Dead Island 7.0.0 (macOS)

You pick one of six survivors, each with their own lines and traits, and set out across a Los Angeles sealed off after the army pulled out. Combat is first-person, melee-heavy, and the skill trees let you shape how each character fights.

Plays the full campaign and both expansions

• Playing the full Dead Island campaign plus the Haus and SoLA expansions in one install.
• Experimenting with builds – abilities are customisable per character.
• Facing variety: dozens of zombie variants keep the fighting from going stale.

Ultimate Edition Mac port from Dambuster Studios

• This is the Ultimate Edition of the Mac release, published by Dambuster Studios.
• The original game launched on 21 April 2023, but the Mac port was tested on macOS Sequoia with an M1 MacBook Air.
• Apple Silicon only – no Intel support.

Offline single-player mode with no activation required

Does it need an internet connection? The co-op multiplayer uses platform-specific matchmaking, so that part needs a connection. The single-player campaign runs entirely offline – activation is not required.

Can I play with someone on a PC or console? The Mac version uses its own matchmaking pool. Cross-platform play is not listed as supported, so you are limited to other Mac players on the same platform.

Which languages have voice acting? Only English voice is listed. The interface and subtitles cover a wide set: Russian, German, Spanish, Italian, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, French, Czech and Japanese. You switch them in the game's settings.

Does it include the DLC? Yes – the Ultimate Edition bundles the base campaign, the Haus expansion and the SoLA expansion in one install. No extra downloads needed.

Fix launch failures by mounting the disk image first

Game won't start after copying. Make sure you mounted the disk image first and dragged the app into the Applications folder alias. Opening it directly from the mounted image can fail. Wait for the copy to finish before launching from Launchpad.

Low storage warning. The install is large. Check you have free space before mounting the disk image – macOS might refuse to copy if the drive is tight.

Co-op sessions not finding games. Confirm both players are on the same version (1.0.1 [MAS] fix) and the same platform. Network firewalls or strict NAT types can block matchmaking – try switching your connection to a wired network or toggling the router's UPnP setting on and off.

Text appears in the wrong language. The first launch picks up your system locale. Go into the in-game options and set the interface language manually. The list is long enough that yours should be there.

Mount, copy, check specs, then launch from Launchpad

You mount the disk image and drag Dead Island into Applications. While it copies you check the system requirements – macOS Sequoia, Apple Silicon – which your machine matches. The copy finishes, you open it from Launchpad and the splash screen appears.

You pick a character. The six are displayed with their traits listed underneath. You go for one with high stamina – melee in this game drains it fast. You name the save and the opening cutscene plays: Los Angeles empty, quarantine signs, the army gone.

Combat starts with a few shambling zombies. You test the melee swing, block, and the dodge roll. The skill tree is a single screen – you put one point into a damage perk and another into a faster stamina recharge. Switching tactics later is as quick as opening the tree again.

An hour in, a mutated zombie shows up. Its movement pattern is different, and the game throws a handful of variants together. You adjust your approach – more distance, thrown weapons – and survive.

Later you quit, come back the next day. The save loads without fuss. You are still in the same district, same progress, same build.

• macOS Sequoia
• Apple Silicon