Does Monster Train run on Mac?

Monster Train isn't native, but it runs well through CrossOver — a Windows compatibility layer that translates DirectX into Metal on Apple Silicon.

Can I play Monster Train on an M1/M2/M3 MacBook?

Yes. On an M1/M2/M3 MacBook the best route is CrossOver, which works across the whole Apple Silicon line.

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CrossOver

How to play Monster Train on Mac

Roguelike · 2020

Plays smoothly through CrossOver on Apple Silicon.

Overall rating: Not enough votes yet

Your setup

Detect your Mac to see whether Monster Train will run.

Plays smoothly through CrossOver on Apple Silicon.

How to run Monster Train on your Mac in 2026

Best path: Parallels

Runs in a full Windows 11 ARM virtual machine — the universal fallback for Windows games. Demanding 3D titles may need lower settings.

Heads up on Parallels: Requires a Parallels licence and a Windows 11 ARM install

Method	Quality	Difficulty	Cost
ParallelsPick	Excellent	Medium	$99/yr	Get it ↗
CrossOver	Good	Medium	$74 / $39/yr	Get it ↗
Boosteroid	Good	Easy	$9.95 /mo	Get it ↗
Whisky	Playable	Medium	Free	Get it ↗

Get Parallels Try CrossOver See all methods & install guide ↓

Monster Train

Metacritic

A strategic roguelike deckbuilder where you defend the last burning pyre of Hell from an angelic invasion. Build powerful synergies across three vertical combat lanes while ascending through procedurally generated floors.

Monster Train has no native Mac build. It runs reliably through CrossOver or Whisky on Apple Silicon, or via cloud streaming on Boosteroid.

See how to play it on your Mac

What the world thinks

Performance

What each M-series Mac can realistically handle. Tap any chip to report your experience.

M1 chip

Medium

~60 fps

M2 chip

Medium

~60 fps

M3 chip

Ultra

~60 fps

M4 chip

Ultra

~120 fps

M5 chip

Ultra

~120 fps

Best way to play it on Mac

Monster Train has no native Mac build. It runs reliably through CrossOver or Whisky on Apple Silicon, or via cloud streaming on Boosteroid.

See how to play it on your Mac

See if this is the right method for your setup

Ways to play Monster Train on Mac

Here are all the options available, ranked by what we recommend first.

Recommended

Parallels

Full Windows 11 ARM inside macOS.

Difficulty: MediumCost: $99/year + Windows licenseGood

Try Parallels Desktop free How to set up ↓

CrossOver

One-click local install, official support.

Difficulty: MediumCost: $74 one-time / $39/yearGood

Try CrossOver free for 14 days How to set up ↓

Boosteroid

Needs 25+ Mbps internet, wired ideal.

Difficulty: EasyCost: $9.95 / monthGood

Get Boosteroid How to set up ↓

Whisky

Free option built on Game Porting Toolkit.

Difficulty: MediumCost: FreePlayable

Download Whisky (free) How to set up ↓

Compare methods at a glance

Lower = better

How each supported method stacks up on setup effort, time and runtime overhead.

Method

Setup Difficulty

Time Investment

Performance Overhead

ParallelsVMTop pick
Setup
Moderate
Time
30 min
Overhead
High
BoosteroidCloud
Setup
Simple
Time
5 min
Overhead
Low
CrossOverTranslation
Setup
Moderate
Time
15 min
Overhead
Medium
WhiskyTranslation
Setup
Moderate
Time
15 min
Overhead
Medium

Where to buy Monster Train

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Platform-by-platform reliability

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Step-by-step setup guides

Idiot-proof walkthroughs for every method.

How to run Monster Train on Mac with Parallels

Good· Compatibility

Using Parallels to play Monster Train means running a full copy of Windows 11 ARM inside macOS. This is the most "it just works" approach for games that don't behave under CrossOver, and DirectX 11 is hardware-accelerated. You'll need a Windows license and roughly 80 GB of disk space.

Step-by-step

Buy / start a trial of Parallels Desktop.
Install Windows 11 ARM via the one-click wizard.
Inside Windows, install Steam / Xbox app and Monster Train.
Enable DirectX 11 in Parallels settings for best 3D performance.

Video proof

Try Parallels Desktop free ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.

How to run Monster Train on Mac with CrossOver

Good· Compatibility

Running Monster Train through CrossOver translates its Windows DirectX calls into Metal on Apple Silicon — no reboot, no Windows license, no virtual machine. Most setup time is spent on first-time bottle configuration and installing the game launcher (Steam, Epic, etc.) inside CrossOver. Once that's done, launching feels close to native. Expect 15–30 minutes of setup on the first run.

Step-by-step

Step 1 — Create a bottle

Open CrossOver → click New Bottle
Name it after the game (e.g. Monster Train) and choose Windows 10 64-bit
Open the bottle's Settings and set:

- Graphics: D3DMetal (not DXVK)

- Synchronization: ESync

- High Resolution Mode: Off

Step 2 — Install the game launcher

Inside CrossOver, click Install Application → search for Steam (or Epic Games Launcher if you own it there)
Install it into the same bottle you just created
Launch Steam, log in, and let it fully update before proceeding

Step 3 — Install and launch Monster Train

Open Steam (or your launcher) inside CrossOver
Install Monster Train through the launcher as normal
Launch the game — use the launcher's Play button, not CrossOver directly
First launch may take 30–90 seconds to show a window. Don't force-quit unless it hangs for several minutes.

Step 4 — If you hit issues

Black screen / stuck in small window: go to Settings → Graphics in-game, set Screen Type to Fullscreen, then restart
Resolution resets on every launch: find the game's config/settings file and set the resolution values manually, then mark the file Read-Only to prevent the game overwriting it
Crashes on startup: try switching the bottle's Synchronization from ESync to MSync, or vice versa

Video proof

Try CrossOver free for 14 days ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.

How to run Monster Train on Mac with Boosteroid

Good· Streaming

Streaming Monster Train through Boosteroid is the fastest way to start playing on a Mac — there's nothing to install, no Windows VM, no compatibility layer. The game runs on a remote GPU and your Mac just receives the video, which means even a base M1 MacBook Air can play the most demanding AAA titles at high settings. The tradeoff is that you need a stable internet connection (ideally wired or 5GHz Wi-Fi with 25+ Mbps down) and a subscription.

Step-by-step

Create a Boosteroid account and pick a plan.
Use the web client or download the macOS app.
Add Monster Train from their library (you'll need to own it on Steam/Epic).

Video proof

Get Boosteroid ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.

How to run Monster Train on Mac with Whisky

Playable· Compatibility

Running Monster Train through Whisky translates the game's Windows DirectX calls into Metal on the fly. Performance is impressively close to a native Windows PC on Apple Silicon, and you stay entirely inside macOS — no VM, no rebooting. Expect to spend 10–20 minutes on first-time setup.

Step-by-step

Download Whisky (free, requires macOS 14+).
Open Whisky → New Bottle.
Install Steam or your launcher in the bottle.
Install Monster Train and run it from Whisky.

Video proof

Download Whisky (free) ↗Affiliate link — supports the site at no extra cost.

Our recommendation

For most Mac players we recommend Parallels as the fastest, smoothest way to play Monster Train. Full Windows 11 ARM inside macOS.

Method	Quality	Difficulty	Cost
ParallelsPick	Excellent	Medium	$99/year + Windows license
CrossOver	Good	Medium	$74 one-time / $39/year
Boosteroid	Good	Easy	$9.95 / month
Whisky	Playable	Medium	Free

How to play Monster Train on Mac

Best path: Parallels

Monster Train

What the world thinks

Performance

Ways to play Monster Train on Mac

Parallels

CrossOver

Boosteroid

Whisky

Compare methods at a glance

Where to buy Monster Train

Platform-by-platform reliability

Step-by-step setup guides

How to run Monster Train on Mac with Parallels

Step-by-step

Video proof

How to run Monster Train on Mac with CrossOver

Step-by-step

Video proof

How to run Monster Train on Mac with Boosteroid

Step-by-step

Video proof

How to run Monster Train on Mac with Whisky

Step-by-step

Video proof

Our recommendation

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