Gallery: 10 Great Mac Games Under $20

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Gallery: 10 Great Mac Games Under $20

Posted 05/05/2011 at 11:00am | by Andrew Hayward

The Mac App Store made it easier than ever for Mac gamers to find and download unique titles of all stripes -- indie darlings, casual smashes, and big-budget blockbusters. We scoured the listings to select 10 sharp picks that can be nabbed for less than $20 apiece. And since we’re simply glad you graciously took a moment away from Angry Birds to read this story, we’ll safely leave that sensation off this list. But it’s in the Mac App Store if you need it!

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10 Great Mac Games Under $20

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And Yet it Moves
$9.99
And Yet it Moves is certainly a looker, thanks to its alluringly disjointed paper cutout aesthetic, but what really grabbed us is its unique approach to traversing two-dimensional worlds. Not only can you move your hero, but you must also rotate the world 90 degrees at a time and use the altered perspective to overcome obstacles and roadblocks.
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Braid
$9.99
Widely regarded as one of the most emotionally powerful games of all time, Braid uses old-school platform action—plus a crucial time-bending mechanic—to offer a fresh take on the tale of a man searching for a princess. The stunning hand-drawn look pulls you in, while the story commands your attention and leaves you grasping for answers when it ends.
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iBomber Defense
$4.99
iBomber Defense tackles the tower-defense genre with an easy-to-learn but challenging survival experience in which you’ll place a variety of machine guns, cannons, and anti-air turrets to ward off waves of invaders. Beyond the sharp cartoonish look, the weapon and ability upgrades—plus bonus rounds that extend certain missions—keep things interesting.
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The Incident
$2.99
What would you do if the sky started falling? If you’re anything like the pixel-stylized hero of The Incident, you’ll run like hell to avoid the myriad items—including statues, traffic signs, pianos, and sofas—as they crash to the ground. Engaging aesthetics and approachable but tough gameplay makes this retro-style indie favorite a real gem.
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Machinarium
$9.99
Point-and-click adventures have seen a surprise revival in recent years, and Machinarium leads the pack with engaging puzzle-solving mechanics and a stunning, wildly original hand-drawn look. As a tiny robot in a world full of scrap and dysfunction, you’ll embark on a dialogue-free quest through several enticing settings filled with odd characters and scenarios.
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Monster Trucks Nitro
$3.99
Best way to traverse outdoor obstacle courses adorned with school buses, disconnected bridges, and logs aplenty? A monster truck, of course! Redlynx’s bite-sized game puts you in command of a four-wheeled beast, mixing elements of side-scrolling platform games and racers for a unique approach that finds you racing the clock in increasingly challenging stages.
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Peggle Nights
$9.99
Like the original Peggle—a surefire casual classic if we’ve ever played one—sequel Nights riffs on pachinko and pinball alike with a fantastically addictive game in which a bouncing ball can captivate you for hours without breaking a sweat. Try to resist the urge to cheer when you clear the final orange peg and “Ode to Joy” starts playing. (We can’t.)
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Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
$19.99
Easily the meatiest game on this list, Knights of the Old Republic works wonders with the Star Wars license, creating a deep, involving role-playing experience that lets you guide the moral path of your protagonist. Though several years old at this point, the BioWare-developed hit remains arguably the greatest Star Wars game of all time.
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Trine
$19.99
Live together, struggle alone: that’s essentially the motto of Trine, a gorgeous puzzle-solving platform adventure. You can play through the game solo, swapping between a wizard, thief, and knight on the fly to tackle various challenges using their unique abilities and weapons, or team up online with two others to conquer the quest as a team.
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VVVVVV
$4.99
VVVVVV has all the looks and challenge of a console game a couple decades its senior, but this 2010 indie release is distinct for more than its retro aesthetic. As a spaceship captain stuck in an alternate dimension, you must traverse hazards by pressing a key to change the gravity, letting you walk on ceilings to avoid enemies and spikes alike.

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