Who doesn’t want to get lost in a fantastical world, assume the role of a meticulously customized character, and set out on a wild adventure with an uncertain ending? That’s what role-playing games give you and that’s what we are playing again, on our Macs!
I compiled a list of 12 of the best RPGs available on Steam that you can play directly on your Mac. I did my best to focus on titles that actually have native macOS versions, but when I thought I couldn’t miss a certain title playable through CrossOver or Kegworks, I included it too.
So the rule is – all titles here must be playable locally, even if through a translation layer. On the other hand, there are no games here that can be played on Mac only through cloud gaming.
How I Chose the Best RPG Steam Games for Mac
When deciding what games to include here, I mainly considered the following three factors in this order:
- My personal preferences and opinion of the games. All titles here are ones I genuinely like.
- What other users think of the games. I tried to focus on titles that Very Positive or Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam.
- Critical reception. I generally don’t care too much about what critics have to say, but it’s still generally a good sign if a particular game has also received critical acclaim.
So these are the three elements that helped me put together this list. Now let’s get to the games.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Geralt’s world still hits like a punchline you feel in your ribs. The hook isn’t just “big map, many markers.” It’s the way quests play like short stories.
You head out to clear a monster, and you stumble into a domestic tragedy. A missing person turns into a history lesson you didn’t ask for but now can’t stop reading. The tone swings from bleak to tender without getting sappy.
That’s the magic: you’re not chasing icons, you’re following threads, and they keep surprising you. Combat lives in that lean, fast space where preparation matters. Oils, potions, Signs – tiny tweaks that change the tenor of a fight.
You learn to tap Quen on reflex, to bait a lunge, to give yourself the extra second a decoction buys. It isn’t just numbers going up; it’s a rhythm. On Mac, you can get that rhythm through CrossOver or Whisky.
Stick to the reliable path and it’s absolutely playable, with the usual caveat that bigger hubs can feel heavier than the countryside. Once it’s dialed in, you’re roaming the hills and coming back with stories. The soundtrack finishes the spell – strings and chants that make folklore feel heavier than steel.
It all stacks into an open-world fantasy that still feels definitive.
| Highlights | • Character-driven side quests that play like short stories • Believable open world that rewards wandering • Swordplay + Signs with meaningful prep (oils/potions) |
| Play method | CrossOver / Whisky (DX11 path recommended) |
| How it runs (general) | Playable with occasional dips in large hubs; smoothest once configured |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 MacBook Air (8 GB) with reduced settings |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | ~40–60 fps, heavier areas may dip |
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
Big monsters, big ladders, big choices about when to sprint and when to cling for dear life. Dragon’s Dogma is a melee-first action RPG where stamina is a resource with teeth.
The pawn system is the secret sauce. You build an AI companion, send them out to learn, and they return with knowledge that changes how fights feel. It’s weird in the best way – weighty, expressive combat that loves improvisation.
On Mac it’s a Wine run via CrossOver or Whisky and it behaves well. An older engine means fewer headaches and steady results once you’re through the setup. Then it’s just you, a cliffside, and a very angry chimera.
| Highlights | Weighty, stamina-driven melee • Climbable giant monsters • Pawn system that learns and shares tactics |
| Play method | CrossOver / Whisky (DX9/DX11 profiles work) |
| How it runs (general) | Generally smooth and stable; older tech helps consistency |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 (comfortable play with modest tweaks) |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | 60 fps+ in most areas |
Cyberpunk 2077
Night City isn’t just big; it’s dense. Alleys on alleys, stacked interiors, gigs that spiral, and side quests that feel like proper noir detours. The 2.0 overhaul tightened everything – perks, cyberware, police response – so builds actually play different.
Go full netrunner and melt networks. Sneak with quickhacks and silenced pistols. Or roll in with mantis blades and make it loud. Phantom Liberty folds in a high-stakes spy story that leans into the corpo rot without losing the human mess at the center.
Style isn’t garnish here; it’s oxygen. UI, fashion, cars, the way light bounces off wet concrete – every frame sells the fantasy of being just competent enough to be dangerous. On Mac it’s native and tidy. “For This Mac” presets do the heavy lifting, MetalFX keeps frames healthy, and cross-progression means your save travels with you. Pick a lifepath, slot some chrome, and watch the city lean back.
| Highlights | • Night City’s dense, vertical open world • 2.0 rebuild of perks/cyberware that makes distinct playstyles sing • Phantom Liberty’s sleek spy-thriller arc |
| Play method | Native macOS (Apple silicon), MetalFX upscaling & frame interpolation supported |
| How it runs (general) | Broadly smooth on supported Apple silicon using “For This Mac” presets; MetalFX maintains responsive feel |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 with 16 GB (realistic minimum for a good experience) |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | ~60–75 fps with MetalFX Quality (higher possible with frame interpolation) |
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
This is the quieter, sharper edge of cyberpunk. Prague is a maze of vents, balconies, and bad decisions, all wrapped around a simmering segregation story. The joy is in the verbs. Cloak for a clean bypass.
Remote-hack a turret from across a plaza. Icarus Dash to an open window, slip the keypad, and ghost out the back. Encounters aren’t walls; they’re puzzles with three or four punchlines, depending on which augments you’ve leaned into.
It’s cool, cold, and precise. Conversations matter, side missions have teeth, and apartments hide entire plotlines behind a desk drawer and a code you weren’t supposed to find.
On Mac it’s a native Feral port running under Rosetta on Apple silicon and it holds up nicely. 1080p to 1440p is the sweet spot; the game’s older tech actually helps here. Fewer moving parts, cleaner results, more chances to feel clever.
| Highlights | • Immersive-sim Prague hub with multi-path infiltration • Augmentations that act like verbs (cloak, dash, remote hack, Titan) • Side-quest design that rewards curiosity |
| Play method | Native macOS port (Feral); runs on Apple silicon via Rosetta 2 |
| How it runs (general) | Smooth on M-series at 1080p–1440p; 4K is heavy but not necessary |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 (8 GB) is playable; that’s the practical floor |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | ~75–100 fps depending on area and post-processing choices |
Elden Ring
This one doesn’t meet you halfway, and that’s the point. The combat is timing and nerve. You lock in on an animation, you learn the tells, you commit.
Then you die. And then you don’t. When it clicks, it’s the clearest conversation you’ll have with a game this year. The open world backs that up with spaces that invite curiosity instead of checklisting.
Lore is the seasoning, not the meal. You piece it together from armor descriptions, ruined frescoes, quiet NPCs who speak like they’re guarding the punchline. It’s moody, dry, and generous once you accept that it won’t explain itself.
On Mac you’re going through CrossOver or Whisky – offline only because of anti-cheat. With a sensible setup it’s fully playable. Some areas are smoother than others, but the core experience is intact. That rising pulse when a boss swings and you thread the needle on a roll never gets old.
| Highlights | • Timing-driven combat with huge build freedom • Discovery-first open world • Environmental storytelling instead of exposition |
| Play method | CrossOver / Whisky (offline only due to anti-cheat) |
| How it runs (general) | Playable single-player; area-dependent stutter possible; configuration matters |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 Max (or M2 Pro) for regularly smooth 1080p play |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | ~25–40+ fps, varies by area |
Lies of P
If Elden Ring is a sprawling pilgrimage, Lies of P is the boutique knife fight. Tight, exacting, and stylish, with a parry window that demands attention.
Weapons have personality and the modular system lets you stitch hilts and blades into builds that feel yours. The tone is clockwork and smoke – Pinocchio by way of grim industrial fairy tale.
On Mac it’s a Wine route and it’s solid. CrossOver recipes are common, Whisky works too. Once dialed, you get the crisp timing and boss clarity that make a good soulslike sing. Bring your patience and your perfect guards.
| Highlights | • Precision parry-focused combat • Modular weapon system with real variety • Cohesive grimfairy tone and art direction |
| Play method | CrossOver / Whisky (DX12→Metal or DX11 via DXVK) |
| How it runs (general) | Stable once configured; occasional shader hitching on first runs |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 Pro / M2 with sensible settings |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | ~45–60 fps with minor dips on effect-heavy bosses |
Baldur’s Gate 3
We’re back in Faerûn, and the best part is that it remembers what you did, not what you meant. That’s the trick. Choices aren’t just dialogue wrappers; they move through the world like weather.
You knock out a guard and the settlement has a memory. You betray a companion and camp feels colder. The turn-based combat is a sandbox stacked with dumb ideas that suddenly look genius.
Shove is a mechanic and a lifestyle. Height matters. Surfaces burn. You start treating barrels like illegal fireworks. On Mac it’s native, and it shows. It runs well overall, with the usual late-game city density asking a bit more from your machine.
Doesn’t matter. The alchemy of tactics and story is so strong that a thirty-minute fight can feel like a tale you tell later, with hand gestures and bad goblin impressions.
| Highlights | • Wildly reactive quests and systems • Sandboxy turn-based combat with verticality • Memorable companions and performances |
| Play method | Native macOS |
| How it runs (general) | Runs well; dense late-game city areas can strain |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 (8 GB) works, though more memory helps |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | ~35–55 fps with upscaling; dips in heavy scenes |
Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition
Same studio’s earlier diamond. Smaller scale, sharper edges. DOS2 is a systems-first CRPG where every fight is a puzzle and every puzzle is a chemistry set.
Surfaces, elevation, initiative – all of it matters. You win by outthinking, not outgrinding. The writing is playful and pointed, and co-op turns encounters into improv theater. On Mac it’s native and slick.
Load in, ping the battlefield, and watch a plan involving grease, lightning, and a very unfortunate barrel go from theory to legend. It’s endlessly replayable because the systems keep saying “yes.”
| Highlights | • Deep, reactive turn-based combat • Surfaces and verticality that change every encounter • Co-op chaos with strong writing |
| Play method | Native macOS |
| How it runs (general) | Excellent on Apple silicon; quick loads and stable |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | 60 fps+ (usually vsync-capped) |
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Turn-based with a heartbeat. Fights hinge on timing – parries, reload windows, perfect inputs that turn a solid round into a stylish one. It feels like you’re playing a rhythm game trapped inside an RPG, in a good way.
The world takes Belle-Époque elegance and walks it into a ritual apocalypse. There’s velvet and grime, ornate arches and ash in the air. The camera lingers like it’s proud of the lighting, and honestly, it should be.
The soundtrack leans theatrical without going full bombast, punctuating big moments with confidence. This one’s a Wine route on Mac – CrossOver or Whisky plus the usual toolkit.
With a bit of setup, it runs well and looks the part. A couple of toggles and upscaling options can smooth things out if you want them, but the important part is intact: the timing lands. When a perfect input snaps, you feel it.
| Highlights | • Turn-based battles with timing windows • Belle-Époque style with theatrical flair • Big set-pieces with confident scoring |
| Play method | CrossOver / Whisky (Wine-based) |
| How it runs (general) | Runs with setup; benefits from upscaling and a few toggles; occasional quirks |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M3 Pro (workable); M1 Pro base is generally too slow |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | ~30–40 fps with upscaling |
Sea of Stars
If Expedition 33 is the stylish opera, Sea of Stars is the summer festival. Turn-based with timing checks that wake you up – tap to boost an attack, tap to blunt a hit.
It’s snappy and generous with little puzzles and traversal bits that break up the grind. The pixel art glows and the soundtrack delivers the cozy highs you want from a retro-styled adventure.
On Mac, running it through CrossOver or Whisky is straightforward and stable. Fire it up, lean back, and let the vibes do their job.
| Highlights | • Turn-based JRPG with timed hits/blocks • Gorgeous pixel art & vibrant overworld • Nostalgic, catchy soundtrack |
| Play method | CrossOver / Whisky (Windows build through Wine) |
| How it runs (general) | Very smooth on Apple silicon; rare black-screen fixed by toggling Wine tool or enabling DXVK |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 / M2 Air |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | 60 fps locked |
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut
No swords. No fireballs. Just your brain, your past, and a murder that won’t solve itself. The combat is conversation. Skills are voices in your head – some helpful, some thirsty, some in open revolt.
You fail a check and the story sidesteps into something funnier, sadder, stranger. The writing handles politics and despair without being glib. It loves people who make bad choices and then try anyway.
The voice acting is the thing that seals it – inner monologue you don’t dare skip, deadpan delivery that turns a paragraph into a scene. On Mac it’s native and silky.
You can run it in a café on an Air and feel like a detective with a coffee addiction. The city feels waterlogged and lived-in, a place where the color palette has opinions. If most RPGs are about power, this one is about being a person, which is harder.
| Highlights | • Dialogue-first design with “fail-forward” checks • Remarkable writing and full voice acting • Human, political, funny, and kind |
| Play method | Native macOS |
| How it runs (general) | Extremely smooth on all M-series |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 (runs great even on Air) |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | 60–120+ fps (often vsync-capped) |
Citizen Sleeper
Same headspace, different orbit. You’re a synthetic body on a space station, rolling dice to get through a day that’s always one step too short. It’s scarcity as a story engine.
The music hums like air recyclers, the art says “lonely but not hopeless,” and the writing keeps landing soft and sharp. On Mac it’s native and feather-light. It’s perfect for that “two cycles before bed” routine that inevitably turns into six.
| Highlights | • Dice-driven narrative economy • Melancholy, hopeful cyberpunk world • Short, absorbing play sessions |
| Play method | Native macOS |
| How it runs (general) | Trivial load on Apple silicon; silky everywhere |
| Weakest Apple Silicon that can run it | M1 |
| M3 Pro (18 GB) @ 1080p Medium-High | 60 fps+ (no sweat) |
Conclusion
Mac RPGs aren’t a niche anymore. Some are native and happy. Some take the Wine route and still deliver. The common thread isn’t platform bragging – it’s that the games are worth the time.
Witcher 3 is still the gold standard for side-quest storytelling. Elden Ring keeps teaching your fingers new religions. Baldur’s Gate 3 turns chaos into tactics and makes your choices stick.
Expedition 33 proves turn-based can feel cinematic and immediate at once. Disco Elysium whispers that dialogue can be combat and still draw blood. And the five gems? They round out the feast: punchy, cozy, tactical, soulful, and stylish.
Your Mac can handle all of them – natively or with CrossOver/Whisky – so the only real decision is where you want to live for the next fifty hours.