Abandonware DOS title

The most popular 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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Fidelity Chessmaster 2100

DOS1989 chess
Fidelity Chessmaster 2100, released in 1989 for DOS, is chess with a very clear mission: beat you, patiently and without mercy. At the time, it was a serious achievement in compute...
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Robo Rumble

Windows XP/98/951998 real-time strategy
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Power Dolls

DOS1994 real-time tactics
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The Ancient Art of War at Sea

DOS1987 real-time strategy
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Cave Wars

DOS1996 real-time tactics
If you’ve ever looked at a cave and thought, “Yes, this is where I’ll build my empire,” then Cave Wars is your jam. Released in 1996, this strategy game thr...
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Lords of Conquest

DOS1987 board game
Released in 1987, Lords of Conquest is strategy in its most distilled, no-nonsense form. This is a game that drops you onto a map, hands you control of armies, and essentially says...
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Decision in the Desert

DOS1985 wargame, turn-based tactics
Before Gettysburg, there was Decision in the Desert (1985), which simulates WWII’s North African campaign. Expect hex maps, endless sand, and the occasional tank battle that ...
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X-COM: Apocalypse

DOSWindows XP/98/951997protected turn-based tactics
X-COM: Apocalypse takes the familiar alien invasion formula and tosses it into a sprawling futuristic city, where things feel both more chaotic and oddly more personal. Instead of ...
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Battle Chess 4000

DOS1992protected chess
Set in the far-off future of 1992, Battle Chess 4000 brings space-age flair to intergalactic checkmate. Now your queen is a laser-wielding dominatrix and your pawns might be robots...
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Patton vs. Rommel

DOS1987 wargame, turn-based tactics
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Battle Isle 2200

DOS1994protected turn-based tactics
With Battle Isle 2200 (1994), the series goes full 3D cinematic—with cutscenes so dramatic you’d think they were auditioning for a soap opera in space. The gameplay is ...
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Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel

Windows XP/98/952001protecteddemo real-time tactics
Released in 2001, Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel is the black sheep of the family, proudly marching to a different beat. Shifting focus from deep role-playing to squad-based...
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Russian Front 2: The Kursk Campaign

DOS1990 wargame, turn-based tactics
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Arnhem: The Market Garden Operation

DOS1988 turn-based tactics, wargame
Arnhem is the kind of wargame where you spend more time reading hex maps than shooting anything. It’s all about recreating Operation Market Garden — you know, that WWII...
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Risk

Windows 3.x1991 board game
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Cossacks: The Art of War

Windows XP/98/952001protected real-time strategy, real-time tactics
An expansion to the original, Cossacks: The Art of War refines, expands, and generally cranks up the chaos. New units, new campaigns, and more ways to accidentally bankrupt your na...
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D-Zone

DOS1992
D-Zone is what you’d get if someone blended city-building with military strategy and sprinkled in a dash of chaos. You’re tasked with running a base while fending off a...
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Playhouse Strip Poker

DOS1988NSFW cards
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Redhook's Revenge

DOS1993 board game
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Praetorians

Windows XP/98/952003protected real-time strategy
Praetorians is a real-time strategy (RTS) game originally released in 2003 by Pyro Studios. Set in the Roman Empire during its peak, the game offers a blend of strategy and tactics...
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King's Table: The Legend of Ragnarok

DOS1993protected chess, board game
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Austerlitz 1805

DOS1989 wargame, turn-based tactics
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The Great War: 1914 - 1918

DOS1993protected turn-based tactics
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Crusade in Europe

DOS1985 wargame, turn-based tactics
Crusade in Europe is a detailed World War II strategy game that lets you take command of the Allied or Axis forces during some of the war’s most famous campaigns. It’s ...
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Robot Rascals

DOS1987 board game
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Blitzkrieg: Battle at the Ardennes

DOS1990 wargame, turn-based tactics
In Blitzkrieg: Battle at the Ardennes, you’re not just playing a wargame — you’re being handed a clipboard, a stack of orders, and a freezing cold battlefield in ...
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The Grandest Fleet

DOS1994 wargame