[2023] Can't launch game on Mac from Steam

VermilionSparrow said: If I run the base Paradox Launcher, which is linked to my Steam account, IT IS able to log in, but it says I have no games. From what I understand, CK3 should be in there (every other game I own is older than Stellaris).

You must have run the launcher from the desktop shortcut or Paradox launcher.app, which is a standalone mode for users who do not want to run Steam. It does need a separate game installation if used that way, but this game was never ported to that platform.

You'll need to run it from the PLAY button in your Steam Library instead.


Where your games are installed has nothing to do with the launcher being able to access your Documents folder, which by default is always on your Mac's boot drive, unless you or Apple have moved it to iCloud. In the left column of Finder right click on Documents, Get Info (cmd-i). What is the full path listed there for Documents?  

The Mac User Documents folder has been grabbed by Dropbox? Never seen that before!

Did you actually want it to be like that? I'm sure it is not a tested configuration for the launcher or game, that's all.  

Do the launcher and game write settings etc files there okay? Do mod files end up there?  

VermilionSparrow said: the game crashes when I click Play in the launcher.

What happens if you run ck3.app directly from Finder, does it then start and play okay?  

VermilionSparrow said: I get some popups asking for folder permissions (which I allow)

Hmmm. This is looking like a permissions issue, I have to say! Does it keep asking for permissions if you run ck3.app again?

In Privacy & Security, Full Disk Access, are Paradox Launcher and the game enabled in there?  

As I say, that will not be a tested situation so I guess it could always have had problems at some point.

If you want to revert to that situation, you may need MacOS help - it ought not to have to ask for permissions every time, once set!  

An interesting perspective; I've been using Macs since originally released and have never used an external disk except for backup.

The fact remains, there is something preventing the game accessing what it needs to when run from that external drive! It's hard to see how that could be the game itself; but you could test that by reverting to an older game version that used to work from the external drive.

You could try running a Disk First Aid on all your Mac volumes.