Math Circus

Math Circus (1993) is proof that educational games in the DOS era were either unbearably boring or secretly brilliant — and this one leans heavily toward the second category. Wrapped in a colorful circus theme, the game throws you into a big top filled with clowns, acrobats, and suspiciously cheerful animals, all determined to make you solve math problems whether you like it or not. Instead of dry worksheets, you get fast-paced mini-games where solving equations quickly is the difference between success and a digital pie in the face. The presentation is lively, with chunky graphics and sound effects that scream “early ’90s edutainment.” Sure, it’s still math, and yes, you’ll be doing multiplication under pressure, but somehow Math Circus makes it feel like a game instead of homework. It’s the rare title that managed to sneak learning past an entire generation of kids by disguising it as a carnival.