Best Free-To-Play Games On Mac, Ranked

The Mac gaming market, for lack of better words, is not exactly the most diverse and wide-ranging gaming scene in the industry. Despite being so demanded and globally bought, there hasn’t been a groundbreaking level of interest in macOS, which often leads users to opt for other platforms for their gaming needs. One would naturally think things are far more limited when it comes to Mac-supported free-to-play games. However, that’s not particularly the case here.

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Aside from the limited range in the Mac gaming scene, there isn’t much that Mac users are missing out on in terms of access to some of the most popular and competitive free-to-play games out there. Sure, Mac users are definitely cut off from some must-play indies. Most recently released triple-A games are still not supported, and usually take time to be full-available natively. But those that are available (especially the free ones) are enough to keep gamers — hardcore and casual alike — busy for a while.

Updated January 31, 2025 by Stephen LaGioia: As Mac systems become more user-friendly and prominent, an expanding lineup of titles has become more available. The rise of the indie scene certainly helps Apple on this front, as the typically simpler games can be ported over with little issue. But while the bulk of PC and console games remain absent from Mac, a growing number of both paid and free-to-play are finding their way onto Apple’s devices, even natively.

10

Paladins

An Epic, Imaginative Hero Shooter

Coming on the heels of the (relatively) similar hero-based shooter Overwatch, Paladins actually dates back well over a decade, when it saw several name changes and some shifts in direction. Fast-forward to the present, and the game shines as a refined action romp with an impressive amount of fun, exciting gameplay — especially for a freebie.

As one might guess from its name, the motifs are even more fantasy-laden than Blizzard’s shooter, as the roster and other characters are populated by dragons, dwarves, elves, and other genre staples. Players face off in a handful of game modes with five-on-five teams inside vibrant sci-fi settings, taking charge as one of a whopping 59 distinct ‘Champions’.

Each has its own strengths, mechanics, weapons, and a few ‘talents’ — and can be customized or upgraded in various ways. It just so happens that one of the most dynamic, alluring multiplayer Mac games is also free-to-play.

9

Crossy Road

A Modern, Blocky Take On Frogger

Crossy Road

Systems

Released

November 19, 2014

As one might expect, Hipster Whale and Yodo1’s colorful indie action romp revolves around scurrying across busy streets. Specifically, they must maneuver through an endless trail of moving vehicles and static objects, venturing as far as possible before swiftly meeting their end. Diverging from the toad protagonist in the similar classic Frogger, Crossy Road fittingly features a chicken set on crossing countless roads.

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Environments and hazards begin to vary as one progresses — with busy streets giving way to areas like rivers and train tracks. Amusing new playable avatars also become available when nabbing enough coins throughout the maps. These include an ominous ‘Dark Lord’, the internet meme Doge, and Hipster Wale’s own mascot.

8

Balatro+

Poker Meets Roguelike Deck-Building

This roguelike card game is something of a phenom that seemingly came out of nowhere in 2024. It’s perhaps not surprising that Balatro quickly grew popular, with its mesh of familiar and innovative gameplay that’s easy to jump into, yet tough to truly master.

It draws from the foundation of Poker, dresses it with Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone themes, and implements tough, unpredictable roguelite structures. In each multiphase ‘run’ that escalates in difficulty, players take advantage of unique cards and combinations to arrange strong hands and obtain points.

Added to this are the game-altering Joker cards, which yield distinct features/perks and alter the scoring in unforeseen ways. It’s a simple, yet creative and involved premise, and the highly similar Balatro+ can be had for no added cost when subscribed to Apple Arcade (which offers a free trial).

7

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

A Surefire Way To Experience One Of The Best FPS Games For PC

Systems

Released

August 21, 2012

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence

Counter-Strike is one of those iconic first-person shooters that left an impression on many PC gamers, and along with the likes of Doom, Halo, and Goldeneye, paved the way for modern FPS games in the industry. This fourth entry in this rich series is perhaps the pinnacle of Counter-Strike.

It’s renowned by fans and critics for its solid mechanics, depth, and slew of diverse content — which lends itself to competitive gaming. Global Offensive offers a whopping nine (official) game modes, each with its own twist on the formula.

As has been the case since its debut, Global Offensive thrives on sharp, robust online gameplay, highly regulated and refined to keep the experience fun and reliable. From standard Deathmatch, to the thrilling bomb-diffusal Demolition (and its two-on-two variant Wingman) to the battle-royale Danger Zone, there’s loads of high-powered gameplay to delve into for hours on end.

6

Path Of Exile

Action-RPG Played From An Overhead Perspective

Path of Exile is an action RPG that first hit Windows in 2013 and finally made its way to Mac in 2020. It’s a Diablo-like game that is often considered the spiritual successor of the Diablo series and is heavily influenced by its gameplay. Even though it’s been around for a while, Path of Exile is still a hugely popular free-to-play game that hardly needs an introduction.

Path of Exile is set on a fictional continent known as Wraeclast, and the entire goal of the game is to make the chosen character strong enough to survive the unforgiving world surrounding them. The game revolves around exploration, combat, and completing quests that reward experience and items for a highly consistent progression that ultimately makes the player character unbeatable.

The seven classes offered can be upgraded and customized through skill points that align with their respective attributes. It’s essentially what a normal RPG progression system is, apart from the lack of an actually tangible in-game currency — which is replaced by a trading system of in-game items.

5

RuneScape

One Of The Most Popular Classic MMORPGs

RuneScape is an old MMORPG that’s just as loved and active around the world as it was when it was first released. It was initially released in 2001 and is considered one of the most-played MMORPGs of all time. Its popularity has only grown with each new version it’s received, like RuneScape 2 and Old School RuneScape, making it bigger than ever.

RuneScape is a free-to-play game that offers a significant amount of content before players feel the need to unlock the paid stuff. Like every other RPG, it has its own mechanics and premise that needs to be thoroughly explored before players get into the nitty-gritty of things.

Since the game is so massive, there is a bit of a learning curve to it before one gets the hang of the basics. From mining, fishing, cutting wood, and cooking to active combat and raids with the help of consistent playing, RuneScape is pretty much an all-in-one game that’ll keep Mac players busy for quite a while.

4

Starcraft 2

A Real-Time Strategy With An Intense Multiplayer Scene

The most daunting aspect of most free-to-play games isn’t their complex gameplay, but their highly active and constantly updating games that turn out to be too intimidating for new players. While that, in itself, isn’t a bad thing, it does end up being a bit too much for some casual gamers. Starcraft 2, with its very ‘on-the-go’ community, is one such game that keeps players on their toes consistently.

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It’s an extremely famous real-time strategy that was released in 2010 as a sequel to its equally renowned parent game, Starcraft. The entire objective of the game is simple — choose one of the three factions and progress the economy through different mechanics to come out on top by destroying entire enemy establishments.

Although the game in its entirety isn’t completely free, the first campaign (Wings of Liberty), co-op, and multiplayer modes are. Even without the rest of Starcraft 2‘s excellent campaigns for the Zerg and Protoss, these game modes are highly dynamic and may be enough for players to get their fair share of Starcraft 2 without buying the paid version.

3

League Of Legends

One Of The Two Most Popular MOBA Games of All Time

Riot Games’ global star, League of Legends, known for being free on all platforms, is also completely free on Mac. It was initially released in 2009 and was then extended to Mac in 2013. Since it is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, the game doesn’t offer any single-player content that might appeal to solo gamers. Additionally, considering how competitive the game is, it can be deemed a bit too unforgiving for new and casual players.

Like most MOBAs, the premise is straightforward: battle until one faction is completely defeated. In LoL, the primary objectives are structures called Nexuses. Each team and its champions must target the opposing team’s Nexus and strategize to destroy it. Players gain XP and gold throughout the game, equipping their champions to become progressively stronger.

2

Dota 2

An Iconic Successor Of A Game That Spawned A Subgenre

Regarding free-to-play MOBA games, Valve’s globally renowned Dota 2 is also free to play on Mac. If League of Legends is considered an unforgiving gaming experience, Dota 2 takes it up multiple notches and makes the learning curve merciless. However, it’s exactly this game’s intense and challenging gameplay that makes it so popular among gamers. It gives a feeling of accomplishment after they’ve overcome the initial newbie barrier, and ultimately is a very rewarding playthrough for those willing to spend time and effort on it — and it demands a lot.

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Dota 2 follows a similar pattern to LoL and revolves around two teams locked in a deathmatch to see which team reaches the enemy’s main objective structure first. The Dota map is divided into two areas: one side is for the Radiant and the other is for the Dire.

Both sides have their objectives and structures strategically placed, allowing players to maximize their gold and XP while shutting down the enemy team. The game features 124 heroes, each with unique attributes, abilities, skills, and roles that need to be calculated and tactfully picked before starting a match. Ultimately, the entire game is about which of the two teams (each consisting of 5 players) can maximize their resources more effectively.

1

EVE Online

A Vast World That’s As Comprehensive As They Come

Among the most immersive, exhaustive games in terms of player interaction and horizontal progression is EVE Online, an MMORPG (recently made available for Mac) that stands out for being very different from other games of the same type. It’s a futuristic sci-fi game set in an open economy where almost every aspect of gameplay is open-ended and at the whims of the player. It’s a world within a world that requires just as much experience, playtime, and skill as any other game (perhaps even more) to get the hang of fully.

Put simply — EVE Online starts with the player creating their character by choosing one of the four races offered to them. After they’ve done that, they can essentially start doing whatever they want — exploring, trading, mining, or simply taking part in real-time combat. There’s complete freedom in literally whatever players do, creating an ecosystem that is dynamic and unpredictable at times.

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