I recently set up Linux Mint, and after getting everything installed and updated, I was excited to try out some games on Steam. However, I'm running into major issues. When I boot up 'Rogue Trader', it just stops responding after the play button turns blue, and after around 30 seconds, it goes back to green. With 'Animal Well', I keep getting an error saying 'D3D12 not detected'. I've reinstalled Linux three times, and I've been troubleshooting all day. Initially, 'Animal Well' opened but would freeze, and now it just gives that same error again. The Steam client looks odd too; there's only one option in the compatibility tab that always shows Proton Experimental without any way to change it. Even basic functions like uninstalling a game or viewing the file directory don't seem to work. I've tried installing Steam from various places, including the website and the terminal, but I keep facing issues. I'm really frustrated and don't want to revert to Windows. Can anyone suggest what might be wrong or how to fix this?
2 Answers
If you’re really looking for a smoother gaming experience on Linux, you might want to consider alternative distros like Bazzite or Cachyos. Mint is decent for everyday use, but it doesn't always handle modern gaming well. Bazzite has a gaming-centered setup that feels like a Steam Deck on desktop, plus it comes pre-loaded with tools like Lutris and Heroic, while Cachyos is Arch-based with built in gaming profiles. These might save you some headaches compared to Mint!
I feel your pain! It sounds like a classic case of dependency issues. A workaround that has helped some users is downloading the .deb file directly from the official Steam repository. After that, you can install it using 'gdebi'. Here's what you should do: download the .deb file from the Steam repo link, install gdebi using `sudo apt install gdebi`, and then double-click the .deb file to install. That should handle any missing dependencies for you, though you might still need to uninstall the version from the Mint store first. Let us know if it works!
It worked! Thank you soooo much!