I'm a Gentoo guy myself. The distro features excellent documentation and a very helpful forum (if you encounter a problem, chances are the solution can be found with a simple forum search).
The only downside is that you have to download and compile everything from source code, but it has a really nice bit of software that automates the process. Just type "emerge foo" where "foo" is the program you want and away it goes.
Anyway, if you're serious about using Linux then install it in a separate partition or on a second hard drive and stick with it. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed. There'll be a bit of a learning process, but it's not really that bad. Sooner or later you'll join the legions of computer users who only keep Windows installed for the games.

You could try GoS distro, to use your GoG games on it. :D

If you are going to do that, then you might as well just use Ubuntu, since gOS is basically just Ubuntu with the Enlightenment window manager, which can be easily installed in Ubuntu already.

if i didn't play just a ridiculous number of games, or if i didn't get windows XP from my father for free, i might have tried linux... keep thinking about it, but not enough incentive to move from my safe bubble of windowness.

I have been using PuppyLinux and GoboLinux installed on an external hard drive, connected via eSATA. I did not want to risk fubaring my Windows partition with a dual-boot setup, hence the external hard drive.

why wouldn't you want Ubuntu? I'm a software developer and I want something that works and still lets me tinker around, really any Linux will open up to the "isn't too easy" part so it sounds like a strange thing to say in the first place!

Well, it's kind of a historical issue, but I use Mandriva Linux and Debian.
I really can't recommend to use Ubuntu if you're a b00n. I'ts just another hype like this pear? pineapple? apple! stuff.
Load many distros and try them all on a clean machine. Then pick your favorite. That's what I did 9 years ago.