No one who games on a laptop uses a touchpad, and few games offer a good experiences with one. However, not only do MacBooks have the best touchpads in the business, there are plenty of games that play like a dream using nothing more than that clicky square.

10
Baldur’s Gate 3

This smash-hit RPG won just about every award it was eligible for and took the world by storm at release, but what you might not know is that Baldur’s Gate 3 has an excellent native macOS version. It didn’t run particularly well on my M1 MacBook Air (and I had to install it on an external drive,) but my new M4 Pro MacBook runs the game without breaking a sweat.

While Baldur’s Gate 3 is (barely) manageable using a controller, the game was really designed to play with a mouse, and you can in fact play it using only a mouse. However, I think playing with a touchpad is actually better than every other control scheme, and Larian (the developer) makes excellent use of touchpad gestures in the game. Simply twist two fingers to rotate, zoom by pinching, and, of course, tap wherever you want your characters to go. It’s the perfect game to play with a drink in one hand. My MacBook is now by far my preferred way to pour hours into this epic RPG.

9
Balatro

If you haven’t yet heard of Balatro, now is your one and only chance to turn back while you still have time. If you already have a Balatro addiction, or you want something new to consume all of your free time, then you’ll be happy to know that the Mac version plays like a dream using just the touchpad.

You can buy the Steam version of Balatro which includes the Windows and macOS versions of the game, or if you subscribe to Apple Arcade, then you can play Balatro+ as part of the subscription, though, of course, it may no longer be on the subscription service by the time you read this.

As for the game itself, it’s a unique roguelike card game where the aim is to generate higher and higher scores using poker hands and traditional playing cards. While Balatro might look like some sort of video poker gambling game, it’s really just an aesthetic with some borrowed elements. There are no wagers, and no gambling in this title, real or simulated. Once it “clicks” for you, there are few games that are as addictive, which makes it a good thing that there are no microtransactions or other predatory elements to be found here.

8
FTL

FTL is another roguelike game, and a classic in the genre. You are in charge of a spaceship, and you’re on a desperate mission to save the galaxy. An enemy is on your tail, and you need to reach your goal before they intercept you. With each Faster Than Light (get it?) jump you’re landing in an unknown place, and you don’t know who or what is waiting for you. This is basically a never-ending set of “red alert” situations like in Star Trek, where you’re rerouting power to the shields or trying to talk your way out of a bad situation.

I prefer playing FTL on my iPad, but the game is just as good on a MacBook using the touchpad.

7
Civ, Any Civ

Everyone knows Sid Meier’s amazing series of epic 4X Civilization games and as mouse-driven PC-centric titles they all work brilliantly using just a touchpad. Of course, not every version will be available on modern Macs. Civ V, Civ VI, and the latest Civ VII all play great on Apple Silicon systems.

6
Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader

Baldur’s Gate 3 may have stolen the spotlight when it comes to deep and engaging RPGs, but its contemporary, Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, is definitely a game you don’t want to miss, even if you only have a passing familiarity with the grimdark world of 40K. This is a technically-flawed, but otherwise brilliant CRPG set in the world of Warhammer 40K, where you take on the role of a “Rogue Trader”. These are immensely wealthy elite merchants who have special permission from the Emperor of Mankind to chart new space and expand the Imperium of Man.

The game ran a little rough on my old M1 MacBook, but later models, such as my current M4 Pro, have no trouble with this title and, barring a few bugs (which Owlcat is constantly working on), this is an engrossing game that’s perfectly playable with a touchpad.

5
Slay the Spire

Slay the Spire is another roguelike that involves deckbuilding and cards, but this is no Balatro. Fight your way up a spire that’s never the same twice. Build a deck to defeat the creatures you encounter, and if you’re lucky you’ll make it all the way.

Just like most turn-based games, Slay the Spire plays perfectly with a touchpad, and it’s another incredibly well-designed indie game that will hook you for a long time.

4
Return to Monkey Island

Return to Monkey Island is the long-awaited, well, return to Monkey Island. The name really says it all. The beloved point-and-click adventure series hasn’t had a proper installment for decades before Return was released, so it’s a good thing the game is great. The new art style isn’t for everyone (I prefer Curse of Monkey Island personally, which also works on Mac), but this is a fine entry to the series and, since it is a point-and-click adventure, all you need is your trusty touchpad to play.

3
Battletech

Battletech is a computer version of the tabletop game that gave us the Mechwarrior series of action games. This is a turn-based title where you take a lance of battlemechs, and complete missions. The campaign mode is incredibly deep, and involves not just winning battles, but managing your mercenary company between missions and dealing with things like injured or deceased pilots, and the costs of repairing and maintaining your mechs.

Battletech is one of my favorite games ever, and it plays perfectly with a touchpad, but I almost didn’t include it in this list for an important reason. Battletech doesn’t have a native Apple Silicon version, which means it runs using Apple’s Rosetta II translation layer. However, for a long time this was bugged, where the game would run, but the enemy AI would never attack. This effectively broke the game, and the developer is no longer working on the project, so don’t expect any patches.

I solved this issue by using the Whiskey compatibility layer to play the Windows version on my MacBook, with a small hit to performance being the tradeoff. However, shortly before I sat down to write this, I tried out the macOS version again, and it now plays perfectly using Rosetta II. Since there is no new patch on record, I have to assume that an update to Rosetta II itself has fixed the issue, but if it doesn’t play correctly on your own Mac, you can always use Whiskey.

2
Divinity: Original Sin 2

If Dungeons & Dragons isn’t your thing, or you’ve already put so many hours into Baldur’s Gate 3 you’re seeing Astarion when you close your eyes, you should definitely give Larian’s previous masterpiece Divinity: Original Sin 2 a go. This game is based on its own RPG system, and in many ways it’s better than a computerized version of D&D.

Amazing writing, interesting characters, and when it comes to creative problem-solving, this is like a CRPG crossed with an immersive sim. It also plays great with a touchpad, though this is another game where I prefer playing the iPad version. Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is another worthy touchpad-friendly Mac title, but not essential to enjoying its sequel.

1
Cities: Skylines

Rushing to fill the vacuum left by SimCity,Cities:Skylines is what I would call the rough diamond of city-building sims. Although it’s a decade old as I write this, the game still looks beautiful, and it also has a decade of extra content, bug fixes, and community resources. Sadly, Skylines II is not available for Mac as of this writing, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose out on a great citybuilder.

The only thing I will say about Skylines is that as you start building large and complex cities, it can be pretty hard on your CPU and RAM, depending on what model of Mac you’re using. So while the game may run well via Rosetta II, you may have to dial down the setting when you’re trying to replicate Tokyo on your laptop.

These ten games are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many great modern and classic games that can be played comfortably and entirely with a touchpad on your Mac.

In particular, many classic DOS games running through DOSBox are available on GoG.com. As a parting tip, always check whether there’s a price difference between the official Mac App Store and other storefronts like Steam before buying any of these games, and keep in mind that you’ll get both the Windows and Mac versions of a game most of the time outside the Mac App Store.