Abandonware DOS title

abandonware games sorted by popularity

classic-hangman-05

Classic Hangman

DOS1983 puzzle
ASCII art has never been so morbid. Classic Hangman is exactly what it says on the tin: guess the word or watch your little stick figure meet a tragic end. Letters become lifelines...
syndicate-5

Syndicate

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1993protecteddemo strategy
In Syndicate, you don’t just play the bad guy—you manage a full corporate evil empire, complete with mind-controlled agents in trench coats and a suspicious lack of HR ...
manic-miner-02

Manic Miner remake

DOS1997remake action
Manic Miner is a quintessential platformer game that emerged in the early 1980s, developed by Matthew Smith for the ZX Spectrum. It stands as a hallmark of the 8-bit gaming era, ce...
caverns-of-chaos-01

Caverns of Chaos

DOS1992 adventure
Despite the ominous title, Caverns of Chaos (1992) plays like the lovechild of rogue-like masochism and old-school dungeon crawling. There’s loot, traps, monsters, and more w...
targhan-02

Targhan

DOS1989 action
Dark, brooding, and a little too serious for its own good, Targhan throws you into a side-scrolling world of swords, sorcery, and moody backgrounds. You play as a loincloth-clad wa...
laser-squad-07

Laser Squad

DOS1992 strategy
Laser Squad is an abandoned turn-based strategy/tactical game designed by Julian Gollop (the mind behind the X-COM series). Laser Squad was developed by Target Games Limited and re...
konami-ping-pong-02

Konami's Ping Pong

DOS1996 sports
You don’t need a joystick the size of a tree to enjoy Konami’s Ping Pong (1996, DOS). Simple, fast, and maddeningly addictive, this digital table tennis game nails the ...
waynesworld-3

Wayne's World

DOS1993 adventure
Based on the cult comedy film, Wayne’s World (1993, DOS) is loud, weird, and occasionally frustrating—much like its source material. This platformer throws Wayne and Ga...
exterminator-splash

Exterminator

DOS1990 shooter
Exterminator, released in 1990, is one of those games that knows exactly what it wants to do and wastes no time doing it. You’re thrown into a top-down action scenario with a...
keen3-splash

Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die!

DOS1990protected action
Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die! is the kind of title that makes you wonder what this kid did to tick off an entire alien race. After foiling their plans twice, Keen takes the figh...
bigsea-splash

Big Sea: The Better One Will Win

DOS1994 simulation
With a title that sounds like a deep-sea motivational poster, Big Sea: The Better One Will Win is a maritime strategy game where the stakes are high and the water’s pixelated...
demons-winter-2

Demon's Winter

DOS1989protected rpg
In this 1989 DOS game, you survive in a post-apocalyptic world where demons have taken over. Scavenge for resources, fight off demonic creatures, and try to rebuild civilization. I...
xfighter-splash

X-Fighter

DOS1987 shooter
X-Fighter feels like one of those early experiments where developers were still figuring out what “space combat” should even look like. It is simple, direct, and unapologetical...
an-american-tail-west-02

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West

DOS1993 adventure
Fievel's back, and this time it’s personal. An American Tail: Fievel Goes West lets you step into the little cowboy boots of everyone’s favorite Russian mouse as he tri...
lords-of-doom-02

Lords of Doom

DOS1990 rpg
Lords of Doom, released in 1990, wears its dark fantasy influences proudly and with very little restraint. Everything about the game feels intense, from the name to the atmosphere,...
thomas-tank-engine-2-03

Thomas the Tank Engine 2

DOS1993 racing
finders-keepers-03

Finders Keepers

Windows Vista/7/82007remake action
Bright, quirky, and just a little bit mischievous, Finders Keepers feels like it wandered in from another dimension where puzzles and platforming share equal custody of your patien...
dungeon-keeper-02

Dungeon Keeper

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1997protected strategy
Ah, Dungeon Keeper, where you’re not the hero—you’re the evil overlord. And it feels so good. Released in 1997, this Bullfrog classic flipped the script on fantas...
pharaoh-3

Day of the Pharaoh

DOS1989 strategy
If you’ve ever wanted to manage your own pyramid scheme—literally—Day of the Pharaoh (1989) is your ticket. This strategy game sets you in ancient Egypt, juggling...
crime-time-01

Crime Time

DOS1990 adventure
Crime Time blends point-and-click adventure with a murder mystery that’s as much about wit as it is about clues. You play an innocent man framed for murder, scrambling to gat...
Murder_on_The_Zinderneuf-03

Murder on the Zinderneuf

DOS1984 simulation
starglider-1

Starglider

DOS1986 vehicle simulation
santaparavia-2

Santa Paravia en Fiumaccio

DOS1988 simulation
stronghold-1

Stronghold

DOS1993protected strategy
Stronghold, released in 1993, is a strategy simulation game developed by Stormfront Studios and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI). Players assume the role of a lo...
mortville-manor-02

Mortville Manor

DOS1988 adventure
avalon-1

Avalon

DOS1998freeware rpg
In Avalon (1998, DOS), you are a wizard, possibly a hero, definitely confused. This fantasy RPG drops you into a world of magic, mayhem, and menu navigation straight out of a Tolki...
freedos-shell-01

FreeDOS Shell

DOS2002freeware application
battlecruiser3000ad-03

Battlecruiser 3000AD

DOSWindows XP/98/951996 vehicle simulation
Battlecruiser 3000AD (1996) is less a game and more a test of faith. Ambitious beyond reason, it promised total control of a massive starship—crew management, planetary landi...
command-conquer-sole-survivor-04

Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor

Windows XP/98/951997 strategy
Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor (1997, Windows XP) took the RTS formula and flipped it into a weird deathmatch where you control a single unit and try not to die... horribly. ...