One of the best games that I've ever played and it runs really well on OS X too. And it's freakin' free. Other co-op games that I've played include Counter-Strike, Left 4 Dead (2) & No More Room in Hell. Plenty of other excellent FPS games are available too and all feature team gameplay - Call of Duty, Borderlands and Insurgency come to mind. Steam is one of the most popular online gaming stores for gamers everywhere, and it's not just for PC; you can enjoy Steam on your macOS Big Sur Mac too! Here's how to install and download games using Steam for Mac.
But as Steam Spy founder, Sergey Galyonkin, pointed out, too many new Steam games get released each year: This is as exciting as it is worrying. On the one hand, this explains the explosion of new Mac and Linux games, and as I said before, this gives gamers more choice. You can find frantic shooters, low-key indies, grand strategy behemoths, and much more for your Mac. Here are the best Mac games you should have in 2021.
1. Spiritfarer
We start this list with a steam game that takes a unique outlook towards something often regarded as a failure: death. Spiritfarer follows the journey of Stella, a girl who guides souls to the afterlife. In this fantastical world, we travel to find some spirits willing to board our ship to the afterlife. Our job then is to care for these spirits by performing tasks such as building work stations and homes. We also help these spirits in their main and side quests. The scenery is vivid, serene, and beautiful at the same time, but even that isn’t what makes it one of the best mac games on Steam. What truly sets this game apart is how it shows the journey towards death as an essential part of character progression. Death is inevitable, and our job is to care for these spirits as they make this final journey. While we go about tasks such as gardening, trading, and exploring, spirits ruminate upon their lives and what they achieved.
2. Bioshock Infinite
One of the most popular Mac games on Steam, Bioshock Infinite, is another game that packs a punch in graphics, storyline, and gameplay. Players are in the beautiful, broken, floating city of Columbia – a place where the American Dream turns into a nightmare. You explore heavy themes such as religion, politics, and corruption as you navigate the steampunk-themed city. Bioshock is primarily a shooter game, so your character has a massive arsenal at his disposal. From machine guns, snipers, pistols, and the like, your character also uses Vigors (magical powers) to attack enemies. Hordes of enemies will come at you in both indoor and outdoor locations, allowing you to immerse yourself in the stunning landscape fully.
Bioshock is a confusing yet exhilarating steam download that’s not just fun to play but also explores heavy themes. Truly a game that’ll turn the knobs in your head, Bioshock Infinite is one of the best Mac games on Steam you’ll ever play.
3. Disco Elysium
A groundbreaking role-playing game, Disco Elysium is set in the world of Elysium, where you start as an alcoholic detective suffering from amnesia. Things get even messier when you find the hanging man in the empty lot. Now, it’s up to you to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Here’s the deal: Disco Elysium is a take on the classic RPGs of the ’90s. The game is dialogue-heavy and complete with skill checks and dialogue trees. As we level up, we can improve our four primary skills, Intellect, Motorics, Physique, and Psyche. The game gives you an unprecedented level of independence in shaping your character arc. The choices you make and how you interact with NPC’s shape the narrative of the game entirely. What makes this the best Mac game on Steam is that every person playing it has a different experience from others.
4. Stardew Valley
There is an absolute comfort that comes with playing farming simulation games and RPG’s. Stardew Valley combines both to give you an experience unmatched. In the 16-bit countryside landscape of Stardew Valley, you can do a wide range of things. From mining, farming, collecting, exploring, or crafting, you can do it to upgrade your farm. The graphics evoke nostalgia, and the farm setting is exceptionally soothing. However, Stardew Valley isn’t just about idyllic farming. Instead, you can fight enemies that get progressively stronger in the mines or create relationships with the inhabitants of the valley. You can rake up hours of gameplay in this top Mac game on Steam.
The bottom line: Stardew Valley is a relaxing, nostalgic game that you can always keep coming back to.
5. DOTA 2
Truly a player classic, there’s no doubt about the fact that DOTA 2 is one of the best mac games on Steam. DOTA 2 is an online multiplayer battle arena game (MOBA). You can choose your hero from a vast pool of characters, each with their traits. Every character is part of a team of five, with every member fulfilling vital roles. To come out on top, you need a well-balanced team. The playing field is vast, with several lanes that players must be stationed on. Each session is only over when one team’s ‘Ancient’ is destroyed. Furthermore, as you win matches, you can upgrade your team and your hero with weapons and clothing.
Here’s the deal. If you’re looking for a steam mac game that you can keep playing through the years, there’s no better option than DOTA 2.
6. Factorio
Factorio is one of the best mac strategy games you’ll play. The 2D world of Factorio is limitless, and you have to construct your factory. The factory you build will create increasingly complex products, and your factory can become colossal with time. However, as your factory starts to grow, you’ll become prone to attacks by the land's inhabitants. Initially, you’ll start off chopping wood and crafting small weapons. As your progress, you can gain the ability to construct linguistic robots, refine oil. The journey to becoming an industrial powerhouse can be enriching, and that’s what makes Factorio one of the best mac games on Steam.
It gets better: you can craft your scenarios in this uber customizable game. If you don’t find terrain or challenges you like, you can make your own!
7. The Elder Scrolls Online
If you want a game with the main storyline to keep you engaged for days on end, Elder Scrolls Online is the game for you. There are more than 100 hours of just the main story, and expansion packs can give you 30-50 hours more gameplay. You can take down enemy hordes or even dragons with your friends, or become an assassin for hire. Honestly, one of the best open-world games for mac, you can play with others or explore unchartered territories on your own. The world of Elder Scrolls is colossal, and new updates can even let you visit Skyrim.
If you’re looking for an adventure game to keep you hooked, Elder Scrolls is one of the best mac games on steam for that.
8. Dying Light
No list of the best mac games on Steam would be complete without a survival horror game. This game can be challenging to play initially, but once you get the hang of it, there’s nothing better. As your skill set expands, you can turn the rotting zombies into your playthings. The combat is one of the standout features of this game, as it involves parkour too. Your character sets off to save survivors amid a zombie apocalypse, completing side-quests in the middle。
Being a Mac gamer isn’t easy. Sure, you get a few of the big hits, but plenty of games that could theoretically run on macOS never come to the platform.
If you ask about good games for your MacBook, you’ll run into at least one person telling you to just buy a PC.
This is even tougher for free-to-play games. While PC gamers are spoiled for choice when it comes to free-to-play games, your pickings are much more slim on the Mac.
The good news is that doesn’t mean there aren’t great free-to-play games available for the Mac, as you’ll see in this article.
One quick note: Not all of these are 64-bit, so they won’t all run on macOS Catalina or later.
1. Fortnite
Things won’t always be this way, but Fortnite is currently one of the biggest games in the world.
For Epic Games to leave out Mac users as a potential customer just doesn’t make sense, so yes, you can play Fortnite on your Mac. The only downside is that the system requirements are high, so you’ll probably struggle to play on your laptop.
Related: The best games on Epic Games Store
2. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter-Strike has been around in various forms for decades now, almost as long as online gaming has been a thing for normal people.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (also known as CS:GO) is the latest version of the game. It’s still largely the same round-based game it has always been, but this latest version has some nice quality-of-life features.
3. League of Legends
If you’ve even ever heard the term “eSports,” you probably at least know that League of Legends exists.
What’s hard to believe is that for a short time, League of Legends not only had a price tag, but actually shipped in boxes you could buy at the store. While we’re exiting the heyday of the MOBA, you’ll still find tons of people playing League of Legends.
4. Dota Underlords
Were you screaming about Dota while reading the previous entry on this list? The answer is that I decided to save it for Dota Underlords. Part strategy and part “set it up and watch it fall” auto-battle, this game is strangely addictive.
Even better, the system requirements aren’t all that high, so no matter what Mac you’re running, you can probably play it.
5. Crusader Kings 2
If dense, puzzling grand strategy is your cup of tea, you won’t find much better than Paradox Interactive’s Crusader Kings series.
The fact that Crusader Kings 2 went free-to-play is just icing on the cake. Yes, you’ll need to pay to unlock expansions, but there is plenty there in the core game.
6. Eternal Card Game
Eternal Card Game might look an awful lot like Hearthstone, but underneath it plays different.
Somewhat of a combination of Blizzard’s insanely popular card game and Magic: The Gathering, the Steam reviews for Eternal Card Game frequently mention how generous the game is about giving you new cards. That’s a rare thing for a free-to-play game.
Related: The best digital card games worth playing
7. Lord of the Rings Online
Best Free Steam Games 2021
It’s strange to think that Lord of the Rings Online first launched back in 2007. That’s not quite World of Warcraft old, but it still makes you think.
The game has seen multiple developers and publishers over the years, but for this MMORPG to still be going strong, they’ve got to be doing something right.
Related: The best Mac MMORPGs worth playing
8. Brawlhalla
Do you wish there was a version of Super Smash Bros. you could play on your Mac? Brawlhalla is the next best thing. This platform fighter might lack the recognizable characters, but it’s got all the gameplay depth and complexity to keep you coming back to it.
Related: The best fighting games like Super Smash Bros
9. Guild Wars 2
Steam
If you prefer your MMOs to play more like Diablo than Everquest, take a look at Guild Wars 2.
While it’s not as hyper-instanced as the original game, it’s still quite a different experience than you’ll find in other MMORPGs. While you need to pay for the expansions, the core game is free.
Get the “Path of Fire” and “Heart of Thorns” expansions, a max-level boost, an extra character slot, 4000 gems, and more goodies with the super-valued Ultimate Guild Wars 2 bundle!
Best Steam Games
10. Shadowverse CCG
Do you want Hearthstone, except you’re kind of sick of Hearthstone? Do you like anime? Because that’s pretty much what Shadowverse CCG has to offer. One bonus: Steam reviews mention this isn’t nearly as pay-to-win as similar card games.
Best Free Single Player Steam Games
Read next: The best free-to-play PVP multiplayer games for PC