The best Mac Games illustrate that there is more to the world of computer gaming than just Windows. However, despite the fact that Windows computers often receive the majority of the focus and iPhone customers are awash in games thanks to the App Store and Apple Arcade, Mac’s gaming library is not nearly as comprehensive as that of the other platforms. There are a lot of high-budget video games that are never ported over to Macs, or if they are, they are released much later as ports.
There is no getting around the fact that an optimized Windows configuration is your best bet if you play games with a mouse and keyboard. Those who favor macOS over Windows, but don’t want to buy a second computer only for gaming, still have options available to them! We’ve compiled a list of the top 25 Mac games that are currently on the market.
How do I get the best Mac games?
The method is very similar to that of purchasing video games for a personal computer. Steam, the most well-known and extensively used online retailer, offers a Mac client that can be downloaded for free. And so does the Epic Game Store, which is a more recent competitor in the market for online storefronts. GOG (opens in new tab), Humble (opens in new tab), and individual publisher stores like Origin (by Electronic Arts) and Blizzard.net (by Activision Blizzard) are some of the other options available to you in the event that you are unable to locate the games you are looking for on Steam.
Users of Apple’s Mac computers now have the ability to directly download games from the App Store, just as they would on an iOS device such as an iPhone or iPad. The App Store gives users access to Apple Arcade games and provides a large number of programs that may be played for free. On the other hand, there is a respectable assortment of titles that are considered to be more mainstream.
However, there is a very significant catch for people who buy Macs. Since the release of macOS Catalina in 2019, current Macs are unable to run 32-bit games. Because of this, we were forced to omit some beloved titles from our list, including Portal and Indiana Jones, and the Fate of Atlantis, amongst others.
There are workarounds available, much as there are for playing games that are only available for Windows on a Mac. For the purposes of this list, however, we have included just those video games that can be downloaded and played without the need for any prior familiarity with the software programs Parallels, Bootcamp, or other programs of a similar nature.
Make sure that the game is Mac-compatible (look for a little Apple emblem) and that it will operate with the version of macOS that is currently installed on your computer. This is true regardless of where you decide to purchase the finest Mac games. In most cases, this information can be found in the section of a store page devoted to required hardware and software.
What are the best Mac games?
1. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is the best option available if you want a game that will keep you occupied for dozens, if not hundreds, of hours. The most recent installment of the long-running 4X strategy series was released in 2016, and the creators at Firaxis are planning to continue releasing new material and upgrades for the game through the year 2021.
The base game pits you against other historical figures in a struggle for dominance over the world. In addition to the base game, there are expansion packs and downloadable content (DLC) available, which add features such as the dark ages, climate change, undead players, and even a battle royale mode.
It’s possible that after playing Civ VI you’ll find yourself saying, “Just one more turn,” over and over again. The game is gratifying and addicting. Think about it: where else can you destroy Gandhi with a nuclear bomb while also fighting off French spies and zombies with a big death robot?
2. Gris
The stunning good looks of Gris will be one of the first things that strike you about this color. Gris is a contemplative indie game that was published by Devolver Digital. As you progress through the game, you will gradually restore brilliant colors to the watercolor-style sceneries that act as Gris’ backdrop.
The more you play, the more you’ll understand that the beauty of the game goes beyond what meets the eye on the surface. The solutions to the puzzles provide opportunities to discover more about the main character, and the information that is revealed is both painful and inspiring in equal measure. Even Apple has recognized it as the best Mac game of the year for 2019, calling it “a soul-stirring work of digital art.”
3. Donut County
You take on the role of a hole in the vibrant and offbeat setting of Donut County. You read it correctly; you are a hole that is wreaking havoc and gobbling up homes, vehicles, cattle, and the other animal inhabitants of a town that has been overrun by raccoons. You are aware of what? We do not believe any additional information is required at this time.
Our list of the greatest games for Mac was difficult to narrow down, but we made an effort to include a diverse selection of game types, artistic styles, and levels of challenge to ensure that there is something appealing to a wide audience. Obviously, the items on this list are not all there is to offer. In contrast to what many people believe, there are really quite a few enjoyable video games that can be played on a Mac. What are you waiting for?
4. Limbo
Although the platformer Limbo makes great use of a grayscale color theme throughout its huge settings, this is not the only reason why the game is so eerie. The narrative of Limbo leaves a lot of rom for interpretation, although one of the game’s primary concerns is loss, both the loss of loved ones and the loss of oneself in the uncharted and potentially hazardous territory.
This indie smash hit is already more than a decade old, but it continues to be a shining illustration of how minimalism can benefit the design of video games. It’s not necessary for everything to be outrageous and action-packed. In a similar vein, not every aspect of the plot requires an in-depth analysis. Even if it does nothing else, Limbo will have you thinking, and it will leave you struggling to figure out what its deeper significance is.
5. Papers, Please
What would you do if you knew you had to leave your nation in order to preserve the lives of your loved ones, but you lacked the legal means to do so? Papers, Please is an unsettling look at the realities of immigration, using the fictitious dystopian nation of Arstotzka as a stand-in for the hostile border settings that are commonplace in countries all over the world.
In your role as an immigration officer, you will be responsible for conducting thorough checks of the passports and other forms of identification carried by those who are attempting to enter Arstotzka from neighboring countries.
However, because these choices aren’t always black and white, you might have to measure your fear of getting in trouble against the requirements that your fellow residents have. It is a useful reminder that what is legal is not always what is right and that there are situations in which disobeying the law is the morally responsible thing to do.
6. Firewatch
Another example of the first-person “walking simulator” adventure subgenre, Firewatch follows a fire lookout stationed in the Shoshone National Forest of Wyoming as he spends the summer exploring the area and attempting to solve the secrets that lie within it. Along the way, he strikes up a connection with another lookout, even though the only way they can communicate with one other is through walkie-talkies.
In keeping with other video games of a similar genre, Firewatch has a strong emphasis on the storyline and explores a variety of topics, including apprehension toward the unknowable and the sense of isolation brought on by one’s own decisions to spend time alone. In 2016, as a result of its achievement in storytelling, it was a top pick with critics and players, and even now, six years later, its story continues to resonate with people.7. Her Story
Her Story is an excellent accomplishment in the field of interactive storytelling. It was developed by Sam Barlow, who was previously best known for his work on the Silent Hill series. The player must piece together testimony and resources by making use of full-motion video clips and an interface that is reminiscent of a search engine in order to discover the truth about a challenging mystery.
Although the gameplay is not conventional, it is enjoyable. If you want to know the full narrative, you will need to pay close attention to each interview footage, and that’s about all we can say about it without giving anything away.
8. Cities: Skylines
The first thing that ever existed was SimCity. Cities: Skylines, a city-building simulation game developed by Paradox Interactive, has been the undisputed king of the simulation genre ever since it was released in 2015. In order to transform undeveloped tracts of land into bustling cities, you will have to make decisions on finances, infrastructure (such as power and plumbing), public transportation, the availability of housing, and more.
Ensure the well-being of your population is a top priority. Nobody is going to relocate there or start a business there as long as the city maintains its horrible traffic management and maintains its dictatorial tax system.
Cities: Skylines features an impressively large number of solidly built systems. At first, playing the game could make you feel overwhelmed, but after a while, you’ll get the hang of it. In addition, there are over a dozen expansion packs that can be purchased, so there is a good chance that you will not become bored very soon.
9. Cuphead
Cuphead is without a doubt one of the most aesthetically pleasing video games released in the past five years. Its graphics are reminiscent of the golden period of American animation. However, simply because it is cartoony does not mean that it is simple to implement.
In point of fact, in the nearly half a decade that has passed since Cuphead’s first release, the game’s frenetic gameplay of run-and-gun combat and huge boss encounters have earned it a reputation for being rather challenging.
If you’re looking for a challenge before the release of the highly anticipated expansion pack The Delicious Last Course later this year, now is the perfect moment to get caught up on the game, assuming that you’re up for it.
10. Gone Home
It’s 1995. It’s late in the evening, and you’ve just gotten back from a trip overseas when you were surprised to find that your family house was vacant. You could have been playing Super Nintendo or watching My So-Called Life, but instead, you find out that your sister has disappeared, and neither of your parents can be found either.
Even though there is no actual fighting in this first-person exploration game, it nevertheless manages to be extremely unsettling. As you progress through the game, you will discover more clues and parts of the mystery with each gloomy area and hidden compartment you investigate.
It is in your best interest to go into Gone Home knowing as little as possible about it, and the entire experience may be finished in about two or three hours at the most. The story, on the other hand, will remain in your mind for a great deal longer.
11. Graveyard Keeper
Imagine that you are playing Stardew Valley, but instead of taking care of a farm, you are in charge of a graveyard. Even while there is still a significant focus on agriculture and handicrafts, one of your primary jobs will be to embalm, bury, or cremate bodies in a timely manner so that they do not deteriorate.
Oh, and after getting run over by a car, you’ve also been propelled through time and now find yourself in a world that seems to be loosely based on the middle ages. The only way to return home is to become a skilled gravekeeper while also making friends among the locals, giving sermons in the local church, and conducting research into emerging technologies.
Graveyard Keeper manages to reach the same calming sweet spot as other farming simulations, despite the game’s focus on a morbid subject. This one, unlike other open-ended simulation games, has a tale that is completely resolved, although we won’t blame you if you don’t want to go through that portal and instead want to stay among the corpses. The choice is yours.
12. Unpacking
If “Zen” and “calm” are more your speed than “ultra-challenging” games, then you should surely have a look at Unpacking, which is one of the greatest games of 2021. Unpacking is one of the best games of 2021. The process of unpacking is precisely the same as it sounds:
You will move from house to house, unpacking boxes and placing their contents in appropriate storage areas such as cupboards, shelves, and closets. Even if you never meet the owner of the belongings you are unpacking, you will gain a better understanding of who they are as a person with each item of clothes, poster, and stuffed animal that you go through.
Unpacking is a remarkable feat in the field of video game storytelling, and it demonstrates that there are still fresh methods to untangle a story. We’ll forgive you if you skipped over this jewel when it was first released in November of last year, but you shouldn’t do that anymore.
13. Celeste
Celeste, a platformer, won a Take This Dr. Mark Award for its insightful portrayal of mental health issues, just like Stardew Valley did. Stardew Valley won the award last year. In contrast to Stardew, however, Celeste is not exactly someone you’d call Zen or chill out with. It’s a really difficult platformer, and many of the challenges are meant to symbolize the internal conflicts that our mountain-climbing heroine, Madeline, is going through.
Those who are familiar with the struggles of worry and self-doubt will recognize themselves in Madeline’s story, and the game takes great care to address these weighty concerns. And despite the fact that you will die a lot, the next chapter will never feel out of reach, even if you will die a lot.
14. Oxenfree
Oxenfree is a variety of things, including a story about coming of age, a mystery, a graphic adventure, and a game that is just plain bizarre in general. The independent video game developed by Night School Studio follows a bunch of teens as they embark on a camping trip on an island for the night. This should serve as a warning to you that things are going to go horribly wrong.
There are supernatural powers at work on this island, and in order for our protagonist Alex to have any chance of living till sunrise and making it back to solid land, she needs to decipher the island’s perplexing environment.
15. Diablo III
Blizzard Entertainment has a long history of being a developer and publisher that caters to Mac users (and we can only hope that its recent acquisition by Microsoft, the maker of Windows, won’t change that!). As a result, it did not come as a surprise when the highly anticipated Diablo III was released simultaneously on OS X and Windows in the year 2012.
The hack-and-slash gameplay is still a tonne of fun, especially when played cooperatively with a friend or two after over a decade has passed since its release. You’ve got a nice Friday night ahead of you if you boot up your Mac, activate voice chat, and get ready to make your way through the dungeons of Sanctuary in search of loot.
16. The Flame in the Flood
In a world that has been ravaged by a post-apocalyptic flood, a young girl named Scout and her devoted doggo have to travel a significant distance along a body of water in order to find some kind of hope for the future.
This description was written to be intentionally ambiguous on purpose. Finding new things to like as you play through The Flame in the Flood is a big part of the game’s appeal. Because of its roguelike character, this indie darling from The Molasses Flood requires players to start over periodically, but this only serves to heighten the sense of accomplishment upon successfully completing the game.
It is not an easy chore to keep Scout alive, as the procedure includes a variety of activities such as exploration, crafting, resource management, and scavenging. It’s going to be a rough ride, but it’s going to be worth it, and it’s going to have a terrific soundtrack.
17. Fortnite
If you haven’t heard of Fortnite by now, we’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your ability to have remained hidden from the world for the past five years. The game began as a co-op survival experience, but it has since been transformed into a free-to-play battle royale hit that has helped put the genre on the map.
When players talk about Fortnite, they are typically referring to the Battle Royale mode. This mode is what has brought in billions of dollars in revenue for the game’s developer, Epic Games.
What exactly is it about the game Fortnite that has garnered the interest of millions of people? Perhaps it’s the cartoony style, which never takes itself too seriously but still manages to be entertaining. It might be the combo of shooting from the third-person perspective and constructing bases.
Or perhaps it’s due to the fact that Fortnite is the kind of virtual world where you can watch the newest Christopher Nolan movie with your friends while you’re dressed as a banana. Forget about the metaverse; this is the kind of future that gamers are hoping for.
18. Disco Elysium
We are aware that games have frequently utilized amnesia-based themes, but Disco Elysium is one of the few games in recent memory that does this trope well. This dark and brutal murder mystery is actually an RPG, but rather than using battles to move the plot forward, it relies on conversation and skill checks that are modeled after tabletop games.
Due to its innovative take on the category, “The Witness” was able to walk away with a number of prizes at this year’s ceremony honoring video games’ best and brightest. It’s reassuring to know that new ideas are still out there; all we have to do is be prepared to give them a shot. It’s a great example of how independent games are leading the way when it comes to rethinking long-held gameplay rules.
19. Final Fantasy XIV
When it comes to massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), Final Fantasy XIV is the game to play if you want to lose yourself in an online adventure. This massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) published by Square Enix accomplished something that was once thought to be impossible: it dethroned World of Warcraft as the most popular role-playing game (RPG).
The game takes place in the expansive Final Fantasy universe that put the publisher on the map. In point of fact, Final Fantasy XIV is so popular that Square Enix is forced to temporarily block new sales(opens in a new tab) in order to prevent the game’s infrastructure from becoming overloaded.
The road to success for Final Fantasy XIV was not the smoothest of all possible routes. The first iteration of this work was roundly panned by reviewers, and fans mainly ignored it.
Things didn’t start getting better until the “2.0” patch was released for the MMORPG in 2013. Since then, Final Fantasy XIV has grown into a massive success that has won numerous awards. Get in while the getting is good; you can never be sure when the sales will resume.
20. Shadow of the Tomb Raider
To tell you the truth, this could be any one of the three games that are part of the relaunched Tomb Raider trilogy from Square Enix. But we’ll go ahead and add the one if it’s the one that wraps up the new origin tale for Lara Croft in a way that’s pleasing.
This iconic action-adventure game series has improved significantly over the course of its most recent three installments. Gone are the clunky gameplay and exaggerated proportions, and in their place is an experience that is engrossing and a tonne of fun to play. Lara Croft, the adventurous protagonist of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, travels through Mexico and Central America during the course of the game. There, she faces the challenge of preventing an impending apocalypse while also examining her own part in the maintenance and dissolution of secret societies.
Having said that, if you haven’t played any of the new Tomb Raider games on Mac yet, all three of them are now available, and it is highly recommended that you do so. You can get started with the first Tomb Raider game, which was released in 2013, or you can get the entire trilogy in a single bundle on the Mac App Store.
21. Day of the Tentacle Remastered
In reference to Maniac Mansion (and when are we not? ), the 1993 sequel Day of the Tentacle received the remastering treatment in 2016, bringing one of the most hilarious and inventive video games of all time to contemporary gaming platforms.
Throughout the decade of the 1990s, DOTT was universally considered a masterpiece, and in contrast to many other games from that era, it still holds up well today. Does time travel? Sentient tentacles? A scheme to reduce people to servitude? Are you and Thomas Edison going to make a time capsule? Everything is included in the Day of the Tentacle.
A bonus is that Weird Ed’s computer allows you to play the very first version of Maniac Mansion. Just don’t get between him and his pet hamster.
22. Thimbleweed Park
Thimbleweed Park is a game that you just must experience if you were a fan of the original point-and-click adventure games created by LucasArts in the 1990s. Thimbleweed Park is an adventure game that puts you in control of five zany characters who are working to uncover the town’s deadly secrets. It was designed by the game design dream team of Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick, who are also known as the visionary designers of the 1987 adventure classic Maniac Mansion.
The atmosphere is best described as “X-Files meets Twin Peaks,” while the gameplay is reminiscent of the glory days of LucasArts. In order to solve puzzles, Thimbleweed Park makes use of the time-honored inventory and verb mechanics, but at the same time, the game has a very contemporary feel to it thanks to the outstanding voice acting and stunningly designed landscapes. In addition, veterans of the point-and-click genre will be pleased to discover a wealth of subtle references to games that came before it. At long last, an application for the chainsaw!
23. The Sims 4
When it was first released in 2014, The Sims 4 did not exactly strike a chord with veteran gamers or reviewers; but, a lot can change in eight years. Following the release of the most recent installment in the long-running simulation series, which was met with mixed reviews, the developers at EA and Maxis have released consistent updates that include a large number of quality-of-life enhancements.
They have also included a significant amount of content from older games that were glaringly absent, such as the hot tub and the toddler life cycle. Although it took some time, The Sims 4 has finally earned its place as a fitting sequel to the acclaimed Sims franchise.
You will need to use Origin in order to play this game on a Mac, despite the fact that EA has now made their entire game collection available on Steam (which includes TS4 as well as its many expansions and DLC packs). Sul Sul!
24. Hades
When the macOS, Windows, and Nintendo Switch versions of Hades were released in 2020, reviewers were quick to shower the game with praise and nominate it for multiple Game of the Year awards. To put it another way, this is not simply one of the best games on the Mac; rather, it is one of the best games periods, and it has been released in the previous few years.
This roguelike adventure through the underworld is as visually stunning as it is challenging to complete. Death, however, does not feel like the end of the game because the combat is up to the high standards set by Supergiant Games.
The thing with Hades is that it guarantees your death. A lot. On the other hand, rather than being a painful and aggravating experience, each game over screen gives the impression of having a brand new opportunity. This particular roguelike is well worth your time and effort, even if you’re not usually a fan of the genre.
25. Stardew Valley
There are few activities that are as relaxing as playing a good farming simulation game, and Stardew Valley established a new benchmark for the category when it was released in 2016. Stardew Valley is a game with a farming theme that builds on the history of previous games in this genre, most notably the Harvest Moon series. The game adds depth to practically every aspect of gameplay, including farming, animal husbandry, combat, friendship, and exploration, among other things.
Stardew Valley is one of those rare gems that appeal to a broad range of gamers, from seasoned veterans to novices just starting out in the gaming world. You will be able to play at a rate that is comfortable for you, and the overall atmosphere is one of calm and relaxation. In point of fact, it was even awarded non-profit status for mental health.
The first-ever Dr. Mark Award was given out by Take This for an “empathetic portrayal” of “mental health challenges.” In 2021, the article was referred to as a “gay millennial pandemic dream” by the New York Times. I don’t know what else would make a better sales pitch than that one.