Lutris review: one library for your Linux games

Lutris is a free open-source Linux game manager for people who play on Linux and want one shelf for a mixed collection.¹⁷ It installs and launches games from several shops, and it can also start older games through emulators and compatibility tools. The privacy gain is in the launcher itself: the program is free software, your game list can stay on your computer, and an account on the Lutris website is optional.⁴⁵

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A free open-source library that installs and launches games on Linux.

Works on: Current Linux desktops, including the Steam Deck. The Flathub build is for 64-bit PCs (x86_64).²⁹

Price: Free. Donations are optional.⁷⁴

Licence: GPL-3.0-or-later.⁵

Best for: Keeping shop games and older titles in one Linux library.

Official site: lutris.net

What Lutris does (and how it protects your privacy)

Lutris describes itself as a video game preservation platform, and its homepage is headed “Play all your games on Linux.”¹ It is a library: it remembers your games and starts the right program for each one. The project calls those programs runners. A runner can be Linux itself, Wine, or an emulator such as DOSBox or MAME.³ Wine is a compatibility layer, software that lets many Windows games run on Linux. An emulator imitates an older console or computer so its games can run on your PC.

From Lutris you can open games you already own on Steam, the Epic Games Store, GOG and Humble Bundle.¹ It can also install games bought on Itch.io, Battle.net, EA, Ubisoft and similar stores, but it does not sell those games.³ The client is built only with open-source technology.¹ Open source means those instructions are published for others to read.

Installer scripts, written as JSON or YAML (two plain-text ways of writing instructions), set a game up for you.⁴ Game settings and the library database sit in a folder on your computer.⁴ A lutris.net account is optional. If you create one, the client syncs that library with the website and stores a token rather than your password.⁴ A token is a stand-in the app keeps after you sign in.

Key features of Lutris

One library for several shops. Steam, Epic, GOG and Humble Bundle launch from the same client.¹
Older games as well as new ones. Emulators, compatibility layers and rewritten game engines sit beside current PC games.¹
Shared installers. Scripts in JSON or YAML (plain-text instruction files) set a game up, and you can change them.⁴
A local database. One SQLite file, a small database in a single file, tracks installs and file locations.⁴
Optional website sync. A lutris.net account can fetch your library, including a Steam library synced on the website.⁴
Swappable Wine builds. With Wine installed, you can add or remove the Wine versions Lutris provides.³
PCs and the Steam Deck. It runs on current Linux desktops, and on a Steam Deck from Discover in desktop mode.²

Pros and cons of Lutris

Pros

Free to download. Lutris does not sell commercial games, and donations are optional.⁷³⁴
Public source under GPL-3.0-or-later, the licence Flathub lists as well.⁵⁹
The game list and settings stay in a folder on your computer, and a website password is not saved.⁴
Still updated in 2026: source and Flathub list 0.5.23, and GitHub’s v0.5.22 release is dated 25 February 2026.⁵⁷⁶

Cons

The download page covers current Linux systems, and the Flathub package is for x86_64, the usual 64-bit PC.²⁹
Windows games need Wine and drivers, unless you use the Flatpak. Lutris then uses its own Wine builds aimed at games.²
Shop accounts stay with those shops, including Steam, GOG, Epic and the others Lutris can connect to.¹³
A lutris.net account syncs the library with the website, so that list is not only on the PC.⁴
Runners, the programs that start each game, download from lutris.net, so the first setup needs the network.⁴
Packages differ. Manjaro updates are delayed, and Ubuntu, elementary OS and Linux Mint use a deb file from GitHub.²

Is Lutris safe and private?

The project file names the licence as GPL-3.0-or-later, names Mathieu Comandon as the author, and links the source on GitHub.⁵ Flathub’s app data lists the same licence.⁹ The Flathub page names the Lutris Team.⁷ The README says Lutris is 100% community supported.⁴

Lutris keeps client data, runners and game configuration in ~/.local/share/lutris. The file pga.db is an SQLite database of the library, install state and file locations, and you do not need to edit these files by hand.⁴

A lutris.net login is separate from a shop login. An optional account lets the client fetch the library from the website, and the website can also sync a Steam library into Lutris. The client stores only a token, in ~/.cache/lutris/auth-token, and login credentials are never saved.⁴

Shop logins are the part to watch. Steam, Epic, GOG, Humble Bundle and the other stores still run their own accounts.¹³ To review which Linux applications connect to the network, see OpenSnitch. If a shop account uses an email address you care about, BellCrier checks your email addresses against known data breaches and emails you when one turns up, with what was exposed and how to fix it. Install Lutris from the official download page, which lists distribution packages, Flathub and the GitHub releases.²

How to get started with Lutris

Use an up-to-date Linux system. Lutris needs Python 3 and GTK, and it runs on any desktop environment.² GTK is the piece that draws the windows.
Install from a source the project lists. Fedora: sudo dnf install lutris. Arch Linux: sudo pacman -S lutris. openSUSE: its own repositories. Ubuntu, elementary OS and Linux Mint: the deb package on the GitHub releases page.²
On a Steam Deck, switch to Desktop Mode and install Lutris from Discover. Choose “Create Steam shortcut” if you want the game on the Deck’s gaming screen.²
Or use Flathub: flatpak install flathub --user -y net.lutris.Lutris. That listing is version 0.5.23 and is marked Free.²⁷
For Windows games outside the Flatpak, install a recent Wine and your drivers. Lutris then uses its own Wine builds aimed at games. The Flatpak does not need that separate Wine install.²
Open Lutris and install a game with a script.⁴ With Wine installed, right-click Wine in the sidebar and choose Manage versions.³
Skip the lutris.net account unless you want the sync.⁴ For help, use the forums or Discord, not a private message to the developers.³

Who should use Lutris (and who might prefer something else)

Lutris fits people who already play on Linux, with games spread across more than one shop or with older titles that need an emulator.

For a narrower job, use a narrower tool. Bottles is for trying Windows games from a Linux desktop. Heroic Games Launcher is a free open-source launcher for Epic, GOG and Amazon Prime games, and it runs on Linux, Windows and macOS.⁸ If you want a game with no shop account at all, a free simulation such as OpenTTD is a different choice: you are picking the game, not the launcher.

Frequently asked questions about Lutris

Is Lutris free?

Yes. Flathub lists Lutris as free, the project does not sell commercial games, and donations are optional.⁷³⁴

Is Lutris open source?

Yes. The project file and Flathub’s app data both use the GPL-3.0-or-later licence, and the homepage says the client is built only with open-source technology.⁵⁹¹

Does Lutris work on Windows, Mac or iPhone?

The download page covers Linux distributions, Flathub and the Steam Deck.² The homepage is about playing games on Linux, and the Flathub build is for x86_64 PCs.¹⁹ On Windows or macOS, Heroic Games Launcher covers Epic, GOG and Amazon games.⁸

Do I need a Lutris account?

No. Accounts on lutris.net are optional. Create one only if you want the client to sync your library with the website.⁴ You still need the Steam, GOG, Epic or other account that owns a shop game.³