While it’s pretty hard to find some worthwhile free games for Mac, it doesn’t mean that there is no free game for Mac. It just means the number is very low. However, the case of Free RPGs is different.
Just like we did in the Strategy Games for Mac, most of the titles are available via Steam. If you have Steam installed on your Mac, it will be easy to download and play these games. That said, here are some of the best role-playing games for Mac. Let’s begin.
Jan 21, 2014 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. But there was an era of computer role playing games that for me always stood apart - graphical.
Free RPG Games for Mac
1. Dota 2
One of the most-played game on Steam, Dota 2 is one of the best RPG titles for Mac. The game never keeps you bored, since there’s a lot to discover. You can become one of the Dota 2 heroes and keep exploring the world while combating with others. It’s a skill-based game, since there are no in-app purchases for talent or extra perks. You can choose the role and start playing. You are going to love the enhanced graphics and the big user-base that Dota 2 boasts.
System Requirements: Intel Dual Core, 4GB RAM, NVIDIA 320M, Radeon HD 2400 or Intel HD 3000 or higher, 15GB Storage space
2. Shakes and Fidget
If you are looking for a fun-filled, fantasy RPG, Shakes and Fidget should be your first stop. With a user-base of more than 50 Million, you will love its online battles too. Even when we keep the humor aside, the game offers a bunch of options like customizable characters, thousands of collectibles and hundreds of quests you can achieve. The game gives you a feel of being inside a comic book, which is great for role-playing. The title is comparatively newer, too.
System Requirements: Intel Pentium, 1GB RAM, 100MB Storage space
3. Tactical Monsters Rumble Arena
It’s been just four months since Tactical Monsters Rumble Arena was released. In the meantime, this game has become a superb choice of players across the globe. In this RPG, you have to use your strategy as well as tactical combat. Thanks to multiple playing modes, you can get your hands on real-time battles as well as normal missions. You have almost full control over monsters, who happen to have unique skills to. You are the winner if you know how to deal with them.
System Requirements: Intel Core 2 Duo, 512MB RAM, 512MB Video Memory, 500MB Storage space
4. The Lord of the Rings Online
The Lord of the Rings Online is one of the most popular MMORPGs for Mac, since thousands of players play this wonderful title. The game is awesome if you know anything about the popular series by JRR Tolkien. You can explore the Middle Earth and craft the perfect hero the land deserves. There are more than 105 ways to customize your hero, which is great. It also offers options like PvP battles and online arenas. It’s all about fun, and you get one visual treat too.
System Requirements: 2.0GHz Intel i5, 2GB RAM, Intel HD3000 or better, 25 GB Storage space
Check Out The Lord of the Rings Online
5. Spiral Knights
Spiral Knights calls itself a co-operative adventure, for a good reason. You have to team up with the knights who are stranded in an alien planet. The plot progresses as you explore this amazing planet and what stays under the seen surface. While the character customization isn’t the best, your Knight gets to compete with others in this game. Of course, the core of Spiral Knights is in multiplayer combat, and you should not miss that.
System Requirements: 1.3GHz Processor, 1GB RAM, 64MB Video Memory, 700MB Storage space
6. GuildWars 2
GuildWars 2 is another massively multiplayer online RPG for Mac devices out there. It’s definitely more than a simple multiplayer game, thanks to the wonderful community it has got. Released back in 2012, GuildWars 2 has been the favorite of those who need a real-life role-playing gaming experience. There are various races in the game, and you — if you are a beginner — surely need some catching up. It offers multiple modes such as the PvP one.
System Requirements: Intel Core i5 or better, 4GB RAM, 50GB Storage space, GeForce 320MATI, Radeon HD 6630M, Intel HD 3000 or better.
7. Trove
Trove is an open-world, action-based role-playing game that you can play on Mac. It lets you explore a world that isn’t restricted to earth. As the hero character, Trove wants you to rescue the multiverse from threats as well. There are different classes like Knights, Pirates and a lot of realms you can explore. Trove also comes with a bunch of world-building and strategy-based elements. You can take care of loots, build more stuff and get rich on the way.
System Requirements: Core i5, 1GB RAM, Intel HD 4000, 1GB Storage space
8. SMITE
With more than 25 Million players on the board, SMITE brings an awesome combination of role-playing and action. If you know the ancient mythology — Thor from Norse, for instance —, you will love the storyline of this title. You can choose one of the mythological characters as well as their skills. The game is fast-paced, in addition to the collectible and open-combat arena. You can get into the battleground and win if you want to move on. SMITE gets regularly updated too.
System Requirements: Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 512MB Video Memory, 10GB Storage Space
9. SAS: Zombie Assault 4
Released in 2017, SAS: Zombie Assault 4 is one of the high-end action RPGs for Mac. When a virus outbreak has turned almost every human into zombies, you can take up the role of the savior and fight them. The title offers three roles you can play. Of course, SAS: Zombie Assault 4 is more about the action and combat, but its RPG-like upgrades and features are unbeatable. Fast-paced gameplay and collectibles and loot support and some reasons why people love this RPG.
System Requirements: 2GHz Processor, 1GB RAM, OpenGL Graphics, 512MB Storage space
10. Gaytective
Here’s a different title from the role-playing game category. In this game, you take up the role of a detective. Wait, you are not going to solve any murders. On the other hand, the detective has to talk to some people and tell if they are homosexual. The title comes with the retro outlook and some cool dialogues with others as well as the lady who hired you. Gaytective is all about interaction and dialogues, but it’s a small game. You should check this if you’re looking for pure fun.
System Requirements: Nothing specified, it’s a small game, works perfectly on 2015-late MacBook Air
11. Pixel Dungeon
Just to clarify, we are talking about Pixel Dungeon for Desktop, which is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can enjoy the same awesome gameplay that you used to get in Android. One of the best RPGs for Android, Pixel Dungeon is noted for the pixel-art and simple interface. You can choose a character, who will be exploring the dungeon and killing all the bad stuff on the way. There are also some collectibles you get in the long run.
System Requirements: Nothing specified, Pixel Dungeon is really minimal
12. Realm of the Mad God
At the first look, Realm of the Mad God is a simple pixel-art-based game. However, it has some of the coolest gameplay. In case you did not know, it’s one of the MMORPGs as well. You can focus on action and battle, but there are always some RPG elements in the game. The game also features some options like looting and team-up battles. But, what really matters is whether your character is powerful enough to take up all those challenges.
System Requirements: Intel Core Duo or later, 1GB RAM, 100MB Storage space
Old Mac Role Playing Games Online
13. RuneScape
RuneScape is a free-to-play, fantasy-based MMORPG available for Mac and other platforms. Once you have downloaded the client and have created an account, the adventure starts. It also happens to be the most popular free MMORPG. RuneScape also comes with a huge-enough community, where thousands are online. Unlike many of the RPGs we listed, RuneScape is pretty huge and there is a lot to explore. It starts at the island of Ashdale and explores further.
System Requirements: It varies depending on the detail level. High Details require i5/i7, 4GB RAM and NVIDIA or ATI Radeon dedicated graphics
14. Clicker Heroes
Clicker Heroes is an impressive casual clicker game with some great RPG elements in it. All you do is clicking with your mouse, but there are different characters and enemies to choose from. Clicker Heroes also comes with some great strategy stuff and a visually-pleasing design. You can also keep hiring different heroes who have better skills to offer. Altogether, although not completely an RPG, Clicker Heroes is one of the superb choices for Mac.
System Requirements: Intel Core Duo, 512MB RAM, 90MB Storage
15. MINDNIGHT
With this popular online multiplayer, we end our list of the best free RPG games for Mac. MINDNIGHT works by assigning you a random role — either a Hacker or Agents. The idea is to defeat the other so that you can succeed. The best part about MINDNIGHT is that it offers a lot of things like communication systems and hi-tech stuff. Please note that MINDNIGHT is set in a distant future, where your cyberpunk dreams come true. It is a highly-addictive title too.
System Requirements: Dual Core Processor, 1GB RAM, 512MB Graphics, 120MB Space
Wrapping Up: RPG Games for Mac
Most of the above-mentioned RPGs offer online PvP mode, which is great. Also, some of them are a combo of RPG, Strategy and action gaming so that you don’t get bored. We have also tried to include games that are completely free, instead of those with thousands of in-app purchases. Still, if you think we missed some great free RPG, do let us know via comments.
Perhaps the most popular and prolifically ported of early attempts to translate the communal Dungeons & Dragons role-playing experience to a single-player computer game, Pool of Radiance is true to both the story-telling spirit and statistical structure of the original pen-and-paper RPG, with emphasis on tense exploration and turn-based fantasy combat.
Players create a party of up to six characters, with available race and class selections based on the original 'Advanced Dungeons & Dragons' rule sets. Enemy creatures are taken directly from the Monster Manual, and the story leads players through notable locales in the officially sanctioned Forgotten Realms campaign world, beginning in a coastal city called New Phlan.
Civilized areas are home to numerous NPCs and the game features an abundance of text dialog (some which is crucial to the plot, and much that simply adds a sense of culture). Exploration is done one step at a time, viewed from a first person perspective without the aid of overviews or mini-maps. Battles are fought from an isometric viewpoint and strictly follow the combat systems explained in the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Pool of Radiance is the first chapter in what came to be known as the 'Gold Box' series of computer D&D games, and was followed by releases intended for higher level characters including Curse of the Azure Bonds and Secret of the Silver Blades.
You and and your party first help the city of Phlan defeat the evils that threaten it, then search for the legendary Pool of Radiance.
The first in a series of successful 'gold box' AD&D games for SSI, you create your party and maneuver it through 1st-perspective dungeons and overhead-view turn-based sequences.
Pool of radiance is the first RPG (role playing game) in a long series from SSI.
You begin the game by creating up to six player characters from a vareity of races like human, elf and dwarf. Each race has different abilities as regard to the classes in the game for instance halflings are small and have higer max dexterity than other races.
Some races can also have multiple classes as well so you get the most use from one character but they will take more experience to gain levels. When you gain levels you will gain hitpoints (health) and your thac0 modifier will increase making it easier to hit an opponent.
(note: I'm not entirely sure about thac0, in the 3rd edition its called to-hit modifier)
The main game is played from a screen divided in three different frames, the top-left shows a 3D depiction of the surroundings, the top-right shows all the characters in your party and the lower portion shows text messages. At the bottommost part of the screen you can usually select things like casting and resting. Navigation is done with the arrow-keys and home/end to select different characters and options.
The graphics are fairly simply with almost no animation and also very little sound and music effects. The later AD&D games from SSI are improved over this version but since this is the first one it seems a bit crude compared to them but the main engine remained in this form for several years.
When you battle with enemies the view switches to an 3D overhead view which fairly accurately mimics the pen & paper style of tin characters placed on a grid.
You start the game arriving in New Phlan and you are welcomed by man named Rolf.
He gives you a quick tour of the city and shows you some of the important buildings like city hall and the training guild. Finally he shows you the entrance to the slums and says goodbye after which you are on your own. From here you can do and go where you want.
Since you have no weapons and equipment its advisable that you go and buy some from a local shop. You can then stop by the training guild to hire some extra hands or you can go straight to city hall and find out what kind of jobs they have for adventurers. Most of these jobs consist of clearing an area of monsters which is usually done by beating several enemy parties in random encounters and/or defeating a specific group.
Sometimes you can get other missions like a rescue or gathering information. Each mission is posted as a number which you will have to look up in the journal so without it the game is pretty much unplayable.
Also contained in the journal are journal entries referred to in the game by number which shows maps, conversations and other interesting things you come across your jouneys. If you read them in advance you can spoil the plot so I suggest you read only the ones the game tells you about, some are even fake to mislead you!
As you go along with the missions you will find out more about the plot and the reason why all those monsters are there in the first place.
This game is not for beginners because the difficulty level is very high, it's quite easy for all your party members to die in the first fight. Some weapons can do enough damage with one blow to kill a level one character.
This can be attributed to the AD&D rules which at the first levels can be very unforgiving.
You also have to do lots of micromanagement because you have to keep track of getting better weapons and armor for your entire party while keeping them alive. Temples are of very little use because they charge enormous amounts of money for simple healing tasks so it's best to stick to your own Clerics (healers).
If you don't have a lot of knowledge of AD&D rules I suggest you read the manual first because it contains a lot of information about the different classes and races and the limitations that they impose.
For the more seasoned AD&D and/or RPG fan this game can be a great challenge and fun to play.
How to run this game on modern Windows PC?
People who downloaded Pool of Radiance have also downloaded:
Curse of the Azure Bonds, Pools of Darkness, Secret of the Silver Blades, Champions of Krynn, Death Knights of Krynn, Dark Queen of Krynn, The, Gateway to the Savage Frontier, Treasures of the Savage Frontier