The most popular abandonware strategy games

Games based on strategy allow for reasoning and planning of one’s moves and actions. The gameplay may be based on player’s turns (Turn-based Strategy) or it may be in real time (Real-Time Strategy, RTS). These games focus on strategy and tactics rather than action, sometimes with the addition of financial or logistic features.

Sort by:

L'Empereur

DOS19914.2/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

Lords of Conquest

DOS19873.6/5 board game

Emperor of the Fading Suns

Windows XP/98/9519964.1/5 4x

Ascendancy

DOS19954.2/5 4x

Ascendancy is a science fiction themed turn-based strategy game developed by The Logic Factory and released in 1995 for DOS. Ascendancy is a classic 4X game (eXpand, eXplore, eXploit, eXterminate), similar to Master of Orion, yet with a few differences such as a technology tree.

V for victory: Market-Garden

DOS1993protected4.1/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

People's General

Windows XP/98/951998protected4.2/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

Castles 2: Siege and Conquest

DOSMac OS1992protected4.2/5 real-time strategy

StarCraft

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS1998protecteddemo4.1/5 real-time strategy

StarCraft is a classic RTS (Real-Time Strategy) game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released in 1998 for Windows and Macintosh. StarCraft takes the Warcraft experience to a sci-fi setting with an interesting story, three very different races (the militaristic Humans, the alien Zerg and the religious Protoss) and one of the best gameplay ex...

Star Control 2

DOS1992protected4.2/5 shoot 'em up

Gulf Strike

DOS19864.2/5 wargame, turn-based tactics, board game

Othello

DOS19864.1/5 board game

Computer Diplomacy

DOS19843.6/5 board game

Mech War

DOS19924.1/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

Decision at Gettysburg

DOS19903.7/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

Blitzkrieg: Battle at the Ardennes

DOS19903.5/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

Frontline

DOS19903/5 turn-based tactics, wargame

Betrayal

DOS1990protected4/5 kingdom simulation

Midway Campaign

DOS19834/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

The Chessmaster 2000

DOS19864.2/5 chess

Accordion

DOS19903/5 cards

Anacreon: Reconstruction 4021

DOS1987freeware3.9/5 4x

Anacreon: Reconstruction 4021 is one of the first 4x turn-based strategy games, ASCII based. Anacreon is set in space, as most 4x sci-fi games are, and was published by Thinking Machines Associates and designed by George Moromisato who later re-released the game as freeware.

Iron Cross

DOS19943.5/5 wargame

Unnatural Selection

DOS19933.9/5 real-time tactics

J.R.R. Tolkien's Riders of Rohan

DOS19974.1/5 real-time tactics

Battle Bugs

DOS19944.2/5 real-time tactics

Seal Team

DOS19934.1/5 real-time tactics

Black Moon Chronicles

DOS1999protected4.2/5 real-time tactics

War in Middle Earth

DOS19893.9/5 real-time tactics, real-time strategy

War in Middle-earth is a real-time strategy game developed by Synergistic Software and published by Melbourne House. It was released in 1988 for various platforms including the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC.The game is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy world of Middle-earth, specifically focusing on the events depicted in "The Lor...