This post will guide you on how to install and run pirate releases of games on Linux. Basic knowledge (how to install stuff, get around files, opening the terminal) is assumed.
Step 0
Ensure the game you intend to pirate actually stands a chance in running on Linux. Check the game’s ProtonDB rank, if it’s Silver or below chances are it won’t work even with additional effort. If it has a good rank (Gold and above), get the cracked release from wherever you get those. If multiple options are available, the general order of preference should be: Steam/DVD Rip > GOG release > Repack
Step 1
Install Wine and Steam, then enable Steam Play for all titles (Steam → Settings → Compatibility).
Step 2
Make one central folder for all game files. Copy the game files to each game’s subfolder (e.g. ~/games/).
If it’s an ISO file, extract its contents like an archive.
If it is a repack/setup (e.g. GOG, FitGirl, Dodi, etc) run the setup by opening a terminal in the repack folder and entering:
wine ./theGameSetupFile.exe
! Make sure in the setup you set the destination folder to the main games folder you’ve made. In Wine, access to the Linux file system is through the Z: virtual drive.
e.g. in FitGirl’s setups, just change the installation folder to Z:\home\yourUsername\games\gameSubfolder if the directory you made was ~/games/
! Make sure the installer is installing only the game, not anything else. Uncheck the option of installing Visual C++ runtimes, for example.
Step 3
Open Steam, in the menu bar go to Games → Add a non-Steam Game to My Library…, click on Browse and select the game executable (.exe) from the game’s folder. Then in your Steam Library click on the new game and go to its settings (right click → Properties or open game page → Settings icon → Properties), go to the compatibility option and check the “Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool” option. In the dropdown, select Proton Experimental.
Run the game from Steam. If it works, great!
If it didn’t work, you might be missing some software requirements (vcredist, etc). To add them, you’ll need an additional step:
Step 4 (optional)
Install winetricks and protontricks.
Open a terminal and run protontricks --gui
Select the game in the list, click on OK, select Install an application, click on OK, click on Cancel and now you’ll see a slightly different options window. Select Install a Windows DLL or Component option and click on OK. The new window will list all possible requirements/dependencies, install whatever the game needs. You can get to know the game’s software requirements from its PCGamingWiki page (or just google it). Repeat for each requirement.
That’s it, with this you can run any game directly through Steam’s Proton layer. No Lutris, no juggling multiple wineprefixes, no racking your brains around multiple Wine runners. Proton Experimental gets regularly updated, so you’ll always be running your game with the best and latest compatibility option there is.
That’s a long read. Here’s what I do
- Install Lutris or Heroic
- Install your game
- Play your game
Fitgirl and steam unlocked are your friends.
If that’s the problem, my guide can also be condensed to:
- Install Steam
- Install your game
- Run game through Steam
Thank you sooo much op for this post. Still learning linux gaming on my pop os, but so far have been successful with 2 games 😁 no step 4 needed so far 🤞 enjoying fable anniversary ATM 😁😁 ty ty 🙏
Is it really a good idea to add cracked games on Steam verses other methods of running Windows apps in Linux? I’d assume Valve could notice and take some kind of action against your account…
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I’ve gonna read this carefully later.
For now I have a doubt. I have a decent amount of games on steam. My account is in danger with these external games? Can I have 2 steam installations?(I know I can have 2 accounts)
No, your account is not in danger. Steam doesn’t care. It’s not like they could take any action even if they knew the non-steam game you added was pirated, in the first place. They don’t hold the IP of every game and cannot police you on their publishers’ behalf.
I have seen an exception - old installer Windows games. For example, yesterday I was installing NFS High Stakes and it was complicated, needing to mount ISO (nocd needs external installer patch that only works with mounting), installing it, running it once and then copying files over to run on Linux. Observed the same even with Razor’s repack combo of NFS Hot Pursuit I and II, which needed running game once on Windows for configuration then successful runs on Linux.
This leads me to the conclusion that either doing this is a good way, or anyway just have Windows 10 by the side on a SSD to ensure no compatibility problems. You can keep running Windows offline even after EOL if you scan files properly, since you will give no internet to it.
