Looking for a great RPG game to play on your Mac? Check out our list of the best Mac-compatible role-playing game titles. Below it, you will also find a couple of great RPG games that don’t have macOS versions, but that you can still play on your Mac through cloud gaming platforms (Boosteroid, GeForce Now, etc.).
Table of Contents
Best RPG games for Mac in 2022
Path of Exile
Price: Free to Play
Path of Exile is a free-to-play RPG game with a distinctly old-school feel to it, with its dark Diablo-inspired atmosphere and its hack-and-slash combat system, which is why it is often seen as a spiritual successor to Diablo 2. It is a free-to-play game that lets you choose between six character classes at the start of the game and puts you on the shore of a mysterious and grim world where you need to fight against hordes of enemies and powerful bosses using the many abilities of your character that you’ve personally customized. Yes, Path of Exile features a highly complex system of ability customization, where you can combine different character abilities to create new ones, thus fine-tuning your skillset. This freedom to customize what your character can do, however, is a double-edged knife. On the one hand, it gives you the option to create a unique, one-of-a-kind character that represents your personal play style. On the other hand, however, a lot of the abilities you may end up with would likely be suboptimal or even downright useless. As is with pretty much every RPG game, not all possible character builders are equally viable, and if you stray too far away from the meta, you may not even be able to finish the game. The worst part of this is that you may end up building your character wrong from the start, and only come to realize it when it’s too late to choose a different build path, meaning that you’re stuck with a character build that’s not going to get you through the late game.
Despite that issue, which is not uncommon among RPGs, Path of Exile is still a pretty good role-playing game and though it may seem a bit too similar to Diablo at times, its story, setting, and characters do offer some interesting twists that give the game a distinct personality and make it a title worth trying out, especially since it’s a free game.
Here, you can read our full review for Path of Exile.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Price: $59.99 (Steam)
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a classic type of fantasy RPG game that translates the D&D tabletop rules and mechanics to the digital gaming world. Unlike the previous games from the Baldur’s Gate series, this latest installment has turn-based gameplay and uses the D20 system that Dungeons and Dragons are known for. Though preferences vary, this change was well-received by most players, because it allows for better control of the multiple characters that you can switch between at any time and enables the player to carefully consider what ability to use in a given situation. On the other hand, if you are used to real-time RPG games like the Diablo series or Path of Exile, you may initially find this type of gameplay somewhat slow and tedious.
A cool and interesting aspect of Baldur’s Gate 3 is the freedom given to the player to progress through the game in any way they see fit rather than being forced to choose from a couple of different possible approaches. For example, there are situations in the game where you can skip entire quests if you have the resourcefulness to find shortcuts or even create new ones for yourself by using the various utility abilities available to you. It’s a very well-thought-out RPG system with a lot of complexity that encourages player creativity and thinking outside the box.
However, as it stands at the moment, Baldur’s Gate 3 has some clear problems that need polishing. First and foremost, the game has been in early access since its release in October 2020, and though technical improvements have been made, there are still lots of bugs and optimization issues that need to be taken care of. Also, the game currently has only seven character classes, which will change upon its full release. Still, for an early-access game, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a good RPG experience and can be tons of fun even now, in its unfinished state.
Darkest Dungeon
Price: $24.99 (Steam)
Before I go any further, a disclaimer: Darkest Dungeon is among my favorite games of all time, so the next lines will, absolutely, be biased. With that out of the way, Darkest Dungeon is a dark, gloomy, and unforgiving roguelike dungeon-crawler, where each in-game week you assemble a ragtag team of misfits and rogues and send them on perilous exploration quests in dark and dangerous dungeons, caverns, tunnels, and forests, all done with the ultimate goal to gather enough resources, find enough powerful items, and train enough experienced adventurers so that you can take on the final level of the game – the Darkest Dungeon – which is split into four halves.
Basically, think of this game as a darker and more unforgiving version of Dungeons and Dragons. Your characters will have different ways of getting stronger, such as leveling up, getting better weapons and armor, improving their various skills, and getting equipped with different items (called trinkets). However, simply keeping them alive and slaying the enemies in your way may often not be enough to successfully progress through the game. Since your characters would be facing unfathomable horrors during their expeditions, their stress levels would gradually rise, and unless they get their stress reduced, they’d eventually get an affliction – a negative status effect that causes debuffs the hero and causes them to occasionally act in unpredictable ways and harmful ways that could quickly ruin the morale of the entire team, leading to them all getting afflictions and performing significantly worse in battles. The stress system is a very cool yet very challenging mechanic that makes Darkest Dungeon a rather unique RPG experience that explores the mental tool that going on dangerous expeditions through unknown areas infested with unnatural enemies could have on an adventurer.
Potential downsides of the game are that it can feel quite grindy because it has permadeath and because your characters end up being your most important resource, so allowing a high-level character to die could send you back with several weeks of in-game time. Another complaint that people have with Darkest Dungeon is that it has a lot of RNG, though I’d argue that mitigating the RNG and minimizing the situations in which things can go badly for you is exactly what benign good at this game means.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Price: $44.99 (Steam)
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is another turn-based fantasy RPG developed by Larian Studios, the creators of Baldur’s Gate 3, and like the aforementioned game, it features a wide array of complex and in-depth RPG mechanics that reward players for thinking outside the box and finding creative solutions to problems. Divinity: Original Sin 2 features 14 unique character customizable classes with tons of variety in their abilities, playstyles, strengths, and weaknesses, and you are allowed to change your character’s class mid-game, which is a rare feature for most RPGs.
The game also allows you to choose from a total of 5 races, and the best thing about this is that the race you choose for your character would directly affect your gameplay experience and your interactions with other characters. For instance, if you choose the undead race for your character, poisons will heal you instead of damaging you, but if you reveal your face to an ally, there’s a chance that they may run away in fear.
Dialogue options and conversations are also largely dependent on your character’s class and race. Speaking of dialogue, there is an impressive amount of character-specific lines of dialogue, and the best part is that all lines are masterfully voice-acted.
Overall, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is currently one of the best RPG games available, with a well-realized mechanics that fit the genre, an engaging story, vast gameplay depth, and a lot of player freedom that allows you to truly role-play as your personalized character in every possible aspect, rather than be forced into one out of several specific pre-determined play styles, which is how in our opinion is how RPG games should be constructed.
Wasteland 3
Price: $39.99 (Steam)
Wasteland 3 is an RPG set in the near future, where the world has turned into a post-apocalyptic frozen wasteland, and society has devolved into groups of cut-throats, mercenaries, fanaticized cultists, and criminal gangs. You play as a duo of rangers (there are several duos to choose from and customize) who are doing their best to help rebuild the ruined society, yet this would soon prove to be an almost Herculean task, like the corruption, intrigue, and bitter rivalry between the many different factions inevitably forces you to make some tough choices along the way, where there’s often no right option, only ones that are less wrong than others. One of the coolest parts about this RPG is that the consequences of your choices often take quite some time before getting revealed. Making the wrong call could, at first, seem like a no big deal, but eventually, lead to dire unforeseen consequences. This is great for an RPG game, and it gets you further invested in the elaborate story and your place in it.
From a technical standpoint, Wasteland 3 is an adequate game with turn-based combat that doesn’t offer much innovation but also provides enough thrills for the game to not become stale after a while. A lot of improvements have been made compared to the previous installment in the series, adding a lot more emphasis on interactions with the environment and also making it so that your allies and also your enemies take turns as entire teams instead of using the initiative system from the previous game.
In conclusion, even though there’s nothing particularly original or innovative about Wasteland 3, the game does a good job of working with the familiar tropes and mechanics we’ve seen in other RPGs, and its engaging story, competent gameplay, and the immersive world should keep any fan of the role-playing gaming genre entertained for days, if not weeks.
Undertale
Price: $9.99 (Steam)
Undertale is a 2D RPG with 8-bit graphics, simplistic yet engaging gameplay and combat system, and a unique take on the player’s interaction with other characters. The game is known for its highly-enjoyable story, off-beat comedy style, and the ever-present option to talk your way out of a hostile encounter rather than necessarily having to defeat your enemies in battle.
Possibly, the greatest strength of Undertale is its masterful writing and its eccentric, yet believable characters who can be both very funny and even silly, yet, at the same time, surprisingly complex and relatable. The best part is that you have many different options for interacting with them – the dialogue lines are endless, and they usually have significant effects on your overall gameplay.
Despite the overwhelming amounts of praise that Undertale has received and continues to receive due to its imaginative take on old-school RPG gameplay and innovative storytelling, it may not be a game for everyone, mainly due to its 2D, 8-bit style and its use of gameplay mechanics that, to newer/younger players, will likely feel overly-dated and clunky. However, if you manage to get past the initial impression and get used to the unusual style of the game, you’d be rewarded with an immersive adventure with depth that few other games have ever matched.
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
Price: $39.99 (Steam)
The main thing that sets apart Pillars of Eternity 2 from the other RPGs on this list is its setting. However, rather than letting you play as a medieval fantasy hero, or a misfit struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, Pillars of Eternity 2 makes you the captain of a ship and sets you on a perilous journey through the high seas in a quest to pursue a rogue god over land and water.
As with many other entries on this list, this game bases its gameplay on D&D rules and systems and has a turn-based combat system. Though it doesn’t introduce anything new to the formula, this type of gameplay works well and offers plenty of opportunities to employ your tactical skills and your knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the characters in your crew.
One of the best aspects of Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is how well-written every character is. As the captain of a ship, you have a crew of seven, each with their unique personality, abilities, quirks, and motivations that would inevitably play an important role in your playthroughs. Often, two or more members of your crew may disagree with one another, causing conflicts that you must resolve, which can sometimes force you to make tough decisions, choosing between two equally unfavorable options, yet this is what makes the role-playing experience in the game engaging and immersive.
One thing that fails to impress in this game is the naval battles, which are very bare-bones and are more often than not a chore rather than something enjoyable. On the other hand, the main combat system in the game is well-realized and offers equal amounts of fun and challenge. It uses a real-time system where you can hit the pause button at any time, rather than a more typical turn-based combat. There’s also a very helpful in-game mechanic that lets you set action priorities for each character so that you don’t need to pause the game every couple of seconds while in combat in order to micromanage each crew member.
In conclusion, this is a very good RPG, even if it doesn’t break the mold in particularly original ways and oftentimes feels like more of the same, but with a different setting.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
Price: $9.99 (Steam)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 (KOTOR 2 for short) is a rather old game that uses outdated RPG gameplay and will likely feel rather clunky to people who are used to playing more modern RPGs. However, the reason this game was added to this list is due to its masterful writing, gripping story, and its unique and unconventional, yet highly logical take on the Star Wars Universe.
The game puts you in the shoes of a blank slate of a character, whose only discernable feature is that they have access to the Force, but are partially disconnected from it. Other than that, you have the freedom to personally create your character from scratch and choose who they are and what they are going to become. Are they a cruel person who only seeks power through the dark side or someone benevolent and more aligned with the light side of the force? Every action and decision you make in the game pulls you closer to either side. The choice is all yours and what you choose will have effects on all aspects of the game – from how other characters perceive you and react to you, to what dialogue options you are given, to what abilities you will be most proficient with. It’s all there, and the only downside of the light/dark alignment system is that most of the choice options you are presented with invariably lead you down either alignment, leaving little opportunity to create a gray character who is neither overly virtuous nor irredeemably evil.
Another great thing about KOTOR 2 is its complex, well-written, and relatable characters with whom you can have meaningful interactions through which the base Star Wars ideas of good and bad, and light and dark are challenged and explored on a much deeper level compared to most other mainstream Star Wars media.
To conclude, KOTOR 2 is a fascinating game with tons of depth and though it undeniably shows its age from a technical perspective, it’s nonetheless a must-try for any avid Star Wars and/or RPG fan.
Best RPG games for Mac in 2022 with Cloud Gaming
Elden Ring
Price: $59.99 (Steam)
Get Elden Ring on CDKeys for $49.09
Elden Ring is a challenging action RPG game from the developers of games like Dark Souls, Sekiro, and Bloodborne. It features the same action-packed real-time combat style that requires the player to gain in-depth knowledge of the attack, defense, and movement patterns of every enemy in order to successfully defeat them. Elden Ring is the first of the Soulsborne games to feature a fully open world and, similarly to its predecessors, the game has a deep lore and a mysterious setting that gets slowly revealed through exploration and going off the beaten path.
An interesting fact about this game is that G.R.R. Martin, the author of the world-famous A Song of Ice and Fire book series, has worked on the lore and world-building of Elden Ring to help make the narrative more accessible to players compared to other Soulsborne games.
As a whole, Elden Ring is a great game, but it’s also a very specific type of game that not everyone would find appealing. It is a difficult and challenging game that can oftentimes feel grindy and aggressively unforgiving. It is unapologetically geared towards more experienced and hardcore gamers and is not the best choice for a game to play when you want to simply unwind and relax. On the other hand, if one is willing to put in the time and effort, Elden Ring rewards with a rich and immersive world, an engaging story, and superb gameplay.
If you want to give Elden Ring a try from your Mac, you can play the game on it using the Boosteroid cloud gaming service.
Read our full Elden Ring review right here.
God of War (2018)
Price: $49.99 (Steam)
Get God of War on CDKeys for $35.29
God of War 2018 is another highly-popular action RPG title that leans even heavier on the action part. In fact, the reason we are even putting it on this list of role-playing games is that it offers a lot of customization for the Kratos – the game’s protagonist. Compared to other games of the God of War series, the 2018 installment lets the player customize both the abilities of Kratos as well as his various stats, which is the main RPG element of the game.
Gameplay-wise, God of War is a blast – it offers great action that has a lot of mechanical depth to it while still managing to be highly enjoyable, without becoming overly complex. If you are looking for a solid action game with an engaging and touching story and well-integrated RPG elements, God of War is a must-try.
In order to play this game on your Mac, we recommend using Boosteroid.
Cyberpunk 2077
Price: $59.99 (Steam)
Get Cyberpunk 2077 on CDKeys for $18.89
Cyberpunk 2077 is a futuristic first-person action RPG set in the near future, where you can augment your character with cybernetic enhancements, and hack into nearly any piece of machinery that’s present all throughout the vast Night City – the place where the game is set.
Cyberpunk combines a lot of elements from different games – its first-person perspective and action-packed combat sequences make the game feel like an FPS and its open-world nature brings it closer to titles such as GTA V. However, at its core, this is still an RPG game that focuses heavily on character customization. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer too much freedom when it comes to the main character’s place in the game’s story – more or less, the story would play out in largely the same way irrespective of what type of character you decide to play as.
That being said, Cyberpunk 2077 is still tons of fun and even if it didn’t quite live up to all the hype that surrounded it before its release, it’s still worth the try.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on Boosteroid and GeForce Now, so you can use either of those services to play the game on your Mac.
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