Best Mac Games Update June 2017
Mac gamers, contrary to popular belief, have plenty of top games titles to choose from these days - indeed, the most difficult part is narrowing down the options, and then finding the money to buy and time to play them. Read next: Best free Mac games
We can't help with the latter, but the first problem is right up our alley. We've collected the 139 best Mac games for your delectation, dividing them for the sake of convenience into seven categories. Select your favourite genre from the list above and jump in.
Here, then, are the greatest Mac games out there, together with, where available, links to in-depth Macworld reviews and entries on the Mac App Store or Steam, so you can buy them right away.
Roleplaying games (RPGs)
7 Mages
Company: Napoleon Games
Where to buy: Steam
Requirements: Mac with OS X v10.8, 1.6GHz dual-core Intel processor, 512MB VRAM
Price: £10.59
Released for Macs, PCs and iOS devices all at the same time, 7 Mages is one of many recent releases that harks back to the days of old-school RPGs such as Baldur's Gate. To be honest, the slim storyline lacks the depth of those old classics, but 7 Mages still works as a fun dungeon crawler that gives you plenty of monsters, puzzles and loot to play with.
The farmers who live on the island of Roven are beset by raiders, so they hire you and your pals to protect them. It's the classic story of the Seven Samurai, of course, but with wizards, warriors and rogues replacing the samurai.
The first-person point of view is unusual for a role-playing game like this, and there were times when we would have liked a more traditional overhead perspective to help us organise our party during some of the big battles. Fortunately, the game uses a turn-based combat system, so you can take your time planning your strategy, and selecting each character's spells or combat abilities. And while some of the initial dungeon corridors that you explore can seem a bit dull, there are also some striking and atmospheric locations, such as the City Of Bone and the Temple Of Night, that draw you into the action. Throw in some adventuresome point-and-click puzzles, and you've got an enjoyable slice of old-school roleplaying to sink your teeth into.
The Mac version of the game costs a little over £10, but the iOS version lets you play some of the early sections for free and then buy the full game for £5, so you can always try it out before deciding if you want to go further and explore all the mysteries of Roven. Cliff Joseph
Animal Gods
Company: Still Games
Where to buy: Steam
Requirements: Mac OS X 10.10, dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 256MB graphics card
Price: £6.99
Animal Gods has had mixed reviews following its launch on Steam this month, but that's possibly because the game's developers refer to it as an 'action RPG', which suggests a fast-paced sword-swinging/spell-slinging dungeon crawler like Diablo.
There is some combat in Animal Gods, but the game actually reminds me more of iOS games such as Limbo and Botanicula [both also available on Mac], as the slim storyline and combat elements are very much secondary to the experience of just soaking up the atmosphere created by the distinctive 2D artwork and soothing soundtrack.
The story is wafer-thin. You play a warrior called Thistle - who is apparently female, although her animated figure is unfortunately too small to create any real sense of character. Thistle sets out to rescue three ancient animal gods who have been trapped in a series of temples, so you have to explore each temple and overcome the enemies within, as well as solving some simple puzzles along the way.
If you're looking for a hack-and-slash action game then you'll definitely be disappointed, as neither the combat nor puzzle-solving elements of the game are particularly challenging. However, the gently ambient soundtrack and distinctive design - with artwork that looks rather like primitive cave drawings - do have their charms.
To be honest, Animal Gods would probably work better on handheld iOS devices than on a Mac or PC, but it might be worth checking out if you like games that can help to calm you down after a stressful day at work. Cliff Joseph
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
Company: Beamdog
Where to buy: Mac App Store
Requirements: OS X 10.6 or later
Price: £14.99
Baldur's Gate was a landmark roleplaying game of the late 90s, and set the standard for every RPG that followed. The graphics may be dated, and the game's interface isn't exactly streamlined, but the complex storyline and eccentric cast of supporting characters are still very enjoyable and can provide many hours of enjoyable monster-bashing. The game is huge, covering dozens of locations around the area known as the Sword Coast, and it often seems like there are people just queuing up in the local tavern to offer you additional quests and rewards in return for your help.
Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition is a genuine golden oldie (on the iPad as well as on Mac). Younger players, raised on 3D epics such as Dragon Age, may wonder what all the fuss is about, but anyone who can remember the good old days of role-playing games will thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to go adventuring on the Sword Coast once more. Cliff Joseph
Company: Beamdog
Where to buy: Mac App Store
Requirements: Mac OS X 10.7, dual-core Intel processor, 4GB RAM, 2.5GB hard disk
Price: £14.99
The original Baldur's Gate II was released way back in 1988 by the role-playing gods at Bioware, and its 2D graphics will look pretty dated to anyone that has played modern role-playing games such as Bioware's Dragon Age series. Even so, it's an essential purchase for anyone that has even the slightest interest in role-playing games, and the sheer size of the game means that it's excellent value for money.
It's a shame that this updated Enhanced Edition couldn't be brought right up to date with more modern 3D graphics, but it does get a cosmetic makeover with high-def versions of the original artwork, so it doesn't look too bad on modern computer screens. Besides, whether in 2D or 3D, Bioware's great strength has always been its story-telling skill, and Baldur's Gate II is as captivating now as it was nearly 30 years ago. It's very much traditional fantasy fare - with you taking on the role of a warrior, wizard, rogue or cleric - but it's done on a truly grand scale. Your character is just one of many mortal offspring spawned by the evil god Bhaal, and the game pits you against several of your own brothers and sisters as they vie to succeed Bhaal and claim his power as their own.
There are hundreds and hundreds of quests along the way - around 300 hours worth if you try to complete them all - including power struggles within the guild of Shadow Thieves, and an epic battle with the wizard Irenicus, played in full scenery-chewing mode by Brit character actor David Warner. Throw in the return of bonkers barbarian Minsc and his giant space-hamster Boo, and BGII is a real retro treat for RPG fans.
Cliff Joseph
Darkest Dungeon
Company: Red Hook
Where to buy: Steam
Requirements: Mac with OS X v10.9, dual-core Intel processor
Price: £18.99
In many ways, Darkest Dungeon is a throwback to the early days of role-playing games. Its two-dimensional sideways-scrolling graphics are stylishly drawn, but definitely rather retro when compared to most modern 3D games. The turn-based combat is also fairly leisurely and unlikely to win over fans of more action-oriented RPGs such as the Diablo series (below). It does, however, have a few modern twists up its sleeve that will appeal to RPG veterans.
The game starts off in conventional role-playing fashion, sending you and one companion to explore the countryside around your ancestral home. There are a few early skirmishes that act as a kind of tutorial - which you'll need, as there are a lot of stats to absorb as you develop your character's skills - and also allow you to recruit additional members to your team.
You then set off to explore the aforementioned darkest dungeon, which lurks somewhat inconveniently beneath your old family pile. Each character has his or her own special skills to master, and there are some fun character classes that you can experiment with, such as the creepy Plague Doctor and shape-shifting Abomination. And, as well as facing down all sorts of monsters and undead ghouls, your heroes also have to cope with the game's Affliction system, which measures their stress levels during combat. Some characters will rise to the challenge, but others may turn tail and run for the hills at the first sign of trouble.
It's pretty hardcore, too - there's no Quick Save option, so if your team dies you'll just have to return to town and sign up some new raw recruits. Not everyone will have the patience for this sort of slow, thoughtful action, but if you're a hardened role-player then Darkest Dungeon will offer a satisfying challenge, and its novel Affliction system makes a nice change to the clichéd heroics of traditional role-playing games.
Cliff Joseph
Diablo III
Company: Blizzard Entertainment
Where to buy: Battle.net
Requirements: OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.x or later; Intel Core 2 Duo; nVidia GeForce 8600M GT or better; ATI Radeon HD 2600 or better; 2GB RAM; 12GB available HD space
Price: £32.99
Twenty years after the events of the last game, a meteor strikes the much-troubled town of Tristram, opening up a gateway into the depths of the earth and paving the way for the return of the demon lord Diablo. As always, it's up to you to gird your loins and turn back the forces of darkness before they unleash untold nastiness upon the earth.
This time around you can choose from five different character classes - barbarian, demon hunter, monk, witch doctor and wizard - each with its own unique skills and abilities. The graphics have been updated too, and now provide a true 3D view of the action.
There's no denying the addictive grip that Diablo III exerts, even if Blizzard could have been more ambitious in updating from Diablo II. If you have any interest at all in sword and sorcery action games this is simply irresistible.
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