Homebrew is a free program that helps you install Python, Pygame, and other programs on a Mac.

Install Homebrew: At the Terminal command line prompt, type the following as a single full line (you may want to expand your Terminal window wider to allow it to fit, but it’s okay if it wraps around):.

All the following commands must be typed exactly as they appear in the Terminal window, one line at a time. Your command-line Terminal window will open.

Open a Terminal (command-line) window: Go to Applications, Utilities, and double-click Terminal.

Open your Downloads folder, double-click on the XQuartz-2.7.7.dmg file, then double-click on the XQuartz.pkg package file and follow the instructions to complete the installation.

Install XQuartz: Go to and download the current version of XQuartz (2.7.7 as of this writing).

You’ll need these developer tools to run some of the command-line instructions in a Terminal window below. Search for Xcode and click Get to install the Xcode developer tools.

Install Xcode: In Finder, open Applications, App Store.

How to install Pygame for Python 3 on Mac OS X successfully, every time:

Or, you can follow the steps listed below to install Pygame for Python 3.4 on your Mac – if you’re doing this at school or at work, you will probably need IT support.

If you have access to a Windows PC, you may find it easier to install the Windows version of Python and Pygame….

You can install an older version of Python, like Python 2.7, along with Pygame 1.9.2 for Mac OS X in a new location on your Mac for Pygame programming.

Mac users have essentially the following three options if they want to use Pygame: I had run into a tough situation – I wrote a book this past year using Python as the language, and in the last three chapters, I showed readers how to build playable, interactive games using Pygame. The problem is that Pygame is challenging to get working on Python 3 on a Mac – and a lot of my readers are Mac users. Pieces of these steps appear in two or three other how-to’s on the web, but this full process has been carefully tested across Mac OS X 10.6-10.9, and I’m posting the steps here to solicit feedback from Pygame-curious Mac users out there. I have compiled a replicable, dependable, almost understandable set of steps to install Pygame for Python 3 that has worked across four generations of Mac OS X.

Brew install python 3.5 mac