These are the top Mac games right now, including links to the lowest prices for everything from racing to shooting to riddles.
Unfortunately, a lot of fantastic Mac games have fallen off recently because many of them are no longer supported. A few games break with each successive macOS release, but the release of a cat, os in 2019 meant that many games that employed 32-bit code were no longer Mac compatible.
Apple’s decision to exclusively support 64-bit operating systems coincided with the introduction of Metal for 3D graphics, which forced many game developers to decide whether to continue developing games for the Mac or stop. Sadly, a lot of people went with the latter.
1. Alien: Isolation – The Collection
Feral Interactive, Inc. Purchase options include Mac App Store (£38.99/$39.99) and Steam (£34.99/$49.99). system prerequisites 2.0 GHz dual-core Intel processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 1 GB graphics card. Mac OS X 10.5
The majority of Alien-themed video games have been quite terrible; in fact, Alien: Colonial Marines even sparked a lawsuit in 2013 from irate buyers who claimed the game’s promotion had misled them. Fortunately, Alien: Isolation is one of the “excellent Alien games,” as our pals at GameAgent recently noted.
2. Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition: Best RPG
Business: Beamdog Purchase options include Mac App Store (£19.99/$19.99) and Steam (£3.74/$4.99). Mac OS X 10.7, a dual-core Intel processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 2.5GB hard drive are required.
The original Baldur’s Gate II was launched by the roleplaying gods at Bioware way back in 1988, and anyone who has played more recent roleplaying games like Bioware’s Dragon Age series would find its 2D graphics to be somewhat dated. However, due to the sheer magnitude of the game, it’s a necessity for anyone who has the least interest in roleplaying games, and it offers fantastic value for the money.
3. Braid: Best Platform Game
Hothead Games, Inc. Purchase options include Steam and the Mac App Store (both £10.99/$10.99). a computer with OS X 10.6.6 or later is required.
When you first start playing Braid, you could be excused for believing that you’ve just purchased a puzzle platformer from the late 1990s. You run and leap like Mario, jump on creatures to kill them, and gather puzzle parts. You are then made aware of Braid’s game-changing ability to travel back in time.
4. Civilization V: Brave New World
Business: Aspyr Where to buy: Mac App Store (£28.99/$29.99), Green Man Gaming (£19.99/$29.99), and Steam. Operating System X 10.6.8 or later is required.
The fundamental gameplay mechanics of Civilization strategy games remain the same: you start with a group of cavemen and advance through history to become a civilization that will control the globe. However, the Civ series has long since moved past the stage where all you needed to do was amass a sizable army. The expansion pack for Civilization V, Gods, and Kings, adds religion to the mix while Civilization V improved the diplomatic components. Further depth is added by Brave New World.
5. Diablo III: Best Action RPG
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Purchase options include Battle.net US ($19.99) and Battle.net EU (from £16.99/€19.99). system prerequisites Intel Core 2 Duo, Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT or higher, ATI Radeon HD 2600 or better, 2GB RAM, and 12GB of free HD space; OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.x, or later; and
A meteor smashes the beleaguered town of Tristram, creating a portal into the earth’s interior and allowing the demon king Diablo to reappear. As always, it’s up to you to arm yourself and fight back against the forces of evil before they wreak havoc on the planet.
6. Disco Elysium: Best Detective RPG
Business: ZAUM Where to buy: Mac App Store (£38.99/$39.99), GOG (£34.99/$39.99), and Steam. Mac with OS X 10.13.4 or later, and a graphics card that is Metal-Compatible
Being a Mac gamer sometimes means having to watch as excellent new games are frequently never launched on the Mac at all, instead always appearing first on PC. RPG aficionados found the release of Disco Elysium last year to be especially infuriating as they observed the PC version of the title rake up prizes everywhere. Disco Elysium’s Mac version, on the other hand, has sporadically arrived without any prior notice and is easily accessible on all the major online game stores.
7. Divinity: Original Sin 2: Best Multiplayer RPG
Larian Studios, Inc. Purchase options include Mac App Store (£43.99/$44.99) and Steam (£17.99/$26.99). MacOS 10.13.6 or later, a MacBook Pro from 2016 or later, a MacBook Air from 2017, an iMac with AMD graphics from 2013 or later, and a Mac Mini from 2018 are required.
It was a bit of a surprise when Larian Studios revealed at the end of 2018 that they were working with Apple to create a Mac version of Original Sin 2, one of the best RPGs of all time, using Apple’s Metal graphics framework. Apple typically displays little interest in games on the Mac. The Mac version isn’t half-hearted either; in addition to leveraging Metal for the stunning 3D graphics, it also supports HDR (high dynamic range) on the newest Macs and Mac-specific features like Apple trackpads and the TouchBar on recent MacBook Pro models.
8. Elder Scrolls Online (plus Blackwood expansion)
Business: Zenimax Green Man Gaming (£42.49/$59.99), and Steam (£49.99/$59.99), are the places to buy. Both websites also sell the original game or just the upgrade for a lower price, Mac OS 10.13, a quad-core CPU, and a discrete GPU with 1GB VRAM are required.
One of the few top-tier MMORPGs that is compatible with Macs is The Elder Scrolls Online, and since its release in 2014, Zenimax’s developers have kept their devoted players coming back by regularly adding new “chapters” to the game. These are essentially content expansion packs that occasionally also include new features. But to keep the game feeling exciting and new, Zenimax occasionally publishes an update that makes significant changes to the game. The Blackwood expansion for 2021 is one of the most significant updates in a long time.
9. Final Fantasy XIV Online: Best MMORPG
Business: Square Enix Purchase options include the Square Enix US store (from $19.99, plus $14.99 per month), or the EU store (from £9.99 + £7.69 monthly subscription). system prerequisites Mac with a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor and OS X v10.14 or later.
Final Fantasy XIV, as we’ve previously discussed, has a somewhat mixed history. The devs actually issued refunds for the initial Mac version in 2015 because it was so terrible. Although, until recently, it was one of the few MMORPGs that still required a subscription to play, a succession of improvements over the past few years has seen FFXIV emerge as one of the best titles in the MMORPG genre. The most recent update, now known as Final Fantasy XIV Online, gives the game even another significant overhaul, overhauling the fundamental quest system to give players a more seamless entry into the game’s expansive online universe.
10. Football Manager 2022: Best Sports Game
Business: Sega Purchase options include Steam and Epic for $39.99 and $54.99, respectively. Mac with OS X 10.13.6 or later and an Intel Core i5 processor running at 1.8GHz are required.
Nowadays, when billionaire owners can hire and fire at will, who would want to run a football team? Thankfully, it isn’t a major concern for the Football Manager series, and this year’s update is heavily focused on giving armchair managers even more direct control over their clubs than in prior iterations. Football Manager 2022’s new data center, which offers in-depth monitoring of your team’s performance throughout each match, is one of its standout features.
11. Hearthstone: Best card game
Business: Blizzard Visit playhearthstone.com to purchase (Free to play; in-game purchases permitted) Mac OS 10.10, an Intel Core Duo, an Nvidia GeForce 8600M, or an AMD Radeon HD 2600 Pro is required.
Hearthstone has been around for a while, and because of Blizzard’s customarily sleek presentation, it soon became one of the top online card games. Hearthstone offers a broad variety of card packs that you can either buy with real money (beginning at £2.99/€2.99 for two packs of five cards) or earn by gathering gold and treasure within the game itself. Like most card games, the basic edition of Hearthstone is free to play. Blizzard occasionally publishes special “expansion packs” for Hearthstone that add new features to the game as well as new cards and other goodies, taking a cue from the long-running success of World of Warcraft.
12. Lego Star Wars Saga:
Feral Interactive, Inc. Purchase options include Mac App Store (£19.99/$19.99) and Steam (£15.49/$19.99). system prerequisites 1.5GHz Intel processor; 128MB VRAM graphics card; Mac OS X 10.5.8
At least one Lego game belongs in every home, and the Saga edition includes six games based on the Star Wars movies for a reasonable price. Both adults and kids will enjoy playing with the Lego versions of Luke, Han, Yoda, and Darth Vader for their sheer enjoyment. The six games in this collection feature a variety of diverse combat, such as those fought in space, in lightsaber duels, and on the ice world of Hoth. If you’re a fan of Star Wars, Feral has also published a new Lego game based on the Clone Wars animated series. Other Lego games are also available, and they are based on the Batman, Harry Potter, and Indiana Jones movies.
13. Life Is Strange: Best Adventure Game
Feral Interactive, Inc. Where to buy: Mac App Store (£17.99/$17.99), Steam (£15.99/$19.99, first episode free), Green Man Gaming (£2.56/$3.20).
Life Is Strange appears to be a very typical adventure game at a first impression. You take on the role of Max Caulfield, a teen girl who is having a difficult day at school. While Max sneaks out of class and goes to the restroom for a time-out, you can click on nearby items or students to learn information that will help you progress through the game. That’s standard adventure fare, but things start to get peculiar when Max sees her friend Chloe’s death and learns she has the power to travel back in time.
14. Papers, Please: Best Puzzle Game
Firm: 3909 LLC Where to purchase: GOG (£7.89/$9.99), and Steam (£6.99/$9.99). system prerequisites OS X Mountain Lion (10.8) or later; 1.5GHz Core2Duo; 2 GB RAM; and 100 MB of free hard drive space
Almost impossible to categorize in terms of traditional gaming, we’ve included Papers in the puzzlers even though it’s a peculiar twist on the labor simulation genre. Please allow me to visualize you accepting the position of border patrol in a totalitarian government. Which is undoubtedly a creative concept for a game. People come to your booth and produce their documents; it is your responsibility to choose whether they can enter or not. Deny them entry if you see an error on their documents. Allow them in if their plight touches your heart. However, if you hire too many questionable people or work too slowly, your income will suffer and your family will be without food.
15. The Sims 4: Best Sims Game
Business: Maxis Where to buy: Best Buy ($39.99), Origin ($12.94/£4.79,) With the most recent release of The Sims, there is a lot to take in: greater customizability, more diversity in actions, new vocations, and new locations to discover. The Sims 4 had high expectations after the popularity of The Sims 3, but it does a fantastic job of living up to them. More character customization options are available than in prior generations. The Sims 4 gives you the ability to fine-tune your character’s appearance and build by clicking and dragging the desired location, however you may still browse and choose pre-made eyes, mouths, hair, etc.