Shareware: a business model

Shareware games were released for free with limited functionality (for example: no saving, missing levels, time limit), often via a BBS (Bulletin Board System), a floppy disc or a CD included in a printed magazine or by direct download (when internet was in its infancy). If the user liked the shareware product, they could pay to obtain an upgrade and unlock the full game. When digital distribution started to become popular, shareware games slowly faded into oblivion.

Most popular shareware games

Duke Nukem

actionDOS

Heretic

shooterDOS

Quake

shooterDOS, Windows XP/98/95

Shareware games

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Spacewar

DOS19854.1/5
Stargunner

DOS19964/5 GT Interactive Software
Super ZZT

DOS19923.3/5 Epic MegaGames
Tank Wars

DOS19904.3/5
Temple of Kroz

DOS1990freeware3.8/5 Apogee Software
Terminal Velocity

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinuxMac1995protected3.8/5 Terminal Reality
Tetris (Academysoft)

DOS19963.8/5 AcademySoft
The Adventures of Maddog Williams in the Dungeons of Duridian

DOS1992freeware3.4/5 Game Crafters
The Aethra Chronicles

DOS19944/5

The Aethra Chronicles is not a well know fantasy RPG, but it deserves some praise. It was developed by only one person (Micheal Lawrence) and, as the title implies, was intended to be the first volume of a saga. Unfortunately, volume two and three were never made. For a shareware game, Aethra was pretty solid and is still loved by the ones who play...
The Final Crusade of Kroz

DOS1990freeware3.7/5 Apogee Software
Traffic department 2192

DOS1994freeware3.8/5 P Squared
Tubular Worlds

DOS19943.7/5
Tyrian 2000

DOS1999freeware4.1/5 Eclipse Software

Tyrian 2000 is an old DOS science fiction classic shoot'em up, developed by Eclipse Software and designed by Alexander Brandon, Jason Emery, Daniel Cook. Tyrian 2000 is one of the most popular shoot'em ups ever published for DOS and it's still remembered by retro gaming fans to this day.
UnReal World v. 3.20

Windows XP/98/95Mac1992freeware4.1/5
Wolfenstein 3D

DOSMac1992protected4.1/5 id software

Wolfenstein 3D is the first-person shooter that popularized the whole genre in the early 90s and is considered one of the greatest games ever made. Wolfenstein 3D was designed by John Romero and Tom Hall (id Software) and released as shareware by Apogee Software in 1992 for DOS. Wolfenstein 3D is based on the Wolf3D engine, programmed by John ...
Xargon

DOS1993freeware3.9/5 Epic MegaGames
Xatax

DOS19944/5 Pixel Painters Corporation
Xenophage: Alien BloodSport

DOS1996freeware3.9/5 Argo Games
Xixit

DOS19954/5 Optik Software
Yendorian Tales: Book I - Chapter 2

DOS19963.8/5 SW Games
Yendorian Tales: The Tyrants of Thaine

DOS19973.9/5 SW Games
ZZT

DOS1991freeware4.2/5 Epic MegaGames