Windows XP/98/95 abandonware games sorted by popularity

One of the best licensed games of the '90s, Blade Runner (1997) puts you in the rain-soaked shoes of Ray McCoy, a detective tracking down replicants in a world where it's always night and nobody smiles. It’s not just point-and-click—it’s point-and-question-your-existence. With branching paths, randomized targets, and that gritty c...

MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries is a standalone expansion to MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat, released in 1996 by Activision. Part of the larger BattleTech universe, the game puts players in control of a customizable BattleMech as they assume the role of a freelance mercenary pilot in the turbulent 31st century. MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries introd...

Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams is an enhanced version of the original Silent Hill 2, released in 2001 for the Xbox. It later appeared on PC and PlayStation 2 under titles like Director’s Cut or Greatest Hits, depending on the region. In the main game, James Sunderland receives a letter from his dead wife, Mary, beckoning him to Silent Hi...

Ground Control is a strategy game developed by Massive Entertainment and released by Sierra On-Line in 2000. More precisely Ground Control is a real time tactical game with a sci-fi setting.

Ultimate DOOM is an expanded version of the original DOOM (1993), developed by id Software and released in 1995. It includes all three original episodes of DOOM along with a brand-new fourth episode, Thy Flesh Consumed. The game follows the Doomguy, a lone space marine battling his way through hordes of demons after an experiment by the Union ...

Mix one part turn-based strategy, one part fantasy novel, add a dash of dragon, and you get Age of Wonders (1999). This is the game where wizards rule, elves sulk in forests, and you get to conquer the world with tactical brilliance - or blind luck. It’s like chess, but with lightning bolts and skeleton armies. Diplomacy is an option, but hon...

Warlords 3: Reign of Heroes is an abandoned turn-based fantasy strategy game designed by Steve Fawkner, developed by SSG Strategic Studies Group and released by Red Orb Entertainment in 1997 for Windows. Warlords 3: Reign of Heroes is part of the Warlords game series and features quite a few multiplayer modes: from LAN to PBEM.

Visual Basic 3 (VB3) is a programming language and integrated development environment (IDE) released by Microsoft in 1993. It is part of the Visual Basic (VB) series, which is known for its ease of use and rapid application development capabilities. Visual Basic 3 was a significant step forward in the evolution of the Visual Basic language and...

Syndicate Wars is the sequel to the much acclaimed Syndicate developed by Bullfrog in its golden years. Like its predecessor, Syndicate Wars is a real-time tactics strategy game set in a cyberpunk dystopian world involving excessive violence, mega-corporations, bleak urban environment. Syndicate Wars also supports a multi-player co-op mode via LAN.

DX-Ball 2 is a popular brick-breaking game that was first released in 1998 by Longbow Digital Arts. It serves as a sequel to the original DX-Ball, which was inspired by the classic arcade game Breakout and its successor Arkanoid. The core mechanics of DX-Ball 2 involve controlling a paddle at the bottom of the screen to bounce a ball upwards. ...

Ever wanted to manage a kingdom, lead armies, go dungeon-crawling, and attend budget meetings? Birthright: The Gorgon’s Alliance makes all your fantasy micromanagement dreams come true. Released in 1996 for Windows XP (yes, you read that right), it tries to do everything—and sort of does... in the way a one-man band tries to play Mozart...

Master of Magic is a turn based 4x strategy game developed by SimTex and published by the well know Microprose, very similar to Civilization, with a fantasy twist. You play as a wizard and your objective is to evolve your race from a small settlement to a bursting empire. To do so, you can produce military units to fight other computer controlled p...

Ah, the late '90s: when cars exploded for no reason and acronyms made everything cooler. Axelerator: Have a N.I.C.E. day! is a 1997 Windows racer that asks, “What if racing was less about realism and more about chucking missiles at your friends?” The answer: pure chaos, terrible physics, and an oddly catchy techno soundtrack. Think Mari...

Superhero League of Hoboken is a humorous role-playing game (RPG) released in 1994, developed by Legend Entertainment. It's a quirky mix of a traditional RPG and an adventure game, set in a post-apocalyptic world where New Jersey (specifically Hoboken) becomes the epicenter for a team of second-rate superheroes. Your job is to complete various...

Phantasmagoria is a point-and-click horror adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line, released in 1995. Directed by Roberta Williams, Phantasmagoria departed from Sierra's usual fantasy and comedic themes to explore a darker, more mature narrative.The game follows the story of Adrienne Delaney, played by Victoria Morsell, and her hus...