The 10 Best Strategy games for Mac

You know how PC gaming is sometimes seen as a second-class platform compared to console gaming? That debate could last for days, but there’s one genre where PC gaming is the indisputable champion: strategy games. After all, they were meant to be played with a mouse and keyboard.

Usually, Mac gamers have to accept that some of the top games only support Windows, but luckily for you, strategy games are the exception. MacOS can count with every single one of the top choices.

The best strategy games for Mac have always been excellent, but in recent years, they got even better. Whether you’re into fast-paced real-time strategy (RTS), complex turn-based games or more casual alternatives for your MacBook, this list has something for everyone.

And if you’d prefer something entirely different, this massive post with the 100 Best Mac games covers the most popular games across all genres.

The rest of the best:

Total War: Warhammer 2 | Northgard | XCOM 2 | Company of Heroes 2 | Hearthstone | Europa Universalis 4 | Homeworld Remastered

Our absolute favorite Strategy games for Mac

Civilization 6 is the latest entry in a series I thought was already perfect. I was certain Civ 5 couldn’t be improved any further, but developer Firaxis did it.

In Civ 6, you take control of a civilization and lead it through the course of history. You get to research technologies, create a religion, build trade routes, an army, and more. Opportunities and strategies are endless, making this game extremely addictive. We’ve all been there. You just need to build one last archer before going to bed and it’s suddenly 3 AM and you need to finish that last tank.

Civilization 6 also introduced city-planning for the first time, with districts and special buildings that can be built within cities. And if that wasn’t enough, the Rise and Fall Expansion introduces more units, civilizations, and brand-new mechanics.

For a turn-based game, Civ 6 has surprisingly good graphics and Aspyr did a good job delivering a bug-free MacOS port. That said, this is still a demanding game that requires a powerful machine My 2016 MBP can barely handle it…

A Good Match For: Gamers looking for the best turn-based strategy games. This is, after all, the best Civilization game available.

Into the Breach is a tactical strategy game from the same team that did FTL: Faster than Light. Set in a far future, you’ll take control of huge mechs to fight off hordes of gigantic monsters and save the World.

This may sound a lot like Pacific Rim, but the game comes with a twist: saving cities and civilians is more important than killing the monsters. So prepare to make some tough choices as this game can feel like playing chess, and you’ll often have to cut your losses and accept smaller defeats.

Featuring retro graphics, Into the Breach is an extremely easy game to run. And if you happen to have a particularly old machine that can’t run it smoothly, don’t worry, the turn-based gameplay won’t suffer.

A Good Match for: MacBook owners who prefer slower turn-based strategy games that require focus, patience and lots of thinking. 

Into the Breach benchmark results (in FPS):

The follow-up to one of the most famous RTS games in history, StarCraft 2 shouldn’t need an introduction.

This space RTS depicts a fascinating war between the Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss. But what sets this game apart is the gameplay. StarCraft 2 is fast, precise and features perfectly balanced factions. The game is definitely easy to grasp and get into, but insanely hard to master. I stopped trying to become “good” at it a long time ago, but I still enjoy playing the campaign, a co-op mission or the occasional skirmish against the AI.

StarCraft 2 could have been our top pick. The only reason it wasn’t was because no other game could be a better budget pick. StarCraft 2 is as budget-friendly as it gets: most of the game can be played for free, including online matches, co-op missions, and the Terran campaign.

StarCraft 2 also features nice graphics that stand the test of time and reasonable system requirements. Our 2013 MBP runs it 33 frames per second without breaking a sweat.

A Good Match For: Gamers interested in only the best RTS games for Mac. The original StarCraft defined the genre and StarCraft 2 continues to push the envelope. Also, gamers looking for free alternatives…

More great Mac strategy games

Total War: Warhammer 2 took it’s time coming, but when it did, it changed the outlook of the strategy genre on MacOS.

Instead of taking place in a historical period, Total War: Warhammer 2 is set in the fantasy world of Warhammer and features all the monsters and flying creatures you can expect. This turned out to be a bigger change than expected, because the units not only look different, they behave differently and allow tactics that weren’t possible before. That said, this is still a Total War game, with both turn-based strategy and real-time battle modes.

TW: Warhammer 2 is also an impressive game to behold, featuring massive real-time battles with hundreds of units on huge battlefields. Powered by Apple’s Metal 2 graphics API, this is one demanding yet great-looking game that can be enjoyed on MacOS.

A Good Match For: Gamers interested in fantasy strategy games, but also those who enjoy the high-level strategy Total War games have always demanded.

Total War: Warhammer 2 benchmark results (in FPS):

Based on Norse mythology, Northgard gives you control of a clan of Vikings trying to conquer and settle on a newfound continent. 

This RTS reminds me a lot of the glory days of Age of Empires. You have to gather resources, create buildings and train soldiers, fishermen and scouts. But similarities with old-school classics stop there. Northgard introduces modern mechanics that give the game a fresh and interesting feel. For instance, you can’t create people. You have to keep your clan happy and that will attract settlers that can then be trained to become soldiers.

This game is the newest entry and the only strategy game from 2018 in this Top 10 and it shows.

Northgard also features landscapes and weather effects that are simply top-notch. Other entries on this list may be less demanding, but the fact a MacBook from 2013 can run such a pretty game makes it our MacBook Pick.

A good match for: Fans of games like Age of Empires on Mac. Also, gamers looking for the best strategy games 2018 has to offer.

Northgard benchmark results (in FPS):

XCOM 2 is a turn-based strategy game that continues the story of the original XCOM. Humans lost the war against the aliens and the remaining survivors have to live under their rule. The future is grim and the only hope is the tiny resistance army, which you’ll lead.

XCOM 2 features excellent turn-based combat missions where the use of cover and special abilities is crucial. Plus, if one of your soldiers dies he or she is gone forever, making every mission feel tense and important. In between missions, you get to manage your resources, research technologies, train your soldiers and decide where to go next.

Vanilla XCOM 2 is an excellent game as is, but the War of the Chosen expansion makes it infinitely better. In fact, War of the Chosen is so big, developer Firaxis thought it would become XCOM 3. Many call it the ultimate XCOM experience and once you try it, you’ll understand.

Feral Interactive did an outstanding job with the game’s port. In spite of requiring a recent machine to run, you would expect such a great-looking game to be even more demanding. My 2016 MBP shouldn’t be able to run it but it does!

A Good Match For: Gamers looking for action-oriented turn-based strategy games. Most turn-based games favor complexity instead of intensity. XCOM 2 is the exception.

XCOM 2 benchmark results (in FPS):

Company of Heroes (CoH) was revolutionary when it first came out in 2006. The graphics, the destructible environments. My jaw dropped the first time I saw a Panzer tank drive through a wall and kill my soldiers. Company of Heroes 2 is all that and more.

Just like the original, CoH2 is all about securing resources, building an army and crushing the enemy. But unlike StarCraft 2, this game isn’t about building the biggest army as fast as possible. In CoH2, every unit matters and you’ll have to use the right combination of units, terrain and cover to win. This may sound complicated and slow, but don’t worry. CoH2 is an action-driven RTS with lots of destruction and mayhem.

Feral Interactive did an excellent job with this port, but the game’s advanced physics and great-looking graphics make it particularly demanding. If you have a machine with integrated graphics, our tests concluded you will probably be out of luck with this one…

A Good Match For: Fans of WW2 strategy games. There are others that take place in that period, but CoH2 is the top choice. Also, gamers looking for military strategy games.

Company of Heroes 2 benchmark results (in FPS):

Blizzard is an expert at creating free-to-play games. Hearthstone is a perfect example of how to do it right.

Hearthstone is a digital collectible card game based on the popular Warcraft universe. But before you ignore it because you don’t “like” card games, know this game is amazing, no matter your past experiences with the genre.

Hearthstone is much simpler than you would imagine. In every match, you pull three or four cards (depending on who goes first) out of your customized deck of 30 cards. There are different card types (weapons, spells and minions), but the goal is clear: empty your opponent’s health.

As far as free games go, you won’t be disappointed here. You can genuinely spend hours playing Hearthstone without having to spend a dime. Plus, the cute yet simplistic graphics are perfect for low-powered machines.

A Good Match For: Fans of strategy card games. Other choices exist, but Hearthstone is the clear winner in this category.

Hearthstone benchmark results (in FPS):

Europa Universalis 4 is a grand strategy game that puts the world’s history at your fingertips. The entire Earth is represented and you can own, conquer, and colonize any part of it.

The game gives you an unprecedented level of control of a nation’s military, diplomacy, and economy. And that’s what makes it so challenging. That said, the developer did a lot to make it more accessible. The menus and interface were streamlined and the tutorials beefed up.

Still, this game is hard to get into. If your attention span is as short as mine, you may be overwhelmed early on. But if you’re up to the challenge, and give it some time, it will reward you with a chance to rewrite history.

Among the games featured here, this is one of the most forgiving entries in terms of system requirements. As the purpose is to create an interactive simulation of the World’s history, the game never tries to look fancy.

A Good Match For: Gamers looking for the best Mac grand strategy games. Paradox is the clear expert when it comes to grand strategy games and Europa Universalis 4 is their top-rated game to date.

Europa Universalis 4 benchmark results (in FPS):

Ever wanted to be captain of a ship and sail out to conquer the universe? Homeworld may be your way out.

Released in the 1990s, Homeworld 1 and 2 turned the strategy genre on its head with huge Star Wars-like space battles at a scale never seen before. Over a decade later, many still remember the excitement Homeworld created.

And now that Aspyr has remastered the game and brought it up to modern standards, Homeworld looks just as good as any of the other games featured in this list. The Remastered Collection includes updated graphics, high-res textures, better lighting effects, and a new UI. This, combined with a great story and atmosphere, makes the Homeworld collection a must for space strategy fans.

And as an added bonus, the game has low system requirements that support even the older Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics and machines going all the way to 2012.

A Good Match For: Fans of sci-fi space battles. Few games manage to create such epic space battles, and unless you get Star Wars: Battlefront 2 on Windows, Homeworld is your safest bet.

Homeworld Remastered benchmark results (in FPS):

The Competition: Free Strategy games for Mac and more

Virtually every single one of the top strategy games is available for MacOS. Because of this, creating a Top 10 selection is particularly hard. This is obviously an excellent problem to have, but that also means a few great games had to be left out. 

I strongly believe great games can’t be ignored, especially because only 10 can be chosen. These are the games that deserved a spot but couldn’t make it, including the top free strategy games Mac gamers can enjoy:

Our Criteria

Games are subjective and Top 10 list even more so. To keep this list as fair as possible and ensure every game listed here is worth it, we made sure the following set of criteria is always met:

Native: Every game listed here natively supports MacOS. This means they won’t need Wine, Parallels, Bootcamp or any other third-party app to run. Just install any of these games on your machine and enjoy.

Performance: Obviously, we think every game on this list is solid in terms of graphics, gameplay, and stability. But performance is also a key factor to consider: we Mac users keep our computers for a long time. Mac Gamer HQ is the only place that tests and benchmarks games on several machines and shows you actual performance, not just listed system requirements.

Keep in mind that we test all our games on Medium settings because we continue to believe they are an acceptable compromise for testing across a wide variety of machines:

And for reference, this is how we interpret the results:

We usually aim for 30 FPS, because 30 FPS is enough to guarantee a smooth and fluid experience.

Critical acclaim: To counter the fact that games are extremely subjective, we focus only on the games that have received good reviews by critics and average gamers. We’re not looking to please everyone, but we want to make sure these games have been generally enjoyed.

Pricing: Price tags are not the most important factor, but they still count. Sometimes a game that is only $10 will be superior to a game that costs $60. We know you’re looking for the best value for money. We are too.

Wrapping Up

There’s never been a better time to try a strategy game on your Mac. With top games from AAA developers and independents, there’s something in this genre for everyone.

With options from fast real-time games to collectible card games, there’s a MacOS strategy game for every gamer and Mac. Which strategy game caught your eye? What are you currently playing? What did we miss?

Let me know in the comments section, perhaps you’ll even find fellow Mac users to play with online!

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.