Get some great Mac games for the holidays (and save money, too)!

By Peter Cohen
last updated

Many of us have some time around the holidays to just relax and have fun. What better way to do it than to kick back and play some awesome games on your Mac? Wether you're buying for yourself or outfitting a new computer for a friend or family member, here's a roundup of the best new releases for the Mac.

I've linked specifically to games on Steam, which I prefer to use compared to the Mac App Store. They're the same games you'll find on the MAS, but using Steam often gives you the benefit of being able to play cross-platform (if you also have a PC), store saved game data in the cloud and have a better social experience by unlocking achievements and comparing your scores to your friends on Steam too.

What's more, there are some terrific holiday deals on Steam right now too. Where they've discounted (typically through January 2nd), I've noted the sale price. So you can save some cash too - up to half off, in a few cases.

Some of these games are also available on the Mac App Store, if you feel more comfortable sticking with Apple.

Elegy for a Dead World

Elegy for a Dead World encourages you to write the script: In fact, it's essential. You're a space explorer who finds dead worlds populated by long-forgotten civilizations. But you supply the narrative. You actually write stories about what you've found, then you can share those stories with other players. It's an adventure game that puts you in control of what happens in a really unique, creative way, with beautiful graphics and sound to boot.

Game of Thrones - A Telltale Games Series

Telltale Games has distinguished itself as the premiere publisher of serialized point-and-click adventure games based on existing properties. They've done Jurassic Park, The Wolf Among Us, and, perhaps most famously, The Walking Dead. Now they're turning their attention to the enormously popular HBO TV series (and book series) Game of Thrones. This story follows the travails of House Forrester, which you won't see in the show or read much about in the books.

LEGO: The Hobbit

Feral Interactive has brought forth a Mac version of LEGO: The Hobbit, which came out earlier this year for PC and console. Based on the movie trilogy (and the book, of course), LEGO: The Hobbit lets you play as Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin, and his company of Dwarves as they travel Middle Earth to recapture the Lonely Mountain. Cooperative drop-in, drop-out multiplayer action and downloadable content to continue the adventure as well!

The Talos Principle

The Talos Principle is first-person puzzler from Croteam, the developers of the Serious Sam series. You're an artificial intelligence, and you've awakened inside a simulation of mankind's greatest ruins. They're linked together by puzzles that you have to solve to unravel the mystery. The Talos Principle touches on some pretty heavy metaphysical concepts, and it's stunning.

This War of Mine

A city has been besieged by warring factions, and you're caught in the crossfire. No, you're not an elite soldier with killing skills. You're a group of civilians trying desperately to survive — struggling with lack of food and medicine, in constant danger from snipers and scavengers. Do what you must to live. A gripping, dramatic new indie game that will change the way you look at war games forever.

Total War Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai

This strategy game is actually the expansion to the original Shogun 2, but it doesn't require the original game to play — it's a complete deal, a standalone package. It's set in the mid-19th century, as feudal Japan transitions into the modern age — the arrival of America, Britain and France incites a ferocious civil war that pits the traditional samurai against modern weaponry. Feral has been really busy recently: Not only did they release LEGO: The Hobbit this month, but also released the Mac version of Fall of the Samurai in December.

7 Days to Die

I'm reluctant to recommend Early Access games on Steam, because they're still being developed and getting stable, feature-rich releases can be a bit of a crapshoot. But I'll make an exception for 7 Days to Die, a zombie survival horror game in which you can scavenge your ruined world to gather raw materials to build tools, weapons, traps, fortifications and shelters. Imagine Left for Dead 2 with Minecraft and you're on the right track.

Peter Cohen
Peter Cohen
17 Comments
  • 7 Days to Die gets enough updates for one to think it will succeed. And as a whole it's actually not that broken of a game right now. Unturned, a voxel based Zombie survival game (think Minecraft meets Dayz) is Free to play, with a $5 DLC to unlock gold member ship that just give access to Gold servers, and more color options. Has a beta version that is better optimized, and the code is public. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is on sale for $10.04. I don't quite know how to describe the game so I'll copy the steam description.
    " The Binding of Isaac is a randomly generated action RPG shooter with heavy Rogue-like elements. Following Isaac on his journey players will find bizarre treasures that change Isaac’s form giving him super human abilities and enabling him to fight off droves of mysterious creatures, discover secrets and fight his way to safety. Posted from the amazing whatever device I can afford because I'm a broke college kid.
  • How much is Forbes paying iMore to highjack our mobile browsers each and every time readers click on an article when using a mobile device?
  • Can you at least stay on topic, or submit your complaints in an email, it does break the flow of the comments section and that's irksome. Especially since this is completely off topic. Also, use their app. Then there are only ads in the reviews. Posted from the amazing whatever device I can afford because I'm a broke college kid.
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRsPheErBj8 Uh, the Forbes ad was the first thing I saw when clicking the link. My comment is related to every post that redirects to a Forbes ad you can't close as a result.
  • What link are you talking about? Posted from the amazing whatever device I can afford because I'm a broke college kid.
  • The link on iMore that brings me to this article. If I click on a link I think is going to bring me to an article about Mac games for the holidays, that's what I'd like to see. I don't mind an ad, however I don't want my browser hijacked in a manner that leads me to believe the site is fraudulent and I am being exposed to malware.
  • This was the real reason I initially and will continue to post this comment any time I desire in the comment sections so long as my browser is hijacked. "Thanks for posting. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It's happened 4 times now. At first I figured I was mis-clicking an ad or something but after the 4th time I'm was thinking WTF is going on?" - stephen007
  • I just tried it with Chrome , Dolphin, Firefox, and Opera. Must be an iOS thing, because all I got were banner ads for a free family history check. Posted from the amazing whatever device I can afford because I'm a broke college kid.
  • I am experiencing the issue on iOS within Safari. I don't currently have other mobile platforms, so I can't speak on them. Give this is an Apple site, its a safe assumption a significant portion of readers using Safari on iOS experience this issue. I have enough iPads and iPhones at my disposal to know the issue isn't me or my devices.
  • Well, tried it on a Blackberry as well. Banner ad. Sorry m8, looks like it's an safari thing. Posted from the amazing whatever device I can afford because I'm a broke college kid.
  • Maybe if you're going to comment on an iOS oriented website obsessively while attempting to control and dominate the comment sections (who does that other than you?), you should at least currently own an iOS device. Just a thought.
  • I have a 5s, got it from my girlfriend when she got her 6+. Gave it to my sister a while ago, because she broke her phone. Posted from the amazing whatever device I can afford because I'm a broke college kid.
  • Pardon me for using the word "own" instead of stating "currently has an iPhone in their possession that they use as their daily driver." I didn't realize we were splitting hairs here.
  • 2 ipod touches, one 4th Gen, one 5th gen, I use both. Happy yet? Or do I need to sign my life away to the almighty fruit? Posted from the amazing whatever device I can afford because I'm a broke college kid.
  • "Thank you for asking." -Marshawn Lynch
  • You're here often. Surprisingly. M8. Posted from the amazing whatever device I can afford because I'm a broke college kid.
  • The Beta code for Unturned is "OPERATIONMAPLELEAF" and that game practically has daily updates, and it's made by one developer. A 17 year old guy. So paying for it is worth, but feel free to play for free to see if you like it. It's rather easy to set it up for LAN to play with friends. Those were just some suggestions of mine, all are Mac compatible, and they're all games I've played an enjoyed. Of course the staples like TF2 and Dota are there, but if you don't see those when you log into Steam , it's not Steam. I couldn't add any more to the list because the rest of my list is either Windows exclusive, or not the the type of game I'd tell others to spend money on (personal taste) but with all games, watch a video of it first, play the free version first. Don't get burned. Have Fun, and don't rage quit. Posted from the amazing whatever device I can afford because I'm a broke college kid.