The Best Steam Games For MacOS

Let’s face it – playing video games is hard if you own a Mac. Since most of the biggest titles are PC exclusives, macOS users are left scrolling through countless pages on Steam, looking for anything sporting the Apple logo, let alone something actually fun.

Related

10 Best Mac Games

Not all gaming needs to be done on a Windows PC.

Thankfully, there’s a silver lining. While they may be few and far between, you can find plenty of high-quality Mac-compatible Steam games if you know where to look. From epic open-world adventures to bone-chilling mysteries, Mac owners can delve into some of the greatest indie and triple-A titles from a vast array of genres.

Updated on December 16, 2024, by PJ Molloy: While many triple-A titles are sadly PC-exclusive, some of the best indie games of 2024 are Mac-compatible. We’ve updated the list with the very best ones.

15

Thank Goodness You’re Here

A Slap-Happy Comedy

As a self-proclaimed “slapformer” Thank Goodness You’re Here is a comedy adventure about slapping your problems away. You control a traveling salesman who gets roped into doing all sorts of odd jobs while exploring the fictional Northern England town of Barnsworth. As you might expect, each situation can be solved by slapping something.

If you’re looking for a good laugh, this game is exactly what the doctor ordered. The story, characters, objectives, and writing are all hilarious, with plenty of visual gags and goofy animations along the way. It’s a short adventure, but it’s worth every second.

14

Balatro

Enthralling, Accessible, And Endlessly Replayable

Winner of Best Independent Game at The Game Awards 2024, Balatro is an enthralling deck-building roguelike with an exciting twist on the game of poker. The goal is to play the best hands possible to earn enough points. Between rounds, you can buy Joker and Tarot cards to gain power-ups, increase combos, and level up each card RPG-style.

Don’t worry if the premise sounds intimidating. The game is surprisingly accessible and easy to learn, even if you have no prior poker experience. Soon enough, you’ll be forming strategies, building powerful decks, and watching your score skyrocket into the thousands. Simply put, you’d be hard-pressed to find a gameplay loop as rewarding and replayable as this one.

13

Neva

Embark On A Beautiful Journey

Looking for an immersive story? There’s no better choice than Neva. The plot follows a young woman named Alba, whose world literally begins to decay after a traumatic experience. Accompanied by her pet wolf, she must explore the dying environments and try to restore peace.

The metaphor here is powerful. It’s hard not to shed a few tears as Alba and her wolf learn to cooperate and heal from their overwhelming grief. As a bonus, the hand-drawn visuals, animations, and soundtrack perfectly capture each emotion. Overall, it’s a cozy adventure that will undoubtedly tug at the heartstrings.

12

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

A Thrilling Anime Murder Mystery

In Danganronpa, 15 of Japan’s brightest high school students are abducted and trapped in a sadistic killing game in which the only way to leave is to get away with murder. As Makoto Naegi, you’ll explore Hope’s Peak Academy during a mix of visual novel segments and free-roaming social simulation sections.

When you come across a dead body, you must investigate the crime scene and pinpoint the killer in a fast-paced class trial. Featuring a twist-heavy plot, many endearing characters, and the deliciously evil villain Monokuma, Danganronpa is required reading for any fans of detective games.

11

Ex-Zodiac

A Love Letter To Classic On-Rail Shooters

Ex-Zodiac

Systems

Released

May 2, 2018

Developer

Ben Hickling

Publisher

PixelJam Games

ESRB

e

Ex-Zodiac is a loving homage to the Star Fox series, featuring a 32-bit art style and high-speed on-rail gameplay reminiscent of the mid-’90s. Take to the skies as Kyuu, a pilot who travels across the galaxy to battle a criminal organization called Zodiac.

Related

The Best Single-Player Games On Steam

Time to peruse Steam for that next single-player experience – or just check here, where we’ll give you the best to play.

Just like Star Fox, you’ll be barrel-rolling, boosting, and blasting your way through different planets, trying to rack up as many combos as possible. Everything from the incredibly catchy soundtrack to the delightfully silly dialogue nails the feeling of ’90s sci-fi. Make sure to play with headphones for the best experience.

10

Firewatch

A Gorgeous Open-World Adventure

Firewatch puts you in the shoes of a park ranger who gets tangled up in a bizarre mystery. While looking out for forest fires, you begin to notice strange happenings. The communication cables are cut, your watchtower gets ransacked, and you can’t help feeling that someone is watching you. Eager for answers, you venture into the woods to investigate.

The game strikes a nice balance between open-world exploration and a story-driven structure. The lush colors of the forest provide a sense of calmness that grounds you throughout the eerie adventure, creating an experience that’s just the right amount of suspenseful and serene.

9

Escape Simulator

Solve Escape Rooms With Friends

Puzzle

Adventure

Simulation

Indie Games

Systems

Platform(s)

Microsoft Windows
, macOS

Released

October 19, 2021

Developer

Pine Studio

Publisher

Pine Studio

ESRB

t

Don’t have the money for an escape room? Escape Simulator provides the same experience in the comfort of your home. You and up to nine others explore a series of puzzle-filled chambers designed by real escape room operators. You can also play solo if you’d prefer.

Each room sports a unique theme, including an Egyptian tomb, a desolate spaceship, and a mysterious mansion. You must work together, take in your surroundings, and solve each brain teaser until you find a way out. There’s even a level editor if you want to try making your own puzzles.

8

Lies Of P

A Beloved Fairy Tale Retold As A Soulslike

If you like Bloodborne or Dark Souls, Lies of P is right up your alley. This soulslike action RPG is a gritty reimagining of the tale of Pinocchio. You explore the decaying city of Krat, where autonomous puppets have massacred most of humanity. With the help of his creator, Geppetto, Pinocchio travels across a steampunk-style world in search of a way to end the bloodshed.

Lies of P distinguishes itself from other soulslikes thanks to Pinocchio’s Legion Arms – mechanical limbs you can equip to access powerful weapons and abilities. In addition, the plot cleverly implements the puppet’s knack for fibbing with the Lying System, where your decisions to be truthful or dishonest impact the story and ending.

7

Cult Of The Lamb

A Cute Rougelike With A Dark Twist

Have you ever wanted to play as a cute lamb who runs a satanic cult? Welcome to Cult of the Lamb, a roguelike where you recruit adorable forest animals to worship a god called The One Who Waits. The goal is to play multiple runs through a randomly generated world, fight enemies, annihilate rival cults, and gain new demonic powers.

4:06

Related

Steam Games With The Biggest File Size And How Many GB They Take

These Steam games are pretty big.

Any resources you find can be used to upgrade your town. Once there, you’ll need to keep your followers happy by cooking for them and performing rituals; otherwise, they might turn against you. Everything is presented in a delightful pop-up book art style that perfectly complements the game’s dark sense of humor.

6

Slay The Princess

A Thrilling Psychological Horror Visual Novel

Systems

Released

October 23, 2023

Developer

Black Tabby Games

Publisher

Black Tabby Games

ESRB

nr

Slay the Princess is a Lovecraftian visual novel that uses psychological horror to create a blood-curdling mystery. The story begins outside a cabin in the woods. An unnamed narrator tells you there’s a princess inside, and it’s your job to kill her. Otherwise, the world will end.

Upon entering, it becomes apparent that something far more sinister awaits in the basement. Every decision is important, so be careful about who you trust and remember that nothing is what it seems. The hand-drawn monochromatic art style makes the experience even creepier, evoking the feeling of stepping into a twisted picture book.

5

Baldur’s Gate 3

The Best Dungeons & Dragons RPG

Set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a turn-based RPG that takes you on a journey across the Forgotten Realms to find a cure for a deadly parasite infection. Given how massive the world is and how graphically demanding the visuals are, it’s remarkable the game runs on macOS at all.

Like its tabletop counterpart, you create a character, pick a class, and explore a vast open world brimming with secrets, quests, and bosses. Objectives often have multiple ways to go about them, granting you the freedom to tackle challenges however you want. You can even grab up to three friends and explore together.

4

Tunic

A Delightful Yet Challenging Adventure Game

Inspired by the Zelda series, Tunic is an isometric adventure game where you explore the ruins of a lost kingdom as a sword-wielding fox. With no set path to follow, you’re free to explore at your own pace, hunt down each well-hidden secret, and venture into treacherous dungeons.

Don’t let the cutesy art style fool you; this game offers a hefty challenge. Thankfully, you can find hints and lore details by collecting pages of an in-game instruction manual. Overall, Tunic feels like an adventure through and through. It doesn’t hold your hand or tell you what to make of its ambiguous plot. It lays everything out and lets you decide what the journey means.

3

Return Of The Obra Dinn

An Innovative Puzzle Game

Return of the Obra Dinn is one of the most unique puzzle games on Steam. In 1802, the titular ship vanished after departing from England. Five years later, it drifts into the port, and its crew members are now a pile of skeletons. You assume the role of a detective who must board the vessel and find out what happened.

Related

8 Best Free Mac Games

Gaming on a tight budget? No problem. You can play these outstanding Mac games for free.

Every time you find a corpse, you can use your Memento Mortem pocket watch to travel back in time to their moment of death. As you investigate, you unravel the tragic past behind the ship, its passengers, and the shocking truth of the Obra Dinn’s disappearance.

2

Dave The Diver

A Cozy Management Simulator And Deep Sea Adventure

If you’re looking for a cozy game, there’s no better choice than Dave the Diver. With his business partner Cobra and head chef Bancho, the titular Dave opens his own sushi bar. During the day, you explore a body of water called the Blue Hole, catch fish, and photograph sea life, all while avoiding sharks and managing your air supply.

At night, you run the restaurant, use the fish you’ve found to create recipes, and upgrade your diving equipment. The comedic tone and cartoonish silliness make Dave the Diver a joy from start to finish. There’s even DLC that adds Godzilla to the game.

1

Celeste

A Breathtaking Platformer

Celeste is not just a game. It’s a journey about the struggles of managing mental health. The plot follows Madeline, a young woman who climbs Celeste Mountain to escape the burdens of her everyday life. Along the way, she is chased by the personification of her anxiety and depression.

On top of the moving narrative, Celeste delivers stunning pixel art and tight platforming. While there are no enemies, the game’s many obstacles and collectible strawberries provide a satisfying difficulty. Since there’s no life system, you can retry any section as many times as you want. Don’t sleep on this one if you like platformers.

Next

15 Best Multiplayer Games For Mac

You don’t need a PC to play these outstanding multiplayer games.