Best games
Best Mac games of 1996
The 10 best Mac games released in 1996, ranked from 2,520 critic and player ratings.
The best Mac game of 1996 is Broken Sword 1 - The Shadow of the Templars, with a critic score of 86/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 1996.
- 10 games are listed on this page, carrying 2,520 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 10
01
Broken Sword 1 - The Shadow of the Templars
86
/100
02
Diablo
Diablo is an isometric strategy RPG and one of the most well-known examples of the action-RPG subgenre. Although some of the game mechanics resemble a typical RPG, all actions are done in real-time just like in an action game. The player have to kill hordes of monsters through randomized dungeon levels in order to gain experience points, gold and a variety of equipment to bolster the hero's monster-killing potency.
84
/100
03
Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars
Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing and published in 1996 by the 3DO Company. The game is the second installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic series and is typically credited as the breakout game for the series. Heroes II was voted the sixth-best PC game of all time by PC Gamer in May 1997.
84
/100
Broken Sword 1 - The Shadow of the Templars
86
/100
02
Diablo
Diablo is an isometric strategy RPG and one of the most well-known examples of the action-RPG subgenre. Although some of the game mechanics resemble a typical RPG, all actions are done in real-time just like in an action game. The player have to kill hordes of monsters through randomized dungeon levels in order to gain experience points, gold and a variety of equipment to bolster the hero's monster-killing potency.
84
/100
03
Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars
Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing and published in 1996 by the 3DO Company. The game is the second installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic series and is typically credited as the breakout game for the series. Heroes II was voted the sixth-best PC game of all time by PC Gamer in May 1997.
84
/100
04
Quake
Quake is a first-person shooter video game, developed by id Software and published by GT Interactive in 1996 and featured music composed by Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. It is the first game in the popular Quake series. In the game, players must find their way through various maze-like, medieval environments while battling a variety of monsters using a wide array of weapons.
83
/100
05
Sid Meier's Civilization II
A turn-based strategy video game set around several different historic civilizations.
82
/100
06
Metal Slug
Metal Slug is a 1996 run-and-gun arcade video game originally developed by Nazca Corporation and released by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS. It is the first installment in the eponymous series. Set in 2028, players assume the role of Peregrine Falcon Strike Force soldiers Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving in a fight against the Rebel Army led by Donald Morden and overthrow his coup d'état to prevent a New World Order.
82
/100
07
Stargunner
In the far distant future, an epic war for survival takes place... Deep within the Andromeda galaxy, the people of Zile grow restless and greedy. The Zilions secretly prepare for a massive strike against the nearby planet Ytima. Fearing such an attack, the Ytimians train an elite squad of "Stargunners." Their mission: To strike the planet Zile and cripple the Zilions’ three strongholds, where the Zilion war fleets await. If the Stargunners can surprise the Zilions on their own planet and wipe out their fleet, then good will triumph over evil once again.
80
/100
08
Duke Nukem 3D
Aliens have landed in futuristic Los Angeles and it's up to the Duke to bring the pain and show them the door. After the initial entries of side-scrolling platform games, Duke Nukem 3D introduces a first-person perspective to the series and turns the game into a full-fledged shooter with 2.5D graphics. Duke's arsenal includes pistols, pipe bombs, laser trip mines, Nordenfelt guns, a chain gun and various rocket launchers, but also his mighty foot to kick enemies. The game sports a high level of interactivity. Many objects in the environment can be broken or interacted with, such as pool tables, arcade machines, glass, light switches and security cameras. The protagonist is also able to hand strippers a dollars to have them remove their top.
75
/100
09
Circle of Blood
Circle of Blood is a 2D adventure game played from a third-person perspective. The player uses a point-and-click interface to interact with the environment and to guide protagonist George Stobbart through the game's world. To solve puzzles and progress in the game, the player collects items that may be combined with one another, used on the environment, or given to non-player characters. The protagonist converses with NPCs via dialogue trees presented through "conversation icons" to learn about the game's puzzles and plot. Clues and other information are obtained by clicking on items in the inventory and on objects in the environment. The player navigates with a map, to which new locations are added as the story unfolds. Unlike in most adventure games at the time, the protagonist's death is possible, after which the player starts from the last save point.
75
/100
10
Sonic 3D Blast (1996)
Sonic 3D Blast is a 1996 platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team, and published by Sega for the Genesis, Saturn, and Windows. Part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the game abandons previous Sonic games' side-scrolling style in favor of isometric gameplay, making use of some pre-rendered 3D models converted into sprites. The game features creatures known as Flickies, which first appeared in the 1984 arcade game Flicky. Controlling only Sonic himself, the player's goal is to collect Flickies and carry them to safety, periodically sparring with the series antagonist Dr. Robotnik, who is imprisoning them within robots.
59
/100
Quake
Quake is a first-person shooter video game, developed by id Software and published by GT Interactive in 1996 and featured music composed by Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. It is the first game in the popular Quake series. In the game, players must find their way through various maze-like, medieval environments while battling a variety of monsters using a wide array of weapons.
83
/100
05
Sid Meier's Civilization II
A turn-based strategy video game set around several different historic civilizations.
82
/100
06
Metal Slug
Metal Slug is a 1996 run-and-gun arcade video game originally developed by Nazca Corporation and released by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS. It is the first installment in the eponymous series. Set in 2028, players assume the role of Peregrine Falcon Strike Force soldiers Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving in a fight against the Rebel Army led by Donald Morden and overthrow his coup d'état to prevent a New World Order.
82
/100
07
Stargunner
In the far distant future, an epic war for survival takes place... Deep within the Andromeda galaxy, the people of Zile grow restless and greedy. The Zilions secretly prepare for a massive strike against the nearby planet Ytima. Fearing such an attack, the Ytimians train an elite squad of "Stargunners." Their mission: To strike the planet Zile and cripple the Zilions’ three strongholds, where the Zilion war fleets await. If the Stargunners can surprise the Zilions on their own planet and wipe out their fleet, then good will triumph over evil once again.
80
/100
08
Duke Nukem 3D
Aliens have landed in futuristic Los Angeles and it's up to the Duke to bring the pain and show them the door. After the initial entries of side-scrolling platform games, Duke Nukem 3D introduces a first-person perspective to the series and turns the game into a full-fledged shooter with 2.5D graphics. Duke's arsenal includes pistols, pipe bombs, laser trip mines, Nordenfelt guns, a chain gun and various rocket launchers, but also his mighty foot to kick enemies. The game sports a high level of interactivity. Many objects in the environment can be broken or interacted with, such as pool tables, arcade machines, glass, light switches and security cameras. The protagonist is also able to hand strippers a dollars to have them remove their top.
75
/100
09
Circle of Blood
Circle of Blood is a 2D adventure game played from a third-person perspective. The player uses a point-and-click interface to interact with the environment and to guide protagonist George Stobbart through the game's world. To solve puzzles and progress in the game, the player collects items that may be combined with one another, used on the environment, or given to non-player characters. The protagonist converses with NPCs via dialogue trees presented through "conversation icons" to learn about the game's puzzles and plot. Clues and other information are obtained by clicking on items in the inventory and on objects in the environment. The player navigates with a map, to which new locations are added as the story unfolds. Unlike in most adventure games at the time, the protagonist's death is possible, after which the player starts from the last save point.
75
/100
10
Sonic 3D Blast (1996)
Sonic 3D Blast is a 1996 platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales and Sonic Team, and published by Sega for the Genesis, Saturn, and Windows. Part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the game abandons previous Sonic games' side-scrolling style in favor of isometric gameplay, making use of some pre-rendered 3D models converted into sprites. The game features creatures known as Flickies, which first appeared in the 1984 arcade game Flicky. Controlling only Sonic himself, the player's goal is to collect Flickies and carry them to safety, periodically sparring with the series antagonist Dr. Robotnik, who is imprisoning them within robots.
59
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Mac game of 1996?
Broken Sword 1 - The Shadow of the Templars currently tops the ranking with a score of 86/100 across 114 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.