This may seem like a pretty subjective category, and I'd like to preface this list by saying that it most definitely is. That being said, there are some games that are just empirically good — great graphics, fun to play, great story, whatever. And though some folks might have you believe that Macs aren't meant for gaming, there are actually a ton of awesome titles to choose from.
Jun 21, 2018 - Here are some of the best Mac games around. Software Will my Mac Run macOS High Sierra? The best video editing software for Mac. The following list is a look at the best Mac multiplayer games out there. The Godfather 2 of video games, if you will. Add in two-players cooperative multiplayer and you really have a complete experience. Playing with a friend adds a new layer of complexity to this separate storyline, as you’ll need to communicate with your partner to.
I'll try and leave out games that you can play on iPhone and iPad unless the Mac is the best place to play 'em.
Here are the best games for Mac!
Note: Make sure you double-check the system requirements for each game before you make a purchase.
Firewatch
Firewatch, at its core, is a mystery game set in the Wyoming wilderness. You play as Henry, a man who decided to give the simpler life a try by joining a fire lookout team. Set in 1989, you watch for smoke during an especially hot, dry summer, aided via radio by your supervisor, Delilah. However, something draws you out of your tower and into the woods, where you must explore the unknown wild, making choices that could make or break your relationship with Delilah.
This is a gorgeous game, with a beautifully crafted open world, true-to-life characters, and a story that changes, depending on the choices you make throughout your story. Cissy Jones from the first season of The Walking Dead plays Delilah, and Henry is portrayed by Rich Sommer of Mad Men fame.
If you're looking for more than just a game — an experience — then Firewatch should be at the top of your to-play list. What starts as a simple game of watching for forest fires becomes a strange, twisty-turny, mystery-filled rabbit hole with new discoveries at every turn. It's like a book you just can't put down.
- $19.99 - Download now
XCOM 2
Set 20 years after XCOM: Enemy Unknown, XCOM 2 continues the turn-based tactics franchise in style, with much of the same gameplay that you love from the first one.
You'll once again play as the Commander, who, until the beginning of the game, was in alien stasis following Earth's surrender to the aliens. Once rescued by Central Officer Bradford, you'll resurrect XCOM and go to town reclaiming Earth from the aliens, one turn at a time.
If you love a good turn-based tactics game and you also love games like Halo or Mass Effect or even the first XCOM game for Mac, definitely check this one out.
- $49.99 - Download now
Life is Strange
Life is Strange is an episodic mystery game of sorts that has you playing as Max Caulfield, a photography students who randomly discovers that she has the ability to rewind time (saves her best friend's life). The pair end up investigating the disappearance of a fellow student, while Max struggles with the realization that altering the past can have consequences in the future.
Essentially, you go through the entire game making choices, and the choices you make can screw things up for you down the road or make life much easier (think Until Dawn). With well-crafted characters and a moving story, Life is Strange is for the folks who like a cinematic experience fraught with emotion (á la Heavy Rain). The first episode is $5 and you can buy subsequent episodes via in-app purchases.
- $4.99, with in-app purchases - Download now
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
This game may be a little old (like first generation Xbox old), but it's a classic and the fact that it's on the Mac is just wonderful. It's 4,000 years before the Galactic Empire and the Sith are just wiping out Jedi left right and central. So, of course, you're the last hope of the Jedi and you have to lead your brothers and sisters in arms in a last stand of sorts against the ultimate evil.
The cool part is you actually get to ultimately choose which side you want to be on, opting to conquer or save your fellow Jedi, using Force powers and sweet lightsaber moves all the way through. You get to customize your character and they change as the game goes on, depending on the choices you make and your style of play (kinda like the Fable series).
If you love an action-packed romp around the cosmos and, of course, Star Wars, then definitely download this right now. Keep in mind that it is an older game, but if you grew up with it like I did, it'll be a nostalgia-filled journey.
- $9.99 - Download now
Limbo
In Limbo, you play as a nameless boy who's unsure of what happened to his sister, so you enter Limbo looking for her, A.K.A. the 'edge of hell'. As the boy, you must journey through Limbo, as you encounter only a few other human characters who either attack you, run away, or are dead. You have to puzzle and platform your way to the end, and I'll be honest: It's rather unsettling.
Like, really unsettling.
There isn't much for a soundtrack, aside from nature sounds and physical sounds of running, jumping, and hits and such. If you're like a dark, creepy game, with a very open ending that's been hotly debated, then definitely check out Limbo. It's unlike anything you've ever played and the lack of a real narrative really gives it its atmosphere. (Watch out for that damn spider… BLECH).
- $9.99 - Download now
Braid
Braid is very similar to one of the most popular games of all time. Get into the actual gameplay, and you'll be like, 'THIS IS JUST SUPER MARIO', but then you'll sit back, listen to the AMAZING soundtrack, notice the little detail in Tim's hair while it flows in the wind when he runs, enjoy the beautiful scenery and interesting-looking enemies, and you'll be like, 'SUPER WHO?'.
In all seriousness, Braid is a lovely little game and it really emphasizes Tim's motives for rescuing the princess without ever saying exactly what they are or what exactly his 'mistake' was. Gameplay is quite simple; it's a Mario-style platformer, and you have to collect puzzle pieces along the way and slowly build a large puzzle in each world.
If you like platformers and love games with out-of-this-world soundtracks, then check out Braid.
- $9.99 - Download now
Thomas Was Alone
Believe it or not, playing a platformer as a faceless rectangle can actually be pretty fun. Of course, the right elements have to be there, like a killer soundtrack and, simply put, absolutely lovely narration by British radio a TV presenter Danny Wallace.
He tells the story of Thomas, a rectangle who is, you guessed it, alone. Thomas has to jump and slide his way through each level, entering a portal each time. Basically, all you can do is move right, left, and jump as you platform along, solving puzzles, and don't forget — the game's called Thomas Was Alone. This get significantly more interesting than you might think at the beginning. Get ready to feel stuff … for shapes. Not even kidding.
- $8.99 - Download now
Doom 3
What's there to be said? It's Doom — on the Mac. You're part of an elite marine division, sent to protect a Martian teleportation facility, and things are hunky dory until you're invaded by 100% evil aliens. So, you're going to have to walk down hallway after hallway, mowing down demonic aliens that can only be described as 'WTF'.
Doom is the classic first-person shooter and this 3D adventure only ups the ante, bringing you further into the world of monsters and insane weaponry. There's an online multiplayer element to this iteration, so replayability is definitely there.
If you're into classic first-person shooters where gore and horror abound, then Doom 3 is your bag, baby.
- $9.99 - Download now
Gone Home
Gone Home is a story exploration game where you examine objects and open drawers and doors to discover clues. You've been away for a year and come home thinking your family will be there to greet you, only to discover that the house is empty and you have no idea why.
Things may seem kind of creepy at first, and you'll uncover your sister's journal, complete with narration, as well as other objects from your childhood and things left behind. You likely won't expect the ending and you'll definitely feel all the feels throughout your journey, so be prepared for a lot of reading and an almost cinematic experience.
Gameplay is simple and barebones, but you like a good story exploration game, definitely check this one out, since it's pretty heavy on story.
- $19.99 - Download now
Sleeping Dogs
Crime never pays. I mean it does in terms of the money that gangs make from drugs and what have you, but it all comes back to bite them in the ass sooner or later. In Sleeping Dogs, you get to do the biting, playing as Hong Kong cop, Wei Shen, who's a streetwise badass martial artist, straddling the law and playing both sides to take down the city's biggest Triad gang.
If you enjoy open world games and have any love for the badassery of classic Hong Kong action movies, then Sleeping Dogs is right up your alley. You basically just get to go around kicking the crap out of criminals, while also playing the bad boy in some heavy undercover activity.
You'll have to live and learn as the game goes on, while honing your skills to survive twists and turns that are matters of life and death.
If you're up for an exciting action/adventure full of violence and intrigue, you got it.
- $29.99 - Download now
Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon is a very involved roguelike dungeon crawl with fantastic art, and an interesting twist on the genre, centering on the stress of adventuring. If your characters' stress levels get too high, you're gonna have a bad time.
You'll fight wave after wave of all sorts of ghouls in turn-based combat, simply trying to keep your party alive and calm. This game isn't just about defeating monsters, but about defeating your party's personal demons as well. You'll have to chill out at taverns to keep everyone's stress in check, camp to deliver pep talks, and save the characters you love from all-too meaningful permadeath.
Fans of Lovecraft will adore Darkest Dungeon for it's great horror and awesome hand-drawn art style that gives everything a gritty, visceral feel. If you like scary-ass RPGs, then check it out.
- $24.99 - Download now
Heroes of the Storm
![Video Video](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125829768/882234754.jpg)
Heroes of the Storm is a MOBA game in teams of five fantasy characters battle against one another for supremacy in a series of different game modes. You'll have to destroy opposing team members, as well as their structures to gain points for your team and ultimately win the match. Many MOBA-style games have the same problem: one person can be a hero and win the game on their own, while screwing over the rest of their team. Not the case in Heroes of the Storm, where if one team member isn't up to snuff, the rest of the team feels it.
One team, one dream!
Made by Blizzard, this is one of the best ARTS games around, with awesome characters, solid voice acting, great graphics, and necessary teamwork that doesn't make you want to drive your Magic Mouse through your 5K iMac screen.
HotS is free to play, but you'll be stuck with the playable characters offered to you, which rotate every week. You can earn gold in the game, but to get anything decent will take a looooong time. Therefore, you can buy heroes, skins, and mounts in the game with USD. Otherwise, play for free and just enjoy.
- Free, with in-app purchases - Download now
Portal 2
It doesn't matter which platform you're playing on, Portal 2 is hands-down one of the greatest video games of all time. It builds on the fun and weirdness of Portal from the Orange Box and throws you into a more fascinating story, with puzzles that never really feel like puzzles, since you're out of the testing chambers just trying to escape.
You once again play as Chell (the voiceless captive with the sweet boots and 'stubborn will to live') who is once again trying to escape the Facility, which she totally ruined years earlier. Wheatley, a personality core voiced by Stephen Merchant, revives Chell to escape the Facility with him, but all is not as it seems.
This game is incredibly atmospheric, often creepy and weird, as well as gut-bustingly hilarious. You'll learn about the history of the ruined Facility, mainly from GLaDOS (in an unusual form) and voice recordings from Aperture Science founder Cave Johnson, voiced by the legend J.K. Simmons (the funniest part of the game).
Portal 2 also has a sweet multiplayer mode where you play as testing robots Peabody and Atlas, working with a partner to frustratingly solve testing chambers (you might lose friends over some of the more difficult levels).
If you're at all into physics puzzles and hilarious, quirky games, then Portal 2 is not to be missed. Hell, even if you don't like puzzle games, play it. You'll be a better person for it. You can even download the stellar soundtrack for free
- $19.99 - Download now
Rocket League
It's soccer. With cars. There really isn't much more to say except that's it's freakin' awesome. Think of a physics-based FIFA with wild and crazy vehicles and full-frontal multiplayer mayhem. And if those aren't enough hype buzzwords then imagine yourself as a small child, forced to play soccer in order to 'build character'. Now imagine that you're a child driving a monster truck around a massive enclosed arena, smacking giant balls around and flying and flipping around because physics.
Yeah.
If you're kind of into multiplayer sports games, but prefer them with a side of absolutely wacky, then Rocket League is totally for you.
- $19.99 - Download now
Undertale
Undertale is for those of you who are just sick and tired of having to murder innocent, repulsive monsters. If you've ever thought 'why can't I just talk to the monster instead', then you should play Undertale.
In this indie RPG, you play as a child who has fallen into the Underground, which is a large, isolated region beneath the Earth's surface, separated by a magical barrier. Along the way, you'll meet monsters and have to face them in mini bullet hell combat, where you can choose to spare them instead of killing them. The choices you make affect the outcome of the game, including the story, dialogue, and the characters you meet, as you try and make your way back to the surface.
Undertale was released to excellent critical praise, garnering Game of the Year nods from multiple gaming publications. If you love a good top-down RPG, with fantasy elements and the ability to be a pacifist, then Undertale is great for feeling the feels or kicking some serious hiney.
- $9.99 - Download now
Civilization V
I have Civ V on this list instead of VI, but might add VI when the bugs are ironed out. Sid Meier's Civilization V has you ruling the world from the dawn of man all the way into the space age, where you will wage wars and conquer nations in the pursuit of progress and total domination.
You'll also discover new technologies, strike treaties, and all that other diplomatic stuff that world leaders do.
There is a multiplayer mode, though it is restricted to a LAN.
If you're into amazing turn-based strategy games and love a good game of Risk, then Civ V is calling to you. Answer it.
- $29.99 - Download now
Myst
Originally released in 1993, Myst was recently revamped for the Mac, so that you can explore the open world of Myst Island and its Ages in a gloriously rebuilt environment. The world is completely interactive and you'll have to discover and solve puzzles in order to find books containing access to all of the Ages.
The ending of the game changes depending on the choices you make, and you'll be torn between helping one of two brothers or their father, with your own fate entirely unknown until it's too late. Myst is an absolute classic and the graphics update puts a modern spin on it, bringing the Myst you grew up with into the 21st Century.
If you love a classic puzzle game, a story filled with intrigue and twists, and open-world exploration games, then totally check out Myst.
- $17.99 - Download now
What do you play?
What's your favorite game for the Mac? Any absolute essentials I may have missed? Let me know in the comments below!
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With there so much choice for gamers — whether you play often or only every once in a while — we’ve given you information where to download and buy your next MacBook games. Naturally, we have referred to peer-reviews to find some of the best Mac games, alongside the top-rated free Mac games.
Before downloading a game that is going to take up quite a bit of space: Do you know if your Mac is running at peak performance? Could be worth downloading CleanMyMac X to clear out junk, old files, duplicates, and other pieces of software you no longer need.
On average, Mac users find 62GB of clutter in hard drives. Leaving you plenty of space to download a new Mac game.
Here is how you free up space for games with CleanMyMac:
- Download and launch CleanMyMac X (you can download it for free here).
- Hit Scan and wait while CleanMyMac scans Large and Old Files, Photos, Mail, iTunes, and Trash bins for junk files that can be safely removed.
- Hit Run and enjoy a whole lot more disk space and faster Mac.
In this article, we’ve included games from the Mac App Store and Steam. Both popular platforms, although it seems that more people downloading computer games for Mac prefer Steam. Unlike the App Store, you find out so much more about the games, can benefit from a wider range of reviews, articles, help forums and other content.
Here is our rundown of some of the best games for Mac.
Best Paid Games For Mac
1. J.U.L.I.A. Among The Stars
Developers: CBE Software
Buy it: Steam
Released: 2014
Tech specs: Mac OS X v10.7, with an Intel dual-core processor, and at least 4GB of spare memory.
Price: $19.99
Reviews: 497 - Very Positive - on Steam
Buy it: Steam
Released: 2014
Tech specs: Mac OS X v10.7, with an Intel dual-core processor, and at least 4GB of spare memory.
Price: $19.99
Reviews: 497 - Very Positive - on Steam
In this game, you play Rachel Manners, an astrobiologist woken from cryogenic sleep en route to a new solar system. Everyone else, including the crew, are dead. Your only companion on this voyage is J.U.L.I.A., the ships Artificial Intelligence (AI). You also have control of Mobot, a droid that can examine the planets surface, solar system and support you in the ongoing mission for intelligent alien life.
Unlike other point-and-click games, the fact that you can interact with other systems and intelligences onboard the ship makes it more realistic and interactive.
As a game, J.U.L.I.A. has an interesting history. It started life as a puzzle game for iOS devices. That version has disappeared. CBE Software, the team behind this version, had an epic journey with the original publisher. But it seems as though all of the struggle was worth it, with this game well-worth paying for, especially if you’re a fan of anything sci-fi related.
2. Layers of Fear
Developers: Aspyr Media
Buy it: Steam
Released: 2016
Tech specs: Mac OS X v10.10, with a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 processor, and an Intel HD6100 or discrete graphics card with 1GB VRAM. 5GB of space is recommended.
Price: $19.99
Reviews: 11,973 - Very Positive - on Steam
Buy it: Steam
Released: 2016
Tech specs: Mac OS X v10.10, with a 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 processor, and an Intel HD6100 or discrete graphics card with 1GB VRAM. 5GB of space is recommended.
Price: $19.99
Reviews: 11,973 - Very Positive - on Steam
Aspyr are known for transforming hugely popular A-list PC games, such as the Civilization and Call Of Duty series into equally popular Mac games. Now they’ve produced an original game, working together with developers in Poland, the Bloober Team. Bloober specialises in ‘psychological horror games.’
Layers of Fear takes the fairly conventional point-and-click approach. You play a painter wandering around a pretty creepy house, on a mission to complete a masterpiece. But at the same time, parts of the game throw you in at the deep end and you have to figure out what to do next. Objects point you in the right direction to figure out what to do next.
What is really clever about this game is the slow-burn atmosphere or fear. Comparable to movies and books of this genre, you are left wondering what is really going on in the house, or whether it’s all in the head of the main character. For those who want lots of fast-paced action and fear, this may not be the right game. But for those wanting something more challenging, Layers of Fear is highly recommended.
3. Observer
Developers: Aspyr Media
Buy it: Steam
Released: 2016
Tech specs: macOS 10.12.6, with a 3GHz quad-core processor and a discrete GPU (2GB VRAM recommended).
Price: $29.99
Reviews: 1,431 - Very Positive - on Steam
Buy it: Steam
Released: 2016
Tech specs: macOS 10.12.6, with a 3GHz quad-core processor and a discrete GPU (2GB VRAM recommended).
Price: $29.99
Reviews: 1,431 - Very Positive - on Steam
A creative Indie release by Aspyr. Inspired by Blade Runner, with the voice of the main character Daniel Lazarski, played by Rutger Hauer. Observer is an intelligent and fun steampunk game, well worth buying and playing.
Observer is set in the year 2084, Earth devastated by war and plague, the Nanophage, with the Fifth Polish Republic in the hands of a mega-corporation, Chiron.
As Lazarski, you play an elite neural detective when you receive a strange message from his son in the dystopian slums of Krakow.
On arrival, you find a decapitated body — it may or may not be your son, so using the point-and-click controls, you are meant to search for clues. However, the game has a few tricks, such as cybernetic augmentations to enhance what you can see and detect. Another trick, known as the Dream Eater lets you probe other peoples mind. A skill you are going to need as you dive deeper into the Krakow slums.
4. Pulse
Developers: Pixel Pi Games
Buy it: Steam
Released: 2015
Tech specs: Mac OS X v10.7, with a 2.0GHz dual-core Intel processor, plus an nVidia GeForce or an ATI Radeon graphics card with 1GB VRAM
Price: $14.99
Buy it: Steam
Released: 2015
Tech specs: Mac OS X v10.7, with a 2.0GHz dual-core Intel processor, plus an nVidia GeForce or an ATI Radeon graphics card with 1GB VRAM
Price: $14.99
Pulse emerged thanks to support from a Kickstarter campaign, making it one of quite a few that have found a supportive audience and fans through that platform. Now you can buy it through Steam and it is becoming increasingly popular as a Mac games download.
Pulse is all about sound. Unlike most adventure games, where they rely heavily on visual cues, Pulse is set in a psychedelic world, one that forces you to use sound to get through the game. Your character is Eva, who's blind and is on a quest — something that isn’t fully explained either.
As you journey through the game you will start to understand more, supported by the sort of radar-vision used by Marvel’s Daredevil. It is not a highly-evolved game in the true sense of the word; some have described it as a little strange. But not unlike Monument Valley and Limbo, players are treat to an interesting and hypnotic experience.
5. The Banner Saga
Developers: Stoic
Buy it: Steam
Released: 2014
Tech specs: Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later, with 2GB RAM and 3GB available HD space
Price: $19.99
Reviews: 8,401 - Very Positive - on Steam
Buy it: Steam
Released: 2014
Tech specs: Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later, with 2GB RAM and 3GB available HD space
Price: $19.99
Reviews: 8,401 - Very Positive - on Steam
The Banner Saga was created by a 3-man team, and is a fantastic example of how, as an indie studio, you can make the best of your skills and resources.
Visually, players step inside a hand-drawn world, which some have described as Game of Thrones combining with Vikings and traditional Disney. A truly epic saga. You can pick from 25 characters, some human, others Varl, horned giants, and within both groups are different socio-economic groups, from warriors and leaders to craftsmen.
Decision making and combat blend smoothly together on this journey. It is a complex and in-depth caravan journey across a struggling world, where mistakes could threaten the safety of the caravan. Last thing you want to do is run out of food and supplies on the way to face down an enemy that threatens the entire survival of this civilization.
Players even have the option of completely different outcomes. Characters can die if they make the wrong choice, or can’t fight as well as their foes. Alongside the gameplay, the music is as haunting and epic as the landscape, with funny and witty dialogue alongside the action.
Want something a little different than epic adventures?
6. This War of Mine
Developers: 11 Bit Studios
Buy it: Mac App Store
Released: 2014
Price: $7.95
Reviews: 4.3 stars
Buy it: Mac App Store
Released: 2014
Price: $7.95
Reviews: 4.3 stars
This War of Mine is not your traditional war game.
It is based on real-life events and experiences of war survivors. You aren't a soldier, you are a civilian trying to survive living in a city during a war. Snipers prevent you or anyone in your group from going out at night. During the day, one of you needs to go on a scavenging run throughout the city, to find supplies to look after your wounded, keep you all warm, dry and fed.
Survival is everything in this game.
It starts off in the middle of winter. Careful resource management means that wood is constantly needed, to keep everyone warm, burn for fuel and keep the shelter repaired. Various decisions and the harsh realities have a psychological impact on characters in the group, and choices need to be made that aren't always easy.
This is a game which, if you want something that gets you thinking, will keep you playing long into the cold night.
Best Free Mac Games
And if you want something free and fun, here are a handful of free Mac games well-worth playing:
1. Beneath a Steel Sky
Almost like reading a detective novel in a cyberpunk future, Beneath a Steel Sky is a retro science-fiction point-and-click adventure game from 1994. It has been re-worked to run on macOS, and although the graphics aren’t great it does have real charm.
2. Cave Story
A fun, retro, somewhat pixelly 2D platform shooter game, along similar lines as Ghosts 'n Goblins or Metroid, Cave Story is cute with some solid gameplay. It includes shoot and jump mechanics, along with character and weapon evolutions and simple quests. It helps to download the English language translation patch with the game, as the original is far too confusing in Japanese.
3. Dwarf Fortress
Dwarf Fortress is a role-player game - something of a cross between a traditional computer game and a text adventure. It can be quite complex but a lot of fun, as you explore a new world and build a fortress with an army of dwarfs. Once the fortress and economy is built, you can get them to mine for minerals and build an empire.
4. Hearthstone
Collecting cards may not sound a lot of fun, but with 40 million online players it is worth diving into. Players earn cards by playing daily quests and then battling online cards in matches against other gamers (in these, you can win rare cards). It is an amazing online community of players to be a part of and although there are in-app purchases you can do an awful lot for free.
Want to get your Mac running at peak performance to ensure you can play the latest games? Download CleanMyMac X today, get your Mac as good as new.