Game Manager troubleshooting for Mac

If you are seeing any of the included errors, these steps in order should almost always resolve the issue, so follow along closely.

10.15 (and up) users

Unable to install games or the Game Manager, error 1401
Cannot verify Developer (macOS cannot verify that this app is free from malware)
Error Has Occurred
Game doesn't appear in the Recent section, games crashing

10.13 & 10.14 users

Unable to install games or Game Manager, error 1401
Cannot verify Developer (macOS cannot verify that this app is free from malware)
Error Has Occurred

10.15 (and up) users

Unable to install games or the Game Manager, error 1401

1. Remove Game Manager 
2. After clicking the link above, unzip the RemoveGameManager file.
3. Double click on the Removal tool. You’ll be prompted to allow the tool to run once before and again once after the process has completed.
4.  Reinstall the app again: Game Manager
5. Once downloaded, drag it into your Applications folder.
6. Right click (Hold Control + left click) on the icon and choose Open/OK in the pop up. Note: you may get a message there is an update available, even if you are using the update.
7. Visit our list of games compatible with macOS Catalina or make sure 64 BIT is listed by the game title on our site. Check back often as we’ll be adding games to this list regularly.
8. Find the game you’d like to play, open the Game Manger and click on the Mac Games tab (or the Purchase History tab if you have already purchased the game).
9. Type in the name of your chosen game from the compatible with macOS Catalina list.
10. In the search results, click the Download button.
11. Once downloaded and installed, this game should run as normal.

Cannot verify Developer (macOS cannot verify that this app is free from malware)

This message can come up when Gatekeeper, Mac's default security software, doesn't recognize the software you are trying to run. We can get around this by manually telling the computer that we want to run the file using the steps below:

1. In Finder Control-click or right click the icon of the Big Fish Games app (Game Manager).
2. Click Open in the dialog box.
   • You might be prompted to enter an administrator account
3. A similar error will appear, Click Open again.
4. The application should now run.

Error has occurred (or grey window)

If you're getting an Error Has Occurred message the Games app might be missing a couple of files.  You can try manually replacing these. Download the two files attached to this article, called bf_db.db and bf_persistent.db. Once downloaded, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to your Downloads folder on your Mac.
2. In there, you should see the GameManager.app file. Go ahead and drag that file directly into your Applications folder.
3. Go to the GameManager.app that we moved to the Applications folder. Right-click on it and choose Show Package Contents.
4. In here, click the arrow next to Contents (or double click on it) and then Resources
5. Drag and drop the two files that are attached to this article at the bottom.
6. Try opening the Games app again.

If you're still getting the error message or grey window:

1. Remove Game Manager (just in case some files got re-added)
2. After clicking the link above, unzip the RemoveGameManager file.
3. Double click on the Removal tool. You’ll be prompted to allow the tool to run once before and again once after the process has completed.
4. Once that is done you should see a link that says Download Game Manager.  Please go ahead and decline that offer.
5. After the app is removed, we will want to find and delete a folder that sometimes gets left behind. Go ahead and navigate through the file path below:
   • Macintosh HD/Users/Shared/BigFishGamesCache
6.  Reinstall the app again: Game Manager
7. Before opening the Big Fish Games app (Game Manager), let's also make sure those 2 files are in the correct place:
   • Navigate to your Downloads folder on your Mac.
   • In there, you should see the GameManager33.app file. Go ahead and drag that file directly into your Applications folder
8. Go to the GameManager.app that we moved to the Applications folder. Right-click on it and choose Show Package Contents
9. In here, click the arrow next to Contents (or double click on it) and then Resources
10. Drag and drop the two files that are attached t this article at the bottom.
11. Try opening the Games app again.

Game doesn't appear in the Recent section, games crashing

Sometimes a game will work in trial mode, but not run when purchased. This issue sounds like some remaining issues that we're seeing for players on Catalina. The good news is that we have some steps that should help get around this for the time being. If we try opening any 64-bit compatible games from the Dock Recent Section directly, this should usually bypass this and allow you to play the games!

If the game doesn't appear in the Recent section, go ahead and try these steps to run it:

1. Go to your Applications folder and find the icon for the game you want. Right-click (Control + left click once) on it and choose Show Package Contents
2. In here, click the arrow next to Contents (or double click on it) and then Resources
3. From here, hit Command + Shift + . (period key). This will show hidden files.
4. Double click on the greyed out icon for the game that just appeared.

10.13 or 10.14 users

Unable to install games or the Game Manager, error 1401

For this issue with the App, let's use the Game Manager removal tool to completely uninstall the Big Fish Games app and all of its files. We can then reinstall the app, ensuring all of its files download properly.

To start, please click the link below to download the Game Manager removal tool:

1. Remove Game Manager 
2. Unzip the RemoveGameManager file and double-click on the Removal tool to get it started. You’ll be prompted to allow the tool to run both before and after the process is completed.
3. Once that is done you should see a link that says Download Game Manager. Please go ahead and decline that offer as we'll come back to it in a bit.
4. After the app is removed, we will want to find and delete a folder that sometimes gets left behind. Go ahead and navigate through the file path below:
   • Macintosh HD/Users/Shared/BigFishGamesCache
5.  It may already have been successfully deleted, but if you do happen to see that BigFishGamesCache folder, go ahead and drag it to the trash bin and empty the trash.
6. Finally, when that has been removed, please click the link below to reinstall the Big Fish Games app:
   • https://downloads.bigfishgames.com/downloads/gamemanager/macstub.zip
7. The application should run now

Cannot verify Developer (macOS cannot verify that this app is free from malware)

This message can come up when Gatekeeper, Mac's default security software, doesn't recognize the software you are trying to run. We can get around this by manually telling the computer that we want to run the file using the steps below:

1. In Finder Control-click or right click the icon of the Big Fish Games app (Game Manager).
2. Click Open in the dialog box.
   • You might be prompted to enter an administrator account
3. A similar error will appear, Click Open again.
4. The application should now run.

Error Has Occurred or grey window

If you're getting an Error Has Occurred message the Games app might be missing a couple of files.  You can try manually replacing these. Download the two files attached to this article, called bf_db.db and bf_persistent.db. Once downloaded, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to your Downloads folder on your Mac.
2. In there, you should see the GameManager.app file. Go ahead and drag that file directly into your Applications folder.
3. Go to the GameManager.app that we moved to the Applications folder. Right-click on it and choose Show Package Contents.
4. In here, click the arrow next to Contents (or double click on it) and then Resources
5. Drag and drop the two files that are attached to this article at the bottom.
6. Try opening the Games app again.

If you're still getting the error message:

1. Remove Game Manager (just in case some files got re-added)
2. After clicking the link above, unzip the RemoveGameManager file.
3. Double click on the Removal tool. You’ll be prompted to allow the tool to run once before and again once after the process has completed.
4. Once that is done you should see a link that says Download Game Manager.  Please go ahead and decline that offer.
5. After the app is removed, we will want to find and delete a folder that sometimes gets left behind. Go ahead and navigate through the file path below:
   • Macintosh HD/Users/Shared/BigFishGamesCache
6.  Reinstall the app again: Game Manager
7. Before opening the Big Fish Games app (Game Manager), let's also make sure those 2 files are in the correct place:
   • Navigate to your Downloads folder on your Mac.
   • In there, you should see the GameManager33.app file. Go ahead and drag that file directly into your Applications folder
8. Go to the GameManager.app that we moved to the Applications folder. Right-click on it and choose Show Package Contents
9. In here, click the arrow next to Contents (or double click on it) and then Resources
10. Drag and drop the two files that are attached to this article at the bottom.
11. Try opening the Games app again.

If you're still seeing that error message we'll want to remove the Big Fish Games app with the Removal Tool once more, then try getting the app reinstalled via installing a game, rather than directly installing the app itself again.

1. Remove Game Manager
2. After clicking the link above, unzip the RemoveGameManager file.
3. Double click on the Removal tool. You’ll be prompted to allow the tool to run once before and again once after the process has completed.
4. Once that is done you should see a link that says Download Game Manager.  Please go ahead and decline that offer - we'll come back to that in a bit.
5. After the app is removed, go ahead and head to your Purchase History on our site and try installing any game. This should hopefully get you both the game and the Big Fish Games app installed.

If you're still seeing the error message, repeat the above steps to remove the app. Sometimes trying the process a couple times helps clear out the error.

1. After the app is removed, we will want to find and delete a folder that sometimes gets left behind. Go ahead and navigate through the file path below:
   • Macintosh HD/Users/Shared/BigFishGamesCache
2. It may already have been successfully deleted, but if you do happen to see that BigFishGamesCache folder, go ahead and drag it to the trash bin and empty the trash.
3. When that has been removed, please click the link below to reinstall the Big Fish Games app:
   • Download Big Fish Games app
4.  Navigate to your Downloads folder on your Mac.
5. In there, you should see the GameManager.app file. Go ahead and drag that file directly into your Applications folder
6. Go to the GameManager.app that we moved to the Applications folder. Right-click on it and choose Show Package Contents
7. In here, click the arrow next to Contents (or double click on it) and then Resources
8. Drag and drop the two files that are attached to this article into this folder location.
9. Try opening the Games app again.

After that, we'll want to remove the Big Fish Games app with the Removal Tool once more, then try getting the app reinstalled via installing a game, rather than directly installing the app itself again:

1. Remove Game Manager
2. After clicking the link above, unzip the RemoveGameManager file. Next, double click on the Removal tool. You’ll be prompted to allow the tool to run once before and again once after the process has completed.
3. Once that is done you should see a link that says Download Game Manager.  Please go ahead and decline that offer - we'll come back to that in a bit.
4. After the app is removed, go ahead and head to your Purchase History on our site and try installing any game. This should hopefully get you both the game and the Big Fish Games app installed.
5. The application should run now