Abandonware and retro gaming sites

Here’s a short list of abandonware and retro gaming sites of all kinds: collections where you can download old games, sites focused on vintage software applications, as well as newsfeeds, forums, and blogs dedicated to the retro gaming community.

I've spent some time searching for sites useful to collectors like myself. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a single comprehensive site that provides detailed information about games, including different editions, pictures of the boxes, and their contents. While there are a few sites dedicated to specific companies (like Sierra or Infocom), I couldn't find anything more all-encompassing. For detailed information on specific games, you’ll need to check out resources like MobyGames or Wikipedia. These sites typically offer more detailed insights on individual titles, their versions, and the packaging history.

Abandonware sites

XTC abandonware

One of the oldest abandonware sites on the web.

oldgames.sk

An abandonware site dedicated to games for DOS, Amiga, Commodore 64, Apple II, Macintosh, Sega Genesis, NES and SNES.

Free Game Empire

RetroGames.cz

The Retro Spirit

Squakenet

Once was the best abandonware web directory on the web, now it's a compare-the-price service.

OldGamesFinder

Old and rare games search engine.

Robot Ring

Useful resources for collectors

The Infocom Cornershop

Infocom Master Storytellers

Everything you want to know about Infocom's text adventures.

The Infocom Gallery

The entire catalogue of Infocom text adventures.

The Notable Ultima

A comprehensive collection of informations about Ultima games.

Magnetic Scrolls Memorial

An online memorial dedicated to developer Magnetic Scrolls.
In the mid 80's a small British team of programmers called Magnetic Scrolls inspired text adventure fans all over the world with their fascinating games and soon evolved into the European answer to Infocom.

The Level 9 memorial

In memory of now defunct adventure games developer Level 9. All available information about Level 9´s published games as well as the Clue Sheets and Walkthroughs for the most of them.

Sierra Gamers

This is the official site of Ken & Roberta Williams dedicated to the history and products of Sierra On-Line, Inc. "This site is our story (Sierra’s, yours, and mine). I hope you will have as much fun helping me relive it, as I will."

The Sierra Chest

Tools: emulators, front-ends, etc.

D-Fend reloaded

A valid front end for DOSBOX.

DOSBOX

This is what you need to run DOS games on modern systems. DOSBox is a DOS-emulator that uses the SDL-library which makes DOSBox very easy to port to different platforms. DOSBox has already been ported to many different platforms, such as Windows, BeOS, Linux, MacOS X.

ScummVM

ScummVM is a program which allows you to run certain classic graphical adventure and role-playing games, provided you already have their data files. The clever part about this: ScummVM just replaces the executables shipped with the games, allowing you to play them on systems for which they were never designed! ScummVM is a complete rewrite of these games' executables and is not an emulator.

TADS

TADS is a free authoring system for writing your own Interactive Fiction. It offers a complete set of programming tools for creating high-quality IF.

Other sites

Atari Mania

The world's finest Atari database.

Replacementdocs

Replacementdocs.com pledges to bring you only high quality scanned images of instruction manuals in their full, original format with all original artwork and other graphical elements intact. There will be no text-only documentation unless that is how it was originally released. There will also be no conversion to monochrome images or any other severe quality degradation.

VGMaps

The Video Game Atlas - the largest source of screenshot maps on the Internet, with thousands of maps of your favourite video games!

The CRPG Addict

From the blog: "This blog is about my personal journey (roughly chronologically) through 50 years of computer role-playing games (CRPGs). I play each game and discuss its strengths and weaknesses, its place in the history of RPGs, its influences, and just what it's like to play the game today."

Retro Pluggers

"A site where we aim to plug everything that's #RetroGaming, from our favourite Podcasts, Movies, Books, Arcades, Gaming Hangouts and upcoming events. If you want us to #RetroPlug something, let us know. We love spreading recommendations amongst the retro gaming community."

Reddit abandonware channel

A subreddit for discussion of video games & software no longer officially sold. Be sure to read the rules and the wiki before posting.

Retro Gamer Magazine

THE Retro Gamer magazine.