Summary
Let’s face it - playing video games is hard if you own a Mac. Since most of the biggest titles are PC exclusives, macOS users are left scrolling through countless pages onSteam, looking for anything sporting the Apple logo, let alone something actually fun.
Thankfully, there’s a silver lining. While they may be few and far between, you can find plenty of high-quality Mac-compatible Steam games if you know where to look. From epic open-world adventures to bone-chilling mysteries, Mac owners can delve into some of the greatest indie and triple-A titles from a vast array of genres.
Updated on July 17, 2025, by PJ Molloy:While many triple-A titles are sadly PC-exclusive, some of the best indie games of 2024 are Mac-compatible. We’ve updated the list with the very best ones.
Check outour review of Thank Goodness You’re Hereto learn more!
As a self-proclaimed “slapformer” Thank Goodness You’re Here is a comedy adventure about slapping your problems away. You control a traveling salesman who gets roped into doing all sorts of odd jobs while exploring the fictional Northern England town of Barnsworth. As you might expect, each situation can be solved by slapping something.
If you’re looking for a good laugh, this game is exactly what the doctor ordered. The story, characters, objectives, and writing are all hilarious, with plenty of visual gags and goofy animations along the way. It’s a short adventure, but it’s worth every second.
Winner of Best Independent Game at The Game Awards 2024, Balatro is an enthralling deck-building roguelike with an exciting twist on the game of poker. The goal is to play the best hands possible to earn enough points. Between rounds, you may buy Joker and Tarot cards to gain power-ups, increase combos, and level up each card RPG-style.
Don’t worry if the premise sounds intimidating. The game is surprisingly accessible and easy to learn, even if you have no prior poker experience. Soon enough, you’ll be forming strategies, building powerful decks, and watching your score skyrocket into the thousands. Simply put, you’d be hard-pressed to find a gameplay loop as rewarding and replayable as this one.
Check outour review of Nevato learn more!
Looking for an immersive story? There’s no better choice than Neva. The plot follows a young woman named Alba, whose world literally begins to decay after a traumatic experience. Accompanied by her pet wolf, she must explore the dying environments and attempt to restore peace.
The metaphor here is powerful. It’s hard not to shed a few tears as Alba and her wolf learn to cooperate and heal from their overwhelming grief. As a bonus, the hand-drawn visuals, animations, and soundtrack perfectly capture each emotion. Overall, it’s a cozy adventure that will undoubtedly tug at the heartstrings.
In Danganronpa, 15 of Japan’s brightest high school students are abducted and trapped in a sadistic killing game in which the only way to leave is to get away with murder. As Makoto Naegi, you’ll explore Hope’s Peak Academy during a mix of visual novel segments and free-roaming social simulation sections.
When you come across a dead body, you must investigate the crime scene and pinpoint the killer in a fast-paced class trial. Featuring a twist-heavy plot, many endearing characters, and the deliciously evil villain Monokuma, Danganronpa is required reading for any fans of detective games.
I’d also highly recommend the sequel, Goodbye Despair, which is also available on Mac.
Ex-Zodiac is a loving homage to the Star Fox series, featuring a 32-bit art style and high-speed on-rail gameplay reminiscent of the mid-’90s. Take to the skies as Kyuu, a pilot who travels across the galaxy to battle a criminal organization called Zodiac.
Just like Star Fox, you’ll be barrel-rolling, boosting, and blasting your way through different planets, trying to rack up as many combos as possible. Everything from the incredibly catchy soundtrack to the delightfully silly dialogue nails the feeling of ’90s sci-fi. Make sure to play with headphones for the best experience.
Firewatch puts you in the shoes of a park ranger who gets tangled up in a bizarre mystery. While looking out for forest fires, you begin to notice strange happenings. The communication cables are cut, your watchtower gets ransacked, and you can’t help feeling that someone is watching you. Eager for answers, you venture into the woods to investigate.
The game strikes a nice balance between open-world exploration and a story-driven structure. The lush colors of the forest provide a sense of calmness that grounds you throughout the eerie adventure, creating an experience that’s just the right amount of suspenseful and serene.
Don’t have the money for an escape room? Escape Simulator provides the same experience in the comfort of your home. You and up to nine others explore a series of puzzle-filled chambers designed by real escape room operators. You can also play solo if you’d prefer.
Each room sports a unique theme, including an Egyptian tomb, a desolate spaceship, and a mysterious mansion. You must work together, take in your surroundings, and solve each brain teaser until you find a way out. There’s even a level editor if you want to try making your own puzzles.
If you like Bloodborne or Dark Souls, Lies of P is right up your alley. Thissoulslike action RPGis a gritty reimagining of the tale of Pinocchio. You explore the decaying city of Krat, where autonomous puppets have massacred most of humanity. With the help of his creator, Geppetto, Pinocchio travels across a steampunk-style world in search of a way to end the bloodshed.
Lies of P distinguishes itself from other soulslikes thanks to Pinocchio’s Legion Arms - mechanical limbs you can equip to access powerful weapons and abilities. In addition, the plot cleverly implements the puppet’s knack for fibbing with the Lying System, where your decisions to be truthful or dishonest impact the story and ending.
Have you ever wanted to play as a cute lamb who runs a satanic cult? Welcome to Cult of the Lamb, a roguelike where you recruit adorable forest animals to worship a god called The One Who Waits. The goal is to play multiple runs through a randomly generated world, fight enemies, annihilate rival cults, and gain new demonic powers.
Any resources you find can be used to upgrade your town. Once there, you’ll need to keep your followers happy by cooking for them and performing rituals; otherwise, they might turn against you. Everything is presented in a delightful pop-up book art style that perfectly complements the game’s dark sense of humor.
Slay the Princess is a Lovecraftian visual novel that uses psychological horror to create a blood-curdling mystery. The story begins outside a cabin in the woods. An unnamed narrator tells you there’s a princess inside, and it’s your job to kill her. Otherwise, the world will end.
Upon entering, it becomes apparent that something far more sinister awaits in the basement. Every decision is important, so be careful about who you trust and remember that nothing is what it seems. The hand-drawn monochromatic art style makes the experience even creepier, evoking the feeling of stepping into a twisted picture book.
