The best abandonware strategy games

Games based on strategy allow for reasoning and planning of one’s moves and actions. The gameplay may be based on player’s turns (Turn-based Strategy) or it may be in real time (Real-Time Strategy, RTS). These games focus on strategy and tactics rather than action, sometimes with the addition of financial or logistic features.

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La Grande Armee

DOS19913.9/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

MacArthur's War

DOS19903.9/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

Star Saga: Two - The Clathran Menace

DOS19893.9/5 board game

A Line in the Sand

DOS1992protected3.9/5 board game, wargame, turn-based tactics

Laser Squad

DOS19923.9/5 turn-based tactics

Laser Squad is an abandoned turn-based strategy/tactical game designed by Julian Gollop (the mind behind the X-COM series). Laser Squad was developed by Target Games Limited and released by MicroLeague Multimedia in 1992 for DOS and other 8-bit systems. Laser Squad is considered as a precursor of X-COM: Ufo Defense.

Clash of Steel

DOS1993protected3.9/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

King's Bounty

DOSMac OS19903.9/5 turn-based tactics

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

DOS19893.9/5

Crusade in Europe

DOS19853.9/5 wargame, turn-based tactics

Queen of Tenshindo 95

Windows XP/98/951995NSFW3.9/5 cards

Arrakis

DOS20003.9/5 real-time strategy

The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici

DOSMac OS1996protected3.9/5 sandbox strategy, real-time strategy, city building

Anacreon: Reconstruction 4021

DOS1987freeware3.9/5 4x

Anacreon: Reconstruction 4021 is one of the first 4x turn-based strategy games, ASCII based. Anacreon is set in space, as most 4x sci-fi games are, and was published by Thinking Machines Associates and designed by George Moromisato who later re-released the game as freeware.

Core War Plus

DOS19843.9/5 real-time tactics

Fantasy Empires

DOS1993protected3.9/5 turn-based tactics

Teenage Queen

DOS1988NSFW3.9/5 cards

D-Zone

DOS19923.9/5

Nobunaga's Ambition 2

DOS19893.9/5

Robot Odissey

DOS19853.9/5 real-time tactics

Rules of Engagement 2

DOS19933.9/5 real-time tactics

Populous

DOS19893.9/5 sandbox strategy, god game, real-time strategy

Populous is an abandoned strategy game designed by the video game celebrity Peter Molyneux, developed by Bullfrog. Populous was released by Electronic Arts in 1989 for DOS and for a long list of other 16-bit and 8-bit systems, both console and PCs. Populos is a really unique game: it gave the name to the the whole god-game genre since, well, in the...