cubeworld for mac

How To Play Cube World On Mac (Free & Paid)

Nick Mead
How To
131

Cube World is an action role-playing game known for its voxel-based graphics and exploration-focused gameplay.

The game combines lots of great RPG elements such as creation, exploration and action inspired by cult classics such as Zelda, Diablo and Minecraft.

Although it is only available on Steam for Windows, you can still play Cube World on a Mac using several methods.

There are various ways to play Windows only games on a Mac although the following are the best ones we’ve seen to play Cube World.

Here then we show you the only verified ways to play the game that actually work on a Mac including both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

1. Boot Camp (Intel Only)

Boot Camp allows you to install Windows on a partition on your Mac’s hard drive. You can then boot in Windows whenever you want and play Windows only games on it.

Boot Camp is a free tool in macOS but unfortunately, is only available for Intel Macs. It doesn’t not work on M-series Macs.

Follow these instructions to install Windows on a Mac with Boot Camp.

2. Virtual Machine

parallels on a mac

A virtual machine allows you to run Windows virtually within macOS. This means you don’t even have to reboot your Mac in Windows to use it, you can just switch to it whenever you want.

There are various virtual machines available although the best one for playing Cube World is Parallels.

Parallels does require a subscription though but there are also free options like VMware Fusion.

To choose which one is best for you, check out our guide to the best virtual machines for Mac.

FAQ

Does Cube World work using Crossover on a Mac?

Cube World used to work on a Mac using Crossover via the CrossTie tool but it no longer works due to recent updates to macOS and Apple Silicon Macs.

cube world for mac crossover

Currently, Crossover lists Cube World as “not playable”.

crossover mac cube world

When Will Cube World Be Released On Mac?

There is no release date for Cube World on Mac and don’t hold your breath for one either.

Ever since 2013 when Cube World was originally released for PC, the developer Wollay has claimed that he is “planning a version of Cube World for Mac in the future”.

As yet, there is still no sign of it and not even the PC version of Cube World has been updated in over a year so it’s unlikely a Mac version will be released anytime soon.

Releases of Cube World in general are often surrounded by confusion. It wasn’t clear when the original Cube World Alpha version for PC was in the public domain because a closed Cube World Alpha was released but only to certain gamers such as those at Yogscast.

However, they were the lucky ones and part of the deal would was that they had to promise the developer that they would not distribute it although inevitably, in the end versions leaked out unofficially.

cube world download mac

What’s Cube World Like?

Even if you’ve never heard of Cube World, if you’re a fan of Minecraft on Mac, it’s definitely worth checking out. Cube World is an interesting mix of various genres and games. The German developer of Cube World “Wollay” says of it:

My inspirations were Minecraft, Zelda, Secret of Mana, Monster Hunter, Diablo, World of Warcraft and many more. My aim was to create an infinite, colorful, procedurally generated world, full of adventures, monsters, and mysteries. The result is Cube World, a voxel-based role-playing game.

Cube World looks very similar to Minecraft and there will inevitably be comparisons.

But while Cube World lacks the originality of Minecraft, it’s arguably got more depth because of the various influences cited by the developer and it’s a bit more visually appealing than Minecraft with more pixel dense graphics.

cube world download

Like Minecraft, world’s are randomly generated endlessly and players can generate their own world.

Also like Minecraft, there are no borders to Cube World – your imagination is the only limit. There are lots of different landscapes ranging from mountains, caves and rivers to dungeons, temples and even catacombs to explore.

cube world download pc

You can also follow the Cube World twitter account (which is by the developer Wolfram von Funck) if you want the very latest updates although it seems that development of Cube World has ceased.

Is Cube World available for macOS natively?

No, Cube World is only available for Windows. You need to use Boot Camp or a virtual machine to play it on a Mac.

Which method offers the best performance?

Using Boot Camp offers the best performance as it allows you to run Windows natively on your Mac hardware but it only works on Intel Macs.

Is there any risk of damaging my Mac with these methods?

No, if done correctly, these methods should not harm your Mac. However, you should always backup your Mac before trying any of these methods.

Can I run Cube World on a Mac with an M1, M2 or M3 chip?

Yes, using a virtual machine like Parallels Desktop which supports Apple Silicon Macs, you can run Windows and play Cube World.

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Nick Mead
Nick founded MacHow2 in 2013 and has a bachelor's degree in Journalism. Nick started life as a tech journalist and created MacHow2 mainly to help users like himself that had switched from Windows to macOS (and never looked back). Since then the site has evolved into one of the biggest independent online resources for Mac users new and old. You can follow him on X or get in touch via email below or the contact form at the top of the site.

131 Responses

  7. ok can somebody just please give me a step by step guide on how to use cube world alpha it says I need to install DirectX. something about XAudio2.

    I AM ON FULL PAID ALPHA

    Reply

    1. There is no Cube World for Mac release date yet. However, it probably won’t be released until after the full PC version has been released. It will be at least a few months, probably longer.

      Reply

      1. Ok, so when the Mac version MAY be out might be after the full release of the PC version, right? So does that mean we’re gonna have to wait till the full release comes out and pay full price (and not pay alpha price)? Or do you suppose there might be a Mac alpha.

        Reply

        1. I don’t think there will be a Cube World Mac Alpha. The developer will either just release the final version of Cube World for Mac after the PC version is released or there will be a Cube World Mac Beta for which you will probably have to pay the same as the PC version i.e. $20. I would guess however that you won’t have to pay again when the full Mac version is released.

          Reply

          1. So could I buy it now to reserve the prize? Like if I buy it now I can download it on any computer later-right?

          2. Yes you can purchase Cube World now and download it later. However, you can only install and activate Cube World on one computer.

          3. Alrighty, so I can download CubeWorld however many times I want on the same computer? Like if i were to accidentally delete it would I be able to re-download it on the same computer? ~ sorry for all the questions btw.

          4. When you install Cube World, you have to create an account and that account is then forever linked with the install you made. If something goes wrong with the game on your PC, you can re-download and install it again.

  11. Anyone know how to fix “The program Cube.exe has encountered a serious problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience”? This happens when I try and open cube.exe after doing the winebottler stuff

    Reply

    1. MAYBE I have the solution to that, but could you please tell me exactly the process you did to arrive to that point? For some reason I’m still having issues

      Reply

        1. Of course I read them, but there’s something I must be missing because I get some weird errors, that I also explained

          Reply

  12. So the link to buy it you put up top i went to it and if i downloaded it (im on a mac) will i be able to play it or not?

    Reply

    1. No you won’t be able to play Cube World on Mac. The download is only for PC but a Mac version will be released in the future according to the developer.

      Reply

    1. A Cube World for Mac download has not been released so you can’t pay for it and download it. The only way to play it on Mac is by downloading the PC version and using Wine to run it on a Mac as discussed earlier in this comment thread.

      Reply

  14. Alright, please reply if you can, so you are saying that if I were to download the alpha right now, and then a few months later or so when it is released, you have to pay again for the full version and then from that receive updates for free, or if we buy the alpha will it give you an option to update to the full version without buying it again?

    Reply

    1. You will have to pay for the full version when it is released even if you have the Cube World Alpha version. The only thing the developer Wollay has said about the price of the full version of Cube World is that it will be more than the Alpha version i.e. more than $20.

      Reply

      1. Once you buy the alpha u do not have to buy the full version. Wollay said updates are free. And the full version is an update. If i’m wrong then proof me wrong but I’m pretty sure I’m correct.

        Reply

  16. But to fix Could not initialize xAudio2 you must check the boxes “This is the acutal program, copy it and all files that are in the same folder”. Then on winetrick search for XACT_jun2010 and check the box. Then check the box which says Bundle: “Include Wine binaries, so the app can run without prior install of Wine”. Then Install then b00m. But if u press a button on tech demo is crashes

    Reply

  17. Wait when i’m on it, it only shows the background and no title for cube world and if i press enter or esc or any button it closes and says I’ve enounceted a serious problem. But when i click on the demo it works. Summary: when i press a button it crashes but if i use a mouse click it is okay.

    Reply

    1. I have the same problem. I used “Crossover” for mac to make it run, also installing DirectX from the list of programs supported by crossover, I see the world spinning in the background and it is very smooth, but no logo, description or title screen whatsoever, I just see the cubeworld world spinning. Then when I press a key, it crashes. If someone could reply to this with a solution it would be a massive help.

      Reply

  20. I had already tried what you just said, except checking “Include wine binaries”. Now I tried, but the message is still the same. 🙁 Also, I don’t have a Demo version, I bought the alpha.
    Anyway, thanks a lot for the help, I really hope someone figures out this mess soon @_@

    Reply

  21. Go to where it says winetricks when you are using winebottler. Then type in xact Jun2010 where it says search on the winetricks box thing. Instead of having “This is an installer, execute it” checked, check ” this is an actual program, copy it and all files that are in the same folder.” Also check ” Include wine binaries. ” Hope I helped! Remember the demo is a tech demo! IT IS ONLY TO TEST IF CUBEWORLD WILL WORK ON YOUR COMPUTER. ALL YOU SHOULD SEE IS A CUBEWORLD WORLD SPINNING. If you have any questions ask.

    PS: This methed dosen’t work on the alpha version. I’m still work on a solution for the alpha version.

    Reply

    1. Johnny, Thanks very much for for the tips but there are no other versions of Cube World available. The Cube World Alpha download is the only one released so far so which version are you using?

      Reply

    2. It worked but it does not show the title only the background and when i press a button it crashes and says “i’ve encountered a serious problem”.

      Reply

  22. Mac How, I did everything you and Johnny Smith said in order to install XACT Jun2010. But When WineBottler is about to create the computer console opens and it says: “Prefix creation aborted” . I have no idea how to fix this, I hope you guys can help me! Thank you very much.

    Reply

  23. Please I spent all day trying to get cube world to run on mac using winebottler, and i have no clue how to fix the xaudio2. Add me on Skype please: paurav12345

    I right click the Cube.exe for the demo and click wine bottler. Then this yellowish box appears so I only check the circular box which says This is an installer, execute it. For winetricks i do nothing as i have no clue what to do, I downloaded the Jun2010Xact thing but i don’t know how to put it into winetricks. Then i press install. Then after that i open it and it opens up as a internet page and goes to winebottler. >_< help me!!!!!

    Reply

  24. Sorry for repeating a question but how do I fix “Could not initialize xAudio2” when opening the game with WineBottler (On Mac)?

    Reply

  25. I tried to start the Tech Deom on my Windowas Pc, but I’ve go a “Could not initialize xAudio2”. Can someone help me?

    Reply

    1. Read up a little (scroll up and read), someone else solved this problem, and hopefully I’ll get Mac How to fix the link to the download you need.

      Reply

      1. If you’re playing Cube World on PC simply plugin your headphones and it will fix the “Could not initialize xAudio2″ error.

        Dave, the solution above only works for those using WineBottler to play Cube World on Mac.

        Reply

  26. When will Mac version of Cube world be able? You said it would be soon and on wollays website it says they are doing it in the future which means it may not be soon. Roughly when would Cube world support Macs.

    Reply

    1. There is no official release date for Cube World Beta or the final version of Cube World. However, my guess is that the beta will probably be released in a few months when problems with the Cube World Alpha version (which was released on July 2nd) are fully fixed.

      Reply

  29. I used xact Jun2010. Make sure you are using wine bottler. Also make sure ” this is an actual program, copy it and all files that are in the same folder ” and ” Include wine binaries ” are both checked off.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Johnny. For those that follow Johnny’s tip to fix the Cube World for Mac “Could not initialize xAudio2” error, here is the XACT Jun2010 file you need to install. XACT is a free audio compression tool for Mac. As Johnny says, make sure you use WineBottler and uncheck both the options that say “this is an actual program, copy it and all files that are in the same folder” and “Include wine binaries”.

      Reply

          1. Its not the Cube World site, it’s your link to the XACT file. And just to clarify, can I just use the file and say open with Wine Bottler?

          2. Sorry Dave for the confusion and broken link for XACT Jun2010 – it’s fixed now. Yes, as Johnny said earlier, you can use it with WineBottler so that you can play Cube World on Mac.

          3. Hopefully this goes to the bottom of the reply series. Anyways, I run it with Wine Bottler, and the things are unchecked, but when it creates a .app file, I open it and X11 opens the Wine website. Help!

          4. I think I figured it out, it was a nooby wine mistake. I didn’t add XACT_Jun2010 with winetricks.

          5. Nevermind, still not working. If it helps, I installed cubeworld with wine in terminal, but I can only get it to work (show pictures and not say invalid email password or license) when I go to the .wine folder and run the exe with the regular non terminal wine.

          6. I used the winetricks thing on the bar on the top, and got it passed the Xaudio2 error, now a thing popped up saying “The program Cube.exe has encountered a serious problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

          7. I tried to get it working with winebottler but I get “CPU does not meet minimum requirement; Streaming SIMD Extensions support required.”

          8. The “CPU does not meet minimum requirement; Streaming SIMD Extensions support required” error is a bug on Wine for Mac. You may have to try installing Windows on your Mac using Bootcamp instead to play Cube World on Mac.

    1. Great. Can you please explain exactly what you did using Winetricks to get past the “Could not initialize xAudio2” Cube World error message?

      Reply

  32. I’ve try to play Cube World with Wine on my mac but it always says ” Could not initialize xAudio2 ” and then it say for me to download and install the latest Directx. Is there a way to get around this problem? Please Help!

    Reply

        2. Unfortunately this seems like a bug with DirectX and Wine not recognizing the Mac soundcard. There’s not much you can do I’m afraid apart from play it on a Windows PC instead.

          Reply

  33. If you buy cube world now, do we get the full game for free when it is released in the future?

    Reply

  35. i think $20 is a lot for alpha i think if you buy it in alpha you should get special in game objects what do you think?

    Reply

    1. If you buy the Alpha, you will also get all of the updates in the future for free, which means you will have payed only 20, but when it is released into beta or full game it will cost a bit more, so I think 20$ is fine.

      Reply

  39. About the Mac version of the game, does anybody know if the game will be ported on Mac soon (I mean before the release of the game) or will it be ported after the release ?

    Reply

    1. Niddog, The developer has said that Cube World will definitely be released for Mac but our guess is that it will be after the full version has been released on PC.

      Reply

      1. Ok … Thank you for your answer ! I will try to play on a virtual machine, I can’t wait to play to this game anymore 😉

        Reply

  40. This game may be awsome , but I’m not paying 20 bucks for a Alpha verion just to pay more for the full game.
    Nope. .-.

    Reply

    1. Meykkel, It is quite a lot of money for an Alpha version. Presumably though Alpha users will receive a significant discount on the full version, or even a free upgrade, when it is released.

      Reply

    2. You idiot. It says in the FAQ, that if you buy ANY version of the game, you WILL GET FUTURE UPDATES.

      Reply

  42. On Picroma.com it says Cubeworld has been released but the servers are down so i hate myself for saying this but is it True? It was posted my Woolay

    Reply

      1. Will you be accepting £’s? I’m English and i don’t really want to go to ALL the trouble of changing my money into $ just to pay…

        Reply

        1. You don’t have to change currency. You can pay the developer for the Cube World download online in any currency and it will be automatically converted to pounds by your bank.

          Reply

  43. Is cubeworld going to be Free or is it going to cost money (D:) if it is going to cost money How much would it be?

    Reply

    1. There will be a demo which will be free but the functionality will be limited. The full Alpha version however, you will have to pay for but it will be fully functional with all the features.

      Reply

  44. i know that alpha copies of cube world have been given to some people, people like the yogscast. im wondering if anyone has the alpha and if they ould be kind enough to upload it somewhere?

    Reply

    1. You are correct. A closed Cube World Alpha was given to some gamers such as those at Yogscast. I very much doubt any of these lucky gamers would be willing to upload it because part of the deal with the developer was that they promised not to distribute it.

      Reply

  45. earlier on youtube i saw someone playing cube world. when is coming out and how can people play it if i didn’t even come out?

    Reply

        1. Because a very limited number of gamers were given access to a closed Cube World Alpha version. The rest of us will have to wait!

          Reply

        1. No. You must pay $20 for the Alpha and then pay again when the full version is released. After that, all future updates will be free.

          Reply

          1. It is a one time payment, so if you do buy it in alpha you will have it in beta and full. This is what Wollay said “Buying in alpha will give you the beta & the full game”.

        1. Cube World was officially released on 2nd July so there will be lots of YouTube videos of it uploaded over the next few weeks. As to videos uploaded before then, they must be the closed Alpha releases such as the ones played by gamers at Yogscast.

          Reply

        1. If you mean when will the full version of Cube World be released, there’s no official date yet. The Alpha version is available now though.

          Reply

    2. My brother has the game and i dont know how he got it…. he said the website was getting DDossed so thats why you couldnt download it..

      Reply

      1. Your brother got it because the Cube World Alpha version was released a week ago on July 2nd. The developer website was overloaded at first but eventually it was fixed.

        Reply

      2. Just because download servers run slow or are un avalible does not mean it is being DDOSed. This game is kinda going viral, and it is very common for download servers to run slow (especially for small indie games like this). DDOSing isn’t as common as everyone thinks, everytime a server runs slow everyone instantly thinks someone is DDSING it. Yes, DDOS attacks aren’t unheard of, but they aren’t as common as everyone makes them.

        Reply

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