Abandonware DOS title

The best abandonware adventure games

Adventure games focus on cracking enigmas and exploring and contemplating the game world in a narrative-driven scenario. In order to progress within the story arc, the player has to interact with different items, the environment itself, and other non-playing characters (NPC in short).
dragons-lair-1-1

Dragon's Lair

DOS1989protected interactive movie
By 1989, Dragon’s Lair had already become legendary in arcades, so its DOS port had a lot to live up to. Spoiler: it couldn’t quite match the arcade’s gorgeous la...
questprobe-hulk-01

Questprobe featuring The Hulk

DOS1984 interactive fiction
space-ace-2-01

Space Ace 2: Borf's Revenge

DOS1991 interactive movie
Space Ace 2: Borf’s Revenge (1991, DOS) doubles down on everything that made the first one iconic — and maddening. Borf is back, still blue, still obnoxious, and once a...
bureau-13-02

Bureau 13

DOS1995 board game, point and click adventure
Paranormal agents, conspiracy theories, and point-and-click puzzles that would make even a ghost sigh in frustration. Bureau 13 is like The X-Files if Mulder and Scully spent more ...
return-of-the-phantom-06

Return of the Phantom

DOS1993protecteddemo point and click adventure
Ever wondered what would happen if The Phantom of the Opera got his hands on a time machine, a vengeful streak, and a point-and-click interface? In Return of the Phantom, you step ...
returntodoom-splash

Return to Doom

DOS1988 interactive fiction
Before Doom became the 3D gore-fest we all know, there was Return to Doom—and no, it has nothing to do with space marines. This 1988 title is more Choose Your Own Adventure t...
houndshadow-splash

The Hound of Shadow

DOS1989 interactive fiction
laurabow2-2

Laura Bow 2: The Dagger of Amon Ra

DOSWindows 3.x1992protecteddemo point and click adventure
Laura Bow 2: The Dagger of Amon Ra is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1992. The game is a sequel to The Colonel's Bequest and follows ...
personal-nightmare-01

A Personal Nightmare

DOS1989 graphic adventure with text parser
A Personal Nightmare (1989) blends horror and detective work into one spooky little cocktail of 1980s DOS game design. You return to your hometown to find it overrun by demonic pos...
fish-03

Fish!

DOS1988 interactive fiction
Yes, it’s called Fish!, and yes, it’s as quirky as the exclamation mark suggests. This is a puzzle-platformer with personality, placing you in surreal environments that...
the-scoop-04

The Scoop

DOS1989 graphic adventure with text parser
A detective adventure inspired by Agatha Christie’s collaborative story, The Scoop (1989, DOS) turns you into a newspaper reporter poking around a suspicious death with nothi...
the-witness-01

The Witness

DOS1983 interactive fiction
20000leagues-3

20000 Leagues under the sea

DOS1988 visual novel, interactive fiction
Based loosely on Jules Verne’s famous tale, this game lets you live your steampunk submarine dreams with all the elegance of a DOS interface. You command the Nautilus, explor...
chamberpsi-1

Chamber of the Sci-Mutant Priestess

DOS1989protected
Sci-Mutant Priestess (1989) is French, weird, and proud of it. You play as a rebellious mutant in a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi world ruled by bio-psychic cults. Obviously. It’s...
gobliins-2-01

Gobliins 2: The Prince Buffoon

DOS1993protected point and click adventure
Gobliins 2: The Prince Buffoon trims the team down to two goblins but doubles down on personality and puzzle complexity. The interactions between the characters add a layer of char...
acheton-01

Acheton

DOS1987 interactive fiction
Acheton (1987, DOS) is one of those text adventures where the game cheerfully tries to kill you every five minutes — and does so with words. You're tossed into a sprawling, b...
berlin1948-4

Berlin 1948

DOS1989
Berlin 1948 throws you into post-war Germany as a secret agent on a noir-flavored mission through a city drenched in trench coats and suspicion. It’s one part spy thriller, o...
bat-splashb

B.A.T.

DOS1990 point and click adventure
B.A.T. is a cyberpunk-themed adventure game released in 1989 by UBI Soft for various platforms, including Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS, and later the Commodore 64. It blends adventure, ...
crackofdoom-splash

The Crack of Doom

DOS1989 interactive fiction
islanddrbrain-1

The Island of Dr. Brain

DOS1992 puzzle adventure
1893-world-fair-04

1893: A World's Fair Mystery

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS2003 interactive fiction
1893: A World's Fair Mystery is an interactive fiction game developed by the American studio Illuminated Lantern and released in 2002. Set during the Chicago World's Columbian Expo...
usurper-splash

The Usurper

DOS1989 interactive fiction
the-final-battle-02

The Final Battle

DOS1991 point and click adventure
zork-grand-inquisitor-05

Zork: Grand Inquisitor

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS1997protected point and click adventure
Zork: Grand Inquisitor is the ultimate swan song for the series—and what a finale it is. Combining laugh-out-loud humor, point-and-click puzzles, and a talking lantern voiced...
plan9-4

Plan 9 From Outer Space

DOS1992 point and click adventure
city-lost-children-03

City of Lost Children

DOS1997
City of Lost Children is as beautiful as it is bewildering. Based on the surreal 1995 film, this adventure game drops you into a dark, oily dystopia filled with creepy orphans, biz...
hugo3-06

Hugo 3: Jungle of Doom

DOS1992protecteddemo graphic adventure with text parser
Hugo 3: Jungle of Doom shifts the setting to a more exotic environment, adding variety to the familiar formula. Released in 1992, it introduces new challenges, new puzzles, and a s...
wishbringer-splash

Wishbringer

DOS1985 interactive fiction
teresa-house-guest-03

Teresa: House Guest

DOS1993NSFW visual novel
Teresa: House Guest is an interactive experience that feels like a curious blend of storytelling and voyeuristic curiosity. The narrative unfolds through choices, often leading to ...
explora2-03

Chrono Quest II

DOS1989 point and click adventure