GamersOnLinux

You are stranded in a forest (obviously) after surviving a plane crash and your son was ejected from the plane. You see him taken by cannibals and vow to survive until you find him. Everything in the forest can help you survive so you have to learn quickly. Follow your survival guide and build anything necessary to stay alive and find your son. Oh and don't get eaten!


There were literally over 100 thousand good reviews on Steam about The Forest. So I had to give it a try...
Proton was able to run it beautifully without any crashing or graphical bugs on my aging system. This game is crazy fun but also has terrifying creatures which can destroy everything you create. It felt impossible to explore because I felt my "home base" was the only safe place in the forest.

Mint 21.3 64-bit
GeForce GTX 1650
Nvidia 580

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Apocalyptic Vibes is a Fallout-ish first person shooter made for the GZDoom engine. Play as a waste-lander who wanders the ruins of the old world. Wield scrapped pistols, rifles, knives and scavenge any nutrients you can find. There is no forgiving people in the wasteland... take aim, shoot first, ask question later.

I was able to play Apocalyptic Vibes in Heroic Launcher with the windows version using Proton Experimental. But I was also able to install GZDoom for Linux and it and just fine. There are a bit of stutters in the game, probably related to Vulkan shaders processing, but other than that it ran well. The demo is available for free but the full version is also available on Steam

Linux install

• Install GZDoom here: https://zdoom.org/downloads
• Run GZDoom one time to populate the necessary folders in your...

STALKER Call of Prypiat Enhanced Edition is the 3rd installment of the STALKER franchise where you continue to explore the Zone as Major Degtyarev. There are dangerous emissions, roaming mutated monsters and radioactive zones containing mysterious artifacts. There won't be any random artifacts hopping in plain sight, in Call of Prypiat you have to find them by taking risks! Use these artifacts to assist you in dangerous environmental hazards or sell them to exchange money for better weapons and armor. Either way, there is no forgiveness in the zone!


I was able to play Call of Prypiat Enhanced Edition in Heroic Launcher without any serious issues! The only issue is cutscenes. They do not play correctly, but for me this isn't important and I can skip them. I cranked all the settings to high and enjoyed great frame rates and a beautifully crafted world! Heroic allows me to...

Bionic Commando is a semi-linear action game with a sweet robotic arm/grappling hook. Play as Spencer and traverse Ascension City ruins after a terrorist bomb explodes. Grapple just about anything and swing away! Learn new abilities that allow you to fight all kinds of mechs and flying apparatus in the city and underground cave systems.


Bionic Commando played perfectly in Proton without any issues at all. I did install a mod to remove the HUD for screenshots, but this mod also had other features like a save button. Unfortunately this "save" didn't work and actually got me stuck in a level. So I had to create a new game and started over. Other than that, the vanilla game plays beautifully!

Mint 21.3 64-bit
GeForce GTX 1650
Nvidia 550
Proton Experimental

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Combine Destiny is a classic Half-Life 2 mod reaching its 20 year mark! Proving the test-of-time that Half-Life 2 and modding will always be a testament to PC gaming!
Rescue the Quiver Mountain Research Facility as one of the Combine and take out monsters and rebels in Coonersville! Fight side-by-side with Combine NCPs, solve puzzles to progress all the while using the typical Combine military gear. There is no gravity gun here and no Alyx.


Installation:
Make sure you place the mod folder in your:

/home/username/.steam/steam/steamapps/sourcemods/

Click to expand...

Restart Steam and the game should appear in your library!

Requires:

• Half-Life 2

Dependencies:
To be safe, install the following SDK tools for all Windows compatible mods for Half-Life 2:

• Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer (set Beta to: upcoming)

Dependencies:
Set the following Compatibility to Proton Experimental...

In Clear Sky you are a mercenary following the story of Strelok from Shadow of Chernobyl. Beginning in the swamps you will explore all of the original locations with even more beautiful graphics and special effects. Join Duty or Freedom and take out bandits... or don't join either and help Stalkers against mutants, zombies and more.
Graphics in the original vanilla game have been completely overhauled from the original game. Fast travel has been implemented in each map and now finding artifacts has to be earned. Enjoy similar weapons Shadow of Chernobyl and some new ones like the Gauss rifle. Can you stop Strelok from enabling the emission that will end our world?


Unfortunately there are some game breaking dialog bugs in the "Enhanced Edition" that would not allow me to progress from the farm in the beginning. After much research, this happens in Windows as well. So I was forced to play the GOG vanilla version of Clear...

Aiden is a criminal and a hero... Or is he a hero and a spy? Maybe he is a secret agent or maybe he is a mercenary...
Either way, he stops crime with a bullet and uses hacking to take down criminal organizations. Sometimes he's caught in the middle of a firefight between police and gangs. In the end, he slips away unnoticed to fight another day.


Traverse the streets of Chicago and take down compromised organizations and save Aiden's sister and nephew. Use your mobile to hack ATMs, cameras, defense grids and everything else under the sun. Take out the online hacker who is hiding on a rooftop and then acquire any vehicle to escape the mob. The city is your playground, use it wisely!

As with any UBI game you will need to install UBIConnect (formerly know as Uplay) and then download Watchdogs to play. I am using Heroic Launcher to install UBI Connect which worked without issue using Proton Experimental. Everything in it's vanilla state...

STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl Enhanced Edition has recently been release and if you already own the original game in Steam or GOG, you will get it for free!
After some research of reviews it appears there are some serious bugs and performance issues that make the enhancements unappealing... but I'm here to tell you that Shadow of Chernobyl ran GREAT in Linux with Proton!


First and foremost, the graphical enhancements make Shadow of Chernobyl absolutely beautiful! High quality textures, HD clouds, bump-mapping, lighting and focus make this game more gorgeous and interactive than ever! I was able to use Heroic Launcher to sign into my GOG account and download the entire game. Set it to Proton Experimental and was able to play once I used the -nointro launch command. The only unfortunate issue I experienced was the cut-scene videos were completely un-viewable...

Deeper Down is a Half-Life 2 Episode 2 mod inspired by the travelling scenes where you go from location to location taking down Combine... and you aren't alone. Alex will be joining you on this expedition!



I didn't have any issues playing Deeper Down and it ran beautifully with all settings on high and very high. This is a mod you don't want to miss! Love the interaction and help from Alex and the travelling from place to place enjoying the sites and taking out Combine.

Installation:
Make sure you place the mod folder in your:

/home/username/.steam/steam/steamapps/sourcemods/

Click to expand...

Restart Steam and the game should appear in your library!

Requires:

• Half-Life 2
• Half-Life 2 Episode One
• Half-Life 2 Episode Two

Dependencies:
To be safe, install the following SDK tools for all Windows compatible mods for...

The Citizen Returns is the end game of the epic story in City 17 and beyond...
Join the resistance and again lay waste to the Combine regime to pathe a way to freedom!


The Citizen Returns

Explore new areas of City 17 by joining up with citizens of the resistance and maze your way through epic cities and alien territories.
Wield new weapons, meet new characters, solve puzzles and survive the Combine terrorism!

Installation:
Make sure you place the mod folder in your:

/home/username/.steam/steam/steamapps/sourcemods/

Click to expand...

Restart Steam and the game should appear in your library!

Requires:

• Half-Life 2
• Half-Life 2 Episode One
• Half-Life 2 Episode Two

Dependencies:
To be safe, install the following SDK tools for all Windows compatible mods for Half-Life 2:

• Source...

The Citizen is Half-Life 2 mod takes place in City 17 as Gordon Freeman saves the rebels from the Combine invasion.
Explore new areas of City 17 and meet new characters!


Make sure you place the mod folder in your:

/home/username/.steam/steam/steamapps/sourcemods/

Click to expand...

Restart Steam and the game should appear in your library!

Requires:

• Half-Life 2
• Half-Life 2 Episode One
• Half-Life 2 Episode Two

Dependencies

To be safe, install the following SDK tools for all Windows compatible mods for Half-Life 2:

• Source SDK
• Source SDK Base 2007
• Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer [set Beta to: upcoming]

Dependencies
Set the following Compatibility to Proton Experimental:

• Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer

Important!
When clicking "Play" you may have to wait a minute for the game to officially launch. I had issues where I...

Spherical Nightmares is a Half-Life 2 Episode: Two mod where Gman leaves Gordon Freeman in a remote prison. Find your way out and stay alive if possible.... or is this another simulation?


My first tests failed as the game was having issues with Proton and would crash. After some research I found you have to rename the game folder and replace the GameInfo.txt

Installation
Make sure you place the mod folder in your:

/home/username/.steam/steam/steamapps/sourcemods/

Click to expand...

Restart Steam and the game should appear in your library!

Requires:

• Half-Life 2
• Half-Life 2 Episode One
• Half-Life 2 Episode Two

Important!
When clicking "Play" you may have to wait a minute for the game to officially launch. I had issues where I thought it crashed when the Play button doesn't display "Cancel" or "Stop" but it actually is running.

Proton Settings

• ...

Whoopservatory is Half-Life 2 mod where you visit a mansion in the middle of nowhere, but this is no ordinary house. Find yourself in the middle of a scientific lab of experiments gone wrong!

Installation:
Install Full Release - Will error background image

Make sure you place the mod folder in your:

/home/username/.steam/steam/steamapps/sourcemods/

Click to expand...

Install Patch 1.16
Download the patch and copy/paste the folder over the original one.
Merge everything!

Restart Steam and the game should appear in your library!

Requires:

• Half-Life 2
• Half-Life 2 Episode One
• Half-Life 2 Episode Two

Dependencies:

• Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer [set Beta to: upcoming]

Proton
Set the...

Research and Development is a Half-Life 2 mod made with puzzles in mind. There will be no wielding of Half-Life weapons here! Well the Gravity Gun and Bugbait, but most of the puzzles are physics based and cleverly designed.


Make sure you place the mod folder in your:

/home/username/.steam/steam/steamapps/sourcemods/

Click to expand...

Download the patch and copy/paste the baryonic_predicament folder over the original one. Merge everything!

Restart Steam and the game should appear in your library!

Requires:

• Half-Life 2
• Half-Life 2 Episode One
• Half-Life 2 Episode Two

Dependencies:
To be safe, install the following SDK tools for all Windows compatible mods for Half-Life 2:

• Source SDK
• Source SDK Base 2007
• Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer (set Beta to: upcoming)

Dependencies:
Set the following Compatibility to Proton Experimental...

Forgotten Journey is a set of Half-Life 2 mods all in one!
Continue Gordon Freeman's adventures against the Combine in custom levels modded from Half-Life 2, Ep1 & Ep2.
The Gutter by Sloprano
Stormbringer by Soulia
A Freeman Apart by Sarwia
Hazard Trip by Spas12
Transmission by Les Grossman
Lost Journey by JIMONIONS
Overflow by Marnamai

I'm not going to lie... some of these mods are very difficult but there are some interesting ideas with puzzles and story which make it totally worth it!

Important!
When clicking "Play" you may have to wait a minute for the game to officially launch. I had issues where I thought it crashed when the Play button doesn't display "Cancel" or "Stop" but it actually is running.

Requires:

• Half-Life 2
• Half-Life 2 Episode One
• Half-Life 2 Episode Two

Dependencies:
To be...

Prince Of Persia was developer by the Ubisoft Monreal team who also created the Assassin's Creed franchise. So of course it's gonna be good!
Use the powers of light through your companion Elika and remove the evil corruption to free the Kingdom back to it's former glory!
Climb, slide, grapple, solve ancient puzzles and learn new skills which help you traverse the ancient ruins.


Back in 2017 I posted a step-by-step guide on Prince of Persia in PlayOnLinux.
Today I am using Heroic Launcher and syncing with my GOG account. This way I can download the entire game without having to download separate 2GB installation files.

Honestly, this game is fun, but it's very arcade... most of the climbing is done for you and all that has to be done is hit a specific key and maybe a direction. Assassin's Creed has a lot more freedom when it comes to climbing. The...

Once again returning to Castle Wolfenstein... you play as Blazkowicz, a top secret agent and of course, things go wrong. Escape the castle starting with your bare hands and two pieces of broken pipe from your cell. Use stealth kills to sneak your way around the gauntlet of passages throughout the castle mazes.


Using the same engine as New Order, this game is very similar in game-play mechanics, weapons and graphics style. This is a GREAT continuation of the Wolfenstein franchise and extremely satisfying taking out guards, minions and mini bosses of all kinds. Run-and-gun will not always work here! Use cover, lean around corners and make quick weapon choices to save your life.

Old Blood ran perfectly in Proton without any major configurations in Proton. In fact, I was able to record the gameplay while retaining all of the graphics settings on high and it didn't affect my frames per second.

Mint 21.3 64-bit
GeForce GTX 1650
Nvidia 550...

Baryonic Predicament is a single player mod for Half-Life 2 Episode Two. Navigate through a small combine island solving puzzles and taking-out soldiers. But once you get below ground, there is a world of experimental puzzles and more resistance.

Be sure to download the mod and the SDK 2013 patch.

Make sure you place the mod folder in your:

/home/username/.steam/steam/steamapps/sourcemods/

Click to expand...

Restart Steam and the game should appear in your library!

Requires:

• Half-Life 2
• Half-Life 2 Episode One
• Half-Life 2 Episode Two

Dependencies:
To be safe, install the following SDK tools for all Windows compatible mods for Half-Life 2:

• Source SDK
• Source SDK Base 2007
• Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer [set Beta to: upcoming]

Dependencies:
Set the following Compatibility to Proton Experimental:

• Source SDK Base 2013 Singleplayer...

Obduction is a Cyan Worlds Inc. puzzle adventure where you have been taken from your home in Arizona to an alien world. You find that other people have been taken as well and there are fragments of their world present in this world, but it appears there were some problems. Almost everyone is gone and its up to you to restore everything to its original glory!


Back in 2019 I did a step-by-step guide on how to run GOG version of Obduction in PlayOnLinux, but there were issues with Media Foundation and embedded videos. Today I ran Obduction in Heroic Launcher and Proton handles all of the video's perfectly! There are still some strange stuttering issues present, but not game breaking. It appears to either be a memory leak, or something in the distance that is rendering but shouldn't be. So when you look in the direction of the water area the frame rates drop rapidly... look away and its fine.

Mint 21.3 64-bit
GeForce GTX 1650
Nvidia 550...

Played through the entire Mirror's Edge (original 2009) in Proton Experimental.
Below are some screenshots from the game.
The only issues I had were the glass shard Physx. Turn that off in the settings and the game runs beautifully!

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