Underdog games: underrated worth playing
In order to be an underdog, a game has to be "not well known" to the public (not now, nor at the time of its release) or underrated, but worth mentioning and playing for some reason. There are plenty of games that won the love of gamers against all odds; some of them even had a cult following. By the way, this keyword pays tribute to Sarinee Achavanuntakul, the owner of the first version of Home of the Underdogs, the site that started and popularized the abandonware concept.
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1893: A World's Fair Mystery
Windows XP/98/95Mac OS20033.9/5
1893: A World's Fair Mystery is an interactive fiction game developed by the American studio Illuminated Lantern and released in 2002. Set during the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, the game combines historical fiction with mystery-solving gameplay.In 1893: A World's Fair Mystery, players take on the role of a detective investigating ...
4th & Inches
DOS1988protected3.2/5 Accolade
Abuse
DOSLinuxMac OS1995freeware3.9/5 Crack dot Com
Airball
DOS19873.8/5 MicroDeal
AIV Networks
DOS19953.7/5 ERE Informatique
Albion
DOSWindows XP/98/9519954.2/5 Blue Byte Software
Albion is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) developed and published by German studio Blue Byte Software. It was released in 1995 for MS-DOS and later for Amiga. Albion is notable for its blend of traditional RPG elements with a unique setting and storyline.The game takes place on the planet Albion, a world with a rich history and diver...
Alter Ego: Female Version
DOS19864.1/5 Activision
Alter Ego: Male Version
DOS19864/5 Activision
Altered Destiny
DOS1990protected3.8/5 Accolade
Altered Destiny is a sci-fi themed point and click adventure game designed by Michael Berlyn, developed and released by Accolade in 1990. Altered Destiny runs on DOS but was also published for Amiga.
Aquanox
Windows XP/98/952001protected3.1/5 Massive Development
Auf Wiedersehen Monty
Windows XP/98/952001remake4/5
Battle Chess
DOS1988protected4.2/5 Interplay Productions
Chess was a niche genre in video gaming. There were lots of chess simulations: black and white very old games, licensed games from chess champions, etc. No one ever attempted to broaden the audience until Interplay published Battle Chess. Battle Chess appeal was almost entirely focused on the animations when two pieces ended on the same square.
Betrayal at Krondor
DOS1993protected4.1/5 Dynamix
Blood
DOS1997protected4.2/5 Monolith Productions
Body Blows
DOS19934.1/5 Team 17
Body Blows is a 2D fighting game developed and published by Team17, released in 1993. It was initially launched for the Amiga and later ported to MS-DOS. Body Blows was one of the few fighting games to emerge from Europe during the early 1990s and was heavily inspired by the success of games like Street Fighter II. Body Blows features traditio...
Bombuzal
DOS19893.5/5 Image Works
Cadaver
DOS19903.9/5 Bitmap Brothers
Capture the Flag
DOS19933.3/5
Celtic Tales: Balor of the Evil Eye
DOS19954/5 KOEI
Celtic Tales: Balor of the Evil Eye is a strategy video game developed by KOEI and released in 1995. It is set in a mythical version of ancient Ireland and draws heavily from Celtic mythology, particularly focusing on the legendary figure Balor of the Evil Eye. Players take on the role of a clan leader, managing their tribe's resources, engagi...
D/Generation
DOS19914/5 The Software Toolworks
Darklands
DOSLinuxWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1992protected4/5 MicroProse Software
Darklands was a unique historical isometric RPG that mixed real historical data from medieval Germany during the 15th century with a touch of folklore and fantasy. Unfortunately it was also the only Microprose RPG of that kind and beauty. The original game box contained a huge manual with info on european folklore (including the live...
Death Rally
DOS1996freeware4.1/5 Remedy Entertainment Ltd.
Decker
Windows 10/112002freeware3.6/5
Dink Smallwood
Windows XP/98/951998freeware4/5 Robinson Technologies
Dink Smallwood is an action role-playing video game developed by Robinson Technologies. It was first released in 1997 for Windows and later became freeware. The game was created by Seth Robinson, and it gained a cult following for its humor.The game's plot revolves around the titular character, Dink Smallwood, a pig farmer who embarks on an epic ad...
Dope Wars
Windows XP/98/9519984.2/5 Beermat Software
Dope Wars is a text-based simulation game that originated as a DOS program in the early 1980s, but gained popularity in its Windows version released in 1998. The game puts players in the role of a drug dealer navigating the underground economy of buying, selling, and transporting various illegal substances.In the Windows version of the game, player...
Driller
DOS19874.2/5 Incentive Software
Driller (also known as Space Station Oblivion) is an abandoned action-adventure game developed by Incentive and released by Epyx in 1987 based on the Freescape Engine. In Driller, you control an excavation probe in a real 3d environment, through a first person view. The goal of the game is to place a drilling rig in each of the 8 regions of the moo...
Dylan Dog: Murderers
DOS19923.7/5 Simulmondo
Elona
Windows XP/98/952007freeware4.3/5
Elona (short for Eternal League of Nefia) is a free roguelike RPG developed by Japanese indie developer named Noa in 2007. Its gameplay combines elements of open-world exploration, dungeon crawling, and life simulation. It has complex gameplay mechanics, and high replayability. Elona offers a sandbox world where players can pursue various role...
Epic Pinball
DOSMac OS1993protected3.7/5 Digital Extremes
Eric the Unready
DOS1993protected4.1/5 Legend Entertainment