How to get started in Minecraft

Your world in Minecraft is randomly generated, and you appear in a land surrounded by water, with mountains, valleys, trees and animals. It's not clear what to do except explore to begin with but as the sun sets, monsters appear, who will kill you. Survival is impossible in the open, so you need to build a shelter to hide out in for the first night.

Collecting wood from trees, coal and stone from cliffs, you have to use your inventory to create tools, planks and more. Once you know how, mining and building is pretty quick, and you can create some really cool structures.

Minecraft realms

A new realm has been added to Minecraft, which allows faster travel through the huge worlds. Called The Nether, it resembles Hell, and is full of flowing lava and monsters. You can access The Nether using portals made from Obsidian you have mined. Also, when you create a new Minecraft world, it will now be more varied, with 'biomes' of different landscape, like desert, tundra and snow. NPC (non player characters) now roam villages, which can serve as early shelters for you at night, if you can find them!

Version 1.0 has some nice cosmetic changes, including an HD texture pack, better lighting from torches and even prettier sunsets and sunrises! The game launcher also looks better. There is now a 'Creative Mode', which makes you invincible, gives you unlimited resources, allows you to fly, and fast forward/rewind time! This mode is ideal for players who just want to get on and build cool stuff, without worrying about staying alive.

Minecraft is a wonderfully inventive sandbox game that really deserves the title, as your creation in it is only limited by your imagination and time!

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The myth of Slender started quite simply as a rumor and has also been popularized as an internet meme. The story is that Slender Man is a mythical creature often depicted as a tall, thin figure wearing a black suit and a blank face. According to legend, he can stretch or shorten his arms at will and has tentacle-like appendages on his back. Slender Man can cause memory loss, insomnia, paranoia, coughing fits (nicknamed "slendersickness"), photographic and video distortions and can teleport at will.

The basic premise of the game is the more directly you come in contact with the Slender Man, the faster your sanity drains. You therefore have to careful not to look at the enemy for too long and remember that your flashlight has a limited battery so you must turn it off from time to time to save it. Also, the more you sprint, the lower your maximum stamina becomes, so you must sprint only when you need to.

The controls to the game are simple:

Mouse -- Look around
W,A,S & D -- Move
Left Shift -- Sprint
Left Mouse Click -- Pick up pages
Right Mouse Click -- Flashlight
Q & E -- Zoom in/out

Slender does well in creating quite a creepy atmosphere for a very basic game. It feels like just you, your torch and the sound of crickets chirping as you fumble your way through the forest looking for manuscripts. However, the overall aim of collecting 8 pages of the manuscript is quite limited and so the gameplay is a bit limited.

Note that you'll need an archiving tool like The Unarchiver or RAR to unpack this Slender game download. Slender will not perform very well on older Macs too, especially MacBooks from around 2008. If you have problems, try lowering the graphics quality to the lowest setting at the start of the game.

Slender is an eerie horror game that's well worth trying whether or not you've ever heard of the Slender Man myth.

Download Slender: The Eight Pages for Mac 0.9.7 Beta in Softonic

This beta version does not change the fundamental basics of the game. However there are some fun new additions to the game and some aesthetic improvements. For example, villages now have MPCs, lilly-pads have been added to water which can be collected and the netherworld has randomly generated strongholds. Other minor elements have been reintroduced, such as roses, or subtly changed such as the way snow now collects on top of ice.

If you're not sure how to play Minecraft or are a newcomer to the game, we recommend you check our beginners guide and read the full review of the stable version. Also, note that to install this beta version, you simply need to put the downloaded file in folder where you have hosted your game data within AppData. To play Minecraft, you need to download a license from the developer site.

Minecraft beta is a must for all hardcore fans of the game.

Download Minecraft pre-release 1.6 13w19a in Softonic

After many months of anticipation, Steam for Mac is finally here. Like the Windows version, it allows you to buy and download any of Valve's games like Left 4 Dead 2, Steam also has a huge library of titles from other big developers, as well as free demos and videos. The list of games is ever increasing, and it also supports non-commercial things like game mods.

Mac users should be aware from the start that X3100 or 900-series Intel chipsets (the integrated graphics chipsets in older MacBooks) are NOT supported on Steam. However, the good news is you will not be required to purchase separate versions of Windows and Mac games. One purchase will work on multiple platforms thanks to SteamPlay. In addition, Mac and Windows users will play on the same servers and join the same lobbies. Some games are initially not available on the Mac platform, likeTeam Fortress 2. Most games run very well on the Mac although with some graphically intensive ones, you may need to lower the settings to prevent sluggishness.

Installing and setting up a Steam account is really easy, and the download manager is very stable. Whatever your internet connection speed, you don't need to worry about stopping a download partway through. If you exit Steam, it will continue your downloads the next time you start it without complaints.

The simple interface is mostly unchanged from Steam for Windows. Tabs along the top are used to navigate through the Virtual Store, games Library, Patch and Update News and Community Functionality. There are occasional pop-ups which are usually either adverts or invites. This slick, fast interface allows you to quickly navigate between games, available demos and videos. There's also a game wishlist feature, and your game library now has real time search and customizable categories.

While you miss out on a box or instruction booklet by buying games from Steam, you do get all the latest patches and updates downloaded automatically. There are often exclusive demos and offers available through Steam too, and there's a great community service which allows you to join groups and find people to play online. Its major downfall is that the client auto-updates far too often.

Steam may not sell every game under the sun and the Mac version may lack some of the games available on Windows but overall it's an excellent download application and may finally launch gaming on the Mac in a big way.

Download Steam 1.0 in Softonic

This official trailer introduces us to Red Dead Redemption's huge world, full of cowboys, bandits, and beautiful scenery. Anyone skeptical that a game without cars, helicopters and rocket launchers can't succeed should watch this high definition video!

There are lots of new things to do in Red Dead Redemption, like hunting, exploration, cooperative multiplayer and of course a lot of shooting. As with the GTA games, it looks like Rockstar will reference lots of classic movies in the game, with a story that covers the last years of the Wild West, before the breakout of World War One.

Westerns may have been big in Cinema, but that's never been true with video games - maybe Red Dead Redemption will change all that.

Download Red Dead Redemption Official Trailer in Softonic

It will fully update any previous version of Quake 4 to version 1.4.2. It is recommended for all users. This update affects pure server and protocol consistency, and adds a number of other multiplayer fixes including support for QUAKE 4 TV.

Your task is to go deep into the heart of the Strogg war machine and take on a series of heroic missions to destroy the barbaric alien race. Quake 4 takes off exactly where Quake 3 left off with the Earth's fleet launching a massive offensive to the planet Stroggos.

As Matthew Kane, your task is to fight alongside other marines and other mechanized walkers and hover tanks to defeat Strogg and their cyborgs. The game is built on the same technology used in Doom 3 and features the same fast-paced multiplayer gameplay. However, the types of enemies you come up against are similar to those in Quake 3 and the plot doesn't vary enough to distinguish itself from it's predecessor.

Quake 4 SMP Patch is an action packed first person shooter that won't disappoint fans of Quake 3 although lacks a little originality.

Download Quake 4 1.4.2 SMP Patch in Softonic

If you prefer to buy digital copies of games instead of buying them at the shops, you need Origin for Mac.
As well as managing your premium downloads, Origin also runs the installer and launches it. If a game requires a DRM (digital Rights Management) license, this will be acquired by Origin too. Note that you cannot run downloaded games without Origin, as the DRM system requires it to be running. As well as games, Origin for Mac also keeps you up to date with patches and updates.

Origin features many of the same features that Steam already has, including game save sync, automatic patching, and friends list. EA also plans to bring Twitch.tv live streaming support to the Mac client as well, but it's not included in the Alpha. Although EA aim to make the Mac version of Origin as similar to the PC version as possible, this doesn't mean that game selection will be identical on the different platforms. EA is leaving it up to the developers to see if they want to port a game to Mac, meaning the games library for Origin on Mac could be significantly smaller than the PC version. The big question is whether FIFA 13 will finally come to Mac as many fans were lead to believe when it launched on PC.

The Origin for Mac interface feels a bit like its been taken directly from the PC version although this will probably improve as the app becomes more popular and more games are available for it.

For Mac users, the arrival of Origin for Mac means some exciting times ahead for those that are fans of EA games although the initial selection is quite limited.

Download Origin for Mac 9.1.6.2811 in Softonic

The first thing that jumps out at you in Braid are the gorgeous graphics. It has a wonderful hand drawn and painted look, which sets it apart from most of this genre. The music has kindergarten feel, which adds to the overall cuteness of the game (although it's a little eerie backwards). Some people might find this aspect grating, but if you can take the tweeness, it's a really interesting game.

Like a million platformers before it, you have to rescue a princess by running and jumping your way through a series of worlds. The unusual thing with Braid is time.

If you die, or make a mistake, hit Shift and time will reverse. Some objects are unaffected by time shifting, meaning you can move something, then travel back in time and it will remain in its new position. Some levels up the difficulty, where walking right moves time forward, and left backward. Braid is really inventive with the time mechanic, it feels really fresh and stretches your brain a little.

For the hardcore platform gamers, the only real criticism is that the jumping feels a little imprecise sometimes, but it's hardly a big issue and doesn't spoil what is one of the best gaming experiences you'll have this year.

With its thoughtful story, beautiful graphics and excellent gameplay, Braid should be top of everyone's list of what to play next.

Download Braid 1.5 demo in Softonic

This demo lets you play uninhibited for an hour. First you have to pick an person, who then moves immediately into a house. While you can make adjustments to the house over time, to begin with you get what you're given.

Marriage and babies will soon follow moving in. You can let your virtual family act by itself, encourage good behavior, or sometimes affect it directly by picking them up and placing them near things. If you place someone near the garbage, they'll take it out. Place them near the shower and they'll take one, and so on.

There is much less customization than is normal in this type of game, and you will feel more like you are influencing things rather than controlling them. The behavior of your virtual family is a bit odd, and their interaction with the house sometimes looks strange.

The graphics in general won't win any awards, with jerky sprites and flat looking backgrounds. The sound effects are minimal, but effective. Overall, this is a very casual game, which will appeal to younger players who don't miss the personalization other games offer. However, the values in the game are very conservative (mother always looks after the baby and so on), and there's not much you can do to make things more interesting!

If you're looking for a simple Sims like experience, that doesn't require too much involvement, Virtual Families is a good option.

Download Virtual Families 1.0 in Softonic

The Tux Paint interface is very child-oriented. It's colorful and simple and will appeal to even the tiniest children. To facilitate this child-appropriateness, it allows them to select their saved pictures from thumbnails and has an autosave and recover function, so there's no problem even if they accidentally close the program.

To make Tux Paint even more kid-friendly, the configuration settings are displayed in a totally separate area that is not accessible through the drawing interface. Here you'll be able to modify certain settings to make it suitable for everyone to use, including what shows up on Tux Paint's drawing interface, the language used and sound effects.

From a child's point of view, Tux Paint must be fantastic. It has bunches of features - Tux Paint stamps, colors, magic designs and effects and a variety of brushes. Some features only appear in the Brushes area after choosing an option from Tools, but with a bit of exploring your child will find them all.

Tux Paint is an excellent program for all tiny budding artists!

Download Tux Paint 0.9.21 in Softonic

There are several different difficulty levels within the game although you may not notice a great deal of difference between the early Formulas.

Championship mode has however now been updated to make it much more challenging.

You can save your progress along the way. The gameplay is a super simple although no particularly sophisticated - collisions are poorly animated and there aren't many hazards either.

It takes some time to control the car but when you've got the hang of it, you'll soon move up the pack.

Downfall is actually a lot lighter than that - a fun arcade puzzle game, that pretty much rips off Tetris and the Columns game by Sega. If nothing else, Downfall is remarkably easy to learn - you simply have to drop stacks of colored blocks to form lines that then "connect" and disappear. Downfall has 30 different formats and playing boards to play on and the 3D graphics and animations are very smooth if not particularly impressive.

Each different playing board is littered with potential stumbling blocks such as sticks of dynamite, snow shovels and wrecking balls etc. Each Downfall board therefore requires a particular level of skill and presents a different challenge if you get bored with one or the other. You can also import and export high scores from Downfall which is handy for comparing with friends and family although it would be much easier if these were just stored online under a profile or something. It does maintain the highest score however even after it's closed down meaning you've always got something to aim for.

Downfall is not particularly original or blessed with great graphics but it's a decent time waster that will provide at least a few hours of fun.

Download Downfall 2.9.4 in Softonic

Crossword Forge gives you the power to do just that. Creating a crossword is made simple with Crossword Forge by just writing a question of the clue and entering the correct answer. The tricky part is to make all the letters and words match up, but with some practice it becomes easy to juggle the words around to fit. In this latest releases, Crossword Forge features a new updated algorithm which vastly improves the density of your puzzles. This allows you to fit-in more words in a smaller space for some truly complex puzzles.

There are some handy ways you can customize your puzzles with Crossword Forge, such as changing the font and colors, adding foreign characters and applying a picture in the background of the crossword. What's more, the grid can be as big as you like, meaning you can make the puzzle really easy or really difficult depending on the intelligence of the person you're making the crossword for. This makes Crossword Forge a perfect way to entertain your buddies or for use a teaching aid.

With a word suggester to help you make denser and more topic relevant puzzles and Puzzle Mask Editor to allow you to stop the puzzle from forming in certain spaces and to form specific shaped puzzles, Crossword Forge is about as complete as they come.

If you've never tried creating your own password, then you'll be surprised how easy Crossword Forge makes it.

Download Crossword Forge 7.0.4 in Softonic