides consistent management and optimization through community-maintained installers that automate complex setup processes.

Installation

Ubuntu/Debian

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:lutris-team/lutris
sudo apt update
sudo apt install lutris

Fedora

sudo dnf install lutris

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S lutris

Flatpak

flatpak install flathub net.lutris.Lutris

Initial Setup

Wine Installation

1. Open Lutris
2. Click gear icon > Runners
3. Install Wine (Lutris, Wine-GE, or Proton-GE)
4. Install other runners as needed

GPU Drivers

NVIDIA:

sudo apt install nvidia-driver-535
# or latest version for your card

AMD (Mesa):

sudo apt install mesa-vulkan-drivers

Installing Games

From Lutris Website

1. Visit https://lutris.net/games
2. Search for your game
3. Click "Install" button
4. Choose installer script
5. Follow installation prompts

Command Line Install

# Install via URL
lutris lutris:game-slug

# Example: Install Overwatch
lutris lutris:overwatch

Manual Game Addition

1. Click "+" icon
2. Select runner (Wine, Linux, etc.)
3. Set game executable path
4. Configure options
5. Save

Runner Configuration

Wine Settings

Game > Configure > Runner Options

Wine version: wine-ge-8-25
DXVK version: 2.3
VKD3D version: 2.10

Enable:
- DXVK (DirectX 9-11 to Vulkan)
- VKD3D (DirectX 12 to Vulkan)
- DLSS (if NVIDIA)

Wine Prefixes

# Each game gets its own prefix by default
~/.local/share/lutris/runners/wine/

# Custom prefix location
Game > Configure > Game options > Wine prefix

Winetricks

Game > Winetricks

Install components:
- vcrun2019 (Visual C++ Runtime)
- dotnet48 (.NET Framework)
- dxvk (DirectX to Vulkan)
- corefonts (Microsoft fonts)

Platform Integration

Steam Integration

# Import Steam library
Lutris menu > Import games > Steam

# Or use Steam Runner
Game > Configure > Runner: Steam

GOG Integration

Lutris menu > GOG > Connect account
# Enter credentials
# Import GOG library

Epic Games Store

# Install via Legendary (CLI for Epic)
sudo pip install legendary-gl

# Or use Heroic Games Launcher integration
Lutris > Add Game > Heroic

Battle.net

# Search on Lutris.net
# Install Battle.net installer script
# Install games through Battle.net client

Performance Optimization

Environment Variables

Game > Configure > System options > Environment variables

# Recommended variables
DXVK_ASYNC=1                    # Async shader compilation
WINE_FULLSCREEN_FSR=1           # AMD FSR upscaling
PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI=1           # NVIDIA features
mesa_glthread=true              # OpenGL threading
__GL_SHADER_DISK_CACHE=1        # Shader caching

GameMode

# Install Feral GameMode
sudo apt install gamemode

# Enable in Lutris
Game > Configure > System options > Enable Feral GameMode

MangoHud

# Install MangoHud
sudo apt install mangohud

# Enable in Lutris
System options > Show advanced options
Enable MangoHud

Troubleshooting

View Logs

# Enable debug output
Game > Configure > System options > Output debugging info

# View logs
Right-click game > Show logs

Common Fixes

# Reset Wine prefix
Delete ~/.local/share/lutris/runners/wine/prefix/

# Install missing dependencies
Winetricks > vcrun2019, dotnet48

# Force Windows version
Wine configuration > Windows 10

# Disable Esync/Fsync
Runner options > Disable Esync

Controller Issues

# Install Steam for controller support
# Or use xboxdrv
sudo apt install xboxdrv
sudo xboxdrv --daemon

Command Line Usage

List Games

lutris -l

Launch Game

lutris lutris:rungame/game-slug

Install Script

lutris -i path/to/installer.yaml

Wine Commands

# Run Wine configuration
WINEPREFIX=~/.local/share/lutris/runners/wine/prefix/game \
  ~/.local/share/lutris/runners/wine/wine-version/bin/winecfg

# Run arbitrary exe
lutris -e ~/Games/setup.exe

Creating Install Scripts

Script Structure

# game-name.yaml
name: Game Name
game_slug: game-name
version: 1.0
slug: game-name-installer
runner: wine

script:
  game:
    exe: drive_c/Game/game.exe
    prefix: $GAMEDIR

  installer:
    - task:
        name: create_prefix
        arch: win64
    - task:
        name: winetricks
        app: vcrun2019
    - move:
        src: $CACHE/installer
        dst: $GAMEDIR/drive_c/Game

Submit to Lutris

1. Create account on lutris.net
2. Navigate to game page
3. Submit new installer
4. Fill in script details
5. Test before publishing

Steam Deck / Handheld PCs

Flatpak Installation

# In Desktop Mode
flatpak install flathub net.lutris.Lutris

Add to Steam

# Add Lutris games to Steam
Game > Create desktop shortcut
Steam > Add non-Steam game

Lutris represents the Linux gaming community’s solution to fragmented gaming ecosystems, providing a unified platform that respects user freedom while handling the complexity of cross-platform game execution. For Linux gamers tired of managing multiple launchers and configurations, Lutris offers the cohesive experience that gaming on Linux deserves.