The 40 Best Games For Mac in 2024 [Free & Paid]

In this guide, we have selected a bunch of the best games for Mac in 2024.

Whether you want to build your city, create a digital family, conquer territories, or indulge in the meaty RPG, we have covered them here.

Windows dominated the gaming world for the longest time, but things have changed since Apple started making its silicon.

There are so many best games for Mac in 2024, which is a testament that more game producers are ready to explore the Apple ecosystem.

You will be surprised that Macs are attracting the biggest games rivaling the PC. M1 and M2 Macs have also proven to the world that they can run fast games. For these reasons, interest in Mac games has never been stronger. 

Detailed Review of The 40 Best Games For Mac in 2024 

1. Disco Elysium

This RPG is one of the best games for Mac in 2024 and probably one of the few best games ever designed.

Disco Elysium is a murder mystery detective game that uses intelligent dialogue techniques, so you can watch your favorite character act based on several inner voices.

You could play as the guy hanging from a tree or the confused drug-addicted detective who finds himself in a motel room without recollection of how he got there.

This game is all about choice; you can approach it the way you like.  

2. Resident Evil Village

Resident Evil Village became famous even before the game’s full release, thanks to the vampire lady Alcina Dimitrescu.

However, there are more intriguing things than what she does. This game breaks away from conventional modern-world settings and takes a medieval approach.

It is perfect for the Resident Evil series’ old and new players.  

3. Baldur’s Gate 3

The game comes with 3D graphics. Its vast adventure also matches the quality of its predecessor. This version has been available on Steam since 2020, but the game is set to be released in August 2024.   

4. Total War: Three Kingdoms

This franchise is the king of turn-based strategy. Set in the year 190, Total War: Three Kingdoms has 12 Chinese-based warlords that enter into an epic battle of warfare and struggle.

This game is based on the classic Chinese Romance of the Three Kingdoms.    

5. Total War: Warhammer III

Warhammer III is the best strategy game for Mac. Even if you are not familiar with earlier series, this version comes with an optional prologue called The Lost God.

This prologue introduces new players to the world of Warhammer.  

6. Final Fantasy XIV

This game is all you need to immerse yourself in an online adventure. This MMO is the king in this genre. Its content is enormous, especially when considering expansions, stories, jobs, and raids.

It might be the only game you need on your Mac.   

7. XCOM 2

Firaxis made sure XCOM2 was available on Mac. Like its PC version, this game is unforgiving and tactical. Here, death is almost assured. With XCOM2, you recruit your soldiers to battle it out with enemies.

The game is a little hard to master but offers a generous saving system.  

8. Divinity: Original Sin II

It is the best role-playing game on the market today. This version features a reactive world that evolves based on what you give it.

This powerful world can interact with any character and sometimes even kill characters.  

9. Hades

Hades is not only one of the best games for Mac in 2024 but also an intriguing one. You take a journey through the underworld only to die in the end.

That is not the end of the game, though. This game will satisfy your taste if you like rough terrains.  

10. Cities: Skylines

We all know of SimCity, but now we have a better city with a paradoxical theme. In this game, you will have to manage the development of the city while keeping citizens happy.

There are multiple robust systems at work here. You have to keep traffic moving and offer favorable tax policies to attract businesses into the city.  

11. The Elder Scrolls Online

The Elder Scrolls Online takes you through the map of the base game, which may take hundreds of hours. On top of this, you can spend 30 to 50 hours on each expansion.

This time is spent joining several other players to take down a dragon. 

12. Football Manager 2022

Who would love to be a football manager when club owners can hire and fire at their pleasure? Thankfully, the Football Manager gives you more control of your virtual team.

It is the best sports game on Mac.   

13. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Its first version was released in 2000 and was a paid-for game, but the team-based Global Offensive version is free-to-play.

This version has the same anti-terrorist themes found in earlier Counter-Strike Series. The main difference is that it focuses on team competition.

In the same, two teams compete to reach specific goals, such as rescuing a group or defusing a bomb. The teams are rewarded based on what they achieve.

If you are a pro, you can upgrade to Prime Status, which costs $14.99. 

14. Lego Star Wars Saga

The Saga version is packed with six games based on the Star Wars films. Like other Lego games, you will have fun playing the Saga version. All the games have unique scenarios, such as lightsaber duels and space battles.  

15. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

If you are looking for a game that provides endless hours of action, then Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is your game. Civilization VI is addictive and satisfying.

This strategy allows you to enter into a battle with novel leaders for global domination. 

16. Dota 2

Dota (Defence Of The Ancients) 2 is an online strategy game popular on Steam. The good thing is that you don’t need an advanced Mac to run it.

Sadly, this game is not novice-friendly. There are a lot of characters to choose from, and each comes with sophisticated weapons.

Besides that, it provides unlimited challenging strategy action and is free to play.  

17. World Of Warcraft: Dragonflight

This Mac game is the best subscription-based MMO. It has dominated the MMO genre for several years. The game can run on Apple Silicon Macs.

The earlier games had a few inches, but the release of the Dragonflight is much welcomed, as it provides crucial new features and updates. You can upgrade if you want to raise your characters.   

18. Cuphead

The golden age of American animation inspires this game. That is why it has remained one of the most stylish games. It has a lot of challenging actions targeting pro players looking for a challenge.

You will experience lots of epic battles and run-and-gun scenarios.  

19. Celeste

This platformer is very challenging. The various mountain climbing scenes represent the internal struggles that heroine Madeline has to go through.

The main theme of the game is mental health. So it might capture the attention of many players who relate to what the characters go through.  

20. Crusader Kings III

Crusader Kings 3 is one of the best strategy games ever released by Paradox Interactive. Each game begins with you selecting a royal house, which usually starts in 867 or 1066.

After that, the game resumes in a typical grand strategy fashion. It is up to you how you want to act at any given time.

You might spread religion in your region, forge friendships with neighboring areas, or even go to war with anyone who crosses your path.   

21. The Banner Saga 3

It has almost the same theme as The Shadow of the Tomb Raider. This high-level strategy RPG lets you command a battalion of fighters who go to war with the Dredge, a species that despise humans. The whole thing is set in a World of Viking legend.  

22. Portal 2

Portal 2 became one of the best games for Mac in 2024 after it expanded on the success formula of Portal 1 with some added deep storyline.

In this game, you assume a protagonist role, attempting to get yourself out of a vast Aperture research facility. Claiming your freedom is difficult, as you must break through different rooms with complex puzzles.   

23. Life Is Strange

Life Is Strange is one of the best adventure games on Mac. You might mistake it for a typical adventure game, but you will be immersed in the fun as you play.

You play a young girl named Max who is experiencing hard times in school.  

24. Undertale

This top-down RPG comes with turn-based battles. Ironically, you may seem like you are not fighting since you only use words to break through barriers.

It can be a distinctive and weird game, but that is why most people love it.  

25. Descenders

This biking game can generate the downhill path for each game you play. So, you will experience a new challenge each time you start a new game.

The challenge is to reach the farthest end of the downhill before you run out of lives.  

26. Papers, Please

This puzzler sometimes finds it hard to fit into regular gaming terms. The game lets you take up the post of border control.

So, people pass through your booth and present their documents. You will spot irregularities and deny them entry into the authoritarian world.    

27. The Sims 4

This game came with new exciting features built on top of what was found in earlier Sims. EA has also added content, such as toddler lifecycle and hot tub, which was missed in previous releases.

While this game is available on Steam, you may need to use Origin to play.    

28. Diablo III

Blizzard Entertainment is famous for being an Apple-friendly developer, so its recent acquisition by Microsoft will not affect the games it releases for Mac.

This hack-and-slash game is fun when you have a partner to play with.  

29. Limbo

While the loss is one of Limbo’s central themes, its story is open-ended. There could be more than one interpretation.

At one instant, you lose yourself or love; the next, you find yourself in unfamiliar territory. This game took advantage of the grayscale color theme to generate expensive settings.    

30. Game of Thrones: A Tale of Crows

This is an Apple Arcade exclusive game, and it is unique. You will have a series of idle times during the game as you wait for results after a few tasks.

The main story is framed around a Lord Commander on a mission to the foot of GoT’s wall looking for Watch at Castle Black. The messages serve as a guide on how to progress with the mission beyond The Wall.   

31. Fortnite

It is not only one of Mac’s best games but also the world’s biggest game. This free-to-play game balances the game’s building mechanics and tense last-man-standing shootouts.

It involves faster fights, so it can be challenging to master.  

32. Dwarf Fortress

In this game, seven dwarves emerge from the Mountainhomes to start a new kingdom in a world full of monsters, gods and ancient legends.

Despite their size, these dwarfs are the heroes in the story. In their ingenuity, they establish a citadel, face great evils and craft incredible artifacts.  

33. Return of the Obra Dinn 

This video game boat empowers you to find solutions to mysteries through investigation. Most of the complex stories involve horrific deaths.

The game balances puzzles, adventure, and a gruesome supernatural.   

34. Shadow of the Tomb Raider

This action-adventure series by Square Enix can run on almost any machine. The latest release comes with graphical enhancements.

The thrill takes place in Mexico and Central America. It is a balance of fun and realistic actions backed into one story.  

35. Tunic 

The tunic is a gorgeous game with beautiful serene music and a unique art style. However, don’t be fooled by the aesthetics.

The game gives you a hardcore experience that tests your mind and combat skills.  

36. Minecraft

In Minecraft, you will start the game with nothing to build labyrinth-style mine shafts and tall skyscrapers within a few minutes.

This game has attracted lots of players since it launched in 2009.   

37. Graveyard Keeper

If you have played Stardew Valley, you will find this game equally interesting. You will still do some farming, but your main task is to embalm and bury corpses.

If you are hit by a car, you may enter a unique medieval world. Your only chance to get home is to be a loyal grave keeper while leading church sermons and befriending villagers. 

38. Grim Fandango: Remastered 

Grim Fandango is an obvious choice if you are tired of playing Broken Age and would love a more challenging game.

This tricky puzzle may take you through a loop for the sake of storytelling and experience.  

39. Metro Exodus 

Metro Exodus is based on the novel Metro 2035, set in the post-apocalyptic world of Moscow. You will assume the role of the main character and lead a band of Spartan Rangers across rugged terrains. 

40. Stardew Valley

This farming simulation game has charming characters, retro-inspired sprites, and marriage combat. Besides being a farming simulator, Stardew Valley is a role-playing game with players competing in areas such as improving their professions, fishing, and unlocking new areas.

Your primary focus here is to improve your personal property.  

Closing Remarks

That’s it. It wasn’t easy narrowing down the selection of Mac games. We tried to consider genre and art styles, popularity, free options, and difficulty levels to cater for everyone.

There are many fantastic games for Mac, but the ones we have recommended here are the best games for Mac in 2024. If you still need more software options information, this guide will help you.