If you enjoy spending hours in front of your Mac testing video gamesYou've probably experienced the same thing as always: There are so many titles on the App Store, Steam, and official websites In the end, you don't know where to begin. Furthermore, for years the myth has been repeated that macOS had hardly any catalog, and that is far from the truth today.
In 2025 the situation is very different: Apple boasts of major native Mac releases, thanks to NvidiaThe company itself chooses its apps and games of the year, and at the same time, we continue to have a massive selection of indie titles, modern classics, and a wide variety of experiences. In this roundup, you'll find everything from blockbusters like Black Myth: Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077, and Baldur's Gate 3 to gems like Hades, Braid, Osmos, and Vampire Survivors, as well as driving simulators, deep strategy games, and relaxing farming experiences.
Apple's awards: the best of the ecosystem in games and apps
Apple publishes a selection of finalists each year that serves, in practice, as Quick guide to the best apps and games in the ecosystemIt doesn't stop at iPhone or iPad: it includes Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple Arcade, and even Vision Pro, with a special cultural impact category, and initiatives such as Apple Games.
Best apps and games for iPhone
On iPhone, Apple separates the list into apps and games. Among the featured apps are titles such as BandLab, LADDER and Tiimo, focused on music creation, strength training with nutrition recommendations and daily organization with a very polished interface.
In the iPhone gaming category, Apple is focusing on titles that take full advantage of the touchscreen and mobile format. Among the finalists are: Capybara Go!, an adventure game with a cute capybara as the protagonist, Pokémon Pocket TCG, a digital version of the famous card game, and Thronefall, a blend of defense and strategy that is highly polished in terms of visuals and controls.
Best apps and games for iPad
The iPad has become the perfect middle ground between mobile and Mac, and Apple knows it. Creative tools like [insert examples of iPad apps here] stand out among them. Detaila video editor with AI features, Graintoucha digital canvas designed for Apple Pencil, and Structured, which brings daily planning into a highly visual format.
Regarding the games, three very different proposals stand out: Dredge, a title with mystery and a disturbing atmosphere, Infinity Nikki, which is committed to a world with a manga aesthetic, and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Realms, a modern installment of the classic saga that adapts to touch control and the power of the iPad.
Best apps and games for Mac
Getting into the area that interests us, Apple's awards for Mac make it clear that The desktop ecosystem is no longer a second-class citizen in gaming.In the apps section, tools such as Acorn 8 (simple but powerful photo editor), Essayist (to expedite the search for academic articles) and Under My Roof (advanced management of home and belongings).
As for video games, the three finalists for Mac clearly demonstrate the leap in quality in recent years. On one hand, there's Assassin's Creed Shadows, which takes us to feudal Japan with a visual display worthy of a console; on the other hand, Cyberpunk 2077, which is already a technical and narrative benchmark; and closing the trio Neva, a much more intimate adventure focused on the relationship between a young woman and her wolf, with a clearly narrative and emotional approach.
Apple Arcade, Vision Pro, Apple Watch and Apple TV
In the realm of Apple Vision Pro, despite the fact that There is no Spanish App Store for visionOS yet.Apple already marks certain key apps: Camo Studio (for live broadcast), D-Day App (immersive historical narrative) and Explore POV (Immersive scenes and videos). Among the games, the following stand out: Fishing Haven Apphyper-realistic fishing simulation, Gears & GooA very enjoyable mix of strategy and adventure, and Porta NubiPuzzles designed for augmented reality.
With Apple Watch, Apple rewards features that seamlessly integrate the wearable into everyday life, such as GO Club (hydration and tips), For Camera by Moment (using the watch to control the iPhone camera) and Strava, one of the most powerful sports communities. For Apple TV, options such as HBO Max, PBS Kids Video and the game Super Farming Boy, which blends adventure and chain reactions on the big screen.
Apps and games with cultural impact
Beyond hardware, Apple also recognizes apps that have a special social or cultural weightThis category includes games such as Art of Fauna (accessible puzzles focused on wildlife), A Space for the Unbound (narrative adventure dealing with mental health), Chant of Sennaar (puzzle about languages and bridges between cultures) or messed up, with aesthetics and humor strongly influenced by a specific culture.
Utilities and platforms such as Be My Eyes (real-time visual assistance for blind or visually impaired people), Focus Friend (gamification of concentration), Is This Seat Taken? (experiences on empathy and inclusion), Retro (minimalist social network), StoryGraph (monitoring and reading recommendations), come on (interactive culinary novel with recipes and family conflict), Whoscall (identification and blocking of spam calls) or Yuka (product evaluation for more conscious consumption).
The 15 classic Mac games that are still essential
Alongside the most recent releases and Apple's official selection, there is a group of titles that, although they are several years old, They continue to form the core of "the best games for Mac" on any serious list. Many are available on both the Mac App Store and Steam or other platforms.
One of the names that attracts the most attention on modern lists is Black MythWukongA spectacular ARPG based on the classic "Journey to the West." Technically, it's a showcase of next-generation graphics, challenging combat, and a meticulously crafted Eastern mythological setting, and its arrival on Mac demonstrates the extent to which Apple hardware can now handle top-tier productions.
At the opposite end of the rhythm and scale spectrum, we find proposals such as Gone HomeA first-person exploration title focused on unraveling an intimate story. There are no combats or complicated puzzles: the challenge is to investigate a house until you understand what happened to the family, with a carefully crafted environmental narrative.
The omnipresent one is not missing Minecraftwhose Mac version has been one of the world's best-selling games for years. Its formula of voxelated open world, mining, building, and survival continues to work just as well, with single-player modes and huge multiplayer servers where "Hunger Games"-style matches and other minigames are organized.
In a similar vein of leisurely experience, but with a much more narrative focus, appears FirewatchSet in the Shoshone National Forest, this game puts you in the shoes of a fire lookout who, along with their supervisor on the other end of the walkie-talkie, becomes embroiled in a mystery. The warm art style and engaging dialogue make the experience feel more like an interactive movie.
For those who want to compete online daily, League of Legends It remains one of the cornerstones of Mac gaming. It's a free-to-play MOBA with relatively modest technical requirements that allows you to form teams, design strategies, and face off against thousands of players worldwide in quick or ranked matches.
In the field of challenging action, he stands out. CupheadFamous for its 30s cartoon aesthetic and its difficulty. Each boss has specific attack patterns, and the player must learn through trial and error, with a mix of platforming and precise shooting.
If you're into getting scared, a stop here is practically mandatory. SumFrom the creators of Amnesia and The Dark Descent. It blends stealth, underwater exploration, and a science fiction story with philosophical elements, all set in ocean-battered facilities filled with biotechnological horrors.
Car lovers have in Dirt Rally One of the leading rally simulators available on Mac: a game focused on rally racing with highly realistic physics, challenging stages, and officially licensed World Rallycross content. It also includes custom events and full championships for those who prefer a more traditional progression system.
Among the deep, tabletop-inspired RPGs, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire It occupies a prominent place. It is distributed via Steam and allows you to explore new regions of the Deadfire archipelago, with a system inherited from D&D, well-developed characters, party management, and an extensive plot.
For those looking for uncompromising “looter shooters”, Borderlands 2 It remains a must-have on Mac. It combines frantic shooting, absurdly varied weapons, and a very particular dark humor, allowing for solo or cooperative play via LAN and online.
In classic turn-based strategy, Sid Meier's Civilization VI It allows you to build a civilization from a small village to a global superpower. You must manage diplomacy, science, culture, and military power, with multiple victory conditions and virtually endless replayability thanks to its DLC and additional leaders.
In the more informal multiplayer environment, Fortnite: Battle Royale It's another heavyweight game available on Mac. It combines building, shooting, and the "last survivor" format, with cross-play against console and PC users, and a highly polished free-to-play model.
For fans of loot and skill-based ARPGs, Grim Dawn It offers a dark world where human factions and other beings fight for resources and survival. The game boasts over 250 unique abilities, friendly and enemy factions, online co-op, and a very dynamic combat pace.
In the field of more exploratory science fiction, he stands out No Man's SkyThe goal is to explore a virtually infinite galaxy, visit procedurally generated planets, collect resources, upgrade your ship, and unravel mysteries. It can be played solo or with friends, and ongoing support has made it an increasingly comprehensive experience.
This classic selection concludes. BraidOne of the most iconic puzzle-platformers, available on the Mac App Store. Moving through hand-painted environments and manipulating time, you must solve ingenious challenges to progress, with a story that offers much more than it initially appears.
The 20 best Mac games that will shine in 2025
In addition to the classics mentioned above, recent lists of the best games for Mac add around twenty more titles. perfectly playable on modern Apple Silicon PCs, which combine playable depth and good performance on macOS.
Among them, he reappears Sid Meier's Civilization VIThis time, with an emphasis on its multi-generational nature: it allows you to guide a civilization from the Stone Age to the Information Age, with renewed mechanics of cities, diplomacy, culture and science, and a wide variety of DLC that add civilizations, leaders and game modes.
If you're looking for a big-budget role-playing adventure, Baldur's Gate 3 It's one of the most spectacular titles you can play on Mac. It combines tactical turn-based combat based on D&D 5e, detailed exploration of the Forgotten Realms, weighty moral choices, romances, side quests, and enormous replayability thanks to its alternate routes and the freedom to resolve encounters.
In the narrative shooter genre, Metro Exodus It takes the post-apocalyptic formula to semi-open environments, blending intense combat, stealth, resource management, and a strong sense of atmosphere. Its Mac version makes good use of the hardware, featuring a Russian wasteland full of visual detail and tense situations.
City-building enthusiasts have in Cities: Skylines The quintessential modern alternative to the classics of the genre. It allows you to plan residential, commercial, and industrial zones, manage traffic, public services, taxes, and even natural disasters, with a huge amount of DLC to expand transportation options, industries, and weather.
For those who prefer MMOs with a persistent world, The Elder Scrolls Online Open the gates of Tamriel with countless hours of content. You can create characters of different races and classes, join guilds, conquer cooperative dungeons, explore new zones with each expansion, and follow a large-scale, constantly updated narrative.
Although the user who inspired part of this compilation wants nothing to do with the saga, it is often included in lists of the best games for Mac. Resident Evil 4 RemakeA survival horror game that modernizes the original classic with improved controls, updated graphics, and a staging that borders on action and horror cinema.
In multiplayer survival, Peace For years it has reigned supreme as an extreme experience: you appear practically naked on a hostile island and have to gather resources, build shelters, craft weapons, and decide whether to cooperate with or betray other players. The game is known for its steep learning curve, but also for the emergent stories that arise from player interactions.
Those seeking a calm yet addictive experience may want to look to Stardew Valleywhich runs like clockwork on Mac. You inherit your grandfather's farm and are in charge of farming, raising animals, interacting with the villagers, exploring monster-filled mines, and growing your own rural life at your own pace.
For a tougher, more isometric survival experience, Project Zomboid It offers a remarkably detailed zombie apocalypse simulation. You have to manage hunger, exhaustion, disease, injuries, and barricades, both solo and cooperatively, in a world with no guaranteed happy ending: the game warns you from the start that your character will die; the question is when and how.
If you prefer to drive for hours without so much stress, Euro Truck Simulator 2 It offers just the opposite: a relaxing freight transport experience across Europe, with dozens of recreated cities, business management of your own fleet and a progression system that gradually draws you in.
Military vehicle enthusiasts have in War Thunder A very complete free-to-play game, with over 2.500 vehicles including planes, tanks, and ships, and realistic historical battles on giant maps. It can be played in both intense PvP encounters and PvE missions against AI, offering plenty of depth for those who get hooked.
Fans of grand strategy games have several heavyweights that work on Mac. Hearts of iron iv It focuses on World War II, allowing you to lead any nation in the conflict, managing production, research, diplomacy, and large-scale military campaigns.
In contrast, Europe Universalis IV It covers the period roughly from the Renaissance to the Age of Revolutions, with an emphasis on trade, colonization, complex diplomacy, and dynastic wars. Both titles are known for their depth and the addictive "just one more turn" gameplay.
Among the base builders, Factor It's arguably the king of automation. You start with something as trivial as felling trees and mining iron by hand, and end up designing gigantic production lines full of conveyor belts, trains, and logistics robots, all while defending yourself against local creatures who aren't too happy about your pollution.
Very close in concept to simulation but with a narrative twist, RimWorld It puts you in charge of a colony of survivors on a remote planet. An AI "narrator" generates unexpected events: pirate attacks, diseases, problems between colonists, extreme weather conditions... and your job is to keep the base afloat while managing the emotions and relationships of your characters.
In fantasy strategy, Total War: Warhammer III It concludes the trilogy with massive real-time battles and a turn-based map campaign set in the Warhammer universe. You can lead different races, including human and demonic factions, with spectacular units and abilities, though no prior knowledge of the lore is required.
Among indie action games, Hades It has firmly established itself on every list of the best games for Mac. It's a roguelike hack-and-slash game where you play as Zagreus, son of Hades, trying to escape the Underworld. Each attempt allows you to learn more about the Olympian gods, unlock new weapons, and discover fragments of the story.
In the field of grand space strategy, Stellaris It lets you forge a galactic empire, exploring star systems, trading with alien races, managing your economy, and waging interstellar wars. It's a title that truly shines in long play sessions, where decisions made in the early years have enormous repercussions.
For quick games with an addictive touch, vampire survivors It blends retro pixelated aesthetics with roguelike mechanics. You simply move while weapons fire automatically, but the key lies in choosing the right upgrades and synergies each match to survive increasingly dense waves of enemies.
And, if you prefer some 2D exploration and building, Terraria It transforms a pixelated world into an infinite sandbox: you can dig, build, fight huge bosses, craft a wide variety of equipment, and design impossible structures, alone or in co-op.
More gems for Mac: LEGO, Sims and other highly recommended indie games
Beyond specific lists of 15 or 20 titles, there are huge compilations that remind us that There are dozens and dozens of quality games on Mac.One of them brings together up to 115 proposals, organized by gender.
In the adventure category, for example, it stands out Lego Star Wars SagaThis game compiles two classic LEGO games based on the movies and adds characters, extra levels, and remastered graphics. Its biggest draw is local co-op, ideal for playing with family or friends without too much hassle.
In open worlds, the ubiquitous are not lacking. Minecraft and the series The SimsOn Mac you can enjoy The Sims 2 Super Collection, which includes a good number of expansions, The sims 4 with its improved graphics, furnishings, and social features, and even The Sims Medieval, which takes the usual formula to a fantasy kingdom where you can create heroes, complete missions and build your own domain.
Voxelated alternatives are also mentioned, such as ThunderClearly inspired by Minecraft but completely online, with a LEGO-like aesthetic and a much more focused approach to multiplayer and constant progression.
Among the puzzle and platforming titles are those such as Osmosiswhere you control a single-celled organism that must absorb smaller ones while avoiding being eaten, Poncho, a 2D platform game with a robot protagonist in a world where only machines remain, or the aforementioned duo Braid y Limbo, which remain benchmarks of minimalist design and dark atmosphere.
Given this whole scenario, it is clear that Playing games on Mac in 2025 is no longer a rarityFrom blockbusters like Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Shadows or Baldur's Gate 3 to indie games like Hades, Vampire Survivors or Braid, and including city simulators, farm games, space colonies or zombie apocalypses, the catalog offers more than enough for every type of player to find something to their liking without having to leave the Apple ecosystem.
