Since a few weeks my Unity games are not working anymore on Steam (not flatpak) on Linux Mint.
I have tried Stick It to the Stickman, Olija and Dystopika. They all behave the same, with the audio starting playing fine, but still on a black screen. After that, nothing happens and even trying to switch window doesn’t work or is extremely slow, requiring a few minutes to have anything happening.
Adding the same games to another launcher (Heroic), makes them work a bit, but eventually they stop at some loading screen and remain there forever.
I am on the latest OS version, I have the latest proprietary drivers from Nvidia, I have tried switching Proton versions and my GOG Unity games all work fine on Heroic.
I don’t know if there are any logs I can submit, but I am all ears for any suggestions.
UPDATE: Solved! The problem was with the fractional scaling feature in Cinnamon. Once disabled, everything went back to work perfectly.
Try this. Perplexity helped me to get some of these tipps.
Unity games on Steam failing with a black screen but audio playing on Linux Mint often stem from corrupted Proton prefixes, NVIDIA driver mismatches after recent updates, or hybrid graphics not properly utilizing the discrete GPU. Recent system changes around a few weeks ago likely triggered this, especially with proprietary NVIDIA drivers. GOG games working on Heroic points to a Steam/Proton-specific issue.
Generate Proton Logs
Enable logging to diagnose the exact failure. Right-click a game in Steam > Properties > Launch Options, add
PROTON_LOG=1 %command%, then launch the game. Logs save to~/steam-[appid].log(find appid in Properties); check the latest one for errors like DXVK/Vulkan issues or NVIDIA failures.[1][2]Reset Proton Prefix
Corrupted Wine/Proton prefixes cause black screens in Unity games. For each game: Properties > Installed Files > Browse > up two levels to
compatdata> delete the numbered folder (e.g., for Olija appid 1129200, delete1129200). Relaunch to rebuild.[3]Force NVIDIA GPU
Linux Mint may default to integrated graphics despite proprietary drivers. Right-click Steam/games in menu > Launch using Discrete Graphics. Or add to game launch options:
__NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1 __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia %command%(OpenGL) or__NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1 %command%(Vulkan/Proton).[4][5]Additional Fixes
steam --resetin terminal, then verify game files.[3]Quellen: [1] How do you get Steam to output logs for Proton? https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/9ahd3k/how_do_you_get_steam_to_output_logs_for_proton/ [2] Proton FAQ https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/wiki/Proton-FAQ [3] Fix(es) for games not launching on Steam with Proton https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/1kqevt6/fixes_for_games_not_launching_on_steam_with_proton/ [4] New to Linux Mint and most (but not all) games have a … https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/1kzc236/new_to_linux_mint_and_most_but_not_all_games_have/ [5] Steam games won’t use Dedicated GPU https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/iqqqfr/steam_games_wont_use_dedicated_gpu/ [6] Steam Won’t Open On Linux Mint Cinnamon 21.2 Victoria … https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/9883 [7] Proton issues : r/linux_gaming https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/1mqyy1f/proton_issues/ [8] Black sdl2 screen on many games. [Solved] :: Steam for Linux General Discussions https://steamcommunity.com/app/221410/discussions/0/558746995139908968/ [9] Black scrren while playing an unity game using lutris https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/1cgtane/black_scrren_while_playing_an_unity_game_using/ [10] Steam (Proton) games launching to black screen after … https://forum.endeavouros.com/t/steam-proton-games-launching-to-black-screen-after-system-update/75345 [11] Steam won’t launch on Linux Mint. : r/linuxmint https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxmint/comments/15bxsx4/steam_wont_launch_on_linux_mint/ [12] Game Details for Dystopika https://www.protondb.com/app/2379910 [13] Black screen in games - Linux https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/black-screen-in-games/191079 [14] Proton, Nvidia, black screen but game running https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/proton-nvidia-black-screen-but-game-running/67604 [15] After remove game, proton prefix exist · Issue #7418 https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/7418 [16] Nvidia drivers are installed, but Steam games with Proton … https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/nvidia-drivers-are-installed-but-steam-games-with-proton-are-stuck-at-launch-when-gpu-is-used/191059 [17] Steam is just absolute struggle bus on linux mint https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/1bbksd7/steam_is_just_absolute_struggle_bus_on_linux_mint/ [18] PSA: Don’t lose your saves - Steam removes proton prefix … https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/1bs5dao/psa_dont_lose_your_saves_steam_removes_proton/ [19] Ultimate Linux Mint 22.2 Gaming Guide: Install the latest … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnREtvXfJXk [20] Proton games give black screen https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=272493 [21] Linux Mint - Steam and game constant crashes https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/1nyqoe3/linux_mint_steam_and_game_constant_crashes/ [22] Hybrid Graphics on Linux Mint 20.1 https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxmint/comments/mpalf5/hybrid_graphics_on_linux_mint_201/ [23] Where does Proton log what it is doing? https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/uqc7t1/where_does_proton_log_what_it_is_doing/ [24] Proton fullscreen games flicker to black or have audio but … https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/qdaqbc/proton_fullscreen_games_flicker_to_black_or_have/ [25] How to see steam proton log? https://matiargs.com/garden/linux/how-to-see-steam-proton-log/ [26] Games not launching on primary monitor with Proton 9.0-1 … https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/issues/7717?timeline_page=1 [27] Mint users: How do you get around the OS defaulting to onboard graphics for everything? https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/1b6p1v4/mint_users_how
None of it worked.