The best abandonware PC games of all time

Retro gamers like myself are convinced that the best PC games ever published were developed during the golden age of PC gaming, in the 80s and 90s. This era was marked by innovation, creativity, and the birth of many genres that defined the industry. I myself have collected quite a few of those games and own a small big-box PC game collection. Some of you may remember most of these titles fondly, while a few of you probably remember and played every single "abandoned" Windows and DOS game that made it into this chart.

Actually, some of the games listed below are not abandoned at all - you can buy them on GOG or Steam - but they definitely deserve to be included anyway.

I know that every "best games" chart is far from perfect; there's always a couple of games that you think are missing. Personal preferences and nostalgic memories often influence our opinions on what should be included. That's why this abandonware games list is exclusively based on votes cast by users, reflecting a broader consensus within the community.

The best games of the month: January 2025

These are the top games based on user votes for the current month only.

#	game title	year	rating
01	Command & Conquer: Red Alert	1996	4.80/5
02	True Love	1995	4.80/5
03	Falcon AT	1988	4.40/5
04	Magic: The Gathering	1997	4.20/5
05	Need for Speed II: SE	1997	4.00/5

The best old PC games ever

#	game title	year	rating
01	Mortal Kombat	1993	4.35/5
02	Tetris Classic	1992	4.35/5
03	Volfied	1991	4.32/5
04	Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate	1992	4.32/5
05	The Secret of Monkey Island	1990	4.32/5
06	Street Fighter 2	1992	4.32/5
07	X-COM: Ufo Defense	1994	4.31/5
08	Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge	1991	4.29/5
09	Alley Cat	1984	4.29/5
10	Operation Wolf	1989	4.28/5
11	Micro Machines	1994	4.28/5
12	Space Quest 1: The Sarien Encounter	1986	4.28/5
13	Super Street Fighter 2	1996	4.28/5
14	Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards	1987	4.28/5
15	Chuck Yeager's Air Combat	1991	4.28/5
16	Chip's Challenge	1991	4.28/5
17	Master of Orion 2: Battle at Antares	1996	4.28/5
18	Football Manager 3	1993	4.28/5
19	Doom 2: Hell on Earth	1994	4.28/5
20	Lode Runner	1983	4.28/5
21	Pipe Dream	1989	4.28/5
22	Unreal Gold	2000	4.27/5
23	Loom	1990	4.27/5
24	Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?	1985	4.27/5
25	Panza Kick Boxing	1991	4.27/5
26	King's Quest 1: Quest for the Crown	1984	4.27/5
27	Eye of the Beholder	1991	4.26/5
28	Police Quest 1: In Pursuit of the Death Angel	1987	4.26/5
29	Stunt Island	1992	4.26/5
30	Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings	1999	4.26/5

This chart takes into consideration the games I have actually included on Abandonware DOS. There are many more games published 20 or more years ago, and my time to add them to the site is limited. However, I'm determined to continue expanding the collection, no matter what!