Mac Games - MacResearch.org (2024)

Free Games for Mac

There are many Mac games free of charge, but the truth is that most of them are pretty bad and not worth your time. We’ll only put the decent ones here and hopefully save you time.

Best Native: Dota 2

The original Dota invented the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre, and Dota 2 continues that legacy. It stands the test of time proudly and continues to be among the most popular multiplayer games.

It pits two teams of five people against one another with the goal to destroy the other team’s base. Each player controls a unique hero with individual abilities, but team synergy is the most important factor for success. The gameplay is incredibly deep, so deep in fact that Dota 2 has become a staple example for high skill ceiling.

Ways to play: macOS version available on Steam

Best Non-native: Lost Ark

Lost Ark is an online RPG that combines open-world sensibilities with fast-paced hack-and-slash combat, which is very difficult to do right. Think about it for a second.

Open-world equals a lot of content, hack, and slash equals a lot of repetitive content. That’s why the balance needs to be just right.

Lost Ark’s main highlight is its over-the-top combat system, where each ability and in-game skill feels bombastic and powerful as if you are an overpowered anime character. A linear character progression kind of brings the whole thing down, but despite this, you’ll have a guilty-pleasure kind of fun from hacking down waves of mobs and powerful bosses.

Ways to play: Boosteroid; GFN

Other Free Games To Try:

• Eve Online: A complex interstellar simulation where player-driven economics and politics dominate the gameplay experience.
• Fortnite Battle Royale: A dynamic shooter that merges rapid building skills with ever-evolving game modes to appeal to a diverse audience.
• Genshin Impact: A visually impressive open-world RPG that integrates gacha mechanics into its expansive narrative and character system.
• League of Legends: A strategic MOBA with a deep roster of characters, emphasizing competitive play and team tactics.

Free Mac Games

Paid Games for Mac

Obviously, most of the games you can play on your Mac are paid, but which ones are truly worth your money, and which ones to wait on for a sale? Find out by browsing through this part of our site.

Best Native: Disco Elysium

Disco Elysium is one of the most unique RPGs you can encounter in the gaming space. You play as a detective tasked with uncovering an intricate mystery, and features practically no combat for the entire game. So as close to real-life detective noir stuff you can get, but in a dystopian futuristic world.

The core of the gameplay revolves around interacting with other characters and your environment, and upgrading your character’s skills to gather clues for your investigation. The skill tree, in particular, is especially interesting, as it affects not only the progression of your character but also the narrative as a whole.

Depending on how you build up your character, the narrative can branch off, lending Disco Elysium an especially high replay value.

Ways to play: macOS version available on Steam

Best Non-native: Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar Games might not release new titles often, but when they do, the event transcends a typical gaming release. Player’s expectations for the studio are centered on high-reactivity, realism, and pushing the open-world design to a level that’s unreached by the competition.

Case in point: Red Dead Redemption 2. Set in the Wild West, you play as a run-down outlaw Arthur Morgan, part of a larger gang. RDR2 provides a mix of a hyper-detailed large world crafted around a thought-provoking narrative on society and redemption.

To be fair, the gameplay emphasizes realism a little bit too much, which slows down the experience, but everything works together to form a masterful game. If you were to ask us for a title that provides a complete gaming experience, this is a top contender. It’s a game that can be enjoyed even by newcomers who don’t appreciate the trappings of the action-adventure genre.

Ways to play: Boosteroid

Other Paid Mac Games:

• Cuphead: A challenging action game that combines 1930s animation aesthetics with high-difficulty boss battles.
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice: An action-adventure game with precise combat mechanics set in a mythologically infused feudal Japan.

Paid Mac Games

Old & Classic Games for Mac

A lot of the games that can be categorized as old classics are difficult to play today on newer systems, especially if we are talking about Mac. Despite this, we’ve managed to find quite a few older titles that can still be played on Apple machines, be it natively or through workarounds.

So if you are looking to feed your nostalgia with some classic games, this is the place to check.

Best Native: Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition

Baldur’s Gate II is one of those classic RPG titles I always hear about, but never played through when I was younger. Computer Role Playing Game (CRPG) fans swear by it as the definitive Dungeons and Dragons game.

From a historical context, it came at the height of the genre’s popularity and is the first game to feature a staple of modern RPGs: swappable companions with fully-fledged storylines. The game also emphasizes a very mature take on epic adventures and mysterious locations, which stands the test of time to this day.

And what’s great is that the remastered version from 2013 is fully compatible with the latest macOS versions.

Ways to play: macOS version available on Steam

Best Non-native: Half-Life 2

If we were to make a “20 games to play before you die” list, Half-Life 2 is guaranteed to make the top 5. It’s a first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the story of Gordon Freeman, a theoretical physicist (yes, seriously) who finds himself in the midst of an alien invasion.

The game is renowned for its environmental storytelling and the revolutionary physics engine that ushered in an era of destructible environments. Both elements are very influential for later games like the Bioshock series, for example. It’s also known as one of the first games to feature real-time interactable cutscenes.

It’s also pretty old, so it should play just fine on any Macs.

Ways to play: Boosteroid; GFN

Other Old and Classic Games:

• Quake: A fast-paced first-person shooter known for its groundbreaking graphics and intense multiplayer action.
• StarCraft: A deeply strategic real-time strategy game set in a futuristic interstellar war between three distinct races.
• Myst: An immersive puzzle adventure game that relies on exploration and solving complex puzzles within a richly detailed world.

Classic Mac Games

New Games for Mac

The switch to Apple Silicon chips and the release of the Game Porting Toolkit finally made macs viable gaming machines. Some companies have started porting their latest titles to macOS, and even the newer games that aren’t native are available through various workarounds. In this section, we cover the best newest gaming titles.

Best Native: Resident Evil Village

The Eighth installment in the RE series, Resident Evil Village is set somewhere in a Romanian village plagued by monstrous creatures and characters. So pretty much like previous RE games, if you’ve played any.

You can expect the things that make up the series’s legacy, like real-time inventory management while something’s chasing you, barely finding any ammunition, and being stalked by slow-moving enemies. It’s one of the best recent games that are natively available on Mac. Apple Silicon chips do a great job of running this highly-demanding title.

Ways to play: macOS version available on App Store

Best Non-native: Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a game by japanese developer Fromsoftware. It serves as the culmination of their efforts to perfect the “Soulslike” genre the developer created with its Dark Souls series.

The genre is first categorized by punishing difficulty that requires replayability. Only if you are willing to go through that can you reach exploration filled with secrets, and a lore that requires you to pay attention to the details rather than explain anything to you.

The game is difficult, but fair, and the satisfaction of finally making it through a particular boss is a one-of-a-kind experience because it usually requires a protracted fight where you don’t have a lot of room for errors. It’s not a game for casual players but it’s worth it, because you’ll experience the full grandeur of one of the best gaming titles of recent years.

Ways to play: Boosteroid; CrossOver; GPTK/Whisky

Other New Games:

• Griftlands: A narrative-driven, card-based RPG that focuses on choice, diplomacy, and deck building in a rogue-like format.
• A Short Hike: An indie adventure game where players explore a peaceful open world at their own pace, engaging in various activities and conversations.
• Factorio: A management simulation game where players build and maintain factories within an alien environment, optimizing complex production lines.

New Mac Games

Upcoming Games for Mac

We are constantly looking out for new and exciting gaming titles set to release for macOS and if we find anything that looks promising, we make sure to add it to this section. Here, you will find games that we think will have something interesting on offer and are expected to have a Mac version on release.

Best Native: Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 is the long-anticipated sequel to the iconic first game that was released back in 2013. Like the original game, the sequel will also be free-to-play with both single-player and multiplayer modes.

The main improvement in the sequel is. Its aim is to make combat more dynamic, which is certainly welcome since that was a main point of criticism on the original. To be blunt, for me the first game was the epitome of mindless hack and slashing. One thing we like about the upcoming sequel is the option to carry over any microtransactions purchased and achievements unlocked in the first game.

If I had invested years in the game to grind out a certain level for my character, I’d certainly want this continuity. As for the game’s mac availability, the devs have already confirmed there will be a native port.

Ways to play: macOS version will be available on Steam

Best Non-Native: Star Wars Outlaws

Star Wars Outlaws looks set to tickle the fancy of every would-be space smuggler with a taste for intergalactic kleptomania. Massive Entertainment is the developer behind this open-world sandbox title.

The game will throw you into the grimy boots of the scoundrel Kay Vess, whose aspirations are so grand they’d make Han Solo’s hair stand on end. Alongside your pal Nix, you’re scheming to pull off the kind of heist that would make even the Hutts blush, zipping between the seedy underbellies of both over and never-before-seen planets like the suspiciously serene Toshara.

We expect the gameplay to be a mish-mash of sneaking, space-shooting, and sweet-talking your way through a Star Wars universe where the line between charming rogue and outright menace is as thin as Luke Skywalker’s patience for farm life.

• Arctic Awakening: An upcoming adventure game focusing on survival and story in a dramatic, frozen wilderness setting.
• Deltarune: A character-driven RPG featuring turn-based combat and unique storytelling, from the creator of Undertale.
• Paralives: An indie life simulation game that offers detailed customization and simulation in a dynamic open-world environment.

Upcoming Mac Games

Online Games for Mac

In this section, we provide a selection of the best online games that can be played on Apple computers, including PvP (player vs player) and PvE (player vs environment) co-op titles.

Best Native: Final Fantasy XIV

We picked Final Fantasy XIV as the best native port- a celebrated JRPG MMO that impresses with deep lore and expansive world.

One aspect that makes Final Fantasy XIV stand out among others is the role flexibility of the characters. In most RPGs, you choose a particular role for your character (e.g. damage dealer, healer, tank, etc.) and you can’t change it. In Final Fantasy XIV, you can change your class, allowing for more flexibility if you start to dislike your current gameplay.

This wouldn’t normally be a standout feature, but developers nailed the classes so they feel just individual and fresh enough that you’ll rediscover the gameplay loop.

Ways to play: available on finalfantasyxiv.co

Best Non-native: Rainbow Six Siege

Rainbow Six Siege is a high-pace tactical FPS game taking turns to attack or defend fortified positions against each other.

Map design is the biggest feature of the title, because pretty much every part of the map can be destroyed to open up new paths toward the enemy. This, paired with enough different weapons and abilities, make Rainbow Six Siege a game that requires tactical thinking.

The obvious downside here is a steep learning curve, but it’s worth powering through it.

Ways to play: GFN; Xbox Cloud Gaming; CrossOver

Other Online Games:

• Diablo 2: An indie life simulation game that offers detailed customization and simulation in a dynamic open-world environment.
• Garry’s Mod: A sandbox game that provides players with tools to create, manipulate, and share content within a physics-based environment.

Online Mac Games

Offline Games for Mac

Gaming offline, by yourself, can often be just as satisfying and fulfilling (if not more) than playing games with other people. Offline gaming lets you focus on a game’s story, immerse yourself in its unique world, and uncover its mysteries at your own pace.

If this type of experience sounds good to you, then you definitely need to check the entries in this section.

Best Native: Subnautica

Subnautica isn’t simply one of the best offline games for Mac, but one of the best survival crafting games as a whole.

Without talking about the story, you maintain an underwater base and explore the depths of the ocean for resources and maybe a blueprint here and there that progresses the game. To get the most important resources and prints, you need to go deeper into the ocean, but that’s where you also encounter the harder threats. This is the tightrope the game walks on.

The biggest draw is the way the ocean is presented, bringing a sense of wonder to the experience. And knowing there’s a mysterious secret hidden at its literal bottom, it’s hard to resist plunging ever deeper into the world of Subnautica.

Ways to play: macOS version available on Steam

Best Non-native: Dark Souls 3

Dark Souls III, developed by FromSoftware, is a critically acclaimed action RPG known for continuing the series’ legacy of high difficulty and rewarding exploration, set within a dark and decaying world. Players take on the role of the Ashen One, who attempts to return the Lords of Cinder to their thrones to prevent the apocalypse. Got it? That’s about all the story you’ll get.

Now, let’s start over again. You’ll die. A lot. The signature unforgiving combat of the series is here one last time. Every ounce of progress you make will be through hours of trial and error until you figure out how to defeat the enemies. This is a game for masoch*sts, but there’s a special type of satisfaction gained from finally defeating yet another imposing boss.

It’s not a game for everyone, but the brave (dark) souls who dare embrace the pain are sure to be rewarded at the end.

Ways to play: Boosteroid; CrossOver; GPTK/Whisky

Other Offline Games:

• Hades: A rogue-like dungeon crawler that combines intense action with a compelling story set in the world of Greek mythology.
• Celeste: A challenging platformer centered around precise mechanics and the emotional journey of climbing a mountain.
• Inside: A dark, atmospheric puzzle-platformer that offers a haunting exploration of a dystopian world.

Offline Mac Games

Downloadable Games for Mac

The two main ways to play games on a Mac are to stream them via a cloud service or to download and run them locally. In this section, we include all games that can be downloaded and played on a Mac.

This doesn’t only include the games that have native macOS versions, but also all unsupported titles that can still be run locally using workarounds.

Best Native: Gris

This pick may appear a bit odd because Gris is a short and relatively unknown indie title. We chose it in particular because it shines as an example of how games can transcend their entertainment value.

Gris is one of those titles you can call a form of art. Gameplay-wise, it’s just another 2D platformer that can be beaten in around 4 hours. But, like Journey in the years past, the beautiful hand-drawn animations, the mesmerizing soundtrack, and the emotionally packed story are some of the aspects that make it a true gem.

It’s a laid-back and melancholic experience that lacks the spectacle of bigger titles. But it offers a different type of introspective appeal that can be just as fulfilling (if not more).

Ways to play: macOS version available on Steam

Best Non-native: Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy is the definitive “Harry Potter game” due to its ambitious scope and polished execution.

It’s set 100 years before the books, which is a good thing. Why, you may ask? Because it frees the world from the titular Harry Potter and lets us create a story that’s as close to official fanfiction as you can get. You begin in the 1800s in the role of a 5th year Hogwarts student. You will have the opportunity to revisit many familiar locations from the Harry Potter books and movies, but changed to reflect the century you’ve gone back. These are crafted with great attention to detail.

The best highlight you can make a case for is that the combination of gameplay, music and setting succeed in triggering a magical feeling that’s difficult to replicate and very specific to Harry Potter. The result is the best-selling title of 2023.

Ways to play: Boosteroid; CrossOver; GPTK; Whisky

Other Downloadable Games:

• Hyper Light Drifter: An action RPG known for its vibrant pixel art and fast-paced combat in a mysterious, ruined landscape.
• Oxenfree: A supernatural thriller adventure game where dialogue choices deeply influence the story and character relationships.
• Transistor: A sci-fi themed action RPG with a unique strategic combat system and a rich narrative voice.

Downloadable Mac Games

Single-Player Games for Mac

At some point, everyone gets tired of the competitive and often toxic communities of a lot of multiplayer games. In such instances, it’s always nice to take a step back and immerse yourself in a single-player title.

That way, you can play at your own pace and take your time to savor the beautifully crafted worlds, immerse yourself in the story, and become more familiar with its characters. Very often, single-player games provide a higher level of polish and are made with greater creativity and passion, hence why you shouldn’t overlook this section.

Best Native: Darkest Dungeon

Darkest Dungeon is a 2D roguelike RPG game with turn-based combat, where you control a ragtag team of four adventurers. Your goal is to delve into the depths of your abandoned ancestral home – a huge manor that hides many dark secrets.

During your expeditions, you will encounter all sorts of terrifying enemies that will endanger not only the health of your adventurers, but also their sanity. Darkest Dungeon is a challenging game that doesn’t hold back its exploration of the darker effects that adventuring can have on a person.

It’s a must-play title for fans of the Lovecraftian horror genre and players who enjoy difficult, but highly rewarding gameplay loops.

Ways to play: macOS version available on Steam

Best Non-native: Control

Control is an Action-adventure title known for its complex narrative and unique combat mechanics. It uses telekinesis, flying and other such powers in various creative ways to weave them into the game-world and narrative with precision which creates a very otherworldly effect.

The game is set in a single building that’s actually a whole world resembling a 50s office building with a nightmarish spin. Control seamlessly blends supernatural themes with the gameplay, which is a standout high-pace affair that really makes you feel like a superhero thanks to the powers. It’s a perfect title for when you want to have some fun by yourself.

Ways to play: Boosteroid; GFN; Xbox Cloud Gaming; CrossOver; GPTK/Whisky

Other Single-Player Games:

• Stray Mac: A third-person cat adventure game that explores a detailed, dystopian city from the unique perspective of a stray cat.
• Shovel Knight: A retro-inspired platformer that pays homage to the 8-bit era with tight controls and charming graphics.
• The Banner Saga: A fantasy tactical RPG that weaves Norse mythology into a dire, story-driven journey impacted by player choices.

Single-Player Mac Games

Multiplayer Games for Mac

Despite the stress and frustration that you’ll often find in multiplayer games, playing with other people always adds more excitement. Interacting with other players, whether they are allies or opponents, introduces a social element to the gaming experience, which manifests in an extra gameplay layer. If this type of gaming sounds appealing to you, don’t miss the titles in this section.

Best Native: World of Warcraft

You can say that World of Warcraft is the grandaddy of massively multiplayer games. Despite being nearly two decades old at this point, the game has an undying fan base. WoW recreates the full world of Azeroth, where you join one of two warring factions – the Horde and the Alliance.

Like other MMOs and RPGs, you start by choosing a hero class and customizing your character’s appearance and race. Then the game throws at you thousands of quests while you level up, but the most fun ones are always the raids. They require between 5 and 40 other players. In them, you attack the lair of a powerful enemy, clearing out minions before a protracted boss-battle which demands great team cohesion.

WoW is often regarded as one of the most influential multiplayer games of all time.

Ways to play: available through Battle.net

Best Non-native: Ark Survival Evolved

Ark: Survival Evolved is a set in a prehistoric sci-fi world, where humans and dinosaurs coexist. You get to do the traditional survival game activities, but the thing that sets Ark: Survival Evolved apart is the option to capture, tame, and use dinosaurs and traditional mounts.

Aside from that, the game also impresses with the freedom it gives you when building bases. With enough time and resources, you can raise fortifications to keep you safe from both wildlife and hostile players. Overall, the gameplay here is solid, so any fans of the survival genre should enjoy this title.

Ways to play: Boosteroid; Xbox Cloud Gaming; GFN

Other Good Multiplayer Games:

• Among us: A multiplayer social deduction game where players work together to complete tasks while trying to identify and eliminate the impostors sabotaging their mission.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III: A high-intensity first-person shooter that thrusts players into a global conflict, offering a blend of fast-paced combat, strategic military operations, and a gripping narrative across various modes.
• Civilization V: A turn-based strategy game where players lead a civilization from ancient times into the future, strategizing on cultural, military, and technological fronts to achieve world domination.

Multiplayer Mac Games

Games With Controller Support

Although the keyboard and mouse controls work well for most games, some titles are simply better played with a console controller. If you are looking for games that have controller support that you can play on your Mac machine, be sure to explore the titles we’ve included in this section.

Best Native: Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight is a Metroidvania game set in a dangerous gloomy world filled with challenging foes. It’s essentially a Dark Souls or Elden Ring equivalent in a 2D platformer package. The atmosphere is certainly immersive enough to carry the experience, but there’s also a mysterious story for you to piece together through lore clues, and crisp and responsive gameplay.

But, as the example we gave above suggests, it’s a bit too much Soulslike. This means it’ll be punishing until you get the hang of it, and only then will you reach the fun part of exploring the universe. The game can be played both with a keyboard and mouse and with a controller, and in this particular case, we think using a controller works better.

Ways to play: macOS version available on Steam

Best Non-Native: Forza Horizon 5

The Forza Horizon series is considered one of the best in the past few gaming generations. Forza Horizon 5 in particular delivers high-end graphics to produce stunning vistas in the wilderness of Mexico.

This realism is needed because it carries over to the racing itself, with a blend of near-world controls and accessibility. That creates an instant appeal for both casual players and passionate motorheads. Furthermore, the level of car customization and the sheer variety of available car models elevate the title into one of the best racing games of all time.

Ways to play: GFN; Xbox Cloud Gaming

Other Games With Controller Support:

• Ori and the Blind Forest: A visually stunning, emotionally charged platformer that tells the tale of a young orphan destined for heroics, through a visually stunning, hand-painted forest full of bizarre creatures and challenging puzzles.
• Don’t Starve Together: A multiplayer survival game set in a dark world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises.
• Monster Hunter: World Dive into a beautifully realized world filled with large monsters and challenging gameplay, focusing on crafting and strategy in both solo and multiplayer hunts.

Mac Games With Controller Support

Native Mac Games

While the number of games natively available for Mac is limited, there are still many great titles that you can enjoy on your Apple machine without using workarounds. And with the powerful hardware of Apple Silicon Macs and the capabilities of the Game Porting Toolkit, we expect more and more games to be ported to Mac in the future.

This section is dedicated to these native titles that you can directly download and run on your Mac.

Best Native: Frostpunk

We already told you about a lot of great native macOS titles, so we decided to put a lesser-known game here. Frostpunk is an indie-developed title that manages to be on par with AAA games in terms of production, but still carries the passion and love of a smaller game.

It combines elements of city-building and survival to deliver an apocalyptic tale of humanity’s survival. That is, if you can reconcile such themes with a base-building gameplay. Your only goal is to ensure the city survives a cold ice age while navigating the rising levels of resentment and hopelessness among your people. It’s a compelling gameplay loop filled with unexpected twists.

Ways to play: macOS version available on Steam

Other Native Mac Games:

• Thief Simulator: A detailed and engaging simulation game that puts players in the shoes of a burglar, strategizing and executing heists with precision in a rich, open-world environment.
• Terraria: An expansive 2D sandbox adventure where players explore, build, and battle in a procedurally generated world filled with monsters, treasures, and endless possibilities.
• Undertale: A unique RPG where choices matter, featuring charming characters, a heartwarming story, and innovative gameplay mechanics that challenge traditional gaming conventions.

Native Mac Games

Windows Games for Mac

Best Windows Game: GTA 5

GTA 5 has been around for over a decade yet it’s still among the most popular gaming titles. We assume this will carry on until the release of GTA 6.

As all other Rockstar titles it’s an open-world title. Unlike the Red Dead Redemption, though, GTA leans into humor and satire a lot more, to create a gangster/thief simulator. Y’know, where “Grand Theft” comes from in the title. You will steal cars, shoot people and things, rob banks, and navigate the chaotic lives of three swappable protagonists.

To this day, GTA 5 continues to impress with its highly detailed world, the amount of reactive content, and level of immersion. If playing as a thug in a parodical version of modern-day US is your thing, there is no better game than GTA 5.

Ways to play:

Other Windows Games for Mac:

• Valorant Mac: A tactical first-person shooter where teams of players compete in fast-paced, strategic battles using unique character abilities.
• Zoo Tycoon Mac: A captivating simulation game where players construct, manage, and customize their own zoo, balancing the needs of animals, visitors, and finances.

Windows Games on Mac

Steam Games for Mac

Steam is the largest and most popular gaming store at the moment and it’s also the place where you will find the biggest number of great game titles with native macOS support. The majority of games that we talk about on our site are available on Steam, so if you have an account there, this section is the first one you should check.

And if you don’t have a Steam account, what are you even waiting for? Also, any mac games on Steam have verified system requirements which isn’t always a given in the world of mac gaming.

Best Native: Inscryption

Inscryption is an indie title that combines the roguelike and card game genres. It leads you down a rabbit hole of mysterious secrets while you play an unusual card game against an opponent shrouded in darkness. You win every round or it’s game over. In between rounds, you can walk around the dimly-lit room, which allows you to slowly unravel what’s going on.

The card gameplay is solid – challenging at the start, but increasingly easier once you start learning different tricks. The true appeal of this game is the story, which we won’t spoil here. Inscryption is best played going in blind, and it’s absolutely worth it for its narrative alone.

Ways to play: macOS version available on Steam

Best Non-native: Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2 is an update to Counter-Strike Global Offensive, the most-played game on Steam. If for some reason you’ve never heard of it, it’s a tactical action shooter with a simplified gameplay formula that’s very easy to pick up.

There are two teams in each game (terrorists and counter-terrorists) that need to eliminate one another to win. Alternatively, each map has an objective for the two teams, and completing it also wins the round.

Unlike other contemporary FPS games, there are no special skills or character stats. You only have your weapons of choice, but the skill ceiling is quite high. This makes CS2 quite difficult for newcomers, but its polished and well-balanced gameplay is what makes players keep coming back for more.

Ways to play: Boosteroid; GFN; CrossOver; GPTK/Whisky

Other Steam Games:

• No Man’s Sky: An expansive, ever-evolving universe exploration game that combines elements of survival, crafting, and trading within procedurally generated galaxies.
• Planet Coaster: An intricate and engaging theme park simulation game that empowers players to design, build, and manage the amusem*nt park of their dreams.
• RuneScape: An enduring and evolving MMORPG that invites players into the vast, mythical world, where they can embark on quests, master skills, and forge their own path.

Steam Games for Mac

Epic Games for Mac

The Epic Games Store is another large game retailer that features a lot of exclusive AAA titles and also has a weekly free game giveaway program. A lot of the games covered on our site can be obtained through Epic, but know that the number of native macOS titles there is quite limited.

That being said, we can offer you a lot of ways to play games from Epic even if they don’t have Mac versions. For this reason, this section is also worth exploring while hunting for new games to play on your Mac.

Best Native: Rimworld

Rimworld is a single-player colony simulation game, which uses procedural generation for both the planet, the colonists, and the events that take place during your playthrough. This makes it unpredictable – the main draw of the game.

Challenges you face range from anything in between resource scarcity to environmental hazards, raids and low morale (these are only the more common ones, the game can sometimes throw another curveball at you). There are several end conditions, e.g building a spaceship to leave the planet, but you can also choose to stay and just develop a thriving colony.

Ways to play: macOS version available on Epic Games Store

Best Non-native: Dying Light 2 Stay Human

The original Dying Light was an unexpected success that leaned in an unlikely direction for the zombie genre. I’ve only seen this in Asian movies – parkour. It managed to create an interesting mix of an apocalyptic tale in the African city of Haran and carved a unique identity of its own.

Cue Dying Light 2 – bigger and more of the same, except the African setting is ditched for an European one set around 20 years later. Most of the changes to the gameplay stem from that but you can more or less expect a constant race against time to find a safe haven before nightfall while navigating the cityscape and its surrounding terrain.

Most of the technology is long gone, so your main means of fighting is improvised weapons. There are also ranged weapons, but they are more of a special type weapon you save for occasionally. While some of the luster of the original is lost in the sequel, it improves on the main criticism fans had on the first game – the storyline, which is branching and crafted with much more care. This makes it an overall better balanced game.

Ways to play: Boosteroid; GFN

Other Steam Games:

• Rocket League: The game combines high-speed cars with soccer in an explosive, physics-driven competitive game where teams use vehicles to score goals.
• Dauntless: An action RPG that combines the thrill of monster hunting with the satisfaction of crafting in a vibrant, shared world.

Epic Games on Mac

VR Games for Mac

Best non-native: Half-Life: Alyx

Half-Life Alyx was released 4 years ago, yet it still remains one of the best VR titles to this day. While most other VR games tend to have unpolished controls and/or gimmicky gameplay, Half-Life: Alyx provides a cinematic experience with meticulously crafted level design, combat sections, and story.

Speaking of story, this is the major standout factor that elevates the game above other VR titles. As a rule of thumb VR titles are still a new frontier and the genre prioritizes three-dimensionality over story.

But, without spoiling anything, in this one you’ll be pulled towards the mystery at the center of the plot. A mystery that’s sure to re-ignite the desire of fans of the series for a sequel when you reveal it.

Ways to play: Bootcamp (Intel Macs only)

There are currently no VR games that you can run natively on macOS, and there are almost no methods to play unsupported VR games. The only working solution we’ve been able to identify thus far is Bootcamp, which only works for Intel Macs.

For this reason, VR gaming on Mac is really limited and we don’t recommend it. That said, we will still mention a couple of notable titles playable through Bootcamp on Intel-based Mac models.

Other VR Games (Note: VR gaming on Mac is limited and may require additional setup):

• VRChat: A social experience game where you can interact with people worldwide.
• Beat Saber: A rhythm game where you slash the beats of adrenaline-pumping music as they fly towards you.

Skyrim VR: A virtual reality adaptation of the epic fantasy RPG, allowing for immersive exploration and combat in Skyrim’s vast world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What games can I play on my Mac?

The state of mac gaming is confusing, but in general, there are many games natively available on mac, as long as you are satisfied to play older titles. If you want the classics of any genre and to utilize your hardware, Game Porting Tooklit or Parallels are a must, unfortunately. GPT is free, however, making it the best option.

How to play Windows games on Mac?

Not all Windows games on mac are compatible with the system. Many of them, however, can be emulated through the Game Porting Toolkit. If you desire greater compatibility, your only stable options are the Boosteroid and GeForce Now cloud services.

How to play Steam games on Mac?

You play steam games on mac in two distinct ways, depending on if they are native or not. If they are native to mac, then you install and play with no other requirement. If it’s not native, you have to resort to emulators and workarounds to make the steam game play on mac, most commonly the Game Porting Toolkit, or a cloud gaming service.

How to uninstall games on Mac?

You uninstall games on mac the same way you uninstall most apps – move to trash. Go in Finder, Applications Folder, right click the App, then move to trash.