Heroic is a client for GOG and Epic Launcher, so if I install a game from there, I use Heroic.

Lutris is more generic, and has specific script installers per game, so I use Lutris as a fallback if the game is from somewhere else, or the game does not correctly work with Heroic.

Then, as a third fallback, I try to install the game with Wine directly, then add it a shortcut on Steam to benefit from Proton through Steam. In the above cases (Heroic and Lutris), they would be using their own packaged version of Wine/Proton, so it's worth to try it before giving up.

Generally I add installers using "add non-steam app", then once they install successfully, remove it and instead add the executable that was created.

Proton can do it correctly just it's a PITA navigating the folders to make it work.

Lutris can work but some of it's scipts are outdated or not made with steamdeck in mind

Heroic for epic games. For others games I run the installers from lutris and add games and run them directly in stram

I just use Lutris for everything since it integrates with all the storefronts I care about, but as others have brought up Heroic is also a good option. I'd say try a handful of games on each and see which you prefer.

What I do is usually:

• Install the game on my desktop PC.
• Copy the files over to the Steam Deck via sftp
• Use Desktop Mode to add it as a non-Steam game to the Steam Library
• If it's a Windows game, force Proton in the game's properties in Steam
• Use SteamGridDB (and sgdboop) to set a nice image for it.

I use Heroic if the game is from GoG or Epic and Lutris for the rest. I wouldn't bother with using just Wine since it's a lot easier to configure compatibility settings for each individual game with Heroic and Lutris. Both can use the same compatibility layers anyway.

Heroic for GOG and Epic. No idea about Ubisoft.

For now i've just installed the exes of Epic and Ubisoft separately. In future i'll probably switch to heroic launcher.

I use the Steam Link app on my desktop to use keyboard + mouse on the Deck. For content from Epic, GOG, and Amazon I find Heroic Launcher to be the easiest since it's a native Linux app and has a simple "add to Steam" button. For emulation, I use Emudeck, for everything else I use Bottles or Lutris.

I am a simple man, all I do is wine setup.exe.

(Okay, plus different prefixes and winetricks for dxvk, etc. But in a nutshell, that's it)