How to play Dominion on Mac

Is it possible to play Dominion on Mac?

Dominion is a deckbuilding game developed by Temple Gates Games. It is a purely competitive game for 2-4 players. You can play against real people or against AI; even computer opponents can provide plenty of challenge. In Dominion, there are several types of cards; the most important ones are attack, action, treasure, and victory cards. Each turn, the players draw five cards from their deck. They may play as many attack cards as they choose, as well as one action card. Additional cards may be purchased during gameplay by playing treasure cards; one new card may be acquired each turn. To win the game, the player must obtain more victory cards than others, but these cards are useless in normal gameplay. These rules may sound a bit confusing, but the truth is, this explanation was actually simplified. The real gameplay is a bit more nuanced than that, and the best way to understand it is to play Dominion yourself. It has a tabletop version, as well as digital versions for Android, iOS, and Windows PC. There is no macOS version, but you can play Dominion on Mac anyway. The guide below explains how to do it.

System Requirements

Play Dominion on Mac with Parallels

One easy way to play Dominion on Mac is by using a program called Parallels Desktop. This program is capable of creating and running virtual machines that run Windows and support hardware acceleration. In simpler terms, Parallels Desktop allows you to install Windows 10 on Mac with just a couple of clicks and switch between MacOS and Windows instantly. So you will be able to run Windows, install Steam (or any other launcher for that matter), and enjoy Dominion game on Mac just like you would on a regular PC. Generally speaking, you will need an iMac Pro or a Mac Pro to run demanding games. However, if the game you’re trying to run is old, or simply doesn’t demand much from computer hardware, then you will likely be able to run it on any Mac computer, including MacBook Air. When it comes to games in-between, it is recommended to consider your Mac’s hardware specifications instead of thinking in terms of its model.

Please note that not all games are supported by Parallels Desktop. Several conditions must be met for the game to be playable. Your Mac must exceed minimum system requirements for the game. Playing a game on Windows running through Parallels places additional strain on your Mac, so meeting them is not enough. Games that require DirectX12 are currently not supported by Parallels. Online games that use anti-cheat software may be incompatible as well. AppsOnMac recommends using Parallels’ free trial feature to determine whether you can run the game or not if you’re uncertain.

Install Windows 10 on Parallels (Step 1)

Install Windows 10 on Parallels (Step 2)

Install Windows 10 on Parallels (Step 3)

Install Windows 10 on Parallels (Step 4)

Play Dominion on Mac with CrossOver

CrossOver, developed by CodeWeavers, is a Windows compatibility layer for macOS, ChromeOS, and Linux. It enables many Windows-based applications to run on these operating systems without virtualization. Though compatibility layers can be tricky to work with, CrossOver in particular includes user-friendly configuration tools, automated installation scripts, and technical support. Unlike Parallels Desktop, CrossOver supports DirectX12 games. All things considered, this is a relatively easy way to run Windows software and games on non-Windows devices. As such, you may be able to play Dominion on Mac using CrossOver.

Play Dominion on Mac with Bluestacks

Among the variety of Android emulators, Bluestacks is the most advanced one. It’s not always easy to map touchscreen controls to a keyboard, but Bluestacks has many features that greatly simplify this process. All popular games come witha a control scheme pre-installed, and it’s not difficult to make your own, either. What’s more, Bluestacks is capable of maintaining high FPS in any mobile game, even if you have a weak computer. This is why you may be able to use Bluestacks to run Android version of Dominion on Mac.

Play Dominion on Mac with cloud gaming services

If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy Dominion game system requirements, there is an easy solution. Cloud gaming services will be happy to provide you with sufficient computing power – though not for free, of course. All you need is a fast internet connection. There are several great platforms that provide these services; the best ones are Boosteroid, Xbox Cloud, AirGPU, and NVidia GeForce NOW. Out of these, we recommend AirGPU as it can be used to play any Windows game, including Dominion.
Try AirGPU

Play Dominion on Mac with Tenorshare Phone Mirror

Tenorshare Phone Mirror is an application that allows you to control your smartphone from a PC or Mac. You will see your phone’s screen on the computer, and will be able to issue commands with keyboard and mouse. With advanced keyboard mapping abilities, similar to what is offered by Android emulators, you will be able to play Dominion on Mac easily, all while enjoying the precision of PC controls. This method has an obvious disadvantage – it requires you to have a phone capable of running Dominion. However, there are several advantages as well. Because the game doesn’t actually run on your computer, the specifications of your Mac don’t matter. What’s more, it is unlikely that you will be banned in any game for using this tool – something that might happen while using emulators. Phone Mirror can be used to control both iOS and Android devices, so unless you have a weak smartphone, this app will be useful to you.

Play Dominion on Mac with BootCamp

Note: Mac computers with new Apple Silicon chips (M1, M1 Pro, M2) currently do not support BootCamp. In this case, please, use the options above to run Dominion on Mac

This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play Dominion on Mac by installing Windows. You need to set up a dual boot of Windows and Mac via BootCamp. This is an application that allows users to choose the system to work in on startup, however, you won’t be able to switch between systems like in Parallels. You will need to reboot your machine every time you want to switch from Mac to Windows and vice versa. Remember that Mac is just a computer, in the end. And while newer Macs have their own special Apple Silicon chips that cannot run Windows, older Macs are very much similar to computers that run Windows, they have Intel processors, compatible RAM, disks, and other components. So you can install Windows on an older Mac by allocating no less than 64 GB of disk space (to be able to run Windows and a couple of games) and following these steps:

In macOS versions prior to OS X El Capitan 10.11, you will need to create a bootable Windows USB.

1. Download this Windows ISO file.
2. Open Boot Camp Assistant (Go to Applications > Utilities).
3. Define the Windows partition size and choose the Windows ISO file you’ve downloaded.
4. Format the Windows partition and go through all Windows installation steps.
5. When Windows boots for the first time follow on-screen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers)