Best Adventure Games for Mac (2026): Story, Mystery & Open-World Picks
Adventure games have a long history on the Mac. Classic point-and-click games were made for a mouse, and today’s Macs can run everything from cozy indie stories to huge open-world epics.
This guide covers the best adventure games you can play on a Mac in 2026, organized by style: point-and-click mysteries, story-driven games, cozy exploration and AAA open worlds. Each pick includes Mac requirements, so you know whether it will run on your machine before you buy.
This guide is part of our Best Mac Games in 2026 collection.
Quick Picks
Best detective mystery: The Mermaid Mask
Best classic point-and-click series: The Blackwell series
Best retro 80s adventure: Unusual Findings
Best cozy adventure: TOEM 2
Best story-driven indie RPG: DELTARUNE
Best narrative sim: Thank You For Your Application
Best AAA open-world adventure: Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Best new open-world action-adventure: Crimson Desert
What Counts as an Adventure Game?
“Adventure” covers several styles:
Point-and-click adventures: you explore scenes, collect items and solve puzzles by clicking. These are perfect for a Mac mouse or trackpad.
Mystery and detective games: you gather clues, question suspects and solve cases.
Narrative games: your choices shape the story and its ending.
Exploration adventures: you discover a world at your own pace, often without combat.
Action-adventures: open worlds that mix exploration, story and combat.
This guide includes the best of each on Mac.
Best Point-and-Click and Mystery Adventures on Mac
The Mermaid Mask
The Mermaid Mask is the latest detective mystery, the studio behind Tangle Tower and Crow Country. It’s the fourth Detective Grimoire game.
The story: Captain Magnus Mortuga is found dead inside a locked room aboard the world’s strangest submarine, next to an empty, barnacle-covered cauldron. As Detective Grimoire and his sidekick Sally, you question a crew of odd suspects to solve an impossible case.
Highlights
Layered puzzles and satisfying detective work
Fully voice-acted, hand-animated suspects
Dark themes with light-hearted British humour
An orchestral score and beautiful hand-drawn environments
Mac: Released on July 16, 2026, on Steam for Windows and macOS. It’s a single-player game with Steam achievements and cloud saves.
Price: $19.99 on Steam (US). It has an outstanding reception from players, with around 99% positive Steam reviews.
Best for: Mystery fans who love sharp writing and charming characters.
The Blackwell Series
The Blackwell Legacy begins a five-game series of supernatural point-and-click mysteries set in New York.
The story: When Rosa Blackwell learns she’s a medium, a sardonic 1930s ghost named Joey Mallone becomes her spirit guide. Together, they help troubled spirits move on, starting with the case of three NYU students who die one after another.
The series in order
The Blackwell Legacy
Blackwell Unbound
Blackwell Deception
Blackwell Epiphany
Mac requirements (Steam, The Blackwell Legacy): macOS 10.11 or later (64-bit), 2 GB RAM and 1.5 GB of storage. These games run on almost any Mac.
Price: The Blackwell Legacy is $4.99 on Steam (US), and the full series is available as a bundle.
Best for: Fans of classic, story-rich adventures with pixel art.
Unusual Findings
Unusual Findings is a love letter to the 1980s, full of VHS stores, arcades, comic shops and synth music.
The story: Three teenage friends, Vinny, Nick and Tony, try to unscramble a cable TV channel, and instead intercept a signal that leads them to a crash-landed alien and a town-wide conspiracy.
Highlights
Classic side-view point-and-click gameplay
Dialogue choices that lead to one of three endings
Hidden-object puzzles
Built-in hint system (Vinny’s Diary) that gives gradual nudges when you’re stuck
Note: The humour is crude and aimed at adults, so it’s not suitable for younger players.
Best for: Anyone who grew up on 80s films and classic adventure games.
Best Story-Driven Adventures on Mac
DELTARUNE
DELTARUNE by Toby Fox, the creator of Undertale, is one of the most loved indie story games ever made. It combines RPG exploration with bullet-hell battles where you can fight or spare enemies.
Mac: It has an official macOS version. Compatibility trackers report it runs on Apple Silicon through Rosetta 2.
Best for: Players who love memorable characters, humour and music.
Thank You For Your Application
Thank You For Your Application is a darkly satirical story game in the style.
The story: After 15 failed job interviews, you’re unexpectedly hired as a junior interviewer at the biggest company in Aeropolis City. As you screen other applicants against ever-changing rules, you uncover the company’s dark secrets.
Highlights
Document-checking gameplay: approve or reject candidates based on that day’s rules
After-hours life: pay bills, buy necessities and look after your mental state
Multiple endings shaped by your choices
Piecework Mode for faster replays
Best for: Fans of Papers, Please and choice-driven stories with a sharp edge.
Best Cozy Adventures on Mac
TOEM 2
TOEM 2 is the sequel to the hit photo adventure TOEM.
The game: You travel through cozy black-and-white worlds with your camera, photographing mysterious events called “TOEMs”, helping quirky characters and filling your journal with stamps.
Highlights
Run, jump and climb through new environments
Camera upgrades and attachments for solving puzzles
Meet new characters and critters
No time limits or tricky completion requirements
Welcoming to newcomers, so you don’t need to have played the first game
Mac: Released on September 29, 2026, on Steam for Mac, Windows and Linux.
Best for: Relaxed players, families and anyone who wants a gentle, joyful adventure. For more relaxing games, see our Best Cozy & Relaxing Games for Mac.
Short and Strange Adventures
Toilet 8
Toilet 8 is a silly parody of the “anomaly-spotting” genre. You loop through endless public toilet stalls, looking for the one detail that has changed. Spot it and turn back, or face the comic consequences. It’s short, absurd and fun with friends watching.
Best for: A quick laugh between longer games.
Adventure Games by Mac Model
MacBook Air or any base M-series Mac
The Blackwell series, Unusual Findings, The Mermaid Mask, TOEM 2, Thank You For Your Application, DELTARUNE and Toilet 8 are all lightweight indie games that run comfortably.
MacBook Pro or Mac Studio with Pro, Max or Ultra chips
Everything above, plus Crimson Desert and Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Older Intel Macs
The Blackwell series (macOS 10.11+) and older indie adventures are your best bet. Crimson Desert and Assassin’s Creed Shadows don’t run on Intel Macs.
Tips for Playing Adventure Games on Mac
Use a mouse for point-and-click games. It’s faster and more precise than a trackpad.
Use the hint systems when you’re stuck. Games like Unusual Findings include gradual hints so you don’t need a walkthrough.
Save often, especially in games with branching choices and multiple endings.
Turn on subtitles if a game is fully voiced, so you don’t miss clues.
Play in full screen so macOS Game Mode switches on automatically.
For AAA games, use the “For This Mac” preset or MetalFX upscaling for smoother performance.
Troubleshooting
“The game won’t open on my Apple Silicon Mac.”
If it’s an Intel build, accept the Rosetta 2 installation prompt the first time you launch it.
“Assassin’s Creed Shadows says my Mac isn’t supported.”
It needs at least an M1 Max or M2 Pro chip and 16 GB of RAM. Base M1 and M2 Macs can’t run it.
“Crimson Desert won’t install on my Intel Mac.”
The Mac version requires Apple Silicon. Cloud gaming is the only option for Intel Macs.
“I’m stuck on a puzzle.”
Check the game’s built-in hints first. Otherwise, look up a walkthrough for just that puzzle to avoid spoilers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best adventure games for Mac?
Top picks include The Mermaid Mask, the Blackwell series, Unusual Findings, TOEM 2, DELTARUNE and Thank You For Your Application. For AAA open worlds, Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Crimson Desert run natively on Apple Silicon.
What are the best point-and-click games for Mac?
The Mermaid Mask, the Blackwell series and Unusual Findings are excellent point-and-click adventures with official Mac versions.
Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Mac?
Yes. It’s on the Mac App Store and requires at least an M1 Max or M2 Pro chip, 16 GB of RAM, macOS 15 and 130 GB of storage.
Is Crimson Desert on Mac?
Yes. Crimson Desert has a native Mac version for Apple Silicon only, available on Steam and the Mac App Store. Intel Macs aren’t supported.
Can a MacBook Air play adventure games?
Yes. Most indie adventures, including the Blackwell series, TOEM 2, The Mermaid Mask and DELTARUNE, run well on any M-series MacBook Air. AAA games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows need more powerful chips.
Is TOEM 2 on Mac?
Yes. TOEM 2 launched on September 29, 2026, on Steam for Mac, Windows and Linux.
Is The Mermaid Mask on Mac?
Yes. It launched on July 16, 2026, on Steam for Windows and macOS.
Are there free adventure games for Mac?
Yes. DELTARUNE Chapters 1–2 are free on Steam, and many adventures offer free demos.
What adventure games are good for beginners?
TOEM 2 (no time limits), The Mermaid Mask (guided detective work) and Unusual Findings (built-in hints) are all beginner-friendly.
Conclusion
Mac owners have a wonderful range of adventure games in 2026:
Mystery lovers: The Mermaid Mask and the Blackwell series
Retro fans: Unusual Findings
Story seekers: DELTARUNE and Thank You For Your Application
Cozy explorers: TOEM 2
High-end Mac owners: Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Crimson Desert
Explore all of these on MacOSpace, and see our Best Mac Games in 2026 hub and Best Strategy & Simulation Games for Mac for more.
Last updated: October 2026. Requirements, prices and release dates verified from Steam, the Mac App Store and developer announcements.
