The best abandonware action games
Action video games are a genre of video games that emphasize physical challenges, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time. These games typically involve fast-paced gameplay, where players control a character who must navigate through a dynamic environment filled with obstacles, enemies, and other challenges. The primary focus is on the player's ability to react quickly and make split-second decisions.
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Monty Python's Flying Circus
DOS1991
The Simpsons
DOS1991 beat 'em up
The Simpsons Arcade Game, developed and published by Konami, is a classic side-scrolling beat-'em-up that became highly popular in arcades during the early '90s. Players take on the roles of the Simpson family members: Homer,...
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: the Action Game
DOS1989 platform
StarBlade
DOS1990
Cougar Force
DOS1990 beat 'em up, racing: motorcycle, flight simulation
Mad Mix
DOS1988 maze
The Lost Patrol
DOS1991 shooting gallery
The Lost Patrol is an abandoned multi-type action game set in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. The Lost Patrol was developed by Astros Productions (DOS version) and released by Ocean Software in 1991 for DOS, Amiga and Atari...
Lorna
DOS1990NSFW beat 'em up
Oil's Well
DOS1984 maze, action puzzle
Oil's Well is an action-puzzle game released by Sierra On-Line in 1983/84. It was originally made for platforms like the Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS, but was later ported to other systems. The game is set in an...
Sleepwalker
DOS1993protected platform
A Nightmare on Elm street
DOS1989 maze
Forget Freddy’s razor glove for a second - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1989) for DOS is terrifying in its own way. Mostly because of the controls. You play as a teen trying to stay awake and alive while navigating dreamscapes...
Pinball World
DOS1995 pinball
The Cool Croc Twins
DOS1992 platform
Secret Agent
DOS1992protected platform
Back to the Future Part 2
DOS1990
1990’s Back to the Future Part 2 for DOS is a game that tries very hard to be as confusing as time travel itself. You’re Marty McFly, zipping between timelines, avoiding paradoxes, and trying to not get arrested for pi...
Billy The Kid
DOS1990 shooting gallery
Saddle up, pardner. Billy The Kid puts you in the dusty boots of the infamous outlaw himself. This is the Wild West, DOS-style — pixel pistols, wanted posters, and dialogue that might make a cactus wince. Whether you’r...
Lollypop
DOS1994 platform
Oliver & Company
DOS1989
Styx
DOS1984
Mario Bros VGA
DOS1990remake platform
Mario Bros VGA is a fan made remake of the original Mario Bros by Nintendo, the game that popularized the character of Mario, the Italian plumber that first appeared in Donkey Kong. Mario Bros VGA is a fixed-screen platform arcade...
The Blues Brothers 2: Jukebox Adventure
DOS1993 platform
The Blues Brothers 2: Jukebox Adventure is a video game developed by Titus Interactive and released in 1993. It is a sequel to the original The Blues Brothers game, which was based on the popular 1980 film of the same name. The ga...
Aldo Again
DOS1989remake platform
Aldo Again (1989) is the platformer that dares to say, “Hey, what if Donkey Kong but with 100% more confusion?” You play as Aldo, a mustachioed man of mystery (and questionable balance) who’s trying to climb plat...
Bagman
Windows 10/112013freewareremake platform
No, it’s not about a guy who holds your groceries. Bagman is a retro-style indie throwback where you’re a pickaxe-wielding convict trying to steal bags of cash from a mine while dodging guards and gravity. Released dec...
Xenophage: Alien BloodSport
DOS1996freeware fighting
Aquanoid
DOS1992remake block breaker
Aquanoid (1992) takes the classic Breakout formula and throws it underwater, because bricks are apparently much more intimidating when they're wet. You control a paddle, you bounce a ball, you try to pretend you're not just playin...
BurgerTime
DOS1982
Ah, BurgerTime. The game that asked the important question: what if we made a platformer about a tiny chef assembling giant burgers while being chased by sentient hot dogs? You guide Peter Pepper through condiment-themed nightmare...
Beast
DOS1984 maze
Beast is ASCII horror at its most gloriously minimal. You’re a brave soul (well, a smiley face) trapped in a dungeon with sentient blobs (the titular beasts) that want you very, very dead. Armed only with moving blocks and r...
Lawn Mower
DOS1987
Aldo's Adventure
DOS1987remake platform
Aldo’s Adventure is what you get when someone squints at Donkey Kong and decides to remake it after four cups of coffee and a long nap. You play Aldo, a brave little guy whose hobbies include climbing platforms, dodging haza...
Baby Joe in: Going Home
DOS1991 platform
In 1991, DOS gamers were treated to the weirdest parenting simulator ever: Baby Joe in: Going Home. You play as Baby Joe, an infant inexplicably left to crawl through caves, forests, and other extremely child-unfriendly terrain. W...