The nightmare before Christmas? Almost. In Christmas Crisis you need to help out Santa delivering presents by guiding his sleigh and dropping presents over houses, whilst avoiding jets and airplanes. The game is certainly a good idea for the holidays and an original adaptation of the Space Invaders style, yet Christmas Crisis is on the whole rather disappointing.

First of all, and this may sound cheesy, but I quite like when there's a little introduction to the game, or at least some sort of setting. Christmas Crisis drops you right in without any explanation as to why you need to replace Santa. There's only a small window to explain the controls.

Movements in Christmas Crisis are simple. Use your arrow keys to navigate your sleigh and the space bar to shoot the presents onto houses. On the whole though, they feel a bit clunky, and there's a little delay every time you move the sleigh. Christmas Crisis is a bit difficult and I couldn't manage to hit all the houses in the first level. Getting used to it doesn't take much though, but the increase of planes flying around as you pass levels does make it challenging.

Even though the game lacks an introduction, and controls are clunky, Christmas Crisis is an OK time waster for the holidays.

Download Christmas Crisis 1.4.2 in Softonic

Ace of Spades for Mac combines Minecraft-style gameplay with team death-match online multiplayer competition. Join or create a server, choose the green or red team and get fighting!

Work in progress

Still under development, Ace of Spades really does look a lot like Minecraft, with its pixellated blocky style. But the team combat gives it a very different feel. Building and digging in Ace of Spades is more about making walls and trenches for the battle. The newbie guide even warns you not to be too creative, as your 'buildings will be destroyed'!

Gameplay

There are three guns: a rifle, machine gun and shot gun. You area also equipped with grenades and a spade for digging. You can talk to your team mates in secret to coordinate tactics. Despite the simplistic shooting and graphics, the gameplay is really satisfying. Digging and building adds an interesting dynamic to the game, and some of the servers have really well-designed levels to battle over.

Getting started

Ace of Spades does have its problems. Changing your player name is awkward, and battles can seemingly go on without end. However, these issues will no doubt be ironed out as the game develops. Where Ace of Spades isn't very user friendly, there is at least an extensive Wiki where you can find answers, as well as the newbie guide.

Ace of Spades is a fun release in what is becoming 'the Minecraft genre'. It's free to play, so get involved!

Download Ace of Spades Preview 0.75 in Softonic

Call of Duty has established itself as one of the greatest game series ever. With consistently improving graphics and AI, one of the only real criticisms it has faced of late was the repetitive nature of its setting. World War II is a fascinating, multi-theater world for games to approach in many ways: but how about something different? Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the answer to that request. This game plunges you head-first into a present-day battlefield, even more fast-paced than its predecessors.

Call of Duty 4 features a range of combat situations, including the use of anti-tank weapons, the destruction of an anti-aircraft battery and at least one seriously fast-paced, confusing fire fight. The graphics in Call of Duty 4 are top notch, and we didn't notice any lag even at higher-end settings, although older Macs may struggle. There's also a multi-player mode if things get a bit to easy or dull.

Call of Duty 4 is built on a new proprietary engine which offers much better support for up-to-the-minute lighting effects, clearly visible in this test mission. Another aspect of the new engine makes for a really interesting change to gameplay. Some forms of cover (a light wooden fence, for example), won't offer you much protection like they did in years gone by. While buildings are not destructible, many elements of the Call of Duty 4 environment (like cars and, yes, light wooden fences) are easily destroyed with gunfire. Heavier weapons can cut through heavier cover too, "Shoot them through the wall!" you're ordered at one point.

All this added realism makes the general quality of Call of Duty 4 gameplay really high. We noticed great improvements in AI, even on easier levels of difficulty where previous games may have left you feeling somewhat silly.

One slight disadvantage of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on Mac is that you can't use a trackpad as it requires a mouse with a right-click button. It's also a pretty hefty file at around 7GB and it demands a lot from your CPU and RAM - ideally you need a MacBook Pro to prevent any lag.

Fast paced, intense and varied: awesome graphics and involving gameplay make Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare a must-have for any self-respecting gamer.

Download Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Mac 1.7.2 in Softonic

You can choose from 3 cars to begin with and select the rest as you unlock them by gaining credits via race wins. You can customize them with weapons and turbos and even change the wheels of your racing car. There are 24 tracks in total and you can choose circuit races (round tracks with just 5 laps) and sprint races (more varied but with no race rules). Finally, there’s a coin racing mode where you can explore the level and collect coins for the customization store.

The most fun you can have is using weapons to win the race by shooting and bombing opponents from the track. There are also some pretty fun high speed tracks which severely test your driving skills. There are many cash incentives throughout the game for best laps, most kills, ramp jumps and best race times etc. There are 4 difficulty modes with insane mode being the hardest and virtually unplayable.

Finally, RC Mini Racers runs in both windowed and fullscreen mode and you can tweak the detail in Graphics settings and even add a joystick. You can buy virtual coins from within the game if you need money to pimp up your car if you find yourself unable to win races and pimp up your car.

RC Mini Racers is a fun game, especially for anyone who fondly remembers Micromachines.

Download RC Mini Racers 1.4 in Softonic

AirAttack was first released on iOS to compete with other similar games such as the excellent Space Invaders Infinity Gene. AirAttack is a great addition to the pool. You control a WWII style plane as it flies through wave after wave of enemy aircraft and ground vehicles. There's nothing new about that, but it's done with great style.

AirAttack is presented in quasi-3D, with bright and detailed graphics. While it's impressive to look at, the bullets and rockets you need to avoid are all very clear. The game is split into stages, and between them you can upgrade your plane in a shop (of course!). There are end and mid level boss battles, some great set pieces like an enemy train you have to bomb.

AirAttack has excellent options too - you can choose from four controls, tilt, d-pad and two types of touch control. There are three difficulty levels. If you have an older device, you can even lower the graphics settings. The sound is also excellent, with good effects and an orchestral score.

AirAttack is a great arcade shoot 'em up. With it's excellent graphics and impressive set pieces, this is the ideal foil to the minimalism of Space Invaders Infinity Gene

Download AirAttack 1.0 in Softonic

Due to an accident, Jensen's eye has been replaced with a bionic one which gives him cyborg like powers of sight (check out The Eyeborg Documentary for the backdrop to this).

Like the Mass Effect series, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an 'immersive simulation', with a wonderfully realized world full of people to interact with, where player choice is instrumental in the storyline. The great thing about the game is that you really can play how you like, and you aren't punished for changing your mind.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution can be played stealthily, or aggressively, and you can mix up your style as you feel fit. Your actions and words have an effect on how the story plays out, which not only feels great when you're playing but gives the game plenty of replay value.

The gameplay in Deus Ex: Human Revolution is excellent. While the controls may take a while to get used to, they work really well. In fire-fights, shooting and cover are excellent, while the up-close kills that Adam Jensen preforms are suitably gruesome.

The world of Deus Ex: Human Revolution is stylish, and characters are well acted and animated. The only major criticisms of the game are that the boss fights are disappointing, and there are some pretty long load times as well. Despite this, it is still hugely enjoyable and immersive.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is deep and immersing, with excellent gameplay that allows players to be really creative. Do not miss.

Download Deus Ex: Human Revolution for Mac Ultimate Edition in Softonic

Using keyboard to move left, right and jump, alongside the mouse for aiming and shooting, each level sees you blasting asteroids while trying to avoid being hit by them. in Super Obliteration, as with Pang, shoot a big asteroid, and it splits into two smaller, faster ones. Power-ups are dropped as you destroy things, and although the graphics are quite blocky even for a 16-bit game, this remake adds some shiny explosion effects.

The space setting, laser gun and power ups give Super Obliteration more intense gameplay than cheerful Pang, although this is just a one player game. Anyone who enjoys Asteroids, Pang or shoot 'em ups in general will enjoy Super Obliteration. It's pretty simple, but it's good for mindless high score chasing, and has a nice retro 90s feel to it. controls are configurable, but there's not

Super Obliteration is a fast paced, simple arcade game great for retro fans, and anyone who wants a quick five minute blast.

Download Super Obliteration 1.01 Beta in Softonic

Your task in Quake 4 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 2 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 in Quake 4 are similar to those in Quake 3 and the plot doesn't vary enough to distinguish itself from its predecessor.

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

Download Quake 4 1.4.3 in Softonic

If you've ever played hangman, there's no need to waste time learning the rules for Doodle Hangman. It's pretty much just a new take on an old concept. The thing that makes Doodle Hangman completely fun and new is simply the great graphics that go along with the game.

First, pick whether you want to to use one or two player mode. Then choose a puzzle category. There is one for animals, another for holidays and a few other options from which to choose. Then comes the fun part - Doodle Hangman will show you the puzzle you have to solve and give you a set of letters to pick to solve it. Every time you pick a letter that's in the puzzle, it'll disappear from the alphabet list and show up in its puzzle location. Pick a letter that isn't in the puzzle, however, and the fun really starts.

Every time you pick an incorrect letter on Doodle Hangman, a piece of the hangman drawing starts to take shape. The first element is the noose. Next is the cartoon head of a person. Then, the torso, arms and legs. Doodle Hangman ends when the hangman himself is drawn and drops your poor little character through the shoot and the noose tightens. In a way, it's completely macabre. What keeps Doodle Hangman fun though are the varied gestures of exasperation your hangman drawing makes every time you miss a letter.

It would've been nice for the puzzle category you chose to be listed somewhere on the actual puzzle screen in case you forget what you're trying to solve. That's one small nitpick in an otherwise captivating and amusing game.

Doodle Hangman is hangman for a new generation and will keep you enthralled for quite some time.

Download Doodle Hangman 1.05 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

Available on Mac and PC through Steam, now there is little excuse not to play one of the most original and enigmatic games of the last decade. In Portal you play a test subject, who is awoken by GLaDOS, a robot who runs the Aperture Laboratories and sends you on a series of tests 'for science'. Some of them may not be safe, but as she says, 'there will be cake' once it's over.

Original

Portal's big idea is the the 'handheld portal device', that allows subjects to open portals between two places. This means that instead of climbing a ladder for example, you can shoot a portal at the bottom, and another at the top, and simply walk through. It's makes more sense when you play! Check out the explanatory video here.

Graphics and gameplay

Portal looks good even though it was originally released in 2007, thanks to its clean, minimalist laboratory style. In game physics are absolutely perfect, and using the portals is great fun once you get the hang of it. It's such a great idea, you might find yourself wishing you could use them in real life too! The puzzles get pretty tough, but the learning curve makes sure you're ready for the challenges when the time comes.

The incredible thing about Portal is that is manages to be a compelling first person 3D adventure where your character never shoots a gun. There is a mystery behind who you are, what Aperture Science is and more, and it's fascinating to discover what's going on while you solve the puzzles. GLaDOS is one of the most iconic and effective 'baddies' you will meet in a video game too.

Conclusion

Portal is a must play. Download the demo right away and get going! Portal is an unforgettable experience, and thankfully the adventure continues in the equally brilliant sequel!

Download Portal in Softonic

Planet Pandora is a sparsely populated wasteland where the rule of law gets rewritten daily in the smoke of the last gun battle. Civilization consists of small outposts on the fringe of human influence, in an area called the Borderlands.

Pandora's one tourist attraction is a mythical Vault supposedly packed with fantastic riches. Fortune hunters, corrupt corporate mercenaries and lowlife hoodlums roam the landscape, searching under every grain of sand for the treasure.

Since most intelligent life on Pandora has the occupation of Vault Hunter, society has gone to hell - making the outposts and outback areas more than just a little dangerous.

Key features. Unique hybrid role playing shooter that combines frantic first-person shooting action with accessible role-playing character progression.

Super sharp graphics style gives Borderlands a unique comic book come-to-life look. Co-op Frenzy. drop in and out with up to 4 player co-operative for a maniacal multiplayer experience.

Millions of randomly generated guns! Choose your weapon from rocket-launching shotguns, enemy-torching revolvers, and tons more. Huge single-player game with four playable characters and endless replayability.

System requirements.

Download Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition (Mac) in Softonic

In this shooting game, asteroids threaten friendly penguin Tux. His ammunition? Mental arithmetic! The flying moonrocks are actually space division, multiplication and subtraction, and by finding the answer, you destroy them, and saving the penguin igloos from the devastating impact.

TuxMath is an open source, free game whose difficulty is appropriate for students from elementary to high school, in other words, 7 to 13 years. It offers dozens of missions that require calculations that get more and more complicated, ending up with some really tricky stuff, like the division of negative numbers.

TuxMath also offers a second, more advanced mode, where the asteroids are fractions you destroy by finding their common denominator.

TuxMath is fun and well-designed and bridges the gap between educational and fun. Who said that fractions have to be boring?!

Download TuxMath 1.7.2 in Softonic

Speedball 2: Evolution (known as Brutal Deluxe on the Amiga) is a brutal game where anything goes, and points are won from knockouts, not just goals. Each team wears a coat of armor and play within a metallic arena where players can pass, shoot and attack, while off the ball the same controls allow tackles and catches.

Points are won by scoring goals, knocking out opponents, and also by hitting bumpers, stars and ramps on the pitch. This gives the game and element of pinball to it, and means that focusing on goal scoring is never enough. This remake for Mac has attempted to stay faithful to the original and features the classic sounds and ambiance ("Ice Cream! Ice Cream!") from the original.

Speedball 2 Evolution offers a "career mode" which includes training and scouting for players. There are also quick matches and challenges. Online multiplayer isn't yet available.

Speedball 2: Evolution is a great version of the classic Amiga game. Whether you were a big fan or not, its still an additive and unique sports game.

Download Speedball 2: Evolution 1.1 in Softonic

In Shotgun FunFun, you play a sniper out to protect the world from zombies. The game's interface is built on platforms and in many ways is reminiscent of other platform games like Donkey Kong.

Fight as Buck Morris against a zombie army of 100,000 in Shotgun FunFun. Buck goes on the hunt for reanimated corpses on platforms, stairs and other two dimensional elements. Shotgun FunFun lets you play in a full-screen version, which is pretty nice, although the graphics are a little rudimentary. The same goes for the sound, which generally just includes shotgun noises and nothing more.

Users aim at zombies with their touchpad or mouse. One click starts Buck on his shooting spree. Be careful though - if you run out of ammo or Buck loses too much energy, he'll end up imploding and you'll have to start over!

Shotgun FunFun is fun for a few rounds, but then begins to get a little boring. Unfortunately, you can't even save your scores from game to game and the poor graphics and sound effects really don't win it any prizes either.

Shotgun FunFun is a fun way to kill some time, and younger kids might find the graphics pretty amusing.

Download Shotgun FunFun 1.1 in Softonic

Mac Games Arcade is a way of downloading and browsing a huge number of Mac games directly from your Mac's desktop.

The good news is that the majority of the games are pretty good covering everything from shoot-em-ups to role playing games. The bad news is that they're not free and some of them can take a long time to download. You can however test out most of the games with preview versions before you part with any cash.

The developers have clearly taken their inspiration from the iTunes store which is no bad thing although it doesn't quite reach the heights of iTunes. Although games are organized by category, there are literally hundreds to choose from and none of them are rated. It would be much more useful if there were user ratings and suggestions of related games for those users who were unsure of what to choose.

Mac Games Arcade is an excellent idea and concept that will keep any arcade games lover happy for more than a few hours.

Download Mac Games Arcade 1.7.4 in Softonic

Previously, the graphics were a bit basic but version 2 sees some significant improvements that make Basketmania more realistic and stylish. Most notably, the developer has added support for HD graphics.

The movement of the ball is very realistic and you can play in two different modes - against the clock or just shoot as many in a row as you can. You can turn the sound effects off so that the boss doesn't notice you shooting some hoops.

There's also a training mode to help you sharpen your eye. Basketmania is great for a time wasting game and initially very addictive but you'll soon get bored of the rather one dimensional gameplay.

Basketmania is a good way to waste a few minutes while practicing your basketball skills.

Download Basketmania 2.0 in Softonic

There is a distinct lack of First Person Shooter games on the Mac so Warsow tries to plug the gap with a futuristic take on the genre.

You play the role of the hero in a cartoon graphic world where you take-on rocket launcher-wielding pigs and laser gun-carrying cyberpunks in a variety of different worlds. The controls are fairly simple - you jump, dash, dodge and wall-jump your way through the game using the arrow keys, the mouse to aim and shoot, and a "special key" to speed-dash.

As you progress, you have to grab power-ups, plant bombs and ultimately, steal the enemy flag. However, there are variations on the aim such as Team Deathmatch, Clan Arena and Duels. If you've got any scripting knowledge, you can even create your own gametype using the gametype scripting system.

When you start the game, you have to join one that's already in progress. The problem is that many of these have passwords you have to be sure to select one that's open to all. It's advisable to follow the game tutorial first which you can find in the "Demos" menu. The overall graphics aren't bad for a free game and jumping off walls and speed dashes adds some spice to it. You can also cycle through an impressive array of weapons using the mouse wheel.

Joining and leaving a game can be a pain though. You have to wait a while to join a new game and if you are killed, it takes a long time before you can rejoin.

Overall though, Warsow is a well designed and lovingly put together First Person Shooter game with a thriving community of users to have fun blowing away.

Download Warsow 0.61 in Softonic

Caster is like going to a 3D rave, running around like you're on acid trying to shoot weird bugs while all the while listening to pumping dance music.

If that's not enough to make you give Caster a try I don't know what is because it's a lot of fun. Caster sees you dash across a 3D world destroying bug like creatures called the Flanx using 6 Unique Attacks that include "Massive Terrain Deformation" and "High Speed Barrages of Energy Blasts". Any game that includes special moves like those, has to be good, right?

The game takes the format of a storyboard where your mission commander spells out exactly what you have to do. To begin with, you take part in a training exercise where your aim is simply to blast away the targets in front of you. The annoying this is that you can only use the keyboard to move but you can use the mouse to shoot. In single window mode, trying to remove the mouse from the screen without pausing it is impossible which is really annoying if you have something urgent to take care of on your desktop or if you want to take a screenshot.

The soundtrack is pure Ibiza and the movement of the character is superb however. The first few worlds are rather plain and boring but then the colors get more intense as you move on to blasting the bugs after the practice sessions.

Caster is an excellent game that's a bit crazy but that's what I like about it. The controls let it down though - it would be much more fun sliding around with the mouse instead of keyboard.

Download Caster 1.3.5 in Softonic

A little game of pool is always good fun and MacPool makes it possible.

Hitting balls is all done by dragging your mouse to add force to your shot and calculate the angle. You use the arrow arrow keys to adjust the hitting point on the ball and add effects like top spin.

You can supposedly play online against competitors from anywhere in the world, but we never managed to connect with anyone when we tried out MacPool.

There's more than a dozen narrator voices to comment your play, some of them rather annoying and others amusing.