Finder Mode

Games and tools played with your desktop icons.

Apple Silicon

Intel

First run

Open the download and drag Finder Mode into Applications.
Launch it and grant the macOS permissions it asks for.
Choose a game from the Finder Mode menu bar icon.

Press Q or click Stop & restore to quit a game. While a game runs, Finder Mode hides your existing Desktop items in place with the macOS hidden flag; nothing is moved or deleted, and the items reappear when you quit.

Games

FinderMode

Pong played with real desktop icons — PongSolo against the wall, or networked head-to-head.

Puzzles

2048 played with real desktop icons — 2048Slide and merge number tiles.

Minesweeper played with real desktop icons — MinesweeperRight-click flags and all.

Cards & Board

Solitaire played with real desktop icons — SolitaireKlondike — drag real files card by card.

Chess played with real desktop icons — ChessDrag-to-move; vs the computer or networked.

Studio

Pixel Editor played with real desktop icons — Pixel EditorPaint with icons as pixels.

Snake, Breakout, Pong, 2048, Minesweeper, Maze, Sudoku, Crossword, Solitaire, Pixel Editor, Notebook, Terminal, Chess, and Hearts.

For release availability, see Status. To build your own, start with FileDOM.