Is it possible to play Shadows of Doubt on Mac?
Shadows of Doubt is an innovative detective game done in a pixelated art style. Developed by ColePowered Games, it aims to be the first investigation-based sandbox. And although it is still in Early Access, it has already mostly succeeded at this goal. But how is this possible? One of the main limitations of detective games is that they need to be hand-crafted; they require the developer to come up with a mystery for the player to uncover. To solve this issue, Shadow of Doubt generates an entire city, with stores, apartments, interactive objects, and so on. It is then populated with AI-controlled people; most of them are simply going about their daily business, but some are serial killers. To perform murder, the killer AI needs to actually do it: to get near their victim, to use some kind of object capable of killing, and to get away. Since they exist in a larger simulated world, they will inevitably leave at least some clues. Thus, an endless series of murder mysteries can be procedurally generated. Currently, the developers support only one version of this game, the version for Microsoft Windows. But you can also play Shadows of Doubt on Mac – even though it doesn’t have an official Mac version. Learn how to do it by reading the article below.
System Requirements
| Minimal | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 10 (64-bit) | OS: Windows 11 (64-bit) |
| Processor: Intel 6th Gen i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600 | Processor: Intel 9th Gen i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 3500 |
| RAM: 8 GB | RAM: 16 GB |
| Video card: Nvidia GTX 1060 or Radeon 5500XT | Video card: Nvidia GTX 3060 or Radeon RX 5700 XT |
| DirectX: Version 11 | DirectX: Version 11 |
| Storage: 4 GB | Storage: 4 GB |
Play Shadows of Doubt on Mac with Parallels
One easy way to play Shadows of Doubt 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 Epic Games Store, or any other launcher for that matter), and enjoy the Shadows of Doubt game on Mac just like 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. 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 DirectX 12 are currently not supported by Parallels.
If your Mac has an Apple Silicon chip (such as M1, M2, M3), you may experience issues playing modern games.
AppsOnMac recommends using Parallels’ free trial feature to determine whether you can run the game or not if you’re uncertain.
Play Shadows of Doubt on Mac with cloud gaming services
If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the Shadows of Doubt 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 browser or a small client program and a good internet connection starting from 15 MBit/s. There are several great platforms that provide these services; the best ones are Boosteroid, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and NVidia GeForce NOW.
As GeForce NOW has Shadows of Doubt in its game library, it is an excellent choice if you’re interested in this particular game.
Play Shadows of Doubt on Mac with BootCamp
Note: Mac computers with new Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3 Pro, or M1, M2, M3 Max) currently do not support BootCamp. In this case, please, use the options above to run Shadows of Doubt on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play Shadows of Doubt 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:
For MacOS versions prior to OS X El Capitan 10.11 you will need to create a bootable Windows USB.
- Download this Windows ISO file.
- Open Boot Camp Assistant (Go to Applications > Utilities).
- Define the Windows partition size and choose the Windows ISO file you’ve downloaded.
- Format the Windows partition and go through all Windows installation steps.
- When Windows boots for the first time follow on-screen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers)