Source Ports on macOS

macOS

Developer	Apple
Type	Operating systems
Release date	2001
Latest release	macOS 13 Ventura

This page is about game engine recreations and source ports that run on macOS (previously Mac OS X).

For emulators that run on macOS, see Emulators on macOS.

What is a Source Port?

Sometimes creating an emulator for a whole system is overkill. If the source code for a game is available, it is possible to modernise the code and port it to multiple platforms that the original game developer did not originally envisage. This is called a source port.

Alternatively, if the source code is not available, it is possible to make a game engine recreation from scratch. This is much more difficult to do, and it is harder to make the resulting game match the original.

Getting the App

Some of the games on this list will have a macOS app bundle available to download on the project's home page or git. But a lot of them do not. However there is a project called Mac Source Ports which takes open-source games, compiles them into a macOS app bundle (Universal Binary where possible), signs and notarises them, and makes them available to download for free.

The Mac Source Ports builds are often the most convenient way to play these games, so if a build is available it is recommended.

Compiling the Source Code and the Terminal

In some cases there is no app bundle available for download, so you may have to compile the source code yourself, or to run the game using the command-line. No instructions will be provided here, but the project's git page usually will tell you how to go about it. This list will indicate if an app bundle is available or not.

Getting the Game Data

For most source ports and game recreations, game data from the original game is required and this must be legally obtained from the original release for copyright reasons. Game data for most of the games below are available to purchase from GoG or Steam (GoG is preferred as they do not have DRM). The game data for the Windows version is often compatible, but always check before purchasing.

In order to extract the data from GoG installers, you can use Mac Source Port's Extractor tool. Otherwise, innoextract can be used from the command-line.

Generally, the game data should be put in the `~/Library/Application Support/` directory (where `~` represents your user home folder). But this is dependent on the individual game, so check the installation instructions.

A few games were open-sourced and released with their game data included, so for these games no additional steps are required.

Getting an Icon

Out of respect for the original projects, Mac Source Ports keeps their official app icon. Unfortunately most source ports don't have good looking icons that fit with the macOS design language.

But you may be able to find a good icon on macOS Icons. If there aren't any that are suitable, maybe consider creating one and uploading it there to share.

In order to add an icon, right-click on the app and select "Get Info". Then drag the new icon over the old one in the top left corner of the Get Info window.

Source Port List

• Note: Some builds providers may not give the same architectures listed here, check before downloading

• Note 2: If an architecture here is checked red, it could still work by building it locally, but is not guaranteed

Name	Supported games	Source	App Bundle	Build available	PPC	x86	x64	Arm	Includes Game Data	Gamepad Support	Active	Recommended
Abuse 1996	Abuse	git	✓	MSP Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓	?	✓	✓
Arx Libertatis	Arx Fatalis	git	✓	MSP Build Homebrew	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	?	✓	✓
NakedAVP	Aliens Vs Predator (2000)	git	✓	MSP Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✓	✓	✓
GemRB	Baldur's Gate 1 & 2	git	✓	Official Build MSP Page 1 MSP Page 2	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
Billy Frontier	Billy Frontier	git	✓	Official Build MSP Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓	?	✓	✓
BStone	Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold Blake Stone: Planet Strike	git	✓	MSP Build 1 MSP Build 2	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
Bugdom	Bugdom	git	✓	Official Build	✓	✗	✓	✓	✓	?	✓	✓
Fallout CE	Fallout	git	✓	MSP Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
Fallout 2 CE	Fallout 2	git	✓	MSP Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
OpenGothic	Gothic II	git	✓	MSP Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	?	✓	✓
re3	Grand Theft Auto III	git	✗	No builds provided	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✓	✗	✓
reVC	Vice City	git	✗	No builds provided	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✓	✗	✓
GemRB	Icewind Dale 1 & 2	git	✓	Official Build MSP page	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
OpenJazz	Jazz Jackrabbit	git	✓	MSP Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	?	✓	✓
Jazz² Resurrection	Jazz Jackrabbit 2	git	✓	MSP Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	?	✓	✓
Ship of Harkinian	Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time	git	✓	Official Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✓	✓	✓
Nanosaur II	Nanosaur II	git	✓	Official Build MSP Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓	?	✓	✓
Osu!(Laser)	Osu!	git	✓	Official Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓	?	✓	✓
Spatterlight	Planetfall	git	✓	MSP page Official Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
GemRB	Planetscape: Torment	git	✓	Official Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
SDLPoP	Prince of Persia (DOS)	git	✓	Official Build (Intel only) Homebrew	✗	✗	✓	~	✓	✗	✓	✓
Super Tux Kart	Super Tux Kart	git	✓	Official Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
TheXTech	Super Mario Bros X.	git	✓	Official Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
War1gus	Warcraft	git	✗	No builds provided	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
Wargus	Warcraft 2	git	✗	No builds provided	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
Stargus	Starcraft	git	✗	No builds provided	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✗
wipEout-Rewrite	wipEout (PS1)	git	✗	No builds provided	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✓	✓	✗
ET: Legacy	Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory	git	✓	Official Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	~	✓	✓	✓
Spatterlight	Zork I, II, III, Beyond	git	✓	MSP page Official Build	✗	✗	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓