How to install Stronghold HD on Mac M1 with GOG using PortingKit?

Many strategy fans remember Stronghold HD <TAG1> iconic medieval RTS that combines economics, castle building and epic sieges. But what to do if you use Mac on M1 (or M2) processor& the game is not officially supported? Last played Stronghold ~ 6 years ago on MacBook Air 14 (Intel). GOG had a poppy port, so there was no need to bother installing the game. You set it and play.

Then I couldn't play normally, because there was no time and a mouse at hand. Playing on a touchpad is not convenient. After several updates, the macOS port for Stronghold stopped working and the macOS version was removed from the game page altogether. Now I had an old mac mini on intel, so I had hope to download somewhere old dmg for the port from GOG and play. It turned out that the installer is in the account library on the GOG website. So you don't need to download dubious installers from the Internet. It's like the stars have come together. There is an old poppy, there is a mouse, there is a Stronghold HD installer.

But no. The installer on the GOG website is broken and has been written about it more than once on Reddit. And it's a little fucking. I have already started thinking about an old Windows computer to play old titles. But I decided not to give up and read Reddit a little more. Users wrote about the successful launch of the windows version of the game. So the first attempt is PortingKit. Immediately successful.

PortingKit <TAG1> is a free utility that allows you to run Windows games on macOS using Wine. It creates so-called 'ports' — isolated environments where you can run Windows applications without using virtual machines or Boot Camp.

Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator) <TAG1> is a compatibility layer that allows you to run Windows programs without system emulation, which significantly saves resources.

PortingKit makes it easy with Wine: instead of manually configuring the entire environment, you just click "Install" — and in minutes the game is ready to launch.

Once installed, simply click Play <TAG1> the game will start in the window like a regular program.

There is no Ukrainian language in the game. Can be played in English. If you play touchpad trackpad - immediately turn on the right mouse click in the settings. The note warms up a bit, but the game works fine. Passed a couple of first missions, but without a mouse it is difficult to play.

The next title to launch is Age of Mythology. Another game I just adored.