Best Difficult Games on Steam (for Mac OS)

Steam currently has 7,858 Difficult games, but not all of them are able to be played on Mac. Explore our list of the best picks ranked by Player Score. Our Player Score rankings are calculated directly from reviews left on the Steam store and will be updated in real-time as more players leave their feedback. Difficult game rankings were last updated on 6/16/2025.

Looking for more? Explore other lists such as:

1. Hades

Defy the god of the dead as you hack and slash out of the Underworld in this rogue-like dungeon crawler from the creators of Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre.

Hades banner

Hades holds the #1 spot for "best Mac OS Difficult game on Steam" with a Player Score of 97. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 280,275 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 275,346 positive reviews and 4,929 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $24.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $24.99
Release Date 9/17/2020
Franchise Supergiant Games
Developer Supergiant Games
Publisher Supergiant Games
Steam App Id 1145360

2. Balatro

The poker roguelike. Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos.

Balatro banner

Balatro has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #2 spot for the best Mac OS Difficult games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 156,897 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 153,779 positive reviews and 3,118 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $14.99
Release Date 2/20/2024
Franchise Playstack
Developer LocalThunk
Publishers
Steam App Id 2379780

3. Aseprite

Aseprite is a pixel-art tool to create 2D animations, sprites, and any kind of graphics for games.

Aseprite banner

Aseprite has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #3 spot for the best Mac OS Difficult games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 22,008 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 21,803 positive reviews and 205 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $19.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is not possible to play or run Aseprite on the Steam Deck.

Steam Price $19.99
Release Date 2/22/2016
Developers
Publisher Igara Studio
Steam App Id 431730

4. Slay the Spire

We fused card games and roguelikes together to make the best single player deckbuilder we could. Craft a unique deck, encounter bizarre creatures, discover relics of immense power, and Slay the Spire!

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Slay the Spire has achieved a Player Score of 97, placing it in the #4 spot for the best Mac OS Difficult games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 183,477 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 179,411 positive reviews and 4,066 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $24.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $24.99
Release Date 1/23/2019
Developers
Publishers
Steam App Id 646570

5. Katana ZERO

Katana ZERO is a stylish neo-noir, action-platformer featuring breakneck action and instant-death combat. Slash, dash, and manipulate time to unravel your past in a beautifully brutal acrobatic display.

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Katana ZERO has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #5 spot for the best Mac OS Difficult games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 71,233 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 69,834 positive reviews and 1,399 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $8.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $8.99
Release Date 4/18/2019
Developer Askiisoft
Publisher Devolver Digital
Steam App Id 460950

6. Helltaker

Helltaker is a short game about sharply dressed demon girls.

Helltaker banner

Helltaker has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #6 spot for the best Mac OS Difficult games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 125,059 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 122,244 positive reviews and 2,815 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Helltaker on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).

Release Date 5/11/2020
Developer vanripper
Publisher vanripper
Steam App Id 1289310

7. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a randomly generated action RPG shooter with heavy Rogue-like elements. Following Isaac on his journey players will find bizarre treasures that change Isaac’s form giving him super human abilities and enabling him to fight off droves of mysterious creatures, discover secrets and fight his way to safety.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth banner

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #7 spot for the best Mac OS Difficult games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 345,137 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 335,802 positive reviews and 9,335 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $14.99
Release Date 11/4/2014
Developers
Publisher Nicalis, Inc.
Steam App Id 250900

8. Bloons TD 6

The Bloons are back and better than ever! Get ready for a massive 3D tower defense game designed to give you hours and hours of the best strategy gaming available.

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Bloons TD 6 has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #8 spot for the best Mac OS Difficult games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 355,778 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 346,024 positive reviews and 9,754 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $13.99 to play and can be played and ran on both Windows and Mac systems. At the moment, it is possible to play Bloons TD 6 on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).

Steam Price $13.99
Release Date 12/18/2018
Franchise Ninja Kiwi Games
Developer Ninja Kiwi
Publisher Ninja Kiwi
Steam App Id 960090

9. Hollow Knight

Forge your own path in Hollow Knight! An epic action adventure through a vast ruined kingdom of insects and heroes. Explore twisting caverns, battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs, all in a classic, hand-drawn 2D style.

Hollow Knight banner

Hollow Knight has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #9 spot for the best Mac OS Difficult games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 418,972 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 406,540 positive reviews and 12,432 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is priced at $14.99 to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Valve has also verified it as playable on the Steam Deck and will run well.

Steam Price $14.99
Release Date 2/24/2017
Developer Team Cherry
Publisher Team Cherry
Steam App Id 367520

10. tModLoader

Dig, Fight, and Build your way through the world of player-created mods on Terraria with tModLoader - this DLC makes modding Terraria a reality!

tModLoader banner

tModLoader has achieved a Player Score of 96, placing it in the #10 spot for the best Mac OS Difficult games. Its score was calculated by analyzing a total of 316,428 reviews on Steam. This breaks down to a total of 307,280 positive reviews and 9,148 negative reviews — making it "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam.

It is completely free to play and can be played and ran on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. At the moment, it is possible to play tModLoader on the Steam Deck (though some functionality may be limited).

Release Date 5/16/2020
Developer TML Team
Publishers
Steam App Id 1281930

More Difficult Mac Games on Steam

Explore even more rankings for the 10 best Difficult games available on Steam.

ImageName
Actions
Hades steam charts
2,087
9/17/2020
97
$24.99
Steam Charts
Balatro steam charts
8,882
2/20/2024
97
$14.99
Steam Charts
Aseprite steam charts
4,426
2/22/2016
97
$19.99
Steam Charts
Slay the Spire steam charts
12,095
1/23/2019
97
$24.99
Steam Charts
Katana ZERO steam charts
182
4/18/2019
96
$8.99
Steam Charts
Helltaker steam charts
76
5/11/2020
96
Free
Steam Charts
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth steam charts
14,081
11/4/2014
96
$14.99
Steam Charts
Bloons TD 6 steam charts
9,371
12/18/2018
96
$13.99
Steam Charts
Hollow Knight steam charts
4,956
2/24/2017
96
$14.99
Steam Charts
tModLoader steam charts
24,855
5/16/2020
96
Free
Steam Charts

Soures & References

Steambase has best-in-class data powered directly by Steam, our data partners, and in-house experts. Reviews and rankings are enriched, analyzed, and updated in real-time to ensure we surface the most up-to-date insights. Learn more about the Steambase approach to data collection and our review methodology.

  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 16). Steam Store. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 16). Hades on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 23). Balatro on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 11). Aseprite on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 14). Slay the Spire on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 19). Katana ZERO on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 24). Helltaker on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 22). The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 24). Bloons TD 6 on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 22). Hollow Knight on Steam. Steam Store.
  • Valve Corporation. (2025, June 16). tModLoader on Steam. Steam Store.

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