The video game market as of today outpaces any other entertainment medium and with such a huge mainstream success, it’s only a matter of time before more companies and platforms dig in to have a piece of the pie. Apple has recognized the merit of video games for revenue generation and has actively been trying to bring more big-budget AAA games to its hardware, including the Resident Evil series and Death Stranding to its Mac, iPad, and even iPhone devices.

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While Apple users will need to anticipate how quickly newly released current-gen titles will be ported over to their Macbooks, they might be surprised to know how many spectacular RPG titles they can find on the hardware. Looking at the catalog of great RPG games currently playable on Mac, it's clear that players can't go wrong with the following selection.

Updated on February 24, 2024, by Waseem Muhammad: RPGs offer a different range of experiences so that different various can truly enjoy the game. Role-playing games in recent times have started to focus on strong character development and gripping stories that allow the players to feel more engaged throughout their playthrough. Different RPGs follow different sets of rules when devising their combat system, making each and every game in the genre totally unique and different. There are Game of the Year RPGs available on Mac that players can try out today. This update adds new entries to expand more on great RPGs for Mac.

10 Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition

Metacritic Score: 85

Starting with the oldest game on this list, Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition is an immersive RPG set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, in the City of Doors. The greatest strength of this RPG is the philosophically-dense and mature storytelling that explores important themes of existentialism, morality, and identity. The world is full of memorable and interesting characters and a story that branches out in wildly different directions depending on the player’s choices.

For such a dense and rich narrative experience that incorporates classic RPG mechanics of character progression, Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition is a bargain for $19.99 on Mac. The Enhanced Edition remasters some of the textures in high-definition and adds quality of life changes to give an overall smoother and more robust experience.

9 Path Of Exile

Metacritic Score: 86

This decade-old action RPG still has a very active community and support from the developers. The free-to-play model with absolutely no levels or gameplay progression locked behind paywalls is refreshing, while the extensive skill tree and build optimization make Path of Exile a very rich RPG experience.

Most importantly, the developers have continued to incorporate player feedback into its robust endgame content, which provides many challenges through the extensive labyrinth runs and tough boss fights.

8 Diablo 3

Metacritic Score: 88

By the release of Diablo 3, Blizzard had already established its reputation for being a master of its craft when it came to expansive and robust RPG experiences. The co-op experience of the game can easily mean players will spend countless joy-filled hours with their friends hunting for rare gear in the quest to reach higher Paragon levels. The main campaign provides up to twenty hours of story content along with ten more hours accounted for in terms of grinding.

After the main run is completed, players can boot up the adventure mode to gain access to more challenges, including Bounties and Nephalem Rifts, which were added as part of the Reaper of Souls expansion pack. Diablo 3 is a well-polished AAA game that every RPG fan should try out!

7 Stardew Valley

Metacritic Score: 89

This is not a typical RPG setting given how the emphasis is on the more grounded aspects of life, including farming, fishing, mining, and making bonds with fellow townsfolk. Furthermore, the colorful pixel art style coupled with a great score gives Stardew Valley a vibrant world and an almost therapeutic mood.

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The pace of completing objectives, exploration, and progression are more relaxed, while the character interactions have a level of depth to them that shines among standard RPGs. This is the type of game that has a Nintendo identity to it, but luckily for non-owners of the Nintendo hardware, they can still enjoy it on their Mac!

6 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Metacritic Score: 93

Divinity: Original Sin 2 spent its early-access days as a Kickstarter project that promised a heavy emphasis on narrative and player choice, and it’s safe to say that the game delivered above and beyond that claim. Depending on the consequences of the player's actions, the plot development and character interactions can differ wildly across playthroughs, giving a sense of complexity and replayability to the game.

The turn-based combat and cooperative multiplayer make the combat engaging, fun, and varied even across the beefy 60-hour length of the campaign. The world-building and attention to detail are outstanding for an indie studio, and Mac users will love exploring every nook and cranny of this gargantuan RPG.

5 Hades

Metacritic Score: 93

Hades is a fast-paced action rogue-like game that is perfect for veterans of the RPG genre who want refreshing new mechanics in their experience, as well as newcomers to the genre, as Hades is relatively light on the role-playing elements compared to typical RPGs. The game received huge critical acclaim on release with multiple awards, including Best Game at BAFTA and Best Action and Best Indie Game at The Game Awards.

The progression system down to character abilities, loot gathering, and story decisions are heavily RPG-inspired but the addictive dynamic gameplay, which relies on mixing different abilities and boons for stylish combos almost lends the game to an action title like Devil May Cry. The gorgeous art style, engaging narrative and an electronic score to keep the tempo of every fight high make Hades a must-play for Mac users.

4 World Of Warcraft

Metacritic Score: 93

World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online RPG that does not need any introduction beyond this. Its countless expansions have kept the experience fresh with a multitude of new quests and characters to get acquainted with, and within the social gaming sphere, World of Warcraft has a great influence and reputation. Within the game, players can join guilds to take part in large-scale raids and dungeon-crawling or even PvP fun, as the world of Azeroth knows no bounds. The flexibility in matchmaking and leveling up options ensures newcomers are not overwhelmed by sudden difficulty spikes.

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It is important to note that all World of Warcraft expansions are subscription-based, so any new players can play free for the first 20 levels of the character, under the “Started Edition.” Beyond this rank, players need to pay a monthly $14.99 fee to continue their seemingly endless journey in World of Warcraft.

3 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

Metacritic Score: 94

In 2003, Bioware gave players a magnum opus of a sci-fi RPG experience with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR). Its legacy continues to this day, and with the remake announcement, there is going to be more talk around toy about the franchise than ever before. The original KOTOR set a new benchmark in terms of character creation and personalization in RPG experiences. The players’ choices and actions are given great credence as they count towards varying consequences within the game world as they understand the moral complexities of using The Force throughout KOTOR’s main campaign.

There is a lot of Star Wars lore to uncover and characters to meet in the vast universe with iconic planets like Tatooine and Coruscant. The rich turn-based combat is also as strategic as it is flashy to look at. For just $9.99 on Mac, players will be able to embark on a 30-hour long Star Wars experience.

2 Baldur’s Gate 3

Metacritic Score: 96

2023 has been one of the best, if not the best, years for gaming in a long, long while. With huge successful and fun releases every month, the Game of the Year will likely be packed with a lot of contenders. Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of those with industry experts, critics, and fans alike citing it as one of the most complete RPG packages to grace the gaming landscape.

The scale of the world is massive, and the developers have confirmed the game has over a thousand different ways it can present its conclusion. With such a sprawling open world, every step players take presents a new character to interact with or quest to embark on, so it is teeming with content. Dungeons & Dragons tabletop fans cannot wish for a truer experience than Baldur’s Gate 3. Like Larian’s other games, Baldur’s Gate 3 boasts roughly 60 hours of experience, which can quickly become much longer if players explore and take on additional side quests.

1 Disco Elysium

Metacritic Score: 97

A dead body, a rebellious mob, and a drunk detective headline the premise of this unique blend of noir-detective drama and role-playing games for a personal, psycho-political, and richly layered narrative. The novelist-turned-game-designer, Robert Kurvitz’s singular vision paints the harrowing world of Revachol and its nuanced characters plagued with ideological struggles.

In place of a combat system, Disco Elysium employs a dice roll which serves as a skill-check option for every conversation or action that can lead to branching outcomes. In place of magic abilities and attacks, the skill tree is based on the physical and psychological aspects of the protagonist’s personality, which the game calls the “Thought Cabinet.” In an analogical sense, every little piece of the puzzle moved will result in a different picture to be portrayed, so the consequences of the player’s actions matter significantly. This is a narrative masterpiece that should definitely be on top of every Mac user’s to-play list.

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