Download Free Mac Games was launched in 2004 to compile the best Mac games on the Internet in one location. Our site gained popularity quickly due to its selection of crazy, fun, and free games that can played on a variety of Mac operating systems.
A Guide to Word Games What Are Word Games? Word games are considered a member of the broader puzzle genre and involve the creative use of letters to form words.
They vary from other puzzles by requiring a firm grasp of language, with those possessing larger vocabularies gaining a significant advantage over others during competitive gameplay. Those with good reasoning skills and a high level of common sense will also have the advantage.
An example of a commonly known word game is the television game show Wheel of Fortune, where contestants and viewers attempt to guess the phrase or word using a category and the letters guessed by themselves and other contestants as clues. Despite all the bells and whistles, Wheel of Fortune is actually a glorified version of Hangman. Word games have been played a variety of ways. Some games are played with pen and paper, others with boards and tiles and a few are even played with words simply spoken out loud. Common word type games include crossword puzzles, word searches, charades, Scrabble, Boggle, Scattergories, puns, anagrams and more.
Humans communicate and express themselves in language and enjoy playing with it as well. Despite the seeming simplicity of games using words, it is actually a highly logical form of puzzle.
Word games are as logical and rational as numerical puzzles such as Sudoku and Kenken but are often viewed as more approachable than puzzles based on numbers, especially by those with an apprehensive attitude towards mathematics. Word game puzzles have a variety of different game mechanics. Some word games involve guessing the hidden word while others involve creatively using word tiles to construct new words. Props like paper or boards are not always needed, with the word game charades involving only purely physical actions to convey a word to others.
Word games are some of the most enduring games in terms of popularity and the games are enjoyed by all ages and demographics of people irrespective to social or economic status. The History of Word Games The history of word style games is almost as vast and broad as the history of human language itself. Perhaps the best way to explore the history of this genre is to learn about the origins of some of the most popular word games played today. Hangman - The history of Hangman is hard to track but the game is believed to have originated sometime after the year 1830.
The game was referred to as Birds, Beasts and Fishes in the book Traditional Games which was published in 1894. The name of the game evolved from that whimsical title to Gallows, Game of Hangin and eventually Hanger.
Word Search - Word soup style puzzles were the precursors of the modern word search. A word search is a grid type puzzle developed by Norman E.
Gibat in 1968 for a magazine given away by Safeway stores. The word search puzzle is relatively young in comparison to other puzzle games but word searches have maintained a steady level of popularity ever since their creation.
Entire books devoted only to word searches are commonplace in bookstores and they are a staple in newspapers as well. Scattergories - Scattergories was first manufactured in 1988 following the popularity of other word games such as Scrabble and Boggle. One of the most interesting features of the game Scattergories is the unique 20 sided die. The letters Q U V X Y and Z are all excluded from the die due to the lack of words starting with those letters. The gameplay involves quickly creating a list of words starting with the letter rolled by the die and falling into a specific category such as ‘vegetables’. No two words may be repeated, so a strong vocabulary is the key to success when playing this game. Scrabble - This is the game that truly put social word games on the map.
Scrabble was developed in 1938 by an architect named Alfred Mosher Butts. He conducted word frequency tests in order to calculate how many tiles of each letter would be needed for a playable game. The finished word game was originally named Criss-Crosswords and it didn’t sell very well at all. The rights for Criss-Crosswords were purchased by James Brunot in 1948 and he is responsible for changing the name to Scrabble. He also tweaked the premium spaces on the board somewhat, further modifying the original concept.
With a new name and marketing campaign, Scrabble became the popular word game it is today. It is sold in a whopping 121 countries and is available in 29 different languages. The computer version of the game has seen major success as well, proving that word games easily translate to new formats. Scrabble is played on a 15x15 board using flat letter tiles. The gameplay is similar to building a traditional crossword style puzzle and games consist of anywhere from 2 to 4 players. Scrabble has its own special dictionary that most players insist on following though any dictionary may be used.
If a word is not in the dictionary it may not be played during the course of the game, even if it’s a word in common use. Hardcore Scrabble players tend to develop a specialized vocabulary of words that are beneficial to know during gameplay, such as the infamous Q without U words including Qi, Qat, Qaid and Qoph.
These words are rarely useful in real life but are very valuable during competitive gameplay./ Boggle - Boggle was created by Alan Turoff in 1972 uses letter dice arranged on a 4x4 grid. The game is a hybrid of skill and chance as players roll the dice and allow them to settle in the grid randomly before attempting to build as many words as possible from adjacent letters within the allotted time period. After the time is up, all players read off their lists of written words. When the same word is written by more than one player it’s struck from the list and does not count towards point totals.
All words are subject to challenge by other players using a designated dictionary of their choice. Unique words that remain on a player’s list are tallied up towards their score. Boggle is not nearly as successful as Scrabble, but does enjoy a faithful following. The game has been converted to computerized versions quite nicely, offering a new iteration of this classic word puzzle.
Who Would Like These Games? Word games tend to appeal to individuals with a strong linguistic intelligence. These people are frequently voracious readers, or would be if given the time and chance. Word games involving more than one player tend to attract linguistically inclined people who have the desire to socialize as well. Solitary word type games such as crosswords or word searches are great for passing an otherwise boring stretch of time and are also wonderful to play while indulging in some valuable alone time as well.
It all depends on the personality of the player. Word games are one of the few puzzles with an almost universal appeal and are popular among individuals looking to keep their brain in top condition throughout the course of their lives. As technology advances so does the reach of word games; more people are playing these games than ever before.
Advertisement Gaming has come a long way since the 2000s, when you couldn’t play most mainstream titles without a Windows PC. Though Windows still has most of the gaming market share, times are a-changing. And we aren’t just talking about indie games, which was the case just a few years ago. AAA games from top-notch studios can now be played on Mac natively, and many newer games are now being created with Mac playability in mind from the start. It’s a great time to be alive as a Mac gamer, especially if you’re a fan of the RPG genre.
Want to get started? Here are some of the best RPG experiences you can have natively on Mac right now. Deus Ex: Human Revolution Available on:,. The first Deus Ex (released back in 2000) broke new ground with its character building systems, non-linear gameplay, and freedom of choice. No two playthroughs of the game were exactly the same, which gave it tons of replay value and earned it critical acclaim. Human Revolution recaptures much of the original’s spirit while updating many of the aspects to better fit the modern gaming landscape.
It’s slightly more linear than die-hard fans were expecting, but the story is compelling and the gameplay is exceptional, all leading to a satisfying end. Bastion Available on:,. Bastion is, in a word, beautiful.
Not only is it visually striking and immediately recognizable as unique, but everything is elevated to a completely different level by the soundtrack. (The music is so good that we recommend!). There’s nothing revolutionary about the story or the gameplay, but they’re both solid enough to leave you satisfied. Like reading a novel or watching a movie, Bastion is more about the emotional journey than it is about mechanical depth. It’s still fun though, so don’t let that turn you away. Borderlands 2 Available on:. Borderlands 2 is, without a doubt, one of the best games to come out in the past five years.
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It won several awards, including “Action Game of the Year”, “Best Shooter”, “Best Multiplayer Game”, and “Character of the Year” — if that doesn’t convince you of this game’s worth, I don’t know what will. In singleplayer, you go around completing missions and collecting loot from the enemies you kill.
There’s a main storyline but also dozens of side storylines, and because it’s an open world RPG, you can keep playing even after you “beat” it. Multiplayer is basically co-op singleplayer with your friends.
Pillars of Eternity Available on:,. Pillars of Eternity is the spiritual successor to games like Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment: party-based tactical gameplay with an isometric view. There’s a main quest and many side quests, but the game’s true value is its replayability due to its eleven different classes and deep combat mechanics. Torchlight II Available on:,. Torchlight II is the perfect game to play when you want.
It’s a hack-and-slash adventure that’s surprisingly polished and addictive. The only downside is that its gameplay is comparatively shallow and doesn’t innovate much. In my view, Torchlight II is more about mindless fun — and there’s nothing wrong with that. Divinity: Original Sin Available on:,. If your love of the RPG genre stems from a desire to explore and discover, then Divinity: Original Sin will be right up your alley.
The graphics and combat are great, but the content is the real selling point. With all of the side quests included, it could take you well over 100 hours to complete everything.
Darkest Dungeon Available on:,. Darkest Dungeon is simply incredible. The art style sucks you right in, then the gameplay hooks you and keeps you engaged for hours and hours. It’s the kind of game that you intend to play for only 10 minutes, only to realize that the whole day has gone by and you’re now starving. As far as squad-based dungeon crawlers go, Darkest Dungeon is one of the best because it’s tough and punishing.
The mechanics are brilliant, showing you the effects and consequences of stress on an adventuring party and the risk/reward of pushing your luck as far as it can go before everything collapses. Mount & Blade: Warband Available on:,. Mount & Blade isn’t just an open world game. It’s a sandbox game that doesn’t even have a main storyline. You choose what you want to do in the game: explore, fight, quest, and more.
The way you interact with others in the game has real impact on the world at large. The biggest reason to get Warband over the original is the addition of multiplayer.
There are seven different game modes that you can play with up to 64 players and bots. Modes include deathmatch, team deathmatch, conquest, capture the flag, siege, fight and destroy, and straight-up battle. Rogue Legacy Available on:,. If it wasn’t clear from its name, Rogue Legacy is one of the bigger successes that came out of the “roguelite” phase of indie gaming. If you aren’t sure what that means, check out our and our exploration of.
In short, Rogue Legacy is a platformer RPG with permadeath. When your character dies, you pick a randomly-generated “heir” and continue your quest.
Every character has different traits and attributes, which lends to the game’s replayability. All dungeons are randomly generated as well, so it’s fun time and again. Legend of Grimrock II Available on:,. Legend of Grimrock was a spiritual successor to the cult classic dungeon crawler Dungeon Master, and many consider it to be the title that revived the classic dungeon crawler genre by faithfully combining old-school gameplay with modern graphics.
Legend of Grimrock II expands on its predecessor with a bigger world, better character development, higher level of challenge, and improved freedom of progression. If you love crawling through dungeons, you can’t skip this one. Which RPGs Do You Play on Mac?
If none of these appeal to you, or if you really want to play a specific game that’s only available on Windows, then you have two main options: set up a Windows dual-boot through Boot Camp or try to install and run the game using Wine. The former is more work but also more reliable in the end. One more thing to note: Despite some of the games in this list being available on the Mac App Store, we recommend that you The Mac App Store doesn't hold a candle to the same store used by iPhone and iPad users to guzzle apps, games and in-app purchases. The drawbacks aren’t worth it, and either Steam or GOG will likely provide a better overall experience in the long run than Apple's Game Center strives to make playing mobile games a social activity again, but using the service isn't quite so straightforward any more.
Are there any other quality RPGs we missed that can be played directly on Mac? Which modern RPGs do you consider to be your favorites? Share with us down in the comments below!
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