Top 10 best Game Center games for Mac
Get your wallet out
Back in September, Cupertino-based tech company Apple launched OS X Mountain Lion, the latest version of The Big A's increasingly popular desktop operating system.
Why are we telling you this?
Well, one of Mountain Lion's major new features was Game Center - Apple's very own Xbox Live-esque social network, which allows you to unlock achievements and compete on global leaderboards.
There are now loads of OS X Game Center-enabled apps and games available to download from the Mac App Store, and many of them boast cross-platform (with iOS) features.
Here are ten of the best.
Cut the RopeBy ZeptoLab - buy for Mac
You've probably played Cut the Rope already. It's available on most smartphones and tablets, after all.
Hell, you can even play it in Google's Chrome web browser.
Still, ZeptoLab's puzzler is one of the best around. Stages start out pretty easy, but quickly become tricky as spiders, electricity, and even ghosts stand in the way of your feeding the lovable Om Nom.
SpellTowerBy Zach Gage - buy for Mac
SpellTower is an excellent word game that managed to bag a Pocket Gamer Gold Award on the iPad. Now, you can also play it on your iMac or MacBook.
There are four different game modes in this title - Tower, Puzzle, Extreme Puzzle, and Rush - but your aim is pretty much the same in all of them: construct words using as many of the on-screen letters as possible.
OsmosBy Hemisphere Games - buy for Mac
Osmos is a simple and gorgeous-looking multi-award-winning puzzler that was named Apple's iPad game of the year back in 2010.
In this game, you take control of a small sphere. Your aim is to travel through petri dishes and solar systems by absorbing small motes and ejecting their matter behind you.
Anomaly Warzone EarthBy 11 bit studios - buy for Mac
This is a tower defence title with a twist. In fact, it's actually more of a tower 'offence' title, because you take on the role of an attacker rather than a defender.
Your job is to lead a squad of brave soldiers through the streets of Baghdad and Tokyo, and kick the dastardly aliens that have invaded your planet in the throat.
Call of Duty: Black OpsBy Aspyr Media - buy for Mac
Xbox 360 and PS3 hit Call of Duty: Black Ops is now available to download from the Mac App Store, complete with Game Center-powered achievements and leaderboards.
You know the drill. You're a soldier in an elite squad that undertakes covert missions and operates in secret wars. These missions involve shooting people in the face and, well, shooting more people in the face.
The Bard's TaleBy inXile Entertainment - buy for Mac
In this RPG, you take on the role of, well, a bard, who can summon magical characters into battle through song. If only life were that easy, eh.
Anyways, The Bard's Tale contains several nifty features, including iCloud support. So, you can begin your adventure on your MacBook Air and finish it on your iPhone or iPad without losing any of your progress.
Sky Gamblers: Air SupremacyBy Namco Networks - buy for Mac
Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy is jam-packed with game modes.
Complete its campaign, and there are still Dogfight, Survival, Free-for-All, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag modes to keep you busy.
And you WILL be busy. This game's arenas cover an area four times the size of New York City. That's pretty big.
Real Racing 2By EA Swiss - buy for Mac
It's almost impossible to pen a top ten article these days and not mention the excellent Real Racing 2.
This racer features 30 officially licensed cars from some of the world's most prestigious manufacturers, including Chevrolet, Jaguar, and McLaren.
You can take these dreamy motors for a spin in Career mode, test out their engines in Quick Race mode, and pit them against the clock in Time Trial mode.
Pocket PlanesBy NimbleBit - download free for Mac
Your aim in this free-to-play simulation is to create and develop a profitable airline company that's capable of ferrying passengers and cargo to over 250 real-world destinations.
If you play Pocket Planes on your iPhone or iPad, you can use Apple's iCloud service to sync your progress across all of your devices.
Chess
By Apple - pre-installed on Macs and MacBooks
Apple's built-in Chess app is far from being the most action-packed title available on the Mac App Store. It's not going to win any awards for its graphics, either.
It's ruddy fun, though. It invites you to compete against other budding strategists from around the world, and unlock Game Center-powered achievements along the way.