Starbound Multiplayer Mac Manual

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Find below a list of all Starbound console commands for players and server administrators, updated for the latest version of Starbound on Steam (1.3.3, PC / Mac). Type the name of a command into the search bar to instantly search the cheat table.

Co-op and Local Edition

Remember when the only way to play multiplayer games on your Mac was with a bunch of friends either sharing a screen or networked together with AppleTalk? No? Then congratulations, you’re younger than I am.

Nowadays you can get online any time to get your Fortnite fix, but sometimes you just want to play with your friends and not against strangers.

Fortunately, there’s been a bit of a renaissance of games including cooperative and local multiplayer in various forms. The following list is a look at the best Mac multiplayer games out there. Are you looking for:

Competitive or eSport games that…Cooperative or party games that…
✔️ Focus on playing against others players?✔️ Focus on playing with friends?
✔️ Are played exclusively online?✔️ Can be played online or offline (IRL)?
Visit our Online gamesguide!You’re in the right place!

Just about every genre is represented as well. So gather your friends, refill your fridge and prepare for some co-op fun, just like in the old days.

And don’t miss our complete list with the 100 Best Mac games in all the top categories.

Game★ Best OverallBest for MacBookBest Value
GenreShooterActionShooter
Release date201220182009
Metascore
Our rating★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆
Requirements✅ Not Demanding✅ Not Demanding✅ Not Demanding
Check Price
Last updated: Novembre 3, 2018

Our overview of the top Multiplayer games for MacOS was somewhat lacking. It had only 5 entries and was last updated years ago. That changes today.

We went from 5 featured games to 15, we went deeper to better explain why these are the best, and we added a brand-new Competition section with even more games that excel in Multiplayer and deserve your attention.

Real-world MacOS tests

This is what makes our guides unique. We tested many of the game featured below on several Macs. Not every game has been tested yet but more tests will be added as we continue performing our internal benchmarks.

Remember, all of our results are on Frames per Second (our MacOS performance section explains what they mean).

Borderlands 2

Mac Release date: 2012

MacOS developer: Aspyr Media

Metascore: 89

Borderland 2 is not just our pick for Best Multiplayer game, it’s also our favorite shooter. So what makes it so great? It’s a game that just gets everything right. A mix of FPS and RPG, Borderlands 2 has you shooting and looting around the planet Pandora as you try to defeat the evil Hyperion Corporation and its leader Handsome Jack. With a graphic style that keeps it fresh and an attitude that keeps it fun, Borderlands 2 has you pick a class and starting shooting. Kill, loot, level up and repeat.

And while single player is good, four players multiplayer (including cross-platform with Windows and Linux) is where Borderlands 2 really shines. Character and weapons upgrades you earn stick with you as you switch games and modes. So go online or play with three of your friends to get the full Borderlands 2 experience.

You’ll need a balanced team and the right skills and tactics to handle the challenges Borderlands 2 will throw at you, but it’s worth it.

2013 MacBook Pro

2016 MacBook Pro

2014 27-inch iMac

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Testing Conditions: We tested the game using Medium settings, 2X Anisotropic Filtering, FXAA, and 1280×800 resolution:

Can your Mac run it? Taking into account that even our 2013 13-inch MacBook Pro handled the game just fine, most Macs from 2013 onwards should be able to handle it.

Any bugs you should be aware of? The game sometimes crashes on the start menu. To avoid that problem, just launch a game as soon as you enter the open menu.

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.8.5, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4 GB RAM, 256 MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 / NVidia Geforce 8800/ Intel HD 3000 or better, 13 GB hard drive space.

Divinity: Original Sin

Mac Release date: 2015

MacOS developer: Larian Studios

Metascore: 94

A multiple award RPG, Divinity: Original Sin is known for being a bit difficult to get into and slow to get started, but worth the time and effort. The game features classless character creation, an open world that you can manipulate however you like (really), and turn-based combat.

You play as two Source Hunters each with a sidekick, seeking out those who use the darkest of magic. You’re attempting to foil a world-threatening plot in the usual RPG ways: exploring, interacting with NPCs and in combat with a wide variety of enemies and monsters.

And while all this is great in single player, Original Sin excels in cooperative, two-player multiplayer. In this case, each of you is a Source Hunter with their sidekick, solving the same mysteries as in the single-player campaign.

Multiplayer options include online, cross-platform and dynamic split-screen, with your fellow Source Hunter sitting right next to you on the sofa.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? Capable of running on a machine with Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics, this is a fairly easy game to run. That said, from our experience, the game is still somewhat demanding, in spite of the low requirements.

Verdict: ⚠️ Fairly Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.9.5, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, Intel HD4000, 10 GB hard drive space.

Left 4 Dead 2

Mac Release date: 2009

MacOS developer: Valve

Metascore: 89

Looking for a zombie FPS? Left 4 Dead 2 is the action apocalypse game for you. Fight your way with three others across the Deep South from Savannah to New Orleans using a wide selection of upgradeable firearms. And for those times when the fighting gets hand-to-hand, L4D2 has everything from axes and chainsaws to baseball bats and deadly frying pans. And of course, you have new and upgraded undead as well.

And once again, while we love killing zombies on our own, it’s even better with friends. Left 4 Dead 2 has traditional co-op multiplayer, but it’s recommended that you find three existing friends to play with rather than taking your chances with matchmaking. Band together with three of your friends fighting the undead and boss monsters across five campaigns as you try to make it to the next safe zone. And if you want to BE the zombies, you can do that in multiplayer Versus mode.

Whatever your preference, Left 4 Dead 2 will run great on just about any Mac you’re likely to be using.

Left 4 Dead 2 benchmark results (in FPS):

2013 MacBook Pro

2016 MacBook Pro

2014 27-inch iMac

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Testing Conditions: We tested the game using Medium settings, Anisotropic 2X, V-Sync off, Anti-Aliasing off, and the 1280×800 resolution:

Can your Mac run it? This is an extremely light game to run. Our 2013 MBP did great and I wouldn’t be surprised if much older machines could play it just fine. If you were looking for a “MacBook FPS”, this is it.

Any bugs you should be aware of? The experience for us was bug-free.

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS, 10.7, 2 GHz Intel Core Processor, 2 GB RAM, ATI Radeon 2400 or higher / NVIDIA 8600M / Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics card or better, 13 GB hard drive space.

Cuphead

Mac Release date: 2018

MacOS developer: Studio MDHR

Metascore: 88

The award-winning indie hit from 2017 has finally arrived on the Mac, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. A classic run-and-gun platformer known for its difficulty and boss battles, Cuphead is especially famous for its style, which permeates every aspect of the game.

A 1930s look and feel includes traditional cel animation, a Jazz soundtrack, and era-appropriate characters, weapons, and battles. But don’t let the cutesy animation style fool you, more than a few controllers have been broken in frustration in playing this game.

While fans continue to call for online multiplayer, Cuphead’s multiplayer is currently limited to local co-op via shared/split-screen, with one of you playing as Cuphead and the other as his partner Mugman. Whether in single or co-op, you’re chasing down others who, like you, have lost their deals with the devil, literally. You must collect on their contracts by defeating them in boss battles in various gorgeous locations around the Inkwell Isles.

If boss battles, the 1930s, classic animation, or difficult gameplay are your thing, rejoice that Cuphead has made it to MacOS. Plus, because of its ridiculously low system requirements, this is one of the top Macbook Multiplayer games.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? TThe benefit of having retro graphics is that this is a game that can be played of most MacBooks out there, including those that are a few years old.

Any bugs you should be aware of? No bugs were encountered during our tests.

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.9, Intel Core i5 Processor, 4 GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000 or higher, 20 GB hard drive space.

SpeedRunners

Mac Release date: 2016

MacOS developer: DoubleDutch Games

Free

Metascore: 84

Speedrunners might not be what you’d expect to find on a Multiplayer Best Of list. As you might guess from the title, it’s a running platformer pitting you against three others with a variety of game modes to choose from. And if it sounds boring, don’t worry, there are plenty of weapons, power-ups and other goodies spread around each level, allowing you to boost yourself or knock your opponents off the screen. Speedrunners also features a level editor with over 10,000 user created levels, so selection shouldn’t be a problem.

There is a tutorial and single-player mode, but Speedrunners mostly features a variety of multiplayer modes including traditional multiplayer with you against three others, and 2v2 and 2v1v1 cooperative multiplayer, depending on how many friends you can round up at once.

Of course, you can also make new friends in the game lobby for your co-op matches or try versus ranked multiplayer, though there are complaints about poor matchmaking when you’re just starting out.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? As can be expected from a game with simple graphics, SpeedRunners is extremely easy on the system requirements. In fact, according to the developer, the game “worked like a charm” on the 12-inch MacBook.

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.12, 1 GHz Processor, 3 GB RAM, integrated graphics, 800 MB hard drive space.

Diablo 3

Mac Release date: 2012

MacOS developer: Blizzard

Metascore: 88

Diablo practically defined the classic combat RPG genre. And though we waited 12 years for the third installment, there was an agreement that the wait was worth it. Continuing the story told in the first two installments, Diablo 3 is a classic hack n slash RPG with all the elements you expect: dungeons, monsters, fierce bosses and a co-op multiplayer mode.

And thanks to Blizzard’s “Starter Game” concept, it’s one of the few RPGs for Mac that you can try for free before you buy. So pick a class and start killing.

And once you’ve finished the single-player campaign, jump into Diablo 3’s cooperative multiplayer mode. Join with up to three of your mates or in Public Games and go demon-hunting together. When playing with a party you explore on your own but can instantly teleport to others’ locations for battles, to trade items, or even to test your skills against other party members in PvP mode.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? Another game with low system requirements, Diablo 3 is a flexible game that can still look great if you decide to push the settings as high as you can.

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.11, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 320M or ATI Radeon HD 4670 or Intel HD Graphics 4000, 25 GB hard drive space.

Towerfall: Ascension

Mac Release date: 2014

MacOS developer: Matt Thorson

Metascore: 87

Towerfall Ascension is a retro fighting platformer featuring pixel graphics and enough variety in maps, archers and power-ups to keep you and your friends gaming for hours. One of those simple to learn, difficult to master games, Towerfall offers a variety of ways for you to use your archery skills, such as catching arrows, and plenty of powerups to keep things interesting. Or just fall on your friends to stomp them if you’re tired of arrows.

While there is a single player story mode, Towerfall is really all about the multiplayer. And as mentioned above, multiplayer is LAN only. Towerfall is all about beating your friends while they’re sitting right next to you. Online multiplayer may not be supported, but Ascension has added a 2 player co-op Quest mode.

That said, when you’re playing a game like Towerfall, you really want to shoot your friends, not help them. And the system requirements are throwback too: any machine you’re likely to be using will have not trouble running it.

Expand to see if your Mac run it
2017

Can your Mac run it? Unless you have a Mac that is more than 10 years old, there’s no reason you won’t be able to run this game. Even better, if you happen to have very little free space left, this game is only 400 MB!

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.6.8, Intel Core i3 Processor, 2 GB RAM, OpenGL 3.0+, 400 MB hard drive space.

Gang Beasts

Mac Release date: 2017

MacOS developer: Boneloaf

Metascore: NA

Another fighter, but with a wildly different style, Gang Beasts has you playing as plastic-looking, goofy, gelatinous characters who nonetheless are more than willing to put the smackdown on each other in brutal and amusing ways.

Compared by some to a simpler Super Smash Bros., you’ll fight across a variety of environments including amusement parks and skyscrapers, and yes, throwing your friends off buildings is encouraged. Regular updates continue to add new environments to fight in and costumes to wear, providing new ways to beat up on your oddly costumed frenemies.

Featuring local, split-screen, online and co-op multiplayer, Gang Beasts is most recommended as a party game, sitting around with friends punching, kicking, and head-butting each other all night (virtually of course).

A controller is recommended, and recent updates have left some players frustrated with bugs, but rarely has excessively violent fighting been this much fun. And it’s another game that’s relatively easy on your system, playable on a wide variety of machines.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? Yet another game with very low system requirements that should run comfortably on most Macs out there.

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.6, Intel Core i3 Processor, 4 GB RAM, Nvidia 8800 GT, AMD 5670, Intel HD 3000, 2 GB hard drive space.

Overcooked! 2

Mac Release date: 2018

MacOS developer: Ghost Town Games

Metascore: 80

A favorite among casual multiplayer fans, Overcooked 2 reminds me of my days reviewing Diner Dash. However, instead of working the front of the restaurant alone, in Overcooked you’re working the kitchen with three others, grabbing ingredients, chopping them, and cooking and plating them. And don’t forget to wash the dirty dishes.

Overcooked 2, while having a single player mode, is decidedly focused on multiplayer; your success will depend on communicating with your co-workers to be as efficient as possible. Featuring a variety of locations, each with their own food style and challenges, Overcooked 2 starts simple, but soon you’ll appreciate the ability to throw ingredients across the kitchen, and you’ll learn to go with the flow with moving platforms and bobbing ships.

Overcooked 2 is definitely best played as a party game with three of your friends next to you, although there is also online multiplayer. Mostly you’ll be shouting at each other as you try and get that third star on each level. A new update has added a fourth star to earn in Game Plus mode if you make it all the way through the Campaign.

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Apple Mac Manual

Can your Mac run it? Don’t let the cute graphics fool you! This is a game that requires a fairly recent MacBook Pro or iMac to meet the minimum system requirements. If your machine doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card, you should probably pick something else.

Verdict: ⚠️ Fairly Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.12.6, 2.7 GHz Intel Core i5 Processor, 4 GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce GT 640M, 3 GB hard drive space.

Portal 2

Mac Release date: 2011

MacOS developer: Valve

Metascore: 95

You may only think of Portal as a single player game, but in addition to a fantastic story and mind-boggling puzzles and environments, Portal 2 also features a two-player co-op mode. Portal 2 continues the story and plot of the original Portal including, of course, the return of GLaDOS. Gameplay is also unchanged: you use your Portal gun to open two-way portals through which you teleport to solve each level’s puzzles.

With an even better storyline and improved graphics, Portal 2 is the rare sequel that’s better than the original. The Godfather 2 of video games, if you will.

Add in two-players cooperative multiplayer and you really have a complete experience. Playing with a friend adds a new layer of complexity to this separate storyline, as you’ll need to communicate with your partner to solve the puzzles and make it through each level.

Even with voice chat and the ability to communicate with your partner using on-screen symbols, the cooperative mode is a tricky but fun beast to master. So return to Aperture Science Labs, and this time bring a friend.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? Portal 2 was an impressively good looking game when it first came out. But the game is close to ten years old now, which means the system requirements are relatively low for today’s standards.

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.6.7, 2 GHz Intel Core Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, ATI Radeon 2400 or higher / NVIDIA 8600M or higher / Intel HD Graphics 3000, 8 GB hard drive space.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Mac Release date: 2015

MacOS developer: Asteroid Base

Mac Manual Download

Metascore: 80

A colorful space action shooter, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime puts you and one to three of your friends (or bots in single-player) inside a round spaceship for hours of bullet hell, neon blasting fun. Run around the ship to control turrets, shields, thrusters, and lasers to defeat the forces of, wait, let me check, Anti-Love, and rescue kidnapped space-bunnies… Ok, so the plot isn’t the focus here.

Anyway, upgrade your ship as you play through randomly generated levels for a new experience each time you play. Beautiful graphics and music also help keep the experience fresh.

Again, there is singleplayer with AI helpers, but seriously, you’re better off finding three friends. This game is all about the cooperative gameplay, with each of you communicating and moving between the different parts of your ship like a well-oiled machine as the attacks come non-stop. The game emphasizes simple gameplay mechanics so that you can focus on the challenges of working together to perfection to defeat each level and move forward.

Another game open to just about any Mac around today, controllers are highly recommended for the best experience.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? Anyone with a Mac from 2010 onwards should be able to run this game.

Verdict: ✅ Low Demand Levels

System Requirements: OS 10.7, 1.7 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 256 MB video RAM, 900 MB hard drive space.

Minecraft

Mac Release date: 2009

MacOS developer: Mojang

Metascore: 93

Minecraft first became famous for its blocky, Lego-like style and the incredible things people created with it. For the uninitiated, a Minecraft world is made up of 3D blocks of different elements which you can mine and move to create just about anything you can imagine. Different elements can be combined, or crafted, to make new elements including complex mechanical systems; people have crafted computers and other complex devices inside Minecraft worlds.

Starbound Multiplayer Mac Manual Download

Minecraft has several multiplayer options available. This includes LAN, online on multiplayer servers, or in Mojang’s Minecraft Realms, a paid service that allows up to ten players to play together and save your games and worlds on their servers. With LAN, one of the computers being used also has to be set up as a server, requiring a more powerful machine.

Multiplayer offers a variety of options (my son’s favorite was a Hunger Games server) so if you’ve never played Minecraft on multiplayer, find a server, some friends, and build away.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? Minecraft may look like an easy game to run (you know, because of the blocky graphics), but the game takes place in huge worlds and players’ creations can sometimes be huge. Because of that, the game has surprisingly high system requirements.

Verdict: ⚠️ Fairly Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.9, 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 Processor, 2 GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000 or Nvidia GeForce 400 Series or AMD Radeon HD 7000 series with OpenGL 4.4, 1 GB hard drive space.

Stardew Valley

Mac Release date: 2016

MacOS developer: ConcernedApe

Metascore: 89

One of the hottest indie titles ever released, this pixelized farming sim added cooperative multiplayer this summer. You start Stardew Valley with a dormant farm and start clearing land and planting crops, raising animals and more.

Stardew Valley includes RPG elements such as crafting and the ability to level up your abilities and unlock new areas to explore. You’ll meet other residents and have the chance to help rebuild the decaying town. There’s much more to Stardew Valley, one of the reasons it remains popular.

With cooperative multiplayer, you can invite 1-3 other players to join you online or in LAN play as your farmhands. Whoever’s hosting the game needs to be online for the others to participate, so everyone needs to go to sleep (in the game) at the same time. Co-op allows you to scale the difficulty by lowering your profit margin, and each player upgrades their own tools, houses, etc. from the shared pool of money.

Co-op also includes in-game chat, and just as you can with NPCs in single player, players can marry each other. So grab your plow and start farming, with friends.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? This is another indie that should be able to run on most Macs out there, including older MacBooks and Mac Minis.

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.10, 2 GHz Processor, 2 GB RAM, 256 MB Video RAM, 500 MB hard drive space.

Starbound Multiplayer Mac Manual Downloads

Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes

Mac Release date: 2015

MacOS developer: Steel Crate Games

Metascore: 67

Well, in this case, this game’s title says it all. A co-op multiplayer-only game, in Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes one person is looking at a bomb while everyone else has a copy of the defusing manual. But neither can see what the other is looking at, so the person with the bomb needs to talk to the other players, while they need to figure out the steps needed to defuse and communicate that quickly to the defuser. A simple concept, but with each bomb being procedurally generated it’s a different bomb every time.

With time in short supply, clear communication is the key; your skills and friendships may be tested in this perfect party game. Another bonus: the defusing manual is freely available online, so only one copy of the game is needed.

Because of mod support, new modules, missions, and bombs are readily available, meaning this game won’t get old any time soon. It’s also easy on the specs, just about any machine can run this as long as you’re on Mavericks (10.9) or later.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? This innovative game may require you to print some instructions to play it, but you’ll only need one Mac and that Mac doesn’t need to be powerful at all to do just fine.

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.9, 1.5 GHz Intel Processor, 256 MB Video RAM, 1 GB hard drive space.

Viscera Cleanup Detail

Mac Release date: 2015

MacOS developer: Runestorm

Metascore: NA

Another game whose title describes its gameplay, in Viscera Cleanup Detail you’re a janitor cleaning up a space station after an alien invasion has been fought off. For a change you’re not the hero who fought off the aliens, you’re the poor sod who has to clean up after everyone. And clean up everyone. And everything.

That’s pretty much it; you’ll use your mop and pail and various other tools to clean up and repair the station through various levels, hopefully doing a good enough job on each level to keep your job. Buying the base game also gets you two expansions: Shadow Warrior and Santa’s Rampage, for even more bloody fun.

Viscera Cleanup Detail also allows you to clean with friends, including in shared/split screen mode. Unfortunately, it’s not cross-platform and online multiplayer for Mac users requires some setup; you’re probably better off playing LAN with your friends, who may turn out to be frenemies, creating even more mess, possibly including you, to clean up.

This game is definitely unique, so if you’re looking for something different, Viscera Cleanup Detail may be your ticket.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? This being a first-person game with detailed environments, you’ll need a powerful MacBook Pro or better to run it properly.

Verdict: ⚠️ Fairly Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.8, 2.0 GHz Intel Core i5, 4 GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 5000 or Intel Iris, 5 GB hard drive space.

Don't Starve Together

Mac Release date: 2016

MacOS developer: Klei Entertainment

Metascore: 83

A multiplayer version of the hit indie single player game Don’t Starve, Don’t Starve Together continues our run of games whose titles describe their games’ goal. A wilderness survival game, Don’t Starve Together is a standalone expansion of the original, with a new story, new bosses and environments, and much more.

Don’t Starve Together will be familiar to those who have played the original, but features gameplay improvements and, with the free Reign of Giants expansion, new playable characters, biomes, and a wider world to explore. With new content and events being released on a regular basis by developer Klei Entertainment, Don’t Starve Together promises to keep you occupied longer than may be healthy.

Starbound Multiplayer Mac Manual Downloads

While there is a single player option, obviously Don’t Starve Together is designed for cooperative multiplayer in particular. Play with your friends or make friends online as you work to gather resources, craft items, and structures to help you survive, and work to solve the mysteries of the land of Don’t Starve.

Don’t Starve together also supports cross-platform multiplayer and is easy on the system requirements; a great choice for those with older machines.

Expand to see if your Mac run it

Can your Mac run it? This is a game that visually-speaking pulls it off. It has a great looking art-style that doesn’t require a powerful computer to run.

Verdict: ✅ Not Demanding

System Requirements: OS 10.7, 2.0 GHz Intel Processor, 4 GB RAM, 700 MB hard drive space.

The Competition: Free Multiplayer Mac games and more

The above games may be our favorites, but they’re not the only worthy multiplayer choices for MacOS. The following are also great multiplayer Mac games, free and paid, that deserve your attention:

GamesGamesOur takeGenreFree games only?

StarCraft 2

Strategy
StarCraft 2Starcraft 2 is the sequel to possibly the best (space) RTS ever. You probably know it recently went free-to-play but did you know that it includes competitive and cooperative multiplayer?
There are some restrictions if you want to keep it free but you get the entire human campaign, multiplayer including co-op, and all the units from all three campaigns. There are caps on some of the commanders, and you’ll have to prove your chops in unranked multiplayer before having access to ranked, but otherwise, it’s all there for you.
Metascore
StrategyNo

Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine

Action
Monaco: What’s Yours is MineA top-down heist game featuring pixel graphics, simple mechanics and a focus on strategy and planning, Monaco has singleplayer, multiplayer and co-op multiplayer, which is where it really shines. Multiplayer includes shared/split-screen and cross-platform play.
Eight available classes give you options for how you approach each mission: choose stealth, brute force, deception, or in between. So gather your friends, form the perfect team, and heist your way through the campaign.
Metascore
ActionNo

Total War: Warhammer

Strategy
Total War: WarhammerTotal War: Warhammer offers the strategic empire building and real-time battles the TW series is known for. Multiplayer in Warhammer offers three options: campaign co-op, campaign head-to-head or custom battles.
In campaign co-op you and your friend are in an unbreakable alliance; while you can pursue your goals separately you can also lend units to your partner or join them in battle. In head-to-head, you can be allies, enemies or both at different times, just as when competing against AI factions.
Metascore
StrategyNo

Killing Floor

Shooter
Killing FloorA horror survival FPS, Killing Floor features squads of six soldiers dropped into locations in England to kill waves of zombies and horrible mutants. Featuring singleplayer and cooperative multiplayer, including cross-platform play, there are also plenty of different monsters, weapons, and maps to keep you and your friends killing and dying for hours.
With the (Windows-only so far) sequel released in 2016, joining your friends in cooperative multiplayer is probably the only way you’ll be able to fill a team with live players.
Metascore
ShooterNo

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2

Strategy
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2While not the most recent Dawn of War game, it’s the latest with cooperative multiplayer, and it’s also more popular and better reviewed than Dawn of War 3. A sci-fi action RTS with a focus on huge battles, DoW2 allows you to play the complete single player campaign with a friend in cooperative multiplayer.
A counterpoint to the base-building in Starcraft, Dawn of War is all about leveling up your characters and armies to fight. If sci-fi action is what you and a friend want, this is for you.
Metascore
StrategyNo

Nidhogg 2

Action
Nidhogg 2A sequel to the popular indie platformer fighting game, Nidhogg 2 features more colorful (and grotesque) graphics, more weapons, complete character customization, and a top-notch soundtrack. It also boasts online and local multiplayer, including shared/split screen mode, so you can challenge your friends in 1v1 battles.
No co-op here, but you can compete for the top spot in 8 player tournaments when you’re gathered for parties. Some recommend shorter sessions due to the bright graphics, giving everyone their chance to strike and parry.
Metascore
ActionNo

Terraria

Adventure
TerrariaA sandbox action-adventure-survival game featuring pixel graphics, Terraria is sometimes described as a 2D Minecraft clone. Explore, craft, fight, build, it’s all possible in Terraria’s randomly generated worlds.
And with cooperative multiplayer, you can do all this with your friends or find new friends to play with online. In addition to LAN and online co-op, multiplayer games can also become PvP if you choose to not get along.
Metascore
AdventureNo

Castle Crashers

Action
Castle CrashersAnother indie 2D action adventure game, Castle Crashers focuses on combat and non-stop action. The game also features improved graphics, a mini-game, and uncapped frame rates. With a large selection of characters and weapons for you to choose from (and upgrade) and a wide variety of gameplay modes, Castle Crashers is a huge value for the money.
Multiplayer is cross-platform and includes Arena mode with free-for-all and team vs. team. Online and local cooperative multiplayer with shared/split screen is also available.
Metascore
ActionNo

Broforce

Action
BroforceAs the title should tell you, Broforce is all about testosterone-powered shooting and blowing things up. A 2D action game with truly retro pixel graphics and sound, Broforce doesn’t take itself too seriously when it comes to its over the top characters, weapons, and fully destructible environments.
Featuring online and local (including shared/split screen) co-op or head-to-head multiplayer, Broforce also includes a level editor and timed levels. If you’re looking for a retro arcade-style shoot-’em-up to play with friends, Broforce is your game.
Metascore
ActionNo

Trine 2

Adventure
Trine 2A side-scrolling platform/adventure game set in a gorgeous fantasy world, Trine 2 has you play as one of three heroes solving puzzles and battling enemies in single or multiplayer. Though not the latest in the series,
Trine 2 is the most popular and is yet another game that’s even more fun with friends in co-op mode, which you can play online or local, and yes, shared/split screen is available. Trine 2 also supports cross-platform multiplayer and should run on your Mac if you’re running Lion (10.7) or later.
Metascore
AdventureNo

Dying Light

Shooter
Dying LightWe’ve written about Dying Light before, and it remains one of the best open world survival games around, especially if you like parkour. The third dimension is key to your ability to find resources during the day and avoid or sneak up on enemies at night.
What we haven’t talked much about is that you don’t have to fight the zombies alone; team up with three of your friends in online cooperative multiplayer and in addition to the regular campaign you get special co-op challenges to fight through.
Metascore
ShooterNo

Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2

Action
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 doesn’t offer much innovation to the Lego franchise, but the mix of action, puzzles, and humor was already nearly perfect. In Marvel Superheroes 2 you can play as many of the Marvel superheroes, including alternatives found throughout the comic and movie franchises.
Battle Kang the Conqueror across time and various locations in a new story picking up from the first entry. Co-op or competitive local multiplayer with up to four people includes new challenges and battle arenas.
Metascore
ActionNo

While everyone’s top ten list might be different, we strive to ensure that ours is at least a legitimate list for Mac gamers. To do that, we have a set of criteria we use for all of our games and lists:

Native support: These are Mac games, no Wine, Parallels or Bootcamp needed. They all install natively on your Mac.

Critical acclaim: We all know how subjective reviews can be, and how games can be review bombed by the public for reasons sometimes having nothing to do with the game itself. But we make sure we pick only games that have been positively received by both professional reviewers and average gamers.

Pricing: We all want quality, but just like we hold onto our Macs as long as we can, we don’t have unlimited budgets for games. We always keep in mind price tags and production levels to give indies and AAA games equal chances. After all, we’re after games that are fun to play. Looks are important but fun gameplay is even more so.

As you can see, multiplayer gaming means more than the latest Battle Royale or hardcore shooter. This list has something for everyone, with a focus on playing with friends either IRL or online. Gather some friends and play on the sofa the old fashioned way, or hook up with friends online for some cooperative or competitive multiplayer action. Whatever your budget, whatever your Mac, whatever your genre, this list provides cooperative multiplayer goodness for everybody.

Which one is your favorite? Did we miss any you think belong on this list? Let us know in the comments section.

Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission (this is how we pay the bills). This commission comes at no additional cost to you.