Nine Sols — Mac download

The current build keeps Red Candle Games' hand-drawn 2D action-platformer in step with modern Mac hardware. Nothing feature-facing changed — this is a maintenance update for compatibility.

Parry-driven duels and looping, upgrade-filled regions

• Combat built around precise deflection and parry timing.
• Exploring interconnected regions that loop back on themselves.
• NPC interactions that grant upgrades, new abilities and useful technologies.
• Hand-drawn animation across every character and environment.

Runs on M1 Air and up, needs 15 GB free

• Minimum processor is an M1 Air; recommended graphics hardware is an M1 Pro.
• Needs 8 GB RAM and 15 GB of free disk space.
• Interface languages: English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian.
• Runs on ARM and 64-bit x86 Macs; requires macOS 10.13 or later.
• Combat rhythm leans hard on deflection — no block-and-sponge approach here.

Daily performance and feel

On Apple Silicon the game settles into a steady 60 fps at native resolution without much effort. The M1 Air handles it, though a Pro chip leaves more headroom when screen effects stack up. Loading between regions takes a few seconds, and the fan rarely kicks in on any recent Mac.

Memory use sits around the 2–3 GB mark during play. That leaves breathing room even on an 8 GB machine if you keep a browser or notes app open in the background. The 15 GB install size is honest — no post-install unpacking that balloons the footprint.

Easily missed details

• Quick restart after death. Tapping Esc the moment the death animation ends skips the fade and reloads the last checkpoint faster than waiting through the full sequence.
• Directional parry cancels. Tapping parry mid-dash cuts the dash short and lets you deflect earlier than the recovery window suggests. Tricky to time, but it changes the flow of fast boss patterns.
• NPC dialogue refreshes. Several characters update their lines after major boss defeats or when you return carrying a new ability. No marker tells you this — it pays to backtrack and listen.
• Map pin shorthand. Dropping a pin on the map and double-tapping it opens a tiny text field. Useful for noting locked doors or upgrade shrines you plan to revisit.
• Manga scene gallery. Holding Tab during any manga-style cutscene pauses it and adds it to a gallery accessible from the main menu. Easy to miss if you never interrupt a scene.

• macOS 10.13 or later
• Apple Silicon or 64-bit Intel processor
• 8 GB RAM minimum
• 15 GB available disk space
• M1 graphics minimum; M1 Pro recommended