Abandonware DOS title

The best text-based games

In the past, lots of games used ASCII characters (text) to represent the game world. These text-only video games may seem primitive and outdated and, in fact, the genre almost died with the fast evolving graphics of modern games.
A few genres traditionally linked to the beautiful world of ascii characters still survives: roguelikes (nethack, angband, etc.) and interactive fiction, for example.
incursion-04

Incursion

Windows 10/11LinuxMac OS2007freeware
omega-rpg-01

Omega

DOSLinux1988freeware
lawnmover-splash

Lawn Mower

DOS1987
adom1.1-05

Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) v1.1

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinux1996freeware
finalcrusadekroz-2

The Final Crusade of Kroz

DOS1990freeware Apogee Software
forbiddenquest-splash

Forbidden Quest

DOS1983 Pryority software
starfleet1-battle-begins03

Star Fleet 1: The War Begins

DOSMac OS1985 Interstel Corporation
amazon-crichton-04

Amazon

DOS1984 Telarium
champ-manager-93-01

Championship Manager 93

DOS1993 Domark Software
templeofkroz-4

Temple of Kroz

DOS1990freeware Apogee Software
witchhavenRL-01

WitchavenRL

Windows 10/11Linux2013
guns-r-us-02

Guns 'R' Us

DOS1993 Future Vision
border-zone-01

Border Zone

DOS1987 Infocom
voodoisland-splash

Voodoo island

DOS1985 Angelsoft
beast-01

Beast

DOS1984
borland-turbo-c-2-02

Borland Turbo C v2

DOS1988 Borland Software Corporation
returntodoom-splash

Return to Doom

DOS1988 Topologika Software
shadowsmordor-3

The Shadows of Mordor

DOS1988 Beam Software
borland-reflex-2-01

Borland Reflex 2.0

DOS1986 Borland Software Corporation
Borland Reflex was a relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Borland International, a software company that was prominent in the 1980s and 1990s. Reflex was released in the mid-1980s as a graphical database software primarily targeted at business and professional users.
1893-world-fair-04

1893: A World's Fair Mystery

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS2003
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 ...
f-prot-01

F-Prot

DOS1995
F-PROT is an antivirus developed by FRISK Software International. The name "F-PROT" stands for "FRISK-PROActive," emphasizing its proactive approach to virus detection and prevention. F-PROT Antivirus is designed to protect computer systems from various forms of malware, including viruses, worms, Trojans, and other malicious software.
fish-01

Fish!

DOS1988 Magnetic Scrolls
ms-cobol-112-02

Microsoft COBOL 1.12

DOS1984 Microsoft
objection-01

Objection!

DOS1992
questprobe-hulk-01

Questprobe featuring The Hulk

DOS1984 Adventure International
reach-for-the-stars-01

Reach for the Stars

DOS1988 SSG Strategic Studies Group
nethack-2

NetHack

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OSLinux1987freeware
NetHack is an open-source roguelike game that's been around since the early 1980s. It's a single-player dungeon exploration game where you navigate your character through a randomly generated dungeon filled with monsters, traps, treasures, and various items. The goal is to retrieve the Amulet of Yendor, located deep within the dungeon's lowest leve...
president-elect-06

President Elect: 1988 Edition

DOS1987protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
President Elect: 1988 Edition is a political simulation game developed by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) and released in the mid-1980s. The game simulates U.S. presidential elections and allows players to take on the role of campaign managers in an effort to help their candidate win the election. Players can simulate U.S. presidential elect...