The week's best Mac games: They Bleed Pixels, Massive Chalice, and more!

Posted June 6, 20159 yr

Here are the latest Mac gaming releases, hot off the digital presses!

Here's a handful of exciting new releases in the world of Mac games! These five picks run the gamut from family-friendly fun to fiendishly difficult fare, so choose your adventure carefully.

1. They Bleed Pixels

Doesn't the heroine of They Bleed Pixels look so cute with her gothic lolita dress, her hair bow... and her blood-spattered hand-claws? As of this week, Mac users finally have the chance to try out this deadly difficult platformer featuring tricky wall jumps, narrow jumps, and a one-button beat-em-up for baddies.

Back when They Bleed Pixels first came out for the PC, I wrote about how its story and mechanics could be read as a metaphor for Victorian patriarchal norms, so if you like your games to have a side dish of social commentary, don't sleep on this one. It's on sale at 75% off (on Steam through June 10)[http://store.steampowered.com/app/211260/?snr=1_5_1100__1100].

$9.99 - Order now

2. You Must Build A Boat

It's hard to innovate or stand out within the crowded Match-3 genre of games, but Luca Redwood does just that in You Must Build A Boat (also available for iOS devices). You Must Build A Boat requires you to connect strings of three or more objects on a grid, but you must do so while your hero fights monsters and collects treasure; if the protagonists reaches a chest, you'll need to connect three keys in order to open it.

If an unfriendly mummy appears, better connect three swords, because connecting keys won't do you much good! In between each level, our hero returns to their boat to level up weapons and build new additions to the seafarer. Best of all, the game assures you that you "win" after every single round, because you can never lose in You Must Build A Boat. You only get stronger.

$2.99 - Order now

3. Massive Chalice

This tactical strategy game by DoubleFine has been available in early access for about a year now; June 1 marks its official release date, so if you were waiting around for the game to be "done," the time has come. If you liked playing matchmaker in Crusader Kings and Fire Emblem: Awakening, you'll get a kick out of the bloodline mechanics in Massive Chalice. This game is for long-term planners only; you'll need to plan battles around the strength of future generations, and their kids, and then their kids' kids.

$19.99 - Order now

4. Home Improvisation

Because I'm in the middle of a move and facing down a few future Ikea trips, Home Improvisation felt like a very well-timed joke here on Planet Maddy. This early-access puzzle game about putting together furniture with limited instructions spoke to me on a deep emotional level.

Okay, but mostly it made me laugh.

$9.99 - Order now

5. Airport Madness: World Edition

This is no Goat Simulator nor Rock Simulator: Airport Madness is an earnest airport strategy game that simulates the actual day-to-day operations of real-life air traffic control. Organizing airlines and making sure flights get to and from their destinations safely and on time scratches the same itch as the preliminary build-up in a StarCraft match — minus the stress of the ensuing high-stakes battlefield.