Ric Molina
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Source: http://macgamerhq.com/guides/best-mac-games
As always, our New Mac Games page keeps growing each month. Quietly, all the popular new games were added, creating a surprisingly long list of games to try.
PS: By popular, I mean games with at least 300 Steam reviews. If I don't set a limit, that would mean tens of games per month, including (sadly) lots of shovelware.
The month of June was no different, bringing brand-new indies, AAA games, and even exciting expansions. These are some of the highlights, but for the complete list of games released these past months, head over to the official list:
Micro Machines World Series: From the creators of Grid and F1 games, comes Micro Machines World Series, an unique take on the racing genre. Micro Machines World Series for Mac combines the madness of racing micro machines with epic team battle strategies. And all taking place in interactive backdrops of an everyday home.
CRYPTARK: Cryptark for Mac is a 2D roguelike shooter that challenges you with boarding and neutralizing procedurally generated alien starships. As you neutralize enemy ships, you earn income that can be used to purchase improved equipment and weapons to tackle even more dangerous targets. But you'll need to be careful, aliens will defend themselves with cyborg monstrosities, robotics, and security systems.
HITMAN: Hitman is the latest stealth action game from IO Interactive. As Agent 47, you perform contract hits on high-profile targets in exotic locations around the world. This game comes in episodic form and features seven episodes.
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood: Stormblood is the latest Expansion of the critically-acclaimed MMO Final Fantasy XIV. In Stormblood, you get to journey to the East to explore vast, new lands and play as two new jobs─red mage and samurai. Stormblood for Mac also features hundreds of new quests as the Warrior of Light, a level cap increase, changes to the battle system and more.
Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon: Armageddon is a hex-based, turn-based strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. In Armageddon for Mac, you lead the Imperial forces of the Steel Legion and Space Marines as they defend the planet against the Ork invasion. The game features over 30 scenarios and powerful modding options to keep you busy for hours.
Kindergarten: Kindergarten for Mac is an original adventure indie that takes place in a deranged school. The teachers are out trying to get rids of their students as the janitor cleans up the blood left behind. Kids get strange brain implants and one of your friends is missing. It will be up to you to figure out what is happening before it's too late.
Cold Waters: Inspired by the 1988 classic “Red Storm Rising”, Cold Waters for Mac puts you in command of a nuclear submarine at a time when Cold War becomes WWIII. This unique wargame features real-time naval combat, over 40 classes of ships and submarines, a dynamic Campaign, authentic Soviet combat tactics, and more. Enough to recreate a deep warfare simulation.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3: Dawn of War 3 for Mac features a terrific campaign and challenging multiplayer mode, giving you command of the heavy-hitting Space Marines, the savage Orks, and the technologically-sophisticated Eldar. The game also features Mac and Linux cross-platform multiplayer.
The month June 2017 also saw the release of critically acclaimed indies such as Passpartout: The Starving Artist, Blitzkrieg 3, Everspace and Hover: Revolt of the Gamers. For the complete list with all the details (descriptions, release dates, links and more), head over to New Mac games: Releases.
This was long overdue and I apologize for not making it happen before...
In March 2016, I released my Top 100 Mac games.
It was by far the most difficult and longest post I had ever written: 14,000 words long, filters, sorting options, images, performance requirements, etc. It was worth it as many of you emailed me back saying it was great. But then I dropped the ball and failed to keep it updated...
Well, it was about time to change that. Our Best 100 Mac games guide is now updated with 18 new games, much more variety, more diversity, and fancy sorting and filtering options.
You can go ahead and mark August 14, 2017, on your calendar. That's the day when Blizzard will release the remastered version of the venerable StarCraft, the fast-paced RTS that stole hours of my teenage years and was source of much frustration (I never got any good in spite of said hours playing it).
Teased a few months ago, StarCraft: Remastered is a “full graphical upgrade” of the 1998 original and its expansion. The remastered version will feature high-definition support up to 4K resolution, higher fidelity music and sound, new matchmaking and leaderboards, cloud saves, and more.
Plus, as is often possible with remasters, you will be able to go from the remastered visuals to the original visuals “with the click of a button.”
If you're a true fan and can't wait to get your hands on it, Blizzard is accepting pre-orders and is offering a few incentives too. According to a press release:
All players who pre-purchase before August 14 will receive three unique building skins for use in StarCraft: Remastered—the Char Hive, the Korhal Command Center, and the Aiur Nexus. Additionally, those who purchase StarCraft: Remastered will receive digital bonuses in StarCraftII, including the Alexei Stukov co-op commander and three unique portraits that celebrate StarCraft: Remastered.
StarCraft: Remastered will be available for Mac and Windows PC on August 14, 2017 for $14.99, a "reasonable" price if you ask me. You can pre-order the game at Blizzard's official website.
Via Polygon.
And there you have it, the Mac platform is about to get another racing game. Although this time the realism of F1 2016 and Grid Autosport is put aside to make room for some plain old fun.
From the game's Steam description:
The legend is back! Micro Machines World Series combines the thrilling madness of racing micro vehicles with epic team battle strategies, set against the extraordinary interactive backdrops of the everyday home! Grab your NERF blaster, try to avoid the jam, and take on the world!
The game will be released on Windows, Linux and Mac this Friday June 30. You'll be able to grab the game on Steam.
Via GamingonLinux.
Andrew Cunningham from ArsTechnica just published a very interesting article covering some of the most technical features of the new macOS High Sierra. It discusses several things and it goes into some quite technical details, but if you simply want to know more about what Metal 2, Apple's graphics API, has in stores, this is a great read.
First of all, to put things into perspective compared to other platforms:
While both macOS and iOS still nominally support open, third-party APIs like OpenGL and OpenCL, it’s clear that the company sees Metal as the way forward for graphics and GPU compute on its platforms. Apple’s OpenGL support in macOS and iOS hasn’t changed at all in years, and there are absolutely no signs that Apple plans to support Vulkan (when asked, Apple wouldn’t comment except to further praise Metal’s capabilities).
Regarding the actual improvements for most users:
Metal 2 is a technology for developers, so a lot of its improvements will be of interest primarily to developers. For instance, there’s now a GPU performance counter in Xcode’s collection of Instruments, and Apple says the frame debugger can be anywhere from 10 to 100 times faster depending on what you’re looking at.
But the API will enable some improvements for end users, too. People with newer GPUs should expect to benefit from some performance improvements, not just in games but in macOS itself; Apple says the entire WindowServer is now using Metal, which should improve the fluidity and consistency of transitions and animations within macOS.
But the biggest new features that made the most noise: VR and eGPU support:
Metal 2 is also the go-to API for supporting VR on macOS, something Apple is pushing in a big way with its newer iMacs and its native support for external Thunderbolt 3 GPU enclosures (with Metal 2, developers will also be able to distinguish between external and internal GPUs, both because Thunderbolt 3 is slower than an internal PCI Express interface and may need to be treated differently by some apps and because apps will need to be able to failover gracefully if an external GPU is removed).
One less fun information though, some will be left behind:
Apple says that every device that supports Metal should support at least some of Metal 2’s new features, but the implication there is that some older GPUs won’t be able to do everything the newer ones can do.
And finally, perhaps another clue pointing to Apple's masterplan to unify iOS and macOS?
Another key feature for Metal 2 is full cross-platform compatibility between macOS, iOS, and tvOS—games and apps made for one of the platforms should have access to all the same API features on all platforms.
A little technical but still full of interesting stuff even for more casual users and gamers. Can't wait to see what Metal 2 will truly be able to deliver when High Sierra is released.
Apple’s 2017 WWDC keynote was packet with game-changing news for Mac gamers. iOS 11 for iPad probably stole the show (I gave up on iPads a long time ago but iOS 11 may change my mind), but MacOS High Sierra promises to be full of amazing features.
These are the most important ones for Mac gaming:
Apple announced the next update for Metal, it’s graphics API. Named Metal 2, it should be 10 times better at draw call throughput than the original and promises a faster frame rate debugger. This should all help Macs run games better.
But the real highlights are that it will allow Macs to finally support VR and eGPUs:
Metal 2 will also work with external graphics, making it possible to have external GPU boxes for Mac OS computers. Metal 2 will also help power virtual reality on Mac. The Unity and Unreal engines are coming to Mac, which studios can use to make VR games. Valve’s SteamVR is also coming to High Sierra.
Indeed, Apple is making a big VR push and it managed to get all the big names on board: Valve, Unity and Unreal:
Leading VR companies are joining Apple to drive VR innovation on the Mac with features coming later this year — Valve is optimizing their SteamVR platform for macOS and enabling connection of the HTC Vive headset, while Unity and Epic are bringing their VR development tools to macOS.
For the longest time Macs were laughed at because they weren’t powerful enough to support it. Oculus infamously dropped support for the Mac just before shipping last year, claiming Macs weren’t capable enough.
Now Apple is working hard to change that and their VR push is quite frankly impressive. According to Apple, VR support is made possible thanks to better performance squeezed out of Metal 2, and above all, new Mac hardware. According to a blog post on Vive’s official website:
Through a newly announced external GPU, developers and content creators will be able to use a beta of SteamVR and the new MacOS, High Sierra, to access the creative power of Vive with their MacBooks.
Which brings us to the new hardware.
We all knew something big was coming. Recently Apple admitted it made a mistake with the current Mac Pro and that it was working on an overhauled Mac Pro to set things right. They also claimed other products would help fill the gap soon. Enter the new iMac Pro.
The iMac Pro will look a lot like current 27-inch iMacs, but it will have crazy powerful specs for even the most demanding applications. The downside? It will have a crazy price too: $5000 for the base model.
Here are the specs:
To be fair, PC Gamer went ahead and built a similarly specced Windows machine to see how overpriced the new iMac Pro was. The result? The iMac Pro is not overpriced. In fact, it can be considered reasonably priced as their Windows build was $4686.71. That’s only $313 less than a sleek machine made of premium materials with great warranty and customer service.
That said, their Windows machine is upgradable when the iMac Pro won’t. I don’t see myself spending $5000 on a machine that can’t be upgraded and will therefore become obsolete sooner than later.
Luckily, Apple is offering another solution for gamers, VR enthusiasts and other users who may need powerful graphics: External Graphics cards. This is already possible on macOS Sierra, but it’s not official and requires a lot of tinkering.
With macOS High Sierra, Apple will officially support eGPUs that will let you buy a powerful graphics card, put it in a dedicated case, and plug it to a thunderbolt 3 supported Mac (MacBook Pro or iMac) to give it enough power to run the latest games and VR apps.
Apple is already selling its own external graphics enclosure to developers:
The External Graphics Development Kit includes everything you need to start optimizing advanced VR and 3D apps on external graphics processors with macOS High Sierra.
Apple's External Graphics Development Kit comes with a Sonnet external GPU chassis with Thunderbolt 3 and 350W power supply, an AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB graphics card, a Belkin USB-C to 4-port USB-A hub, and a promo code for $100 towards the purchase of a HTC Vive VR headset.
Sadly, external GPU support likely won't arrive for consumers until spring 2018.
A teardown of the new 4K iMac reveals that the new machine is the most upgrade-friendly iMac Apple has released in years.
But before this gets you as excited as I was when I read the headlines, swapping out the components won’t be easy. At all. The CPU is buried underneath a lot of other components, including a glued-down glass screen. I don’t think Apple made this changes deliberately so we can all start upgrading our new iMacs, but at the end of the day, if you really want to upgrade your iMac’s CPU, it won’t next to impossible anymore.
Apple went ahead and decided to completely replace the current file system which has been the standard for years. Not many companies would bother with changing a proven standard, but Apple did and the new file system should make your computer faster.
This won’t have a huge impact on games, but a faster computer overall will certainly have indirect positive effects, such as improving load times.
While new MacBook Pros got me really mad too (I purchased my 2016 MacBook Pro in November and the new 2017 MacBook Pros are faster and $200 cheaper), it’s great for everyone else. The new iMacs and MacBook Pros have all Kaby Lake processors that should improve performance across the board.
Discrete AMD graphics cards are also coming to every 4K iMac, making them powerful enough for the HTC Vive VR headset. There’s also additional Thunderbolt 3 ports.
The 4K 21-inch iMac and entry 13-inch MacBook Pro got a $200 price cut too.
And that’s about it. Lot to cover, but that makes sense as 2017’s WWDC was one of the most packed conferences in years.
Phoenix Point, a tactical turn-based game from the creator of the original XCOM, has reached its crowdfunding goal.
The team at Snapshot Games has raised over $600,000 on Fig (with 23 more days to go) securing the game for Windows, Mac and Linux.
In Phoenix Point, players take on the role of a secret organisation called the Phoenix Point. The game features turn based tactics and world based strategy in a fight against a terrifying, alien menace. This may sound a lot like XCOM, but that makes sense as Julian Gallop, the man who gave birth to the XCOM franchise, is behind the project.
The game will also feature customisable soldiers, mutating aliens, destructible environments and boss battles. Enough to give XCOM 2 a run for its money. Julian Gollop says it’s the game he’s been wanting to make since 1997’s X-COM: Apocalypse.
The campaign is still open and has two interesting stretch goals if you want to participate. The first one, unlocked if the campaign reaches $650,000, will add drivable vehicles to the game. The second one, unlocked at $850,000, will add a floating fortress that can attack the enemy from the sea.
The game is expected for Linux, Mac and Windows PC in late 2018.
My take: XCOM 2 is an excellent turn-based game and I wouldn't want to compete against it. But after checking Phoenix Point and seeing what they have created so far, I have the feeling this will be a high quality game. Enough to surpass XCOM 2? Unlikely, but I hope they prove me wrong.
Via Polygon.
Developer Haemimont Games, better known for the Tropico series, is ready to tackle something new and exciting.
They have partnered with Paradox (also a veteran when it comes to strategy games) on a new city building game called Surviving Mars. As the name implies, the game takes place on Mars and is about making Elon Musk's dream a reality: colonizing Mars.
As officially revealed by Paradox:
In Surviving Mars, players will lead a colonization effort on the surface of Mars, from the very first rovers and supply drops to the construction of suitable habitats for brave settlers from Earth. Every colonist will be vital to the mission as the colony struggles to gain a foothold where the environment is hostile and resources are scarce.
With each success, however, players will gain the ability to expand further, and even establish a thriving society – and lead a new generation that has never known the Earth.
The game is planned for 2018 and will be released on Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4, and Xbox One.
My take: It's great to see developers mention their plans for Mac and Linux right out of the gate. In many cases, I have to scour the web to find an obscure forum post mentioning possible plans for Mac and Linux. Kudos to Haemimont Games. Plus, I used to love their Tropico games, especially Tropico 3. The series eventually became a little too much of the same to me so I'm excited to see them move on to something different (while staying close to their roots: city-builders).
Via Destructoid.
Aspyr has finally confirmed the final release date for Mafia 3’s Mac version:
The game is coming tomorrow, May 11, 2017. And will support Apple’s Metal API.
This information comes straight from Aspyr, who agreed to let Mac Gamer HQ share this information exclusively.
It’s 1968 and after years of combat in Vietnam, Lincoln Clay knows this truth: family isn’t who you’re born with, it’s who you die for.
It seems there has been a big misunderstanding.
Two weeks Apple shocked the press with the announcement that commissions for all app and in-app content would be reduced from 7% to 2.5%, effective May 1st.
A huge change that would deeply affect all sites that spend much of their day covering and reviewing apps, Mac Gamer HQ included. And by merely giving a one week notice, some wondered what was Apple’s plan here.
As officially announced by Apple:
Starting on May 1st 2017, commissions for all app and in-app content will be reduced from 7% to 2.5% globally. All other content types (music, movies, books, and TV) will remain at the current 7% commission rate in all markets. We will also continue to pay affiliate commissions on Apple Music memberships so there are many ways to earn commissions with the program.
The message is crystal clear, yet it seems that wasn’t exactly what Apple meant.
I know I said something similar last month, but nothing comes close to this past April in terms of quality Mac games released. In fact, I would go as far as to say that April 2017 is the most exciting month for Mac gaming I have ever seen.
That's quite a statement, but the games are there to back it. In April there were three highly anticipated AAA games, two remasters of beloved classics and a few indies that first killed it on Kickstarter and now are killing with great reviews.
You know how I only include the top highlights to the New Mac games page? Well, April saw 10 highlights:
Everything: Everything is not merely a game, it's an experience. In this procedural simulation game, everything you see is a thing you can be, from animals to planets to galaxies and beyond. Everything for Mac takes place in a vast universe you can explore without specific goals or tasks to complete. Released on April 21.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is Telltale's latest adventure game. In Guardians of the Galaxy for Mac our heroes discover an artifact of unspeakable power. Each Guardian has a reason to desire this relic, but so does a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to get it.
Planetscape: Torment Enhanced Edition: The original Planetscape: Torment, released in 1999, is considered a masterpiece. And if you haven't played it, Planetscape Torment: Enhanced Edition for Mac leaves you no excuse: it includes gameplay updates, bug fixes, remastered music, 4K support and more.
Total War: Warhammer: Following the Total War formula, this is an addictive turn-based empire-building with colossal, real-time battles. This time, it includes legendary heroes, giant monsters, flying creatures and magical powers.
Flinthook: Flinthook is a fast action oriented platformer with “roguelike” elements. The game will let you become the greatest pirate with the help of a hookshot, pistol and slowmo powers. Ethan Lee is in charge of the Mac port.
Hollow Knight: Featuring a gorgeous hand-drawn 2D style, Hollow Knight is an epic action adventure game taking place in a ruined kingdom of insects and heroes. Explore twisting caverns, battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs.
Yooka-Laylee: Yooka-Laylee is an open-world platformer from the creative talent behind the Banjo-Kazooie. Explore huge, beautiful worlds as buddy-duo Yooka and Laylee embark on an epic adventure.
F1 2016: F1 2016 is the latest Formula 1 racing simulation. This entry goes deeper, allowing you to work with your agent, engineer, and team to develop your car in a career that spans up to ten seasons.
As always, you can check out all new releases and upcoming Mac games on this page.
You need to jump on tbis RIGHT NOW:
Ars Technica and GOG are giving away The Witcher: Enhanced Edition to everyone.
And yes, everyone gets a free copy, as long as you request it in the next 19 hours (the giveaway will only last 48 hours total). All you need to do is head over to Ars Technica and enter your email address into their little widget:
You'll need to supply a valid e-mail address, because we'll e-mail the code to you. Once you have a code, head to GOG.com to redeem the code and download the game.
I just followed the steps and got myself a free copy. I can confirm everything worked as planned.
The free code works on Windows and Mac, but sadly not on Linux.
Get your free copy here.
There you have it, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series is now available on Mac.
The game was only a few days late, but it still made me nervous (the fact Telltale never replied to any of my 100 tweets helped). Getting a Mac port just a few days later than Windows is quite an accomplishment, but as pointed out by PAG, Telltale's Batman game and The Walking Dead: A New Hope are still missing on Mac.
I was worried Telltale had officially given up on MacOS.
Guardians of the Galaxy’s Mac system requirements are the following:
As seen on the system requirements, Guardians of the Galaxy also requires Metal and I bet this is what's delaying Telltale's games. Metal blocked several Mac releases for months until it was properly updated with MacOS 10.12.4.
I'm glad to see Telltale supporting their latest game and I hope Batman and the newest The Walking Dead will follow soon.
Guardians of the Galaxy is the latest game from Telltale and another attempt to create a great episodic game using a popular franchise:
In the wake of an epic battle, the Guardians discover an artifact of unspeakable power. Each of the Guardians has a reason to desire this relic, as does a ruthless enemy who is the last of her kind, and who will stop at nothing to tear it from their hands.
You can grab the game on Steam.
Originally released in 1998, the first Starcraft changed the real-time strategy genre for the better. It was a massive game that also helped develop online multiplayer and cemented Blizzard as one of the best video game developers out there, a title it still holds.
Now, nearly 20 years later, the monument to gaming that is Starcraft has become free to play for Mac and Windows-PC. And by free-to-play, I mean completely free, no micro transactions nor paid subscriptions. Don’t believe me? You can grab the original Starcraft and the Brood Ward expansion over here.
As Destructoid’s Brett Makedonski rightfully points out, this isn’t simply a good deed from Blizzard. This is a marketing effort to help promote their upcoming (and paid) Starcraft Remaster. But, hey, giving away the originals and remastering one of the games I played the most when I was a teenager are still great news.
So thank you for the gift Blizzard and hope that remaster will help such an amazing game survive for many more years.
Via Destruction.
It was disappointing when Total War: Warhammer was released on Windows with no signs of a Mac version. It was even worst when it was later announced for Autumn 2016 but never made it.
But Total War: Warhammer’s Mac version is finally available!
The Mac version of the game was released by Feral Interactive on April 18 and you can get it from the Mac App Store right now.
I just witnessed an amazing month for Mac gaming.
And I just had to share it with you. Because the final days of March brought so many exciting news and games to the Mac platform it's hard not to get excited.
As always, all new releases and upcoming Mac games can be found here, bbut I wanted to give you a quick summary of the most exciting games. The games I personally can't wait to try.
In March 2017, the Mac platform saw the following releases:
X-Plane 11
X-Plane 11 is the most detailed, realistic, and modern flight simulator around. It includes a refined user interface, 3-D cockpits, and more. This all helps make this tough simulation more accessible to newcomers. Released March 30.
Thimbleweed Park:
From the creators of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion comes a new adventure game. This Kickstarter success let's you switch between five playable characters to uncover the surreal secrets of a strange town. Released March 30.
Beat Cop:
Beat Cop is a new adventure game from 11bit studios and Pixel Crow. A murder took place and it is your job to find out who did it. Expect thick crime story and a lot of black humour. Released March 30.
Ballistic Overkill:
Ballistic Overkill is a fast paced PvP shooter where you can select from one of 7 classes, each with their own skills and weapons. It aims to be a combination of Call of Duty with Overwatch and the result is quite impressive. Released March 29.
Obduction:
Obduction is a new sci-fi adventure game from Cyan, the creators of Myst. Abducted far across the universe, you find yourself far away from Earth. Explore, uncover, solve, and find a way to make it home. Released March 29.
And if these are not enough to get you excited, Feral Interactive finally gave us a release date for Total War: Warhammer and F1 2016!
For even more releases from March, check our New Mac games page.
Want a change from the sci-fi adventures, the reckless shooting or the fantasy quests most games deal with? Then today you’re in luck:
The Mac is full of top-notch simulation games to try.
Whilst it is undeniably fun to play games for escapism, simulation games allow players to experience something from the real world.
From being the mayor of a city to managing a football team, these games require patience and a bit of brainpower to get the most from them.
This update was long overdue, but we now have confirmation that Mafia 3’s Mac version is coming soon.
According to Aspyr Media, the game is scheduled for 2017.
I first reported Mafia 3 was coming to consoles and Windows in June 2016, but little else was known at the time.
Besides an out of the record confirmation from 2K at last year’s Gamescom event, it was still unknown when the Mac version of the game would be released and who would be in charge of the port.
But everything is clear now.
And the list of hot upcoming Mac games keeps growing, this time with the help of three very exciting indie games.
All three games are scheduled for later this year and all three have confirmed Mac versions:
Tooth and Tail: From the creators of Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine comes Tooth and Tail, a arcadey real-time strategy game. Set in a world of animal revolution, Tooth and Tail boils down to a few buttons and intense eight-minute matches.
Gorogoa: Gorogoa is a beautiful hand-drawn game that takes place within a puzzle. The game is about solving puzzles by stacking and connecting panels, which may sound simple, but end result is stunning.
Chasm: Chasm is a pixelated adventure game featuring huge procedurally-generated areas. Help our hero, Daltyn, by gaining new abilities and equipment, evade dangerous traps, and defeat hordes of deadly enemies.
I would like to give Kevin, a Mac Gamer HQ reader, a big thank you for spending so much time looking for exciting new Indies coming to the Mac (and sharing the best with me). Keep them coming!
"Is that all? Aren't there more indies coming to the Mac?" I hear you asking. Well, of course there are. In fact, there are tenths of new games released every week, including for Mac. The thing is, I try my best to filter them to only include the most noteworthy games. Else, the list would become huge and it would become nearly impossible for you to separate the few good games from the many mediocre ones.
But then the problem becomes: How to separate the attention worthy games from the rest? It's easy for released games, you can just look at the reviews to get an idea of a game's quality. But what about the upcoming games?
This is a serious dilemma I face every week and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
After more than a year waiting for it, The Witness is finally available on the Mac App Store.
Not familiar with The Witness? Well, this open world puzzle game comes from Jonathan Blow, the man behind the now indie classic Braid:
The Witness is a single-player game in an open world with dozens of locations to explore and over 500 puzzles. This game respects you as an intelligent player and it treats your time as precious. There's no filler; each of those puzzles brings its own new idea into the mix. So, this is a game full of ideas.
To play it, you'll need macOS 10.11.6 or later with 4GB of RAM and 5GB available storage space.
The Mac version of the game should be released on Steam soon (allowing you to get it for free if you already own the Windows version), but in the meantime, you can download it from the Mac App Store.
We are still waiting on Total War: Warhammer and Mafia 3, but that doesn't mean Mac gaming has been quiet. In fact, last week I spent a few hours verifying and adding lots of games to our Upcoming Mac games list.
If you want more details and a complete overview of all the games expected to come to Mac, head over to the New Mac games page. But if you want a short summary:
“War, huh, what is it good for?” – Edwin Star, War from the album War and Peace
Well… apparently, it’s good for good times. War games are all over the map. So, to honor our ever-present source of joy and soul-crushing doom, Mac Gamer HQ presents you with a four-star general overview of the best war games for Mac.
As always, we’re going for different styles and genres, as well as different price points and system requirements. We aim to help you discover great new Mac games and present different options, guaranteeing that at least one of these will be the perfect war game for you.
This is yet another important milestone for Mac gaming:
There are over 4,500 Mac games on Steam. 4,547 to be precise.
This is particularly impressive when you consider how often macOS is dismissed as a gaming platform.
But the numbers speak for themselves: Mac gaming counts 4,500 games and close to 4 million active players (3,17% of 125 Million active users according to Valve) on Steam alone. And don’t forget about all the games that are not part of Steam, such as EA’s and
And don’t forget about all the games that are not part of Steam, such as EA’s and Blizzard’s.
More sad news coming from Oculus...
Oculus announced Mac support a long time ago, back when they were still making prototypes and wanted to make everyone happy. But once they figured out they didn't need macOS customers, they changed their mind.
Maybe you thought things would eventually change, but according to Nate Mitchell, Oculus cofounder, don't expect Mac support in the near future.
Mitchell revealed in an interview with TechCrunch that the company has no such plans. He also said:
It's something near and dear to my heart, we're just not there quite yet. We do want to do OS X support for Rift, it's not something that's currently on the roadmap for — I can even say — the next six months.
To be clear, Mitchell isn't saying Mac support will never come. In fact, they would like to, but as it is not a priority, don't expect anything anytime soon.
I am very proud to share with you something I've been working on for hours these last few weeks.
You already know my Mac games calendar. Well, it was good, and it certainly was the best calendar with Mac games out there. But now that I realize how important this is, I completely revamped and improved it.
This new version includes:
