Game collectors might be upset to find out that Game Builder Garage will only be sold via the eShop in Europe. Jessibelle Garcia 22 hours ago A Tour of the Xbox Dashboard and How to Navigate It. DoTA 2 is another risk-free game to test the waters if you’re new to Mac gaming. It's also one of the best games on Steam. DoTA 2’s Mac version is a good port that can run on many machines. Verdict: 🔶 Fairly demanding System requirements: OS X 10.9, Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB RAM, 8 GB HD space, Nvidia 320M, Radeon HD 2400, or Intel HD 3000. The most popular streaming platform for Twitch, YouTube and Facebook. Cloud-based and used by 70% of Twitch. Grow with Streamlabs Open Broadcast Software (OBS), alerts, 1000+ overlays, analytics, chatbot, tipping, merch and more. Many Mac users don’t see a point in the dashboard; it’s definitely not for everyone. However, if you want to keep up with important information throughout the day (weather, news, email, tweets, events, etc), have a look at these best dashboard widgets for MAC osx.
Since the early days of Apple, Macs have not been known for their video game support. While Apple was focusing on their beautiful operating system and tightly controlled experience, Windows was branching out into an open platform that gave rise to highly innovative video games.
However, over the past few decades, the gap between platforms has been reduced significantly. Apple today has an impressive library of good games for Mac, thanks to a more popular hardware platform, and even released its own subscription model for gaming — Apple Arcade.
Gaming tools in one package
Nothing can hamper your game if you have Setapp installed on Mac. Pick the apps to optimize Mac’s performance and play uninterrupted.
So now that gaming on Macs is both viable and compelling, what are some of the best Mac games in 2021?
The Story Of Gaming On Macs
The main reason that Windows PCs enjoyed a greater selection of games than Apple is simply due to hardware. Apple has always produced their own proprietary hardware and software, which has allowed it to maintain a higher degree of control over how its systems physically look while ensuring its design standards are upheld for a consistent experience.
Contrarily, Microsoft made its Windows operating system open to run on a wider selection of hardware. For example, Dell could assemble its own hardware and then licence the Microsoft operating system accordingly. By opening up to more flexible hardware, Windows PCs were able to take advantage of the latest graphics and CPU innovations upon release — something critical in the early days of video game development. More importantly, Windows had a greater user base, which simply meant it was a more attractive business opportunity to develop games for the PC over Mac.
That was until Apple Macs started to borrow from some of the same open hardware architecture as PCs. Suddenly, video games made for PC could be easily ported to the Mac platform, which was becoming capable of running games smoothly due to newer, more powerful hardware.
That said, your hardware specifications are still an important consideration when looking for the best games on Mac.
The best hardware for Mac games
Generally speaking, video games fall into three broad categories — indie games (casual, made by one or a few people), e-sport games (competitive games which are usually fairly accessible to run), and blockbuster games (often requiring powerful hardware to run smoothly).
Almost any modern Apple Mac, including MacBooks, made in the past 5–10 years can run indie games without hassle. However, e-sport and blockbuster games may require you to pay more attention to the Mac’s specifications before attempting to run them.
When deciding if your Mac is going to perform well for gaming, consider some of the following:
Ensure your Mac has a dedicated graphics card (GPU). Many Macs, and especially MacBooks, use onboard graphics chips, which are built into the CPU unit. While efficient, these are usually not powerful enough to run really taxing games.
Aim for at a quad-core CPU, as many modern games take advantage of the extra cores over older units
Demanding games will usually call for a minimum of 8 GB of system RAM, but if you’re a multi-tasker or creator you might want 16 GB instead
Ensure you have enough hard disk space, as newer titles can take up a lot of storage. If you plan to have multiple games installed at once, you’ll want at least 256 GB of fast storage, preferably SSD over HDD.
Now that you know what kind of hardware is best for gaming, it’s time to look at some good games for Mac that will run well on your machine.
The best Mac games in 2021
The library of available games for Mac is constantly being updated with new and exciting titles — especially on the popular digital store called Steam and the App Store game collection.
However there are a few Steam games for Mac that really stand out — many of which were critically acclaimed titles on Windows PC before being ported across.
Here are some of the best Mac games in 2021 to get you started:
Diablo 3 is an action role playing game (ARPG) that’s all about loot. Level up your magic-wielding hero and slay thousands of demon-spawn in the search for more powerful gear and items. You can even play online or cooperatively with friends. Best for intermediate to powerful machines.
Cuphead is a retro-styled run-and-gun for up to two players which lets you tackle an increasingly challenging roster of bosses. Known for its beautiful cartoon-style graphics, Cuphead is a pleasure to look at while being fairly simple to run, and is one of the best Steam games for Mac. Ideal for basic machines, including MacBooks.
Fortnite is one of the world’s most popular online games for Mac, which finds you landing on an island and fighting other players to be the last standing. The addictive recipe of land, loot, shoot, and survive has become a world-wide phenomenon — especially as one of the top free games for Mac.
Civilization VI is one of the best games on Steam, period. It’s the latest instalment of a long-running series that lets you build entire civilizations from scratch. Advance through the ages, expand your empire, and use resources wisely to defeat your opponents through a variety of means. Reviews have shown Civilization V to be one of the best Steam games for Mac for years, and Civilization VI should become available soon. Better enjoyed on intermediate to powerful machines.
Starcraft II is one of the best free games for Mac, which lets you command one of three space-faring armies and battle them against each other for victory. It’s also one of the most popular online games for Mac ever.
Those are just a handful of the many exciting titles to land on Mac in recent years, with more being added every day. Even if you have an older Mac, you might be able to game comfortably without paying for costly hardware upgrades.
However, given that Macs don’t always have the same hardware options as their more powerful PC counterparts, it’s important to ensure your Mac is best prepared for high-speed gaming. This is especially critical for e-sport games, such as Fortnite, where one small hiccup or performance hit could cost the match.
Thankfully, you don’t need to be an advanced Mac user to optimize it for faster performance — developers have spent years making clever apps that can do just that for you.
Set up your Mac for gaming with CMM X
Disk cleanup and protection against malware — all you need for a perfect gaming environment. CleanMyMac X gives you just that.
Troubleshoot your internet connection
If you're playing any online game, the first thing to check is that you have a strong and stable connection. Many users mistake slow performance with their hardware, when in fact it can be isolated to their internet.
Best Dashboard Tools
Unfortunately, mousing over the WiFi icon in your menu bar doesn't tell you enough. That’s why WiFi Explorer was created. This app presents a much richer view of your network status with a few must-have features:
See the band, range, signal quality, and security status of all available networks in your vicinity
Use the network analyzer to identify channel or coverage conflicts. This is very useful for apartment buildings where WiFi routers are competing with each other for signal.
View simple recommendations by WiFi Explorer to improve your connection based on best practices
If you’re still running into issues, make use of the extensive help manual, which can help guide you through the troubleshooting process
Optimize disk space for your Mac
When you’re running out of disk space, the best games for Mac can begin to crawl because there’s not enough room to write new data to the drive. CleanMyMac X is a lightweight app that lets you manage your disk space and maintain your Mac for optimal performance. Some of its best features allow you to easily:
Uninstall any app from your hard drive, including a shredder function to leave no trace behind. See a simple list of apps that you don’t use often, making it easier to determine what should go and what should stay.
Perform a disk cleanup in just a few clicks, removing any unnecessary or fragmented files that can accumulate over time
Protect your Mac from malicious software with the Malware Removal tool. Based on the most up-to-date attack libraries, your games can run at full speed without being hindered by background viruses.
Optimize the performance of your Mac by letting CleanMyMac X run a series of scripts designed to surface some extra power
Monitor your Mac game performance
Half of knowing how to improve your Mac’s performance is understanding what the bottlenecks are. Instead of blindly speculating, use iStat Menus to see your current Mac status at a glance while playing the best games on Mac. iStat Menus is a fully fledged system monitor that integrates seamlessly with the menu bar. Some of the core features let you:
See an overview of your Mac’s status, including CPU and GPU usage, fan speeds, temperatures, and more
Customize your view, ensuring you’re only seeing the information you care about. Either minimize each figure to an icon in your menu bar or expand them into a single clickable window that provides more information.
Experiment with different color schemes, including a dark mode that’s easy on the eyes
Configure alerts that trigger when certain system performance criteria are met. For example, if your GPU temperature exceeds a specific figure, you can be notified.
It may sound like a lot of preparation, but when it comes to gaming you know that the extra performance can go a long way.
The best part is that WiFi Explorer, CleanMyMac X, and iStat Menus mentioned above are available for a free seven-day trial through Setapp — a subscription service for Mac which gives you access to over 200 powerful apps. Just head over to the Setapp homepage to get started, and you’ll be playing the best games for Mac right on your current laptop in no time.
Do you like Macs? No, not a cheesy type with all the cholesterol-hogging trimmings layered on. Am talking rather of pioneer Steve Jobs’ lil baby all grown up, bravely stepping toe-to-toe with and lobbing an Apple at the almighty Windows OS. Mac OS-enabled devices do offer outstanding security, simplicity, and ease of use. But they sacrifice that by being relatively neglected when it’s time to release all the apps and games that would otherwise make our everyday lives pretty much not worth living.
Those apps and Mac games that do make it for release are still numerous and varied enough for endless leisure and entertainment. But, helping you sift through the chaff and sinking your teeth into the real meat is what we are here to do. Thank us later. In the meantime here are what we stake our rep on as being the most magnificent games currently rocking the MacOS world.
List of the Best Mac Games
We handpicked these items from thousands of available games for the Mac systems. They are better one another in one or other aspect. Everyone may not enjoy all of these games because of their diversity in the genre and gameplay. Few of them maybe an FPS type or in some other kind. Anyhow, we are sure that you will find at least few of your favorites in this best Mac games list.
1. Doom 3
A science fiction insanely gory FPS from the stables of id Software and published by Activision, Doom 3 definitely does not disappoint in scaring you half out of your mind and leaving you prematurely grey-haired. While additionally enabling you to creatively dispatch all manner of monsters back to the hell from which they came. Sporting exceptional graphics, lots of exotic and customizable weaponry and slick presentation, it wastes no time shooting it’s way into your heart. While leaving you trembling yet eager for some more of its heavy-handed magic.
2. Star Wars – Knights of the old Republic
The Star Wars universe rendered on your Mac in glorious detail! Oh dear, color me awed!! Developed by Bioware and published by Lucas Arts this is one game that blazes its way into your consciousness effortlessly and with light saber precision. Game-wise, expect to be very well taken care of with an obsessively-detailed storyline, heart-pounding action, perfectly perfect graphics and enough excitement to make a galactic cruiser dance a jig with glee. Sure it might be rather dated, but it’s still capable of rendering one hell of a stomping good fun. Are you with the force or against it? Get with the program and find out!
3. Firewatch for Mac
A mystery adventure game from the camp of Campo Santos, Firewatch sets you on fire with heart-jabbing suspense and excitement. As a lookout in the Shoshonne National forest you are dragged into all manner of adventures and have mysteries aplenty to unravel. With a delightfully rendered open world to explore and get in trouble in, immensely immersive gameplay and a storyline and NPC characters that never permits boredom to come within a redwood distance of you, Firewatch is indeed one must-play fiery game.
4. Xcom 2
Developed by Firaxis games and published by 2K games, XCOM 2 is set some two decades after the events in XCOM Enemy Unknown. A turn-based tactics video game, it’s up to you and you only to defeat the aliens holding earth hostage and save humanity who are tottering right on the brink of extinction. Are you up to the task? If so, get ready to be blown away.
5. Sleeping Dogs
Developed by United Front games and published by Square Enix, Sleeping Dogs is one open world action adventure that ferociously barks for approval and gets it in spades. As an undercover cop in enchanting if crime-riddled Hong Kong, it’s up to you to take the fight to the Triads and bring them to justice. Along the way, you get to crack more than a few heads and break uncountable bones with your fists and all manner of improvised weaponry. And with an astoundingly realistic graphical environment, you get put right in the thick of the action to do what do know best. This is one of the best ever Mac games.
6. Heroes of the Storm
Developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, Heroes of the Storm assembles some pretty familiar heroes from other successful Blizzard franchises into one MOBA that punches you into sweet oblivion. The action is overwhelmingly frenetic and team based and offers the rare opportunity of all team members equally showering themselves with glory and collectively becoming heroes. With an irresistible collection of characters, awesome graphics and Oscar-worthy voice acting HOTS blow you right away. Part of its massive charm is that it’s free to play. If you got dough though there are lots of extra characters, exotic skins, and mounts waiting for you. If not there is still an obscene amount of fun to be had by all. Be a hero and storm to victory!
7. Rocket League
Developed and published by Psyonix, Rocket League combines elements of soccer and old fashioned demolition derbies. Rather than humans cars of all types play the beautiful game, swim in the action and get the out-sized balls into the net. Sporting potato-crisp visuals, addictively amazing gameplay and cars that get up to all manner tricks and trouble on the pitch, the game speedily rockets you to an unbelievable pitch of excitement. And with support for multiplayer matches feel free to go crazy. On the pitch that is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6oW4wV7erE
8. Civilization V for Macintosh OS
Dashboard Mac 10.15
Developed by Firaxis Games and published by the irrepressible duo of 2K Games and Aspyr, Civilization V elevates the turn-based strategy genre into something of a sublime art. Apart from also infusing a desperately needed transfusion of innovation, blood, guts and cunning into the genre. Lucky you is the ruler of all that you wish, and you get to wage wars, send diplomats on missions and pretty much do what nations do to advance their interests. And with a LAN multiplayer mode, you can bring friends right into the fun like any properly civilized individual.
9. Myst
An adventure puzzle game made by Cyan Inc and published by Broderbund Myst forces you to solve puzzles in your quest to find explanations for why things are the way they are. With a totally interactive world expect your game actions to determine the ending. Sporting an open world environment and enough puzzles to keep your brain creaking along for a long while, Myst is a very lovable classic that excellently delivers the goods.
10. Portal 2
A first-person puzzle-platform Portal 2 is a product of Valve Corporation. And a wonderfully put together piece of art as well. Leveraging on the original Portal game, this sequel exponentially increases the fun, excitement, and adventure to be had. Oft funny, sometimes scary, endlessly entertaining and wildly enchanting, this is not a game to be missed for any reason.
First-Person Shooters
Conclusion
Best Mac Dashboard Games 2019
MacOS devices might be relatively unrepresented in the gaming community. But that doesn’t mean Mac owners shouldn’t have fun. If you got a mac say cheese and start playing one among the top 10 games for the Mac.