Tidak lagi benar bahawa permainan terbaik tidak tersedia untuk dimainkan di Mac. Baru-baru ini kami telah melihat banyak permainan A-list tiba di Mac, termasuk Assassins Creed: Shadows, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Tamadun V11, Cyberpunk 2077 dan Resident Evil.

Anda dapat melihat ulasan permainan A-List kegemaran kami yang kini berada di Mac di bawah. Dalam artikel ini, kami telah mengumpulkan permainan MAC terbaik untuk kecenderungan anda.

Di bawah ini anda akan dapati apa yang kami percaya adalah permainan Mac yang paling hebat di luar sana, bersama -sama dengan pautan ke kedai App Mac, Steam dan vendor lain yang bereputasi, jadi anda boleh membelinya dengan segera. Ini adalah permainan terbaik untuk Mac.

Anda juga mungkin ingin melihat MAC terbaik kami untuk panduan permainan. Plus kita mempunyai pandangan yang mendalam menggunakan M-Series MacBook Pro sebagai komputer riba permainan. Dan jika anda mahu beberapa permainan percuma untuk mencuba Mac anda, lihatlah permainan kami percuma MAC yang terbaik.

Permainan Mac terbaik 2025

Sebelum kami berjalan melalui senarai semua permainan terbaik yang kami mainkan di Mac, di sini adalah permainan yang kami sangat mengesyorkan anda bermain di Mac pada tahun 2025.

1. Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition-RPG Hebat Sepanjang Masa

Cyberpunk 2077, walaupun pelancarannya yang bermasalah 2020, menjual lebih daripada 30 juta salinan. Sekarang CD Projekt Red telah membuat Cyberpunk: 2077 tersedia untuk Mac -On App Store, Steam, dan Epic Games Store.

Permainan ini ditetapkan di bandar malam yang diilhamkan oleh Blade Runner, megalopolis yang terobsesi dengan kuasa, glamor, dan pengubahsuaian badan.

Pada mulanya, pandangan orang pertama mencadangkan FPS yang mudah, tetapi ia sebenarnya merupakan permainan peranan yang mendalam dan mencabar yang berani melangkah ke masa depan, mengelakkan cliches fantasi yang letih.

Watak anda - yang boleh menjadi lelaki atau perempuan - adalah penggodam yang dikenali sebagai V, dan anda memulakan permainan dengan memilih salah satu daripada tiga 'lifepath' yang mengisi latar belakang V. Anda boleh menetapkan titik pengalaman kepada atribut seperti kecerdasan, refleks, keupayaan teknikal dan 'sejuk', dengan setiap atribut memberi anda akses kepada kemahiran yang berbeza yang boleh anda usahakan sepanjang permainan. Dan, tentu saja, terdapat banyak pengubahsuaian badan dan peningkatan yang dapat anda kumpulkan di sepanjang jalan.

V dihantar ke misi untuk mencuri cip prototaip yang dipanggil The Relic, tetapi kemudian berakhir dengan peninggalan yang ditanam di dalam kepala mereka sendiri. Ternyata cip itu menyimpan keperibadian digital rockstar anti-korporat mati yang dipanggil Johnny Silverhand (dimainkan oleh Keanu Reeves). Johnny tidak lama lagi mula mengambil alih, memaksa anda untuk mencari jalan untuk menyelamatkan keperibadian anda sendiri sebelum ditimpa.

Night City menyediakan dunia terbuka yang besar yang boleh anda pelajari. Terdapat pelbagai watak yang boleh anda temui dan banyak pekerjaan yang boleh anda ambil. Terdapat beberapa permainan di Mac yang mewujudkan rasa kebebasan yang sama - anda boleh menghabiskan berjam -jam meneroka sebelum menangani usaha utama.

Tindakan itu boleh menjadi sangat ganas, dan terdapat banyak bahasa yang buruk, jadi bukan untuk pemain muda.

Pasukan di CD Projekt Red mengatakan bahawa ia akan berjalan pada Mac dengan pemproses M1 asas - tetapi anda memerlukan macOS 15.5 dan sekurang -kurangnya 16GB memori (tidak ada sokongan untuk Intel Macs). Terdapat pratetap yang menyesuaikan tetapan grafik untuk model MAC yang berbeza untuk mendapatkan prestasi terbaik dari permainan.

Baca ulasan Cyberpunk 2077 (Mac) kami penuh

2.

Apple Silicon, dengan Resident Evil: Kampung pada akhir tahun 2023, dengan cepat diikuti oleh Resident Evil 4 pada tahun 2024. Tambahan terbaru kepada julatnya adalah Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Biohazard memerlukan Mac dengan M1 atau lebih baru, menjalankan macOS 13.0 atau lebih baru. Biohazard juga berjalan di iPad, selagi ia mempunyai pemproses M1 dan iPados 17, dan juga iPhone, dengan iOS 17 dan pemproses A17.

Ia lebih murah daripada permainan lain dalam siri ini, berharga hanya $ 19.99/￡ 15.99 di Mac App Store. Permainan ini boleh dimuat turun secara percuma dan dijalankan dalam mod demo, yang dipanggil 'The Beginning Hour', sebagai pengenalan kepada permainan utama. Jika anda suka demo, anda boleh membeli permainan penuh sebagai pembelian dalam apl, dan terdapat pek pengembangan yang tersedia untuk $ 19.99/￡ 15.99 lagi.

Permainan ini memperkenalkan Ethan Winters (yang juga muncul di kampung), yang mencari isterinya, Mia, yang lenyap secara misteri tiga tahun lalu. Dia menerima e -mel dari Mia meminta bantuannya dan memberinya alamat di sebuah bandar air di Louisiana. Permainan ini beralih kepada pandangan orang pertama yang terpencil, menjadikan setiap koridor bayangan kelihatan lebih menindas dan menyeramkan. Permainan ini juga membuat penggunaan bijak genre filem-filem seram yang ditemui, dengan Ethan mencari pita VHS lama di sekitar rumah yang membantu mengisi beberapa latar belakang. Terdapat juga kesan perjalanan masa, di mana anda boleh mengambil tindakan semasa segmen video pada masa lalu yang memberi kesan pada masa kini.

Capcom mengesyorkan pengawal permainan, tetapi mungkin bermain dengan papan kekunci dan tetikus jika anda lebih suka.

Baca ulasan Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Mac) kami

3. Assassin's Creed Shadows-tindakan yang penuh dengan visual yang menakjubkan

Shadows adalah permainan pertama dalam siri Creed Assassin's Creed yang telah dikeluarkan pada Mac. Ia ditetapkan di Jepun semasa perang saudara pada tahun 1579 sebagai peperangan Oda Nobunaga cuba untuk menakluk dan secara paksa menyatukan puak -puak yang berperang dengan negara.

Anda bermain sebagai dua watak berasingan, masing -masing dengan kemahiran mereka sendiri dan gaya berjuang. Naoe adalah Shinobi (Ninja) yang mengkhususkan diri dalam ketangkasan dan ketangkasan. Yasuke, seorang samurai yang boleh menyekat dan menimbulkan serangan musuhnya. Ia cukup ganas tetapi anda boleh menenangkan tetapan untuk darah dan pemecatan jika anda mahu. Yang ini bukan untuk kanak -kanak.

Permainan ini mengambil sedikit masa untuk pergi, kerana ia berkesan mempunyai dua perkenalan untuk membolehkan anda mendapatkan beberapa amalan dengan gaya pertempuran yang berbeza dari Naoe dan Yasuke. Perkara -perkara yang tidak lama lagi mengambil, walaupun.

Shadows menyediakan banyak pencarian dan pertempuran untuk membuat anda sibuk. Untuk sebahagian besar, ini adalah mengenai pertempuran dinding-ke-dinding, dengan banyak gaya menyelinap dan lari parkour dan melompat untuk menambah pelbagai. Terdapat empat tetapan kesukaran yang tersedia - yang akan membantu pengguna Mac yang tidak memainkan mana -mana permainan Creed Assassin sebelum ini.

Apa yang paling kagum saya ialah grafik 3D permainan. Tudung potong awal sangat mengagumkan, dengan beberapa kesan yang paling terperinci dan foto-realistik yang pernah saya lihat pada Mac. Dengan banyak permainan, walaupun, dan apabila layar potong selesai, anda mendapati bahawa tindakan dalam permainan sebenar cenderung untuk menawarkan tahap terperinci visual yang lebih rendah, tetapi, dengan bayang-bayang, permainan ini terus lancar pada akhir layar potong ini dan mengekalkan kualiti visual yang sangat baik sepanjang permainan.

Baca Creed Assassin's Creed: Kajian Bayangan kami

4. PENGELUARAN PENGETAHUAN PENGETAHUI (MAC) - Apokaliptik, Sinematik

Death Stranding, permainan idiosyncratic dan kadang-kadang betul-betul pelik dari Hideo Kojima, pemaju terkenal di belakang siri Metal Gear yang lama, tiba di Mac pada tahun 2024.

Permainan ini ditetapkan dalam versi masa depan Amerika Syarikat, selepas peristiwa apokaliptik misteri yang dikenali sebagai The Death Stranding, yang menyebabkan keruntuhan masyarakat. Semua yang tersisa adalah beberapa komuniti yang bertaburan, yang bergantung kepada 'porter' untuk menyampaikan bekalan dan membantu menubuhkan sistem komunikasi yang dipanggil Rangkaian Kiral. Di situlah anda masuk, bermain Jambatan Sam 'Porter' - yang disuarakan oleh, dan dimodelkan pada pelakon Norman Reedus dari Walking Dead Fame - ketika ia melangkah ke seluruh negara menyampaikan bekalannya. Di sepanjang jalan, anda akan menemui pengganas dan raksasa yang tidak kelihatan menyeramkan yang dipanggil BTS ('Beached Things'), tetapi musuh sebenar anda untuk banyak permainan hanyalah persekitaran di sekeliling anda.

Terdapat beberapa pertempuran dalam serangan kematian, tetapi tugas utama anda sebagai porter adalah untuk berjuang melintasi kawasan desa yang berbatu, yang merosakkan ketika anda memulakan beberapa siri misi untuk menyampaikan kargo ubat -ubatan dan bekalan lain. Permainan ini kadang -kadang digambarkan sebagai 'simulator berjalan' ketika anda menghabiskan banyak masa anda memanjat batu, bukit -bukit, atau merebak di sungai -sungai dan sungai yang bergegas. Itu mungkin tidak terdengar sangat menarik, tetapi ada banyak kepuasan ketika anda berjuang untuk perlahan -lahan melangkah ke arah puncak bukit yang berkerut dengan kargo anda utuh.

Permainan ini juga mempunyai bakat sinematik yang dramatik-mungkin sedikit terlalu sinematik, kerana 45 minit pertama atau lebih benar-benar hanya satu siri layar yang sangat panjang, diselingi hanya dengan beberapa urutan ringkas di mana anda belajar bagaimana untuk mengawal Sam ketika dia berjalan, melompat dan merebak di medan berbatu. Layar potong yang panjang boleh mencuba kesabaran anda pada peringkat awal permainan, tetapi mereka kelihatan hebat-landskap mempunyai skop sinematik, dan grafik 3D sangat terperinci dan realistik. Dan perasaan bahawa ini adalah persamaan permainan pengeluaran Hollywood blockbuster ditekankan lagi oleh Cameos dari beberapa nama besar Hollywood yang lain, termasuk Mads Mikkelsen, Guillermo del Toro, dan Lindsay Wagner.

Grafik memerlukan sedikit kuasa kuda walaupun. Permainan ini hanya akan dijalankan pada Mac dan iPad yang mempunyai pemproses silikon Apple (M1 atau lebih baru), dan menjalankan MacOS 13.3 atau iPados 17.0. Kami gembira dapat mendapati bahawa permainan berjalan dengan baik walaupun pada iMac dengan pemproses M1, walaupun kami perlu menurunkan resolusi ke 1920 × 1080. Anda mungkin memerlukan M2 atau M3 untuk benar -benar menikmati pemandangan permainan dan kesan khas yang menakutkan, tetapi melihat permainan seperti Death Stranding berjalan pada M1 IMAC memberi kita harapan untuk masa depan permainan di Mac.

5. Frost Punk 2 - Blade Runner dengan Salji Ditambah

Apabila ia dilancarkan beberapa tahun yang lalu Frost Punk adalah kejutan. Ia merupakan permainan survival yang berpusat di dunia abad ke -19 yang telah terjun ke zaman ais baru oleh badai salji global yang luas yang dipanggil The Great Frost. Frost Punk 2 ditetapkan 30 tahun selepas asal dan anda ditugaskan untuk mencari sumber makanan dan bahan api baru untuk penduduk yang semakin meningkat dan menangani ancaman seperti kelaparan, jenayah dan persaingan faksional.

Permainan baru ini mempunyai prolog yang memperkenalkan cerita untuk pemain baru, dan juga bertindak sebagai tutorial, di mana anda berjuang melalui 'Frostlands' yang berais untuk mencapai kereta api yang rosak dan membuang sumbernya.

Permainan ini juga kelihatan hebat, dengan grafik 3D yang dramatik dan memaksakan seperti Blade Runner dengan salji tambahan.

Frost Punk 2 adalah permainan yang mencabar, walaupun untuk orang yang telah bermain permainan strategi sebelum ini. Tugas -tugas asas seperti pengumpulan sumber boleh menjadi agak rumit. Frost Punk 2 adalah sedikit lebih abstrak daripada pendahulunya, kerana anda kini perlu melangkah mundur dan mengambil lebih banyak gambaran keseluruhan struktur masyarakat ini. Terdapat beberapa tahap kesukaran, di mana anda boleh menyesuaikan keadaan ekonomi, seperti kekurangan makanan dan bahan api. Anda juga boleh mengubah cuaca.

Skala New London dan masyarakat kompleksnya memberikan permadani yang kaya untuk cerita yang dibentangkan di bawah pengawasan anda. Sebaik sahaja anda selesai permainan utama terdapat juga mod utopia 'tidak berkesudahan' yang membolehkan anda memulakan sebuah bandar baru dengan memilih dari pelbagai lokasi, dengan keadaan medan dan cuaca yang berbeza.

Frost Punk 2 boleh didapati di kedua -dua Steam dan Mac App Store, tetapi versi Steam permainan sedikit lebih murah.

Baca ulasan Frost Punk 2 kami

6. Kawalan Ultimate Edition: Penembak Tindakan Klasik Kultus

Kawalan, permainan tindakan pemotretan super-'yang unik dengan getaran X-Files yang diilhamkan, mengambil sedikit masa untuk sampai ke Mac. Ia bernilai menunggu.

Permainan ini bermula dengan Jesse Faden yang tiba di ibu pejabat Biro Kawalan Persekutuan (FBC), sebuah agensi kerajaan yang menyiasat 'Peristiwa Dunia Altered' paranormal (AWES). Adik lelaki Jesse hilang semasa kagum, dan dia dipandu oleh suara misteri kepada FBC.

Pejabat FBC, yang dikenali sebagai rumah tertua, sangat tenang ketika Jesse tiba, dengan hanya seorang janitor yang menyeramkan yang memberikan arahan ke pejabat pengarah. Bahagian pembukaan ini berfungsi sebagai tutorial, memperkenalkan kawalan utama dan menetapkan cerita. Jesse terlibat dalam dialog dengan suara dalamannya ketika dia meneroka FBC.

Apabila mencari pejabat pengarah, dia mendapati dia mati, setelah membunuh dirinya dengan pistol tangannya. Pistol biasa ini, senjata perkhidmatan, membisikkan arahan kepada Jesse, merekrutnya ke FBC dan menyerahkan misi.

Misi pertama Jesse mendedahkan sambungan rumah tertua ke dimensi lain, di mana dia menemui tokoh -tokoh asing dan pengalaman pertempuran. Senjata perkhidmatan boleh dimuat semula secara ajaib, yang membantu sejak Jesse berjuang dengan permainan menembak. Dia juga mendapati dia mempunyai kuasa psikik, bermula dengan pukulan psikokinetik yang mengetuk musuh. Ini melengkapkan kemahiran menembaknya, membolehkannya mendekati musuh dan mengalahkan mereka sebelum menembak. Apabila permainan berlangsung, Jesse meningkatkan kuasa psikokinetiknya, belajar melemparkan objek dan menaik taraf senjata.

Permainan ini mempunyai beberapa kelemahan. Ciri auto-save adalah menjengkelkan, kerana ia hanya menyelamatkan pada titik tertentu, memaksa pemain untuk memainkan semula bahagian berulang kali.

Kawalan memerlukan pemproses M1 atau kemudian menjalankan Sonoma atau kemudian, ia boleh dimainkan pada MacBook Pro dengan M2 Pro pada 34 bingkai sesaat dengan tetapan grafik sederhana pada resolusi 2560 × 1440. Mengurangkan tetapan resolusi dan grafik dapat meningkatkan prestasi walaupun dengan M1.

Gabungan permainan penembak dan kuasa psikik memastikan pertempuran yang menyeronokkan dan bervariasi, walaupun bagi mereka yang mempunyai kemahiran menembak terhad. Ia adalah pilihan yang baik untuk mereka yang menikmati permainan tindakan yang mencabar dan atmosfera.

Baca Kawalan Penuh kami: Ulasan Ultimate Edition

7. Resident Evil 4 - Jump menakutkan berlimpah

Ia boleh menjadi sedikit rumit berikutan urutan Resident Evil Games - terutamanya kerana kebanyakan mereka tidak pernah dibebaskan di Mac. Resident Evil tahun lepas: Kampung adalah permainan kelapan dalam siri jangka panjang, walaupun ia adalah yang pertama tiba di Mac, dan juga salah satu permainan pertama yang ditulis khusus untuk dijalankan di Mac dengan Apple Silicon. Walau bagaimanapun, Resident Evil 4 sebenarnya adalah permainan yang lebih baru (jenis) kerana ia adalah pembuatan semula Resident Evil 4 yang asal, yang pertama kali dibebaskan pada tahun 2005.

Menjadi permainan yang lebih baru bermakna ia jauh lebih mahal, walaupun, beratnya pada harga yang agak besar $ 59.99/￡ 57.99. Walau bagaimanapun, ia berfungsi keras untuk mendapatkannya dengan "visual jus-up dan cerita semula" serta kawalan yang lebih baik untuk pertempuran dan tindakan watak lain. Dan, bersyukur, anda sebenarnya boleh memuat turun permainan secara percuma dan bermain melalui bahagian pembukaan, sebelum memutuskan jika anda ingin meneruskan dan membeli versi penuh permainan sebagai pembelian dalam aplikasinya (bersama-sama dengan beberapa pek DLC yang agak mahal juga).

Ansuran ini mengikuti pengembaraan ejen khas Leon S. Kennedy-ejen khas berambut liar dari permainan terdahulu dalam siri ini-yang kini telah direkrut untuk menyelamatkan anak perempuan yang diculik presiden AS. Mengesannya ke sebuah kampung di Sepanyol, Leon menemui kultus yang menyeramkan yang dipanggil Los Iluminados, yang telah menjadikan penduduk kampung menjadi pembunuh gila. Anda perlu melawan jalan anda melewati penduduk kampung dan menghadapi pelbagai bos ketika anda menjejaki anak perempuan presiden dan cuba untuk mengungkap rancangan sebenar kultus.

Resident Evil 4 mempunyai beberapa ketakutan lompat yang baik di sepanjang jalan, tetapi ia lebih berorientasikan tindakan daripada kampung dan tidak mempunyai atmosfera yang menyeramkan dan tegang yang sama. Ia sememangnya membuat anda sibuk, walaupun, ketika anda menembak dan memotong jalan anda melalui penduduk kampung, dan menemui tokoh -tokoh misteri yang mengawal kultus. Dan, tentu saja, ia juga sangat gorey, dengan penarafan umur 17 tahun.

Seperti Resident Evil: Village, permainan ini berjalan di Mac dengan Apple Silicon, dan ia berlari dengan baik walaupun pada iMac 24 inci dengan pemproses M1 asas. Ia merasakan sedikit lambat pada mulanya, tetapi seolah -olah berjalan dengan lancar apabila kita menghidupkan resolusi ke 1,920 x 1,080, dan bereksperimen dengan beberapa tetapan grafik (permainan juga akan berjalan di iPads dengan Apple Silicon, dan juga pada iPhone 15 Pro juga).

8. Prince of Persia the Lost Crown - Putera di Mac

The Lost Crown telah dikeluarkan untuk Windows PC pada permulaan tahun 2024, tetapi ia mengambil masa sehingga Disember untuk muncul di Mac App Store di mana ia sedang berjalan di carta permainan Apple.

The Lost Crown adalah permainan sampingan yang menggabungkan unsur-unsur pertempuran dan platform. Ia dibentangkan seperti permainan platform 2D sekolah lama di mana anda kebanyakannya berjalan kiri atau kanan di skrin dan menggunakan bar ruang untuk melompat ke atas halangan. Permainan ini kelihatan hebat dengan latar belakang terperinci yang mewujudkan suasana yang nyata

Anda memainkan seorang pahlawan muda bernama Sargon, yang merupakan ahli kumpulan yang sederhana menyebut diri mereka sebagai abadi. Kerajaan Persia diserang dari tentera musuh, dan Putera Ghassan telah ditawan dan dipenjarakan di Gunung Qaf yang ajaib. Sargon dan rakan -rakannya menuju ke putera, tetapi tidak lama lagi mendapati bahawa Gunung Qaf penuh dengan musuh mistik, teka -teki dan halangan yang perlu diatasi.

Permainan ini memerlukan pemproses M1 atau lebih baru (jadi ia tidak akan berjalan di Intel Macs). Walau bagaimanapun, persembahan 2D bermakna ia tidak memerlukan Mac yang kuat, dan kami tidak mempunyai masalah untuk menjalankannya dengan tetapan grafik yang tinggi pada resolusi 4K pada MacBook Pro dengan cip M2 Pro.

Baca ulasan Putera Penuh Persia: The Lost Crown (MacOS)

9. Resident Evil 3:

Capcom meletakkan banyak usaha untuk melepaskan versi MAC permainannya, terutamanya siri Resident Evil, dan pada musim bunga 2025 ia menambah versi MAC Resident Evil 3, pembuatan semula permainan asal dari tahun 1999.

Anda bermain sebagai Jill Valentine, ejen khas yang dihantar ke Racoon City untuk menyiasat wabak 'virus zombie' yang pertama kali muncul di Resident Evil 2. Jill dan rakan-rakannya yang disyaki Umbrella, sebuah syarikat farmaseutikal yang membangunkan T-Virus, senjata biologi di belakang wabak itu. Dalam kebanyakan permainan Evil Resident, anda melawan zombi, tetapi Resident Evil 3 memperkenalkan Nemesis, super-zombie pintar yang memburu anda.

Seperti yang diburu bukan pemburu, bukannya zombi letupan, anda berada di pertahanan, sentiasa diikuti oleh musuh ketika anda melarikan diri dari Racoon City. Ini menawarkan sambutan hangat dari permainan serangan biasa dalam francais.

Permainan ini tidak memerlukan Mac mewah untuk mengendalikan grafik 3Dnya, tetapi ia hanya berjalan pada Mac dengan Silicon Apple, bukan Intel. Jadi itulah pemproses M1 atau yang lebih baru dan macOS 13.0 atau lebih baru. Kami mengujinya pada MacBook Pro dengan cip M2 Pro dan ia berlari dengan lancar, walaupun dengan gerombolan zombi. Anda boleh memuat turun demo untuk melihat bagaimana ia berjalan pada Mac anda sebelum membeli versi penuh.

Versi MAC juga berjalan pada iPhone 15 atau lebih baru dan iPads dengan pemproses A17 atau M-Series, jadi anda juga boleh memainkannya pada peranti mudah alih anda.

Versi MAC Resident Evil 3 kini hanya tersedia di Mac App Store.

Baca ulasan Resident Evil 3 (Mac) kami penuh

10. Tamadun VII - Menulis Sejarah

Terdapat perubahan kepada permainan terkini dalam siri peradaban jangka panjang yang merupakan cara yang baik untuk menjadikan permainan lebih mudah untuk pendatang baru, walaupun pemain veteran CIV mungkin merasakan pendekatan baru ini adalah permainan yang sedikit.

Seperti biasa, anda memilih seorang pemimpin dan tamadun yang anda kendalikan dan berkembang sepanjang zaman dan matlamat anda sama ada menaklukkan tamadun saingan, atau muncul sebagai pemimpin dunia melalui dominasi ekonomi, saintifik atau budaya. Tetapi, dalam Tamadun 7, pemimpin dan masyarakat anda sepenuhnya terpisah, jadi anda boleh mencampur dan memadankan pemimpin dan negara dalam cara yang tidak tepat secara sejarah. Kami mempunyai Catherine yang hebat dari Rusia yang mengetuai tentera Rom kuno daripada Rusia abad ke -18.

Sebaik sahaja anda telah memilih pemimpin dan tamadun anda, anda bermula di mana -mana tiga umur yang berbeza - zaman purba, penerokaan, atau zaman moden. Anda mengikuti empat 'laluan' yang berbeza yang membawa kepada kejayaan - ekonomi, budaya, saintifik, atau tentera. Fokus pada satu jalan atau mempelbagaikan dan meneroka manfaat masing -masing. Pemimpin anda tetap sama seperti yang anda maju melalui ketiga -tiga peringkat umur, tetapi anda dapat memilih tamadun baru setiap kali.

Membahagikan permainan ke dalam umur seperti ini menjadikannya lebih mudah didekati, kerana ia memisahkan permainan ke dalam bahagian yang boleh diurus. Walau bagaimanapun, sesetengah pemain mungkin terlepas tipu muslihat tentera dan politik terhadap permainan terdahulu.

Satu kritikan yang telah muncul dengan kuat dan jelas di seluruh papan ialah antara muka pengguna permainan yang direka dengan baik, dengan menu dan alat-alat yang tidak membantu yang menjadikannya sukar untuk mencari maklumat yang anda perlukan. Kami mendapati ia menjengkelkan bahawa permainan ini sentiasa memburukkan kami untuk membuat akaun dalam talian untuk menggunakan mod multiplayer dalam talian dan membuka kunci bonus lain. Para pemaju telah mengumumkan bahawa mereka sedang berusaha untuk menyempurnakan antara muka sebagai tindak balas.

Tamadun 7 berjalan secara asli pada silikon epal - tetapi tidak pada MAC Intel. Ia menyenaraikan Sequoia sebagai versi minimum macOS yang diperlukan, walaupun kami berlari di Sonoma tanpa masalah. Prestasi adalah baik, walaupun grafik 3D terperinci permainan. Permainan ini mempunyai alat penanda aras terbina dalam, dan cip M2 Pro MacBook saya dapat melayari bersama dengan 55fps yang selesa menggunakan tetapan grafik yang tinggi apabila ditetapkan pada resolusi 2,560 × 1,440.

Baca ulasan Tamadun VII Sid Meier kami yang penuh

11. The Witcher dan Witcher 2 - Kembali ke Mac

Saya sedang mengamuk sedikit untuk mendapatkan tangan saya pada versi MAC Cyberpunk 2077 yang akan datang, yang akan disebabkan oleh "awal tahun 2025" '"menurut pemaju di CD Projekt Red. Tetapi, tanpa membuat banyak kekecohan mengenainya, pemaju Poland juga telah mengemas kini beberapa permainan yang lebih lama untuk Mac juga, termasuk Witcher dan Witcher 2 klasik.

Dua perlawanan pertama dalam siri Witcher dikeluarkan untuk Macs yang berpangkalan di Intel pada tahun 2008 dan 2011 masing-masing, tetapi mereka adalah antara banyak permainan yang ditinggalkan dengan pengenalan MacOS Catalina pada tahun 2019 (Serius, Catalina mempunyai kesan yang sama pada permainan Mac sebagai asteroid yang menghapuskan dinosaur pada hari-hari pra-historik). Baru-baru ini, kedua-dua permainan telah menerima kemas kini yang memberikan sokongan terkini untuk Silicon Apple-walaupun mereka memerlukan macOS 11 atau lebih untuk pemproses Apple Silicon dan Intel.

Kedua -dua permainan adalah klasik dari genre RPG, yang melemparkan anda dalam peranan Geralt Rivia, seorang 'witcher' - atau Monster Hunter - yang menggunakan pelbagai senjata, mantra ajaib dan ramuan untuk menangani musuh -musuhnya yang ghaib. Permainan pertama melemparkan Geralt ke dalam peperangan antara puak -puak saingan yang mencari kuasa di Temeria, sementara permainan kedua melihatnya dibingkai untuk membunuh Raja Temeria. Ia mungkin terdengar seperti perkara-perkara peranan fantasi standard, tetapi kekuatan hebat permainan adalah cerita yang kaya dan menarik yang berasaskan, tentu saja, pada novel-novel pengarang Poland Andrzej Sapkowski-yang membawa dunia Temeria jelas kepada kehidupan, dan mempersembahkan Geralt dengan keputusan moral yang kompleks yang benar-benar mempengaruhi hasil permainan.

Malangnya, Witcher 3 tidak pernah dibebaskan untuk Mac, tetapi Witcher dan Witcher 2 harus memberikan kebaikan yang cukup untuk memainkan peranan untuk membuat anda sibuk sehingga Cyberpunk 2077 datang. Dan, kerana kedua -duanya adalah permainan yang agak lama, mereka agak murah hari ini juga, dengan The Witcher yang dikemas kini: Edisi yang dipertingkatkan dengan harga ￡ 6.99/$ 9.99 pada Steam dan Gog, manakala Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition adalah $ 19.99/￡ 14.99. Kedua-dua permainan ini juga boleh didapati di Mac App Store tetapi, seperti yang sering berlaku, Mac App Store lebih murah, mengecas $ 19.99/￡ 19.99 untuk setiap perlawanan.

12. Jumlah Perang: Firaun - Baru untuk Pengguna Mac

Selepas lencongan yang agak epik ke dalam dunia fantasi Warhammer, jumlah siri perang kembali ke rumput rumahnya sekali lagi, kembali ke tetapan sejarah yang lebih tradisional yang telah diterokai oleh Sukan pada masa lalu. Kali ini ia adalah Mesir kuno untuk perang total: Firaun, yang terletak di Mediterranean timur semasa Zaman Gangsa, dan meliputi tanah Mesir itu sendiri, serta Kanaan Kanaan dan Empayar Hittite.

Terdapat lapan puak yang tersebar di ketiga -tiga tanah ini, semuanya bersaing untuk mengambil takhta Mesir dan menjadi Pharoah seterusnya (dengan puak tambahan yang tersedia untuk dibeli sebagai DLC di Steam). Setiap puak mempunyai pemimpin sendiri, dengan kekuatan dan kebolehan masing -masing, seperti pahlawan muda yang melulu Ramesses (yang mempunyai kecenderungan untuk "meletakkan kereta sebelum kuda"), dan tausret licik, yang menggunakan diplomasi dan kewangan untuk menarik tuas kuasa. Jika anda baru dalam permainan maka terdapat beberapa tutorial yang tersedia yang memperkenalkan asas -asas pertempuran, serta taktik yang lebih maju, seperti peperangan pengepungan, dan belajar bagaimana menggunakan tanah dan cuaca untuk kelebihan anda.

Pharoah mungkin tidak mempunyai tontonan yang lain dari permainan Warhammer, tetapi ia masih kelihatan hebat, dengan pemandangan yang menakjubkan sebagai tentera saingan di seberang bukit -bukit pasir. Malangnya, permainan ini tidak berjalan pada Mac yang lebih tua yang mempunyai pemproses Intel, tetapi ia berjalan dengan lancar pada IMAC dengan pemproses M1 asas apabila ditetapkan ke resolusi 1920 × 1080 (dan menggunakan mod permainan baru di MacOS Sonoma).

Kempen pemain tunggal utama harus membuat anda sibuk untuk seketika, dan juga mewujudkan pertempuran tersuai untuk mengasah kemahiran anda, anda juga boleh menyesuaikan kempen utama, menyesuaikan tentera, sumber dan wang yang tersedia untuk menjadikan permainan lebih mencabar. Walau bagaimanapun, memalukan bahawa mod multiplayer permainan hanya membolehkan anda bermain dengan pengguna Mac yang lain, kerana ini bermakna bahawa - tanpa dapat bermain terhadap pengguna PC - anda akan mempunyai pilihan lawan dalam talian yang agak terhad.

13. Hades 2 - Sekiranya anda mati, anda akan mula lagi

Hades II (Access Awal) dikeluarkan untuk Windows PC pada tahun 2024 tetapi pada akhir tahun 2024 kemas kini menambah sokongan asli untuk Mac dengan Apple Silicon.

Anda bermain Zagreus '(dari permainan pertama) kakak, Melino?, seorang ahli sihir dengan kebolehan ajaib yang kuat yang cuba mencari dan mengalahkan Chronos, Tuhan kuno yang menjadi bapa Hades dan kini berperang perang pada Olympus sendiri.

Seperti Hades, Hades 2 adalah permainan 'Roguelike'. Permainan Roguelike tidak membenarkan anda menyimpan permainan dan tambah nilai apabila anda mati, jadi setiap kematian bermakna anda perlu bermula semula. Itu boleh mengecewakan, tetapi anda dapat mencari senjata baru dan mempelajari kemahiran baru ketika anda maju, serta memperoleh 'boons' dari tuhan -tuhan yang menjadikan anda lebih kuat. Anda juga dapat mengekalkan kemahiran dan peningkatan anda walaupun selepas anda mati, jadi setiap kali anda memulakan lagi anda sedikit lebih kuat. Terdapat mod Tuhan yang memberi anda peningkatan kuasa dari awal.

Hades 2 berada dalam akses awal - dan kelihatan mungkin kekal seperti itu untuk kebanyakan tahun 2025 - tetapi ia cukup kukuh dan stabil. Gaya grafik yang ditarik tangan kelihatan hebat dan grafik 2D yang agak mudah bermakna bahawa anda tidak memerlukan Mac yang sangat berkuasa untuk menjalankannya (saya dapat mendapatkan 60fps menggunakan tetapan grafik yang tinggi, walaupun pada resolusi 4K menggunakan MacBook Pro dengan pemproses M2).

Permainan Roguelike tidak sesuai dengan semua orang, tetapi Hades 2 sangat menyeronokkan dan pengganti yang layak untuk Hades yang asal, dan ia akan menjadi baik untuk sesiapa sahaja yang menikmati tindakan arked yang mencabar.

Baca ulasan penuh Hades 2 kami

14. Dredge - sesuatu yang pelik di bawah permukaan

Dredge pertama kali dikeluarkan untuk Windows PC kembali pada tahun 2023, tetapi pemaju di Black Salt Games telah melancarkan versi MAC, bersama dengan versi mudah alih untuk iOS dan Android. Pada pandangan pertama, Dredge kelihatan seperti permainan yang tenang dan selesa di mana anda menghabiskan waktu siang hari dengan tenang memancing laut di sekitar pulau Greater Sumsum, kadang -kadang menyampaikan barang -barang kepada orang -orang di pulau -pulau jiran, dan cuba menaikkan wang tunai yang cukup untuk menaik taraf bot dan peralatan nelayan anda. Grafik teduh sederhana permainan ini mengingatkan saya tentang Monument Valley, dan soundtrack yang menenangkannya - lengkap dengan bunyi gelombang lapping - hampir membuat anda hanyut tidur.

Tetapi anda tidak lama lagi mengesan petunjuk sesuatu yang mengintai di bawah permukaan. Anda mula mencari mesej misteri yang terapung di dalam botol di laut, dan Datuk Bandar tempatan berulang kali memberi amaran kepada anda untuk kembali ke dok sebelum menjadi gelap pada waktu malam. Beberapa hari memancing dan menyampaikan bungkusan membantu memudahkan anda ke dalam permainan, dan kemudian anda didekati oleh tokoh misteri yang dipanggil The Collector, yang meminta anda untuk mencari beberapa barang yang hilang di kapal karam di sekitar pulau -pulau.

Ini boleh menjadi cabaran kerana anda memerlukan refleks cepat untuk mengawal ketegangan dalam peralatan memancing anda dan membawa barang -barang ini ke permukaan (dan pengawal permainan mungkin menjadi pilihan yang lebih baik di sini daripada menggunakan papan kekunci). Ia juga mengambil masa, dan saya tidak lama lagi mendapati diri saya tergesa -gesa kembali ke sumsum yang lebih besar dalam satu malam yang gelap, hanya untuk diserang oleh makhluk bawah laut yang besar yang merosakkan bot saya dan mengembalikan saya ke permainan terakhir saya yang disimpan.

Perkara-perkara hanya menjadi lebih menyeramkan dari sana ketika anda mula mendedahkan misteri di belakang semua kapal yang hilang ini, dan permainan penuh akan membuat anda sibuk selama 10-12 jam, bergantung pada berapa banyak masa yang anda habiskan memancing, memburu harta karun dan menyelesaikan pencarian sampingan. Diakui, kegembiraan di Dredge diketepikan dengan berhati -hati, jadi ia bukan permainan untuk peminat tindakan, tetapi keseimbangan antara waktu siang yang tenang dan ancaman yang mengintai dalam kegelapan mencipta irama yang menenangkan yang akan merayu kepada peminat -peminat permainan yang lebih aman (satu kajian pada stim yang dipanggilnya. "

Memikirkan di mana untuk membeli permainan boleh menjadi sedikit rumit, walaupun. Ia sudah tersedia di kebanyakan kedai permainan utama, termasuk Steam, Epic dan GOG dengan versi standard permainan yang berharga $ 24.99/￡ 21.99 (dengan tambahan DLC juga disediakan).

Ia tidak disebabkan oleh pelepasan di Mac App Store sehingga akhir Februari 2025, tetapi pemaju mengatakan bahawa membeli versi MAC juga akan memberi anda akses kepada versi mudah alih untuk iPhone dan iPad juga. Mac App Store juga menyediakan versi percubaan yang membolehkan anda memainkan bahagian pertama permainan sebelum membeli. Para pemaju mencadangkan Mac dengan Apple Silicon, tetapi permainan berlari pada iMac berasaskan Intel saya tanpa masalah sama sekali.

15. Gerbang Baldur 3 - Pengembaraan yang luas dengan grafik 3D licin

There aren't many survival games that have made it onto the Mac, so we were pleasantly surprised when developer Iron Gate announced a Mac version of its hugely successful Valheim. The PC game has been available in early access since 2021 – which means that you're essentially paying to play a beta version of the game – but it's received a series of updates over the last couple of years that add more and more features, and the game has now sold more than 10 million copies.

Valheim follows the standard format for the survival. genre. Rather than providing a central story or quest, it simply drops you into the world of Valheim, which is based on Norse mythology, and then just leaves you to get on with things and decide how you want to play. The world includes several different biomes–regions with different terrain and climate–including leafy forests, snowy mountains or the barren Ashlands that were added in a recent update. You'll start in a fairly welcoming leafy glade, where you can gather food and materials for crafting and building yourself a home.

Many people seem quite happy to spend a lot of their time working on their homestead, hunting and crafting to make themselves comfortable in their new home (a bit like the Sims, except with Vikings and monsters). But, as you develop your crafting and building skills, you'll need to wander a bit further afield and explore other biomes in order to find new materials and resources.

As you visit each biome you'll encounter a variety of beasts and monsters, which will force you to craft more powerful weapons and hone your Viking fighting skills. Each biome also has its own boss monster that you have to defeat as well, with the ultimate goal–when the game eventually emerges from early access–of reaching Viking heaven in Valhalla.

It's quite a challenging game, and the intentionally retro 3D graphics may not appeal to everyone, but many people are happy to spend months at a time just exploring, hunting and building their home in Valheim. If things get a bit tough then there's a co-op mode available so that you can recruit up to nine friends to help you out, and the old-school graphics mean that the game runs well even on older Intel-based Macs (although Macs with Apple Silicon will need to be running macOS 14.0 or later). It's available on both Steam and the Mac App Store.

17. Elder Scrolls Online (Gold Road Update) – Epic quests in a non-subscription MMO

Elder Scrolls Online is one of the few MMO games that is available on the Mac, and it celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024 with the launch of a major update called Gold Road. The game has seen a lot of changes along the way – both to the game itself, and also to the Mac platform, following the transition to Apple Silicon.

The bad news is that developer Zenimax states that Apple Silicon “is not officially supported”. In fact, the game does run on Macs with Apple Silicon – thanks to Rosetta – although some users have reported poor performance even on high-end Mac models. However, I was able to get a perfectly playable 40fps when running the game at 2,560 x 1,440 resolution with high graphics settings on my MacBook Pro with M2 Pro, and 55fps on medium graphics. There's no free trial available for Elder Scrolls Online, but the game does run free play events every few months that allow you to play free of charge for a couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for these events if you'd like to check the game out before buying.

One of the good things about Elder Scrolls Online is that – unlike MMO rivals such as World Of Warcraft – it doesn't require a subscription to play. You do need to pay $19.99/￡15.99 for the base game (until end of June 2024 this is $5.99 at Epic), or $49.99/￡42.99 for the complete Gold Road Collection – which includes a whole decade's worth of expansion packs – but after that you can play for as long as you want without having to pay a monthly subscription (although a subscription is available as an optional extra).

Even the base game is huge, with a vast continent full of snowy mountains, windswept deserts and murky marshes for you to explore. There are epic quests, a wide range of skills and abilities to master and, of course, there are the inevitable dungeons and quite a few dragons that you can face on your adventures as well. As always, the Gold Road expansion adds a new region for you to explore, and a major new storyline called The Return Of Ithelia. It also introduces a major new magic system to the game, called Scribing, which provides new skills and spells that can be customized so that you can create a unique set of skills that really allow you to play just the way that you want.

18. Diablo III: 2024 update means it finally runs on the Mac

It's over 12 years since we originally reviewed the Mac version of Diablo III, and it's safe to say that a lot has changed since then. The game still runs on Macs, but the transition to Apple Silicon has meant that it relies on Rosetta to run on modern Macs, and umpteen new versions of the macOS have introduced a few bugs that are annoying even if they don't completely break the game.

The developers at Blizzard announced an update that brings Diablo III right up to date for Mac users. As well as being compatible with the most recent versions of the macOS and ironing out those old bugs, Diablo III now runs natively on Macs with either Intel processors or Apple Silicon – and that's quite surprising for a game that's this old.

Season 30 was the end of the road for new game content, but Blizzard did introduce a number of new features that should help to keep diehard players interested. The new Solo Self Found mode (SSF) is a completely single-player mode that forces you to rely purely on weapons and items that you find on your own. A new feature called Visions Of Enmity opens portals to a series of mini-levels that are crammed full of monsters, but which provide a chest full of loot once you reach the final level. There's also the Altar Of Rites, where you can sacrifice some of your hard-earned loot to gain a series of bonuses and buffs that will help you tackle the game's many challenges in solo mode.

The 2.7.8 update also arrived at the same time as Season 33 of Diablo III, that revisits the Shades Of The Nephilim theme and allows you to summon clone versions of your character to help you in battle.

Unfortunately, Diablo IV, which was launched in 2023, still isn't available for the Mac at all, but at least this revamp of Diablo III provides plenty of dungeon-crawling fun for Mac users. And, of course, there are options that may allow you to run Diablo IV as well, if you read our guide to the best virtual machine software for Macs.

Read our full Diablo III review

19. The Elder Scrolls Online (High Isle Collection) – Non subscription quests

Along with World Of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls Online – or ESO to its thousands of fans – is one of the few A-List MMO titles that still supports the Mac (sadly, we lost Guild Wars 2 a couple of years ago…). But, unlike WoW, you don't need to pay a monthly subscription to play the game, which makes it great value for players who want to immerse themselves in hundreds of hours of quests and adventures in the game's online world of Tamriel. Some people – ie me – also prefer its grittier graphical style to the Disney-esque cartoon graphics of WoW.

ESO keeps its fans coming back year after year by releasing regular expansions – which it refers to as Chapters, as each new chapter brings a new story and a new series of quests to the game, as well as opening up new zones for you to explore. The latest chapter is High Isle, which takes you to the homeland of the game's Breton race, and throws you into a story of political intrigue involving High Isle's rival factions and a mysterious organization known as the Ascendent Order. Other new features include a new deck-building card game that you can play to while away a few hours, and two new computer-controlled companions for players who prefer to go questing on their own. And, of course, there are plenty of new quests to complete and dungeons waiting to be plundered.

You can buy the base version of the game for $19.99/￡15.99 (until end of June 2024 this is $5.99 at Epic), or buy the High Isle Collection, which includes High Isle and all the previous chapters for $49.99/￡42.99. Or, if you already own the game, you can just upgrade with High Isle on its own for $29.99/￡24.99. Once you've bought the game you can play for as long as you want without paying a monthly subscription, and there are enough dungeons and quests already available to keep you busy for years. However, you can pay for an optional subscription if you want ($14.99/￡8.99), which provides bonuses such as a larger inventory for storing all your gear and some extra gold coins to spend in the game's online store.

The Mac version of ESO did have a wobbly patch, around the time of Catalina, but it now runs well on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, and we were able to get a playable 30fps from the game at 1920×1080 resolution even on a basic M1 processor on our 24-inch iMac.

20. Resident Evil: Village – Combining atmospheric horror and manic combat

Apple is trying very hard to encourage games developers to come back to the Mac, but – around 30 years ago – there was a time when big-names such as Bungie actually developed their games on the Mac first (until Bungie was taken over by Microsoft).

Before Bungie hit the big time with Halo, it made a name for itself with the Marathon series. The original Marathon games stopped running on the Mac long ago, but the entire Marathon series was recently revived with the help of an open-source programming team called Aleph One. The first Marathon game is now available on Steam as a free download – now called Classic Marathon – and it runs on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

The game is a real blast of retro fun, set aboard a space ship called The Marathon, which has been boarded by alien invaders. Your task is pretty straightforward and mostly involves running along lots of corridors blasting the living daylights out of the aliens. Along the way, you can log in to computer terminals that provide access to the ship's onboard AI, which points you toward your next target or sends you looking for useful information. There's a plot twist, though, as there seem to be rival AIs at work, each with their own agenda, and this keeps you thinking about what comes next, as well as just exercising your trigger finger in combat.

The game's old-school graphics obviously look a bit dated these days, but they have a lot of charm, and there's a sense of satisfaction as you carefully attempt to pick off your enemies without wasting too much ammo – and a real sense of relief when you come across some spare ammo packs lying on the ground too.

The somewhat clumsy control system isn't quite so charming – it took me some time reading around on the Internet to discover that there's no Save Game command, so you just have to hope you can survive all the way to the next checkpoint, where your game is saved automatically. But that's part of the fun, as it puts extra pressure on you to stay alive, and to keep searching for hidden areas that may reward you with extra ammo or weapons.

The two sequels – Marathon 2 and Marathon Infinity – are also available, although you'll need to download the open-source files from Aleph One's own website, or wait for them to arrive on Steam for a more straightforward download and installation process.

23. Total War: Warhammer III – Endlessly replayable battles

Perhaps the biggest game release of 2022 on the Mac, Total War: Warhammer III provided a truly epic conclusion to this popular series of strategy games. There's no need to worry if you haven't played any of the earlier games, though, as this three-quel includes an optional prologue, called The Lost God, that can act as an introduction for people who are new to the world of Warhammer.

This prologue explains that the great Beard God, Ursun, who is worshipped by the human kingdom of Kislev has been imprisoned in the demonic Realms Of Chaos. In Ursun's absence, a terrible winter has fallen over Kislev, so you start by playing Prince Barkov of Kislev, who leads a small band of warriors to discover the fate of Ursun. This section also acts as a tutorial for people who might be new to strategy games, and when you're up to speed you can progress to the main campaign in which rival factions compete to reach Ursun and use his godly powers for their own ends.

As well the people of Kislev, you can command another human kingdom called Grand Cathay, or turn to the dark side by playing one of the many demonic princes who all have their own monstrous armies. There's Nurgle, the Plague Lord, whose somewhat squishy troops spread disease and decay, along with Khorne, the Blood God, the hedonistic Slaanesh, and Tzeentch, the master of Chaos Magic. And, finally, there's the uber Daemon Price, whose powers – and even body parts – can be customized so that you can create a playing style that's all your own. You can also buy additional DLC packs that add new factions and races to the game. There's also a free add-on called Immortal Empires, which brings together campaign maps, factions and battles from all three Warhammer games into one vast and endlessly replayable series of battles.

The good news is that the game will run on any Mac with an M1 or M2 processor – and we found that it ran at a smooth 30-40fps at 1920×1080 resolution even on a 24-inch iMac with a standard M1 processor. But while Intel Macs with AMD graphics may be able to run the game, there are a few technical glitches that can affect these Macs, so the game isn't 'officially supported' on Intel Macs.

24. Football Manager 2024 – Have a quick kick-about

There aren't a lot of sports games available on the Mac, but the Football Manager series is a longtime supporter, and we get the 2024 edition at the same time as the PC and console versions too. There's also a new version of Football Manager 2024 Touch available for the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. And, somewhat confusingly, the App Store also has a separate version, called Football Manager Mobile, which is only available to Netflix subscribers.

One of the biggest changes is the arrival of the 'J-League', with 60 Japanese teams now added to the game, along with Japanese language support as well. There are also new playing modes, such as 'Real World' where players in your games move to new teams on the same dates as they do in real life.

Each new version of the game tends to bring graphical improvements, and FM24 provides smoother animations for players as they charge around the pitch, more realistic physics for ball movement, and enhanced lighting effects to create a greater sense of atmosphere. And, of course, there are the inevitable AI features, such as the introduction of 'Intermediaries' that you can hire to go out and hustle for the best prices when you're thinking of selling some players. There are also new Set Piece Coaches, who can help you to choose the best players for events such as free-kicks and corners. However, you're up against tougher AI managers on opposition teams too, as they can now make smarter decisions when purchasing players that suit their tactical style.

The game also follows recent trends in tactical play, such as the greater use of positional play, which allows players to switch positions when your team has possession. The sheer depth of all these tactical options means that Football Manager can be a bit daunting for more casual fans of the game, but there's a demo version available on both Steam and Epic, so you can have a quick kick-about to see how you get on before buying the full game.

25. Grid Legends: Deluxe Edition – Demanding and realistic driving simulation

It's been quite a while since any of the Grid games were released on the Mac and, in fact, the Windows version of Grid Legends was first launched back at the start of 2022. However, the Deluxe Edition that's launched on the Mac App Store does include all the game's recent DLC add-ons – listed at more than $60/￡60 on Steam for the Windows version – so it's great value for racing fans on the Mac.

You don't have to be an ace F1 driver to play Grid Legends, though, as the game includes a variety of different modes that can appeal to casual players as well as experienced drivers who want a more demanding and realistic driving simulation. The game starts by throwing you into its Story mode, called Driven To Glory, which follows the Seneca Racing team as it tries to make its name in the new season. As well as following the action through a series of races, the Story mode is also presented as a kind of behind-the-scenes documentary, with video cut-scenes and interviews with some of the main drivers (including an appearance by the pre-Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa).

Story mode is a good way for beginners to get started, but more experienced drivers can jump straight ahead into the Career mode. This provides five difficulty levels, and allows you to work your way up from rookie to a seasoned pro driver. There are 10 different racing disciplines available, including Drift, Elimination and the arcade-action of Classic Car-nage, and the game lets you play on 24 different tracks in locations such as Brands Hatch, Barcelona Dubai and Miami.

As you progress through the season, you can unlock 120 different vehicles, with different handling properties to suit your driving style. There's also a Garage mode where you can upgrade and fine-tune your car to suit different terrain and weather conditions. The game also includes a Race Creator mode, where you can design your own custom race events, using different tracks, vehicles and weather conditions. It's a shame, though, that the Mac version of the game is single-player only, and doesn't have the multiplayer mode that's available on the PC version. The game also requires an Apple Silicon processor, and doesn't run on older Intel Macs. However, it ran more than fast enough for my somewhat chaotic driving skills on an M1 iMac with medium graphics and 1600×900 resolution, so you don't need a super-fast Mac to put your pedal to the metal.

26. Lies of P – This isn't the Disney version of Pinocchio

There aren't many 'soulsborne' games available on the Mac – so called because they follow the format of the popular Lost Souls and Bloodborne games available on PC and consoles – but Lies Of P arrived on the Mac App Store recently and immediately walked off with Apple's award for Mac Game Of The Year.

The game is dedicated to Carlo Collodi, the author who created Pinocchio, and your main character is referred to as 'the puppet of Gepetto', so it's clear who you're supposed to be. This isn't the cute Disney version of Pinocchio, though – for starters the little wooden boy has grown a bionic metal arm to give him some extra muscle, and one of your first tasks is to pick up a sword and choose a 'path' that determines your fighting style. The Path Of The Sweeper tends to focus on heavy, two-handed weapons, while the Path Of The Bastard lets you fight with lighter, faster weapons. Or, as a safe bet, you can choose the Path Of The Cricket, which combines elements of the other two fighting styles.

Your puppet boy wakes in the city of Krat, a kind of steam-punk dystopia that has been over-run by rampaging puppets who have turned against their human masters. Guided by a cricket called Gemini (because Disney owns the name 'Jiminy Cricket') you fight your way across the city to locate Gepetto and end the puppet revolt. Like all soulsborne games, Lies Of P is very challenging, with a wide range of combat moves and skills that you have to master as you fight your way across the city. And, as the name suggests, the game also allows you to choose between telling lies or the truth as you encounter other characters in the game. The developers recommend using a game controller, rather than mouse and keyboard, and the game only runs on Apple Silicon, with no support for older Intel Macs. An M2 is recommended, but we still found the game playable on an iMac with a basic M1 processor, when running on medium graphics settings at 1920×1080, so most recent Mac models should be able to handle the game without too much trouble.

The best games you can play on a Mac

The best of the rest, in alphabetical order…

Alien: Isolation – The Collection: Best Action Game

Company: Feral Interactive
Where to buy: Steam ($49.99/￡34.99), Mac App Store ($39.99/￡38.99)
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.5, 2.0GHz dual-core Intel processor, 4GB RAM, 1GB graphics card

Most of the games based on the Alien films have been pretty awful – in fact, Alien: Colonial Marines even prompted a lawsuit back in 2013 from disgruntled customers who felt they'd been misled by the advertising for the game. Fortunately, as our friends over at GameAgent recently remarked, Alien: Isolation is one of the “good Alien games”.

Originally released for the PC in 2015, Alien: Isolation has arrived on the Mac and does a great job of capturing the tension and atmosphere of that very first Alien film. The game is set 15 years after Alien, following the discovery of the black-box flight-recorder from Ellen Ripley's ship, The Nostromo . Ripley, of course, is still missing, so her daughter Amanda heads off to recover the black-box from the space station that found it.

No prizes for guessing what Amanda and her team discover when they arrive at the space station: a toothy xenomorph on the loose, and gradually working its way through the terrified crew. Your task as Amanda is not to go in with all guns blazing, but simply to avoid the alien and stay alive – hiding inside a locker, or creating a distraction that will draw the alien away for a few crucial seconds.

The game creates a real sense of tension, and the computer-controlled alien is smart enough to provide a really formidable foe. This 'collection' also includes a number of bonus missions, including Crew Expendable, which re-enacts events from the original Alien film. However, the game's system requirements are pretty high, so you should check that your Mac is up to it before buying the game.

Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition: Best RPG

Company: Beamdog
Where to buy: Steam ($4.99/￡3.74), Mac App Store ($19.99/￡19.99)
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.7, dual-core Intel processor, 4GB RAM, 2.5GB hard disk

The original Baldur's Gate II was released way back in 1988 by the roleplaying gods at Bioware, and its 2D graphics will look pretty dated to anyone that has played modern roleplaying games such as Bioware's Dragon Age series. Even so, it's an essential purchase for anyone that has even the slightest interest in roleplaying games, and the sheer size of the game means that it's excellent value for money.

It's a shame that this updated Enhanced Edition couldn't be brought right up to date with more modern 3D graphics, but it does get a cosmetic makeover with high-def versions of the original artwork, so it doesn't look too bad on modern computer screens. Besides, whether in 2D or 3D, Bioware's great strength has always been its story-telling skill, and Baldur's Gate II is as captivating now as it was nearly 30 years ago. It's very much traditional fantasy fare – with you taking on the role of a warrior, wizard, rogue or cleric – but it's done on a truly grand scale. Your character is just one of many mortal offspring spawned by the evil god Bhaal, and the game pits you against several of your own brothers and sisters as they vie to succeed Bhaal and claim his power as their own.

There are hundreds and hundreds of quests along the way – around 300 hours worth if you try to complete them all – including power struggles within the guild of Shadow Thieves, and an epic battle with the wizard Irenicus, played in full scenery-chewing mode by Brit character actor David Warner. Throw in the return of bonkers barbarian Minsc and his giant space-hamster Boo, and BGII is a real retro treat for RPG fans.

Braid: Best Platform Game

Company: Hothead Games
Where to buy: Mac App Store ($10.99/￡10.99), Steam ($14.99/￡10.99)
System requirements: OS X 10.6.6 or later

The first time you play Braid, you might be forgiven for thinking you've just bought a late 90s puzzle platformer. You jump and run like Mario, kill monsters by jumping on their heads and collect puzzle pieces. And then you're introduced to Braid's killer feature: you can turn back time.

As you progress, you realise that this is a crucial part of the game's mechanics. There are sections you can't complete without winding back the action. Add in some fiendishly designed levels, a lot of old-school gaming and a genuinely great soundtrack, and you realise why Braid won all those awards.

Civilization V: Brave New World – Best Strategy Game

Company: Aspyr
Where to buy: Steam ($29.99/￡19.99), Green Man Gaming ($29.99/￡19.99), Mac App Store ($29.99/￡28.99)
System requirements: OS X 10.6.8 or later

The Civilization strategy games' basic formula remains the same: you start with a bunch of cavemen and progress through history to create a civilisation that will rule the world. But the Civ series has long since passed the point where all you had to do was build up a big army. Civilization V beefed up the diplomacy elements and the Gods and Kings expansion pack added religion to the mix. Brave New World adds even more depth.

There are nine new civilisations, including Portugal, Morocco, Brazil and the Zulus, but the real substance in Brave New World lies in the new cultural and ideological systems. The 'Culture Victory', for instance, is a new way of conquering the world, whereby nations can place musicians, writers and artists in key buildings, such as the Globe Theatre in London.

There's combat aplenty if that's how you like your strategy games, but the political, religious and cultural elements that it adds to the mix create a game in which you really can develop an entire civilisation, rather than just building up a big army.

Read our full
Civilization V: Brave New World review.

Disco Elysium: Best Detective RPG

Company: ZAUM
Where to buy: Steam ($39.99/￡34.99), GOG ($43.59/￡34.99), Mac App Store ($39.99/￡38.99)
System requirements: Mac with OS X v10.13.4 or later, Metal-Compatible graphics card

It's tough being a Mac gamer sometimes, watching great new games always arriving first on PC – and often never being released on the Mac at all. Last year's launch of Disco Elysium was particularly galling for RPG fans, as we watched the PC version of the game mop up awards all over the place. However, the Mac version of Disco Elysium has suddenly appeared, with no advance publicity, and is widely available on all the main online game stores.

As mentioned, Disco Elysium is a roleplaying game, but instead of medieval fantasy or futuristic sci-fi, the game casts you in the role of a drunken detective in a sort-of-contemporary setting, in the town of Revachol.

You wake one morning in a sleazy hotel, with a mega-hangover, barely knowing who you are. After locating your trousers, you explore the hotel and encounter your partner, who reminds you that you are a detective investigating a murder case. You then set off to explore the local neighbourhood, interrogating suspects and looking for clues as you try to crack the case.

Despite the contemporary setting many traditional roleplaying features are still in evidence – you can choose an 'archetype' for your character, such as the 'Thinker' who relies on deductive skills, or take the 'Physical' approach and try to intimidate suspects for information. There's also an extensive set of additional skills, such as empathy or logic, that you can use to help you in your investigation. You don't need to get too bogged down in stats and details, though, and you'll soon be able to head off and explore the neighbourhood, which is wonderfully depicted, with grimy graphics and atmospheric music.

Disco Elysium is the sort of absorbing, immersive game that can absorb you for hours on end. However, the system requirements for the 3D graphics are quite steep, so check to make sure your Mac can handle it first. Some of the language is a bit ripe too, so this definitely isn't a game for younger children.

Divinity: Original Sin 2: Best Multiplayer RPG

Company: Larian Studios
Where to buy: Steam ($26.99/￡17.99), Mac App Store ($44.99/￡43.99)
System requirements: macOS 10.13.6 or later, MacBook Pro 2016 or later, MacBook Air 2017 or later, iMac with AMD graphics 2013 or later, Mac Mini 2018

At the end of 2018, the developers at Larian Studios announced that they were working with Apple – in itself a bit of a shock as Apple generally shows bugger-all interest in games on the Mac – to develop a Mac version of Original Sin 2 (one of the greatest RPGs of all time) using Apple's Metal graphics system. There's nothing half-hearted about the Mac version, either – as well as using Metal for the impressive 3D graphics, the game supports HDR (high dynamic range) on the latest Macs, as well as Mac-specific features such as Apple trackpads and the TouchBar on new MacBook Pro models. And the game's multiplayer mode even works across both Macs and PCs, so you can play online with your friends (as long as you've all got the latest patches and updates). The only drawback here is that the Metal graphics require a fairly powerful Mac, so make sure to check the game's system requirements before buying.

Don't worry if you've haven't played the original game, as this sequel remains in the fantasy world of Rivellon, but steps forward in time and allows you to embark on an entirely new adventure. You start the game in a bit of trouble, as you've been captured and sentenced to jail for using a dangerous magical force called 'Source'. Using Source gives you – and other 'Sourcerors' – great power, but it also creates a gateway to another dimension called The Void, allowing evil creatures to invade Rivellon. And, yep – you guessed it – your job is to save the world from the invading demons.

The game begins with a helpful tutorial to get new players started, and newcomers can also opt for a ready-made 'origin' character that has already been set up for you. More experienced players can delve into character creation, with a wide variety of races on offer – with standard options such as humans, dwarves and elves complemented by more exotic lizards and undead – and the game also offers several difficulty levels and modes to cater for different playing styles and levels of experience.

It might all sound like fairly routine fantasy fare, but Original Sin 2 is tremendously well-made and involving. There are few simple good-versus-evil choices, and sometimes you'll find yourself wracked with guilt because you simply can't find a nice, clean solution to a particular problem or a tricky side-quest. The solo game by itself will keep even hardened roleplaying fans absorbed through the dark winter months, and the various online and multiplayer modes will ensure that Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a game that you'll come back to time and time again.

Elder Scrolls Online (plus Blackwood expansion): Best MMORPG

Company: Zenimax
Where to buy: Green Man Gaming ($59.99/￡42.49), Steam ($59.99/￡49.99). This is for the base game plus the expansion set; both sites also sell the base game, or just the upgrade, for a lower price
System requirements: macOS 10.13, Mac with quad-core CPU, discrete GPU with 1GB VRAM

The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the few A-list MMORPG titles that supports the Mac, and ever since its launch back in 2014 the developers at Zenimax have kept their loyal players coming back by updating the game with a regular series of new 'chapters'. These are essentially expansion packs that add more content, and occasionally new features too. But every year or so, Zenimax releases an update that makes major changes to the game in order to keep it feeling fresh and exciting – and 2021's Blackwood expansion is one of the biggest updates for quite some time.

The changes begin as soon as you enter the game. Even if you haven't bought the Blackwood expansion there's a new introductory tutorial that sends you to the island of Balfiera, where you can learn the ropes by helping the local townsfolk to fend off an invading army of monsters. Once you've completed the tutorial you're given the option of entering a portal that can send you anywhere in the vast world of ESO.

If you decide to head off to Blackwood, you'll discover a vast new zone, full of quests and challenging dungeons. Blackwood also introduces a new companion system, which allows solo players to recruit a computer-controlled companion who can fight alongside you. This will be great for players – like me – who tend to play solo most of the time, with the new companion helping you to complete quests and tasks that might previously have been a bit too tough for one player on their own.

Blackwood also introduces a new Gates of Oblivion storyline that will continue developing throughout this year, with a major quest that pits you against the demonic Prince Of Destruction, as he schemes to invade the mortal realm. The good news is that you don't have to pay the full price for Blackwood right away, as the original base game now costs just ￡14.99/$19.99 – and no longer requires a monthly subscription to play. That contains enough action and adventure to keep you happy for months, before you decide if you want to visit Blackwood as well.

Final Fantasy XIV Online: Best MMORPG

Company: Square Enix
Where to buy: Square Enix US store (from $19.99, plus $14.99 per month) or Square Enix EU store (from ￡9.99 ￡7.69 monthly subscription); free trial also available
System requirements: Mac with OS X v10.14 or later, 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor

As we've mentioned in the past, Final Fantasy XIV has had a bit of a chequered history – with the original Mac version in 2015 being so bad that the developers actually offered refunds. However, a series of updates over the past few years have seen FFXIV emerge as one of the top games in the MMORPG genre – despite the fact that, until recently, it was one of the few MMORPGs that still required a subscription to play.

The latest update, which is now called Final Fantasy XIV Online, gives the game another major revamp, reworking the central quest system in order to give players a smoother introduction to the game's vast online world. It also incorporates the Heavensward expansion pack that was previously sold separately, giving you even more quests and adventures to explore. Most important, though, is the new free trial system, which allows new players to sign up for a free account that provides access to vast areas of the game without paying for a subscription (although, to be honest, the registration process is a bit of a chore).

Players with a trial account can take their characters all the way to level 60 – the maximum level with a subscription is 80 – and explore the main game and all the extra zones and quests in Heavensward for free. If you want to advance beyond L60 and explore new character classes and other new features then you will still need to buy a copy of the game and pay for a continuing subscription. However, you can start for as little as ￡9.99/$19.99 for the Online Starter Edition, and then decide if you want to continue your subscription, and buy the latest Shadowbringer expansion pack as well.

Hearthstone: Best card game

Company: Blizzard
Where to buy: playhearthstone.com (free to play, with in-game purchases)
System requirements: macOS 10.10, Intel Core Duo, Nvidia GeForce 8600M or AMD Radeon HD 2600 Pro

Hearthstone has been around for a few years now, and Blizzard's typically slick presentation quickly established it as one of the leading computer card games. Like most card games, the basic version of Hearthstone is free to play, but offers a wide range of card packs that you can either buy with real money – starting from ￡2.99/€2.99 for two packs of five cards – or earn by collecting gold and treasure within the game itself.

Picking up a trick from the long-running success of World Of Warcraft, Blizzard also releases special 'expansion packs' for Hearthstone every now and then, which bring new features to the game, as well as new cards and other goodies.

But Hearthstone is still a fun game to play, even if you don't want to spend a lot of money buying all the latest expansions. It's a good option for newcomers to card games, with a simple tutorial that guides you through the main features of the game, and the basic/free version of Hearthstone still includes several different game modes that you can play in order to win new cards without spending any money at all. The game runs on most types of computer and mobile devices too, so you can switch between Mac, iOS and other devices using the same game account.

Lego Star Wars Saga: Best Lego Game

Company: Feral Interactive
Where to buy: Steam ($19.99/￡15.49), Mac App Store ($19.99/￡19.99)
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.5.8; 1.5GHz Intel processor; graphics card with 128MB VRAM

No home should be without at least one Lego game, and if you pick up the Saga version you get the six games based on the Star Wars films for an affordable price.

The sheer fun of playing with the Lego versions of Luke, Han, Yoda and Darth Vader will appeal to both adults and children. The six games in this pack offer a variety of different scenarios, including space battles, lightsaber duels, and the famous battle on the ice planet of Hoth. If you're a Star Wars fan, Feral has also released a new Lego game based on the Clone Wars cartoon series, and there are other Lego games based on the Batman, Harry Potter and Indiana Jones films as well.

Life Is Strange: Best Adventure Game

Company : Feral Interactive
Where to buy : Green Man Gaming ($3.20/￡2.56), Steam ($19.99/￡15.99, first episode free), Mac App Store ($17.99/￡17.99)
System requirements: Mac with OS X v10.11 or later, 2.0GHz dual-core Intel processor, 8GB RAM, 512MB VRAM

At first glance, Life Is Strange looks like a fairly conventional adventure game. You play a teenage girl called Max Caulfield who is having a bit of a bad day at school. Max ducks out of class and heads to the bathroom for a time-out, and as you wander the school corridors you can click on objects or people around you to gather information that guides you through the game. That's routine adventure stuff, but life starts to get strange when Max witnesses the murder of her friend Chloe – and discovers that she has the ability to turn back time.

Saving Chloe reveals a deeper mystery concerning a missing student called Rachel, so Max and Chloe set off to find Rachel and uncover the dark secrets of the sleepy town of Arcadia. That's straightforward enough, but Chloe's time-travelling abilities add a whole new dimension to the standard point-and-click adventure format. Sometimes a conversation with another character will reveal some useful information, allowing Chloe to go back and replay recent events so they have a different outcome. However, changing past events can have unexpected consequences, leading to some difficult – and dangerous – decisions.

The story unfolds in five separate episodes, but you can check it out for free by downloading the first episode through Steam and then deciding if you want to explore the mystery further. We enjoyed its haunting, Buffy-esque depiction of the dark side of teenage life, and our only complaint is that the keyboard-and-mouse controls felt a bit clumsy so you'll progress more smoothly if you have a proper game controller to help you out.

Papers, Please: Best Puzzle Game

Company: 3909 LLC
Where to buy: Steam ($9.99/￡6.99), GOG ($9.99/￡7.89)
System requirements: 1.5GHz Core2Duo; OS X Mountain Lion (10.8) or later; 2 GB RAM; 100MB hard disk space

Almost unclassifiable in normal gaming terms – we've put it with the puzzlers, although it's really a bizarre take on the classic worker simulation – Papers, Please sees you taking up the post of border control in an authoritarian regime. Which is certainly a novel idea for a game.

People enter your booth and present their papers; it's your job to figure out if they can be allowed in. If you spot an irregularity in their paperwork, deny them entry. If their sob story touches your heartstrings, let them in. But if you let through too many dodgy types, or work too slowly, the money you earn will take a dip, and your family need to eat.

Papers, Please is a quirky, interesting game set in a truly novel (and utterly bleak) environment. And while the level of profundity is debatable, there's definitely more going on here than in your average worker sim.

Read the full Papers, Please for Mac review

The Sims 4: Best Sims Game

Company: Maxis
Where to buy: Origin ($4.79/￡12.94), Best Buy ($39.99)
System requirements: Mac OS X Lion; Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz; nVidia GeForce 320M; 4GB RAM; 10GB available HD space

There's a lot to take in with the latest addition to The Sims line-up: deeper customisation, more variety with actions, new careers and new places to explore. The Sims 4 had a lot to live up to after the success of The Sims 3, but it fills its predecessor's shoes beautifully.

You get a deeper level of character customisation than in previous generations. While you can still browse and select preset eyes, mouth, hair, etc, The Sims 4 allows you to fine-tune your character's looks and build by clicking and dragging the area you want to tweak. Does your Sim's belly protrude a little too much for your liking? Clicking on the troubled area and dragging it in will make your Sim thinner – it's as easy as that.

The build & design mode in The Sims was the basis for the game as a whole – it started off as a simulator that architects could use. And it's fantastic here. It's a great experience being able to design a home exactly how you want it to be and really gets your creative juices flowing. With more design options (like the ability to build “in the air” with no support below), houses in The Sims 4 looks more breathtaking than ever. You can pick up and move whole rooms whenever you fancy a change, and buy whole rooms of same-style furniture. For those of us without an eye for interior design, it allows us to really appreciate the game and the design process.

Day-to-day life in The Sims 4 is more enjoyable, too. If your Sim is hungry, simply click on the hunger bar and the Sim will automatically feed themselves – the same applies to all their other needs too. It takes the effort out of the more mundane tasks and allows you more time to do the fun things with your Sim.

The Sims 4 is a great game with so many options that you'll lose yourself for hours at a time. Lewis Painter

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: Best RPG

Company: Aspyr
Where to buy: Green Man Gaming ($2.80/￡2.01), Steam ($3.49/￡2.51), Mac App Store ($9.99/￡9.99)
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.9.5, 2.2GHz dual-core Intel processor, 4GB RAM, 256MB graphics card

It's more than a decade since the original Knights Of The Old Republic was first released, but that game is still selling well on the App Store even after all these years. So it came as a bit of a surprise when we realised that this sequel – originally released for PC back in 2005 – has only just arrived on the Mac for the first time.

Like its predecessor, KOTOR II is set thousands of years in the past, long before the events of the Star Wars film series. You play one of the last surviving Jedi, who have been almost completely wiped out after a long war with the evil Sith Lords. At the start of the game you wake up injured and with no memory of recent events. Even your trusty light-sabre has gone missing, so your initial challenge is to recover your memory and your Jedi powers, and then set off to try and find any other Jedi that may have survived.

There's a wide range of skills and abilities that you can develop as you progress through the game, and you can focus on either light-sabre combat or spooky Force Powers depending on how you want to develop your character. There's also a strong story and roleplaying element, full of political twists and turns, and moral decisions that will affect the final outcome of the game. The 3D graphics look a little dated now, but the intriguing storyline and light-sabre action will soon have you hooked, and at just ￡9.99 the game's a real bargain for Star Wars fans.

Total War: Warhammer II: Best Strategy Game

Company: Creative Assembly/ Feral Interactive
Where to buy: Steam ($59.99/￡39.99)
System requirements: macOS 10.14, 2GHz Intel Core i5, Radeon R9 M290 or Intel Iris 540 with 2GB video memory

Total War: Warhammer was a match made in Orc-heaven, as it combined the fantasy warfare of the Warhammer series with the large-scale battles of the Total War strategy games. So it's no surprise that this follow-up offers more of the same, albeit with enough variety to make it worth coughing up the rather hefty ￡39.99/$59.99 on Steam. But you should check the game's system requirements first, as the battling armies of elves, lizardmen and rodent-like Skaven need a pretty powerful Mac to handle their demanding 3D graphics.

The story for the main single-player campaign is, to be honest, fairly trite fantasy fodder, with the game's four rival factions competing to control a great, swirling vortex of magical energy floating up in the sky. That's little more than an excuse to get the rival armies and heroes charging across the game's vast landscapes, but the main campaign is well constructed and gives you plenty of different options for getting stuck into endless hours of fantasy fisticuffs.

You can control any of the four rival races, and each race lets you choose between two Legendary Lords, who all have different storylines and starting locations, as well as their own special abilities that can be used to assist their troops in battle (and, if you're new to the Total War games, one Lord for each race also gives you a handy tutorial to get started). That gives you eight different options for playing and re-playing the game, and if you also own the original Total War: Warhammer then you get a free bonus campaign thrown in as well.

The game also includes a number of Battle modes that you can dip into for a quick fix every now and then, as well as a multiplayer mode.

Wildermyth: Best RPG

Company: Worldwalker Games
Where to buy: Steam ($24.99/￡19.49)
System requirements: Mac with OS X v10.13, 64-bit processor

Wildermyth is an unusual and impressive roleplaying game with flexible character development that encourages you to go back and play through it again.

It's an immediately eye-catching game with 'papercraft' graphics that look like a child's popup book, as your 2D characters use a turn-based combat system to move through hand-painted 3D environments. You start by creating a party with three characters: a warrior, a hunter (rogue) and mystic. These characters are created by the game, with their own personalities and backgrounds, although you can fine-tune each character by modifying their appearance, skills and other abilities.

And, like all good roleplaying games, it allows you to make choices that affect the story and the relationships between the various characters. At various points you'll be presented with options – drawn like panels from a comic book rather than dull lumps of text – that establish whether your characters are friends, rivals, or even in a romance, and this affects the way that the story develops and how the lives of your characters unfold.

The tutorial could be a little clearer – I had to look up some videos on YouTube to help me get started – but the turn-based combat isn't too difficult to master, and you can develop your party's abilities to combine stealth, magic and weapon skills in any way that you like. And, at the end of each game, you can save favourite 'legacy' characters in order to bring them back the next time you play.

This is where Wildermyth really stands out, as its story is 'procedurally generated' – it's not entirely random, but is flexible within a framework that is controlled by the game itself. There's enough variety within that framework to enjoy playing through again, and gives you the luxury of being reunited with your favourite characters to see how their stories and relationships continue to develop throughout their lives.

World Of Warcraft: Best MMORPG

Company: Blizzard
Where to buy: WoW (free for Starter Edition, plus $12.99/￡8.99 monthly subscription)
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.5.8; Intel Core 2 Duo; graphics card with 256MB VRAM

Its cutesy graphics aren't to everyone's taste, but World of Warcraft is still the game that rules the massively multiplayer online scene, with around seven million subscribers playing as wizards, priests, warriors and rogues. Part of that success is down to the release of regular expansion packs, such as 2010's Cataclysm, which – quite literally – shook up the landscape, destroying some old areas and introducing new zones for you to explore.

The fairly regular release of new material keeps experienced players happy, but to attract new players, Blizzard announced a Starter Edition of the game that allows you to play for free until your character reaches level 20.

XCOM 2: Best Strategy Game

Company: Feral Interactive
Where to buy: Steam ($14.99/￡8.74), Mac App Store ($49.99/￡48.99)
System requirements: Mac with OS X 10.11.2, 2.4GHz dual-core processor, discrete graphics card with 1GB VRAM

The good news is that XCOM 2 arrived on the Mac at the same time as the PC version. The bad news is that the aliens won at the end of XCOM: Enemy Unknown back in 2013. So now we jump forward 20 years and the Earth is ruled by Advent – a coalition of alien overlords and their human collaborators (boo, hiss) – so it's up to you to lead the human resistance movement and recruit a new XCOM team to wage a guerrilla war against the alien oppressors.

Like its predecessor, XCOM 2 is a turn-based strategy game that provides an overhead isometric view of the battlefield so that you can plan your team's moves as they approach their target. But the moment you pull the trigger the action switches to a close-up view – similar to a first person shooter – that gives it a more visceral feel than most conventional strategy games.

There are five soldier classes available to help you out, including Sharpshooters with their long-range sniper skills, and Grenadiers who just charge in and blow up everything in sight. There's also the Psi Operative, who adds a fantasy/sci-fi element with telepathic abilities such as Soulfire and mind-control. Each class also gets its own selection of different skills, giving you plenty of freedom to develop your team in a way that suits your combat style.

There are other resources available too. Your base is a captured alien ship called the Avenger, and between missions you need to give careful thought to developing the engineering, research and armoury facilities on the ship in order to provide new weapons and technology for your team. It's gripping stuff, and guaranteed to keep strategy fans glued to the screen for hours on end.

Further reading

Itu sahaja! Kami sudah selesai. But if you want to read even more about your software options, why don't you check out our guide to the Best free Mac games? It's amazing what you can get without paying a penny.

On the hardware side, take a look at our Best Mac for gaming guide. Plus we have an in-depth look at using a M1 MacBook Pro as a gaming laptop.

We also have eleven separate articles covering our favorites in each game genre. So if you want more of the same, select your favorite genre from the list below and jump to that article.

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