Adding to the Docker chorus. I started using Docker before even using the command line. My route in was to use Unraid but that may not be best for you. I use Portainer in another install but I think the way it handles storage is a bit obtuse. In any case, as many others have said, using Docker is a piece of cake once you understand the basic ideas. Those being that a container is like a portable self contained machine that runs a specific service and any persistent storage needs to be outside the container. Containers are always my first idea when running a service as you know they will work on your system, you don’t have to worry that there will be conflicts or whatever.

YMMV of course but I was playing Timberborn just the other day on Mint, on an Nvidia card, through Heroic. Proton seems to have been a gamechanger. I have just made my first steps into switching my daily driver myself. I may have been lucky but all the games I have wanted to play have worked so far. I also have a Steam Deck, which is what has encouraged me that it may be possible.

I second containers. I use Unraid and have found it pretty simple to get started. At one point I was using a vm on unraid as my gaming machine, although I have moved away from that and now have a low power Unraid server for hosting.