Best Well-Written Linux Games on Steam
Steam currently has 100 Well-Written games, but not all of them are able to be played on Linux builds. Explore our list of the best picks ranked by Player Score. Our Player Score rankings are calculated directly from reviews left on the Steam store and will be updated in real-time as more players leave their feedback. Well-Written game rankings were last updated on 4/12/2025.
Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:
- Best well-written games on Steam
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- Best well-written Steam games (for Mac OS)
- Free well-written games on Steam
- Free Steam games
- Most played Steam games
- Best rated Steam games
1. Scarlet Hollow
You've finally made it to the dead-end mining town of Scarlet Hollow, North Carolina, where your aunt is dead, your cousin hates you, and something otherworldly stalks you from the shadows. You won't be able to save everyone. You might not even be able to save yourself. Welcome home.
Scarlet Hollow holds the #1 spot for "best Linux Well-Written game on Steam" with a Player Score of 94. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 2,935 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 2,891 positive reviews and 44 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $24.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
| Steam Price | $24.99 |
| Release Date | 6/11/2021 |
| Franchise | Black Tabby Games |
| Developer | Black Tabby Games |
| Publisher | Black Tabby Games |
| Steam App Id | 1609230 |
2. MetaWare High School (Demo)
How do you see the world when nothing is real? An experimental metafictional visual novel.
MetaWare High School (Demo) has achieved a Player Score of 90, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Linux Well-Written games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 676 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 655 positive reviews and 21 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play MetaWare High School (Demo) on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Release Date | 4/2/2020 |
| Developer | Not Fun Games |
| Publisher | Not Fun Games |
| Steam App Id | 1194740 |
3. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition
A time of untold chaos has come. Mighty forces clash behind the scenes in a struggle for power and influence. The Northern Kingdoms mobilize for war. But armies on the march are not enough to stop a bloody conspiracy...
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition has achieved a Player Score of 89, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Linux Well-Written games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 85,560 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 77,073 positive reviews and 8,487 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $19.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition on the Steam Deck.
| Steam Price | $19.99 |
| Release Date | 4/16/2012 |
| Franchise | CD PROJEKT RED |
| Developer | CD PROJEKT RED |
| Publishers | |
| Steam App Id | 20920 |
4. The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns
A short lesbian / yuri visual novel set in England. Our heroine, Toma Andrews, meets a ghost girl wearing an old-fashioned nightgown in a graveyard who calls herself Emmeline. Just who is she, and how did she die?
The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns has achieved a Player Score of 85, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Linux Well-Written games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 851 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 768 positive reviews and 83 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.
5. Waking Mars
In 2097, life is discovered on Mars. When your mission of first contact becomes trapped by a cave-in, you must master the alien ecosystem to survive. Soon you stumble upon more than anyone expected, and with time running out, you will make a decision that determines the fate of a lost planet.
Waking Mars has achieved a Player Score of 84, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Linux Well-Written games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1,187 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1,053 positive reviews and 134 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $9.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Waking Mars on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $9.99 |
| Release Date | 12/13/2012 |
| Developer | Tiger Style |
| Publisher | Tiger Style |
| Steam App Id | 227200 |
6. Extortion
You're a computer engineer with a terrible secret. Someone is blackmailing you and now, you have to hack some servers and get secret files for him. Would you succeed in achieving their missions or would you find them and revenge?
Extortion has achieved a Player Score of 77, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Linux Well-Written games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 21 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 20 positive reviews and 1 negative reviews — making it "Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $4.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Steam Price | $4.99 |
| Release Date | 10/30/2020 |
| Franchise | Dysnomia Studio |
| Developer | Dysnomia |
| Publisher | Dysnomia |
| Steam App Id | 1299430 |
7. The Last Secret
Award winning visual novel adventure. An epic, upbeat tale with challenging and fun puzzles, humorous storyline and quirky characters. Solve the "last secret", save your friends and maybe find true love on the way, too...
The Last Secret has achieved a Player Score of 74, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Linux Well-Written games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 61 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 51 positive reviews and 10 negative reviews — making it "Very Positive" on Steam.
It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play The Last Secret on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
8. RAYS
RAYS - the plot unveils complex emotions and psychological conflicts, forcing you to make choices that will determine the fate of the main character and the surrounding world.
RAYS has achieved a Player Score of 69, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Linux Well-Written games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 4 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 4 positive reviews and 0 negative reviews — making it "4 user reviews" on Steam.
It is priced at $0.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Steam Price | $0.99 |
| Release Date | 9/5/2024 |
| Developer | BAR GOG |
| Publisher | YGB Studio |
| Steam App Id | 3154870 |
9. Gore Doctor
Gore Doctor is an immersive horror game set to unleash spine-chilling thrills on PC. You find yourself in the institute of a tormented doctor who, driven by desperation after losing his wife, descends into madness and becomes convinced that death is the only respite.
Gore Doctor has achieved a Player Score of 66, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Linux Well-Written games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 21 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 16 positive reviews and 5 negative reviews — making it "Mostly Positive" on Steam.
It is priced at $16.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Linux systems. At the moment, there is no confirmed information regarding Steam Deck support for this game.
| Steam Price | $16.99 |
| Release Date | 3/22/2024 |
| Developer | Salient Games |
| Publisher | Salient Games |
| Steam App Id | 2495990 |
10. The Coming End: Fresh Force Frustrations (A Gay Superhero Visual Novel)
A creature attacks Fresh Force headquarters, leaving the team trapped, unable to get physically aroused, and with a traitor in their midst. Get back your ability to get off! Multiple endings, steamy gay action, plus spandex, tentacles, and more!
The Coming End: Fresh Force Frustrations (A Gay Superhero Visual Novel) has achieved a Player Score of 59, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Linux Well-Written games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 1 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 1 positive reviews and 0 negative reviews — making it "1 user reviews" on Steam.
It is priced at $24.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play The Coming End: Fresh Force Frustrations (A Gay Superhero Visual Novel) on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).
| Steam Price | $24.99 |
| Release Date | 10/5/2023 |
| Developer | Ms. Angel Food |
| Publisher | Ms. Angel Food Games |
| Steam App Id | 2479010 |
More Well-Written Linux Games on Steam
Explore even more rankings for the 10 best Well-Written games available on Steam.
| Image | Name | Actions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 6/11/2021 | 94 | $24.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1 | 4/2/2020 | 90 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 426 | 4/16/2012 | 89 | $19.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 2 | 1/5/2016 | 85 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 1 | 12/13/2012 | 84 | $9.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1 | 10/30/2020 | 77 | $4.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1 | 8/30/2022 | 74 | Free | Steam Charts | |
| 1 | 9/5/2024 | 69 | $0.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1 | 3/22/2024 | 66 | $16.99 | Steam Charts | |
| 1 | 10/5/2023 | 59 | $24.99 | Steam Charts |
Soures & References
Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Reviews and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 12). Steam Store. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 12). Scarlet Hollow on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 26). MetaWare High School (Demo) on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 28). The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 14). The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 25). Waking Mars on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 22). Extortion on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 29). The Last Secret on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 13). RAYS on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, April 7). Gore Doctor on Steam. Steam Store.
- Valve Corporation. (2025, March 30). The Coming End: Fresh Force Frustrations (A Gay Superhero Visual Novel) on Steam. Steam Store.