A Blast from the past!
The A.P.P.L.E. port of LairWare Software’s version of the game, Ultima III is a modern Macintosh update of a classic computer fantasy role playing game which helped define the genre. Originally created by famed game developer Richard Garriott, Ultima III has been ported to more than a dozen platforms over the 43 years since its inception.
Now, once again, you can enjoy the feeling of wondering the realm of Lord British and the fun that his world of Ultima created for all gamers, young and old.
Create a party of four adventurers, slay wandering evil beasts, and talk to townspeople to find out about the evil that has come over the once-peaceful land of Sosaria. Hear the villagers speak to you with speech synthesis, and a beautiful original soundtrack accompanies you on your journeys.
Ultima III inspired dozens (at least!) of knock-offs that used the same concepts. With each Ultima, the bar was raised for the role-playing standard. No matter how the video game industry tries to compensate for a lack of good gameplay in their titles with 3D graphics, digital video, and full DVD installs, they just can’t capture the addictive simplicity of role playing pioneers like Ultima III.
Features:
- Smooth full screen operation
- Original music soundtrack and speech
- Automatic combat and healing
- Use standard graphics or select Apple II, Commodore, Mac B&W, Console, and PC variations
- ‘Classic’ mode for old timers
Screenshots
Documentation
| Menu | For Cheaters |
| Ultima III Manual Ultima III FAQ Ultima III Wizard Spells Ultima III Cleric Spells | Ultima III Cloth Map Ultima III World Maps Ultima III Walkthrough |
Downloads
The new version of Ultima III requires Mac OS 14 or newer. The game is meant to replace the Lairware version of the game, replacing these older versions with one that will run on the latest Silicon Macs. This version is still in Beta Testing and will be officially available for download once they have been completed. If you find issues with this version, please contact us with information about what steps you were taking, screenshots and the symptoms of the issue. And if you were looking to short cut your Ultima III gaming experience, then Ultima III Cheater is for you. This App is also in final beta testing and will be available at the release of the new Ultima III. A.P.P.L.E. user group Members can get these Apps early!
| A.P.P.L.E. New Version (2026) | |||||
| Ultima III 4.0.0 (0185) Beta ** | Mac OS 14+ – English | 14.6MB | Download | ||
| Ultima III Cheater 1.2.2 (020) Beta ** | English For Ultima III 4.x only. | 0.5MB | Download | ||
Legacy LairWare Software versions of the Universal applications for both Intel and PowerPC Macs and other older versions for earlier OS versions are available below in the Downloads section. These older versions will need a valid license to install the complete version. Previous purchasers should be able to use them with no problem.
| Lairware Versions (Pre 2014) | |||||
| Ultima III 2.2 | English version for Mac OS X 10.4 | 5.9MB | Download | ||
| Ultima III Cheater 1.0.2 | English version for Ultima III 2.x only. | 0.5MB | Download | ||
| Ultima III 2.0 | English version for users of Mac OS X prior to 10.4. | 4.5MB | Download | ||
Pre Mac OS X Versions of the game are available. These versions will run under Mac OS 8 or 9 ans the older 68K Macintosh machines. The programs should also run in emulators if you have the license keys for the game.
| Lairware Versions (Pre 2002) | |||||
| Ultima III 1.4.2 | English version for users of Mac OS 8 and 9. | 3.8MB | Download | ||
| Ultima III 1.3 | English version for users with ancient 68K Macintoshes or 68K-based Mac emulators. | 2.7MB | Download | ||
Credits
Ultima is a game that was created by Lord British (aka Richard Garriott) and Origin Systems and released by Origin Systems in August 1983. LairWare Software and Leon McNeill released the initial Mac OS X version in 1999. The A.P.P.L.E. Mac OS 26 version of Ultima III is a port of the LairWare Software version and has been rewritten to have many of the features included in the LairWare versions.
**This is a Beta download and is the actual app. Known issues include sound related uses, possible crashes and voice clashes. To use this app, you will have to click Open Anyways in the Privacy & Security tab of your System Settings.
