Which Linux distribution would work for gaming and everyday use?

Bazzite is probably the closest match. It’s gaming-focused, supports Steam and Discord, and is designed so you can do nearly everything through graphical tools. Its immutable setup also reduces the chance of accidentally damaging the base system, and traditional antivirus usually isn’t necessary for normal desktop use. You can still use it for schoolwork, browsing, and other everyday tasks.

The important part is checking your specific games before switching. Steam and Proton support a large portion of the library, but games with certain multiplayer anti-cheat systems may not work. Try Linux on a second drive, a spare computer, or a live environment first, and keep your Windows installation until you’ve confirmed that your games and everyday applications work the way you need.

A gaming-focused distribution such as Bazzite, Nobara, or CachyOS should cover Steam, Proton, Discord, and common gaming tools. Bazzite is the most beginner-friendly of those if you want a polished graphical experience. CachyOS can also work well for gaming and daily use, but you may encounter the terminal more often depending on what you’re configuring.

Steam is available on most major Linux distributions, and Discord can be installed through Flathub or a graphical software manager. Linux generally relies on trusted software repositories instead of downloading installers from random websites, which changes the security model compared with Windows. ClamAV is available if you specifically want an antivirus scanner, though it isn’t normally required for typical desktop use.

For a general-purpose system, Ubuntu, Fedora, Linux Mint, or Zorin OS are good starting points. Nobara and Bazzite are more gaming-oriented. Since you want to avoid the command line, I’d lean toward Bazzite, Mint, or Zorin rather than an Arch-based option.