Adventure and role playing games have always been a part of computer games. They started as text-based adventures like the original Colossal Cave. Rogue introduced a graphical twist, and Wizardry pushed the boundaries even further during the salad days of the Apple II. Modern Mac and PC gamers can run online role playing games like World of Warcraft and Dungeons & Dragons Online. Not to mention what dungeon crawl action RPGs like Diablo have done for the genre.
How do they do it? They take advantage of the ActiveGS plugin, a free extension for your browser that emulates old Apple computers. And since all these old game titles are either freeware. Old Mac specs Disclaimer: All contents found on the Macintosh Repository website is uploaded by fans and is known to be abandonware but if you find copyrighted material on this archive, please let us know and a moderator will remove it.
But there was an era of computer role playing games that for me always stood apart - graphical RPGs that rendered imagery using isometric (three-quarters views) perspectives. One of the high points of this particular style was BioWare's enormously popular Baldur's Gate series, which has returned in renewed form over the past couple of years, but it's not the only one of its ilk. So I've rounded up my favorite from this particular genre that you can still download and play on new Macs, and present them to you now.
Avadon 2: The Corruption
For 20 years Spiderweb Software has been making RPGs. Their inspiration from Wizardry and other RPGs of the classic era are obviously, and they meticulously craft their games to give you hours, weeks, even months of play value as you go on grand, epic quests, innumerable side quests and then replay again as a different class of character.
Avadon 2 puts you in the role of the Keep of Avadon, working as a spy and a warrior. Your goal is to save your homeland from destruction. You can master five different character classes, each with different special abilities and spells, and the choices you make throughout the game will dramatically affect its outcome.
As the name implies, Avadon 2 is a sequel, but you don't need any experience with the first Avadon game to get the most out of this one, so don't let that put you off. There's a nice big demo version you can download if you want to kick the tires, too. Visit the web site for details.
- $9.99 - Download now
Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
We might as well get this one out of the way right up front: Baldur's Gate II is back and better than ever. The game has been rebuilt to run on new Macs and PCs (you can also download an iPad version if you prefer). This game follows Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules and is even set in the Forgotten Realms, a world created for Dungeons & Dragons adventures. It simply reeks of D&D authenticity. It's also terrifically fun to play.
Baldur's Gate II. and the original game, are both available as 'Enhanced Editions' with new party members, new dungeons to explore and other new content. Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition rolls together the original game, Shadows of Amn, with a later released expansion pack called Throne of Bhaal. What's more, there's a new high-level combat pack called The Black Pits 2. Four all-new characters can be included with your party.
(Baldur's Gate II recently arrived on the iPad, as well.)
- $24.99 - Download now
Eschalon Book II
Basilisk Games crafts classic RPGs for Mac, Windows and Linux. They're turn-based, filled with all the accoutrements you'd expect: hundreds of items to loot, 24 unique skills to master and eight base attributes that affect your character, turn-based combat and action, and a storyline that unfolds over hours, days, and weeks.
Eschalon Book II is the most recently-released installment of the game series that started in 2007. It came out in 2011. But there's no putting a time limit on classic RPG fun. Like Avadon 2, there's a demo available from the web site if you'd like to kick the tires before you drop your money.
- $9.99 - Download now
Speaking of which, Basilisk is right on the cusp of releasing the long-awaited conclusion to Eschalon. Book III is expected out in the middle of February. Here's a sneak peek:
Shadowrun Returns
Harebrained Schemes has brought back one of the most beloved computer and tabletop RPGs ever with Shadowrun Returns. This cyberpunk-meets-magic world combines high technology and high fantasy in a really unique mix.
You take the role of a shadowrunner - a mercenary living in the near future, where corporations rule a world increasingly out of control and out of order through the rampant use of uncontrolled technology and the resurgence of ancient magic. This is a straight up single-player turne-based tactical RPG, and it's hugely fun to play.
- $19.99 - Download now
Ultima VII: The Complete Edition
If you're going to go old-school with your computer RPGs, eventually you have to go back to where it started. Ultima changed the way we play RPGs on computers forever, and you can still play the classic Ultima games on modern computers today. GOG.com sells 'em - fit to run on Windows and Mac alike.
Ultima VII: The Complete Edition is one of my favorites of the entire series. For that matter, it's also Richard Garriott's, and he created Ultima to begin with (he said this and Ultima IV are his favorite overall).
You, the Avatar, return to the land of Britannia to unravel a plot laid between an evil creature called The Guardian and a religious order that calls itself The Fellowship. What is at stake is no less than the future of Britannia itself.
- $5.99 - Download now
Obviously, 'old school' means different things to different people, but to me, these harken back to a golden age of role playing adventure games that rank as some of my favorite times playing on the computer. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
I'm really interested to hear what you like, too - do you have some favorite CRPG's that I've left off the list? Let me know in the comments!
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Concepts everywhereAnother day, another iPhone 12 Pro concept. How much would you pay?
If reports are accurate we might be waiting a little while longer than normal for iPhone 12 Pro. But would you care if it looked like this?
Before digital downloads, finding the best Mac games wasn’t always easy.
They were out there, but the Mac section of the computer game stores (they used to have those) seemed to stock nothing but “Mario Teaches Typing,” and the games that included Mac and Windows versions would inevitably be scattered around the “PC” sections of the store.
As such, compiling a list of the best classic Mac games is pretty tough.
That didn’t stop us from doing it. And because we want you to actually play these games, we made sure you can still buy them all in either their original form or as enhanced editions (not remakes). It also means some of our favorite old Mac games—such as Myth, Red Baron, and Fallout—didn’t make the list.
By the way, if you want to stay on top of all the latest Mac games updates, retro or modern, make sure you check out Pure Mac.
Best Old Mac Adventure Games 2017
The 10 Best old games for Mac: Revisiting the classics
Avernum is an underground prison, and of course, your adventure begins when you’re exiled there from the surface world, known as the Empire. But Avernum isn’t simply a prison; an entire culture exists in this subterranean world, presenting you with myriad options on what to do next. With numerous quests, spells, and party members to customize and control, Avernum unfolds with the freedom of pencil and paper adventures.
Avernum: The Complete Saga gives you a ridiculous amount of content and a cohesive story arc that’s tremendously satisfying. The graphics are rudimentary, but Avernum is very satisfying if you can overlook that.
Another name synonymous with Mac gaming back in the ‘90s was Ambrosia Software. You simply didn’t know a Mac user who didn’t have at least one Ambrosia game on her PowerPC.Perhaps their most fondly remembered title is EV Nova, the third game in the Escape Velocity series. A space exploration and combat game, EV Nova is set amongst warring factions scattered throughout the Milky Way. Consider it Divergent amongst the stars, as you will select your faction then find your role in it.
Gameplay involves jumping between star systems to accept and execute missions, upgrade your ship, and wreck havoc. There are six major storylines and plenty of branching missions, and how you get involved is up to you. That leads to plenty of replay options.
It’s still easy to get overwhelmed by EV Nova despite its age, but Ambrosia offers plenty of resources at the company’s website.
Our second sci-fi first-person shooter to make the list finds you waking from cryostasis to a ship full of unknown aliens, a screwed up AI, and your now zombified companions. Fair enough. We’ve been through this before, so pick up the weapons and health packs and have at it, right?Wrong. System Shock 2 doesn’t give you a lot of weapons or health packs. Rather, it gives you an RPG-like system of upgrades that forces you to use strategy, stealth, and the environment to survive.
What really separates System Shock 2 from its peers is the ship itself. It’s creepy and oppressive, and you’ll be more afraid of what could be around the corner than what actually is. Story elements are revealed through logs left by the crew, limiting your knowledge of what’s going on in a manner that reinforces how alone you are.
Another game produced by Peter Molyneux, Syndicate Plus is a real-time tactical action game in which you lead a team of cyborg mercenaries in the “problem-solving” department of the Syndicate.When you hear the term “cyborg” you just know there are going to be plenty of customization options via augmentations. You will use these to create a team that moves through futuristic locations to achieve your employer’s objectives.
Although there’s plenty to address between missions, it’s the execution of those missions that is most fun. The citizens and their belongings (cars, for example) are there to suit your purposes, should you need them. Your radar tells you where you need to go, but the direct route isn’t always best. If you need some extra help you can “persuade” the people around to help get the job done.
Best of all, the music and sound effects were incredibly effective for the time. The music that suddenly kicks in when you’re spotted will follow me for the rest of my life.
I gave up on the Star Wars movies about 25 minutes into Return of the Jedi, and I’ve never been able to get back into it. I still quite enjoy the games, however, and my all time favorite is 1994’s TIE Fighter from LucasArts.This is because of the excellent story that drives the mission-based flight-sim combat, because of the smooth graphics, and because it was the first time I got to serve the Empire. The missions are what you’d expect from any competent flight sim, asking you to engage in dogfights, take down freighters, protect your own vessels, etc. But because you’re now facing off against the whiney Rebellion, there’s a certain evil glee that goes along with it.
I’m also impressed by TIE Fighter’s staying-power. The gameplay is every bit as intense (and difficult) as it was in the mid-90s, and the space combat graphics are still very cool to view. Just make sure you play it with a joystick. Trust me on this.
There was a time when Bungie Studios was the shining light of Mac gaming. With Mac-only (or at least Mac-first) games such as Myth and Oni, they were the one company that made Windows owners jealous of Mac gamers.But then Microsoft bought them to claim Halo, and that shining light was snuffed out forever.
Mac gamers can still see what made Bungie so special by playing the Marathon Trilogy. This revolutionary series of sci-fi themed first-person shooters introduced features such as real-time voice chat and the ability to wield two weapons at once. The multiplayer options may not do you much good today, but the action and the story are every bit as entertaining as they were in the ’90s.
Honestly, Marathon would be higher on this list were it not for the steps required to grab it. The games are free, but you’ll need to install Aleph One (the free, open source continuation of Bungie’s Marathon 2 FPS game engine) to run them.
“But what if this was set in space?” is a valid question for every video game ever made…even games that are already set in space. That’s because space makes everything so much bigger and more imaginative. And the time this worked best was when Sid Meier took Civilization interstellar with Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri.The turn-based strategy elements all remained. You choose from seven factions, then research an unexplored planet, build new technologies and customize your units, and conquer anything hostile (or friendly, if that suits you) to claim victory.
The fun thing about Alpha Centauri is that none of the factions are bad guys. No matter which you select, you feel like you’re doing the right thing when you conquer the others.
Still, why bother playing this when there are many modern alternatives available on the Mac? Because the only thing missing in Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri are the flashy graphics. The writing, voice-acting, and depth of gameplay options are still among the best the genre has ever seen.
For our next game, we go all the way back to the ’80s with Bullfrog’s Populous from Peter Molyneux. If it’s not the first “god” game out there, it’s the first that made god gaming so gleefully fun.In Populous, you’re given an isometric view of your world and tasked with manipulating this world to help your “followers” wipe out the enemy. More followers lead to more mana, more mana leads to more powers, and more powers mean earthquakes, volcanos, and all kinds of fun ways to punish the non-believers.
There are many similar games available now, most of which are much more involved and rewarding. So, why bother going back to 1989 for the original Populous? Because it’s still fun. It also contains a whopping 500 levels, and the rudimentary graphics create an odd connection with your followers. It’s more like developer and programs than God and subjects.
Those looking to relive the original adventure in this real-time fantasy RPG are in for a treat. The enhanced edition—released in April of this year—comes with the original version from 1999.No matter which version you’ll play, you are the Nameless One. A name like that means life isn’t good, and the horrors of lives you can’t remember are coming back to haunt you. Worse, a floating skull named Morte is leading your adventure that will take you to the very depths of Hell.
The characters you can recruit in Planescape: Torment are highly non-traditional, including a crossbow-wielding cube and a haunted suit of armor. You’re free to change your class and alignment throughout the 50+ hour adventure, so you’re not stuck with one way of thinking as with most RPGs of this time.
Here’s a case where the enhanced edition of a game expertly accomplishes its goal; it reminds fans of why they loved the original while making the game accessible to modern gamers.Why? To start, the remastered graphics lovingly reflect the look of the original, serving mainly to make them look sharp on today’s much larger monitors. The enhanced edition also adds four new characters you can simply ignore if you want to remain faithful to the original, and it builds Shadows of Amn and Throne of Baal right into the package. There’s now a multiplayer option, too.
The reason Baldur’s Gate II is so fondly remembered is because of the excellent story and well-balanced combat. As you’d expect from a Forgotten Realms-based game, you can play through as the good guy, the bad guy, or someone in between. Your actions affect how NPCs and members of your own party see you and will open and close quests and other options.
Good RPGs create worlds you don’t just want to play through, but live in. And in that regard, Baldur’s Gate II is one of the most successful of all time.
Best Old Mac Adventure Games For Kids
The thing about putting together a list of the best classic Mac games is that it’s constantly changing. More games become “classic” each year, but it’s more than that. Countless games bubble just under the surface, waiting to be rediscovered or to get their “enhanced” edition to lift them back into the consciousness of Mac gamers. And with the ease of digital distribution, don’t be surprised if we’re soon talking about more of our favorites.In the meantime, can someone remind me why the Mac versions of Fallout and Fallout 2 disappeared again?
Best Old Mac Adventure Games 2017
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Please understand that I only mention games because I believe they’re interesting, good, and/or fun. Never because I received a free copy or to earn a small commission.