Abandonware DOS title

The best fixed screen 2D games

In a fixed-screen 2D game, the gameplay is confined to a single screen with no vertical or horizontal scrolling. The screen remains static, and the overall gameplay occurs within the boundaries of this fixed screen.
Fixed-screen games were common in the early days of video gaming, especially in arcade games. This design was largely due to technical limitations of early hardware, which made scrolling more difficult to implement. As a result, many early arcade classics, such as Pac-Man or Space Invaders, relied on fixed-screen mechanics.
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Novatron

DOS1982 Verisoft
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Armada 2525

DOS1991
Armada 2525 is what happens when a spreadsheet decides it wants to conquer the galaxy. This is classic 4X strategy with all the bells, whistles, and menus your early '90s heart could desire. You’ll build colonies, research t...
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Color Balls

DOS1996
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David's Kong

DOS1984remake
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EGA Trek

DOS1988remake
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Faces Tris 3

DOS1990 Sphere
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IBM 9-Hole Miniature Golf

DOS1983 SoftSide Magazine
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Redhook's Revenge

DOS1993 ImagiSoft
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Super Bomber Blast Beta

DOS1997remake
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Tracon 2

DOS1990 Wesson International
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Autobots

DOS1989
Before Michael Bay got his hands on the franchise, Autobots (1989, DOS) offered a more... subtle approach to transforming robot mayhem. Well, not subtle exactly — more like confusing. You drive around a blocky city, fight va...
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Knight Exchange

DOS1988 Softdisk Publishing
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4 Queens Computer Casino

DOS1992 Applications Plus
This 1992 casino sim for DOS drops you into the neon-soaked carpet jungle of the Four Queens Hotel in Vegas. There’s no plot, no hero’s journey - just you, a digital bankroll, and the cold, soulless eyes of the slot ma...
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Snack Attack 2

DOS1982 Funtastic
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The Astronomy Quiz

DOS1988 Softdisk Publishing
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Williams Arcade Classics

DOS1995 Digital Eclipse Software
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Westphaser

DOS1989 Loriciels
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Burger Blaster

DOS1983
Before BurgerTime stole the fast-food spotlight, there was Burger Blaster—a game where you build burgers by shooting them. With a gun. Because why not? This early arcade-style game is a gloriously weird relic of the ‘8...
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EducAtlas 1993

DOS1993
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Win, Lose or Draw

DOS1988 Softie
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Amazing Maze

DOS1983
Don’t be fooled by the name—Amazing Maze is more of a slightly-better-than-average maze. But hey, in 1983, navigating a screen full of walls and hoping you guessed right was enough to set hearts racing. It’s just...
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Pac Gal

DOS1982
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Boxer Rebellion

DOS1982
Before realistic fighting games, there was Boxer Rebellion—a 1982 title so primitive, it makes Pong look flashy. It’s boxing with fewer rules and more pixels per punch. The controls are stiffer than a week-old baguette...
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O-Pong

DOS1996
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X-Fighter

DOS1987 Wordworks Software
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Aldo's Assault

DOS1991
Think of Aldo's Assault as what happens when Mario forgets his plumber license and joins a bootleg army. This 1991 DOS gem throws you into a side-scrolling frenzy of ladders, barrels, and the kind of platforming logic that predate...
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Backgammon

DOS1986
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Bomb Run

DOS1991 PC Solutions
Bomb Run (1991, DOS) sounds like an action-packed thriller—and then you play it and realize you’re just trying to drop bombs in the right spots while flying what feels like a pixelated paper airplane. The game has that...
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Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show

DOS1989 Tynesoft Computer Software
Saddle up for an awkward mix of minigames that vaguely resemble rodeo events. Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show tries to recreate the excitement of a 19th-century traveling circus but ends up feeling more like a 1980s office party whe...