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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The Big Three
DOS1989 wargame
Trivial Pursuit Deluxe
DOS1992 trivia / quiz, board game
Robo Rumble
Windows XP/98/951998 real-time strategy
Champion of the Raj
DOS1991 kingdom simulation
Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor
Windows XP/98/951997 real-time strategy
Robot Rascals
DOS1987 board game
Battle for Normandy
DOS1983protected wargame, turn-based tactics
Released in 1983, Battle for Normandy plays less like a game and more like a history book that came alive, donned a helmet, and asked for a coffee. This is wargaming at its purest: grid maps, unit stats, and more abbreviations tha...
Gary Grigsby's War in Russia
DOS1993protected wargame, turn-based tactics
Battlestar
Windows 3.x1996freeware board game
No, not that Battlestar. Battlestar (1996) is more obscure than a reboot that never happened. Set in deep space with a top-down view and UI only a Windows 3.x user could love, it mixes tactical combat and sci-fi storytelling like ...
Air Force Commander
DOS1992 real-time tactics
In Air Force Commander (1992), you don’t just fly planes - you run the whole air force. Think of it as being a general with a spreadsheet addiction. Assign squadrons, manage budgets, and try not to start World War III. It's ...
American Conquest
Windows XP/98/952002protected real-time strategy
American Conquest is the kind of game that throws hundreds of little soldiers at you and says, "Good luck, General!" Set during the early colonization of the Americas, this RTS blends history with chaos in a way that’s both ...
Battleship
DOS1983 board game
Released in 1983, this is your grandpa’s Battleship—minus the plastic pegs, but with all the tension of blind naval warfare. There are no fancy graphics, no Hollywood explosions, just good old-fashioned "Is it a hit?" ...
Gnome Alone
DOS1991
Gold of the Americas: The Conquest of the New World
DOS1989 board game
Iron Lord
DOS1990
Reach for the Stars
DOS1988 4x
Scrabble
DOS1989 board game
Strip Poker 2 plus
DOS1988NSFW cards
Warhammer 40000: Chaos Gate
Windows XP/98/951998protected turn-based tactics
Battle Isle
DOS1991protected turn-based tactics
Turns out war is a lot tidier when it’s turn-based. Battle Isle (1991) gives you neat little hexagons to move your units on, like a very angry board game. It’s got strategy, sci-fi flair, and just enough AI ruthlessnes...
Battle Chess 2: Chinese Chess
DOS1990protected chess
In Battle Chess 2: Chinese Chess (1990), the classic formula gets an eastern makeover—complete with new rules, a new board, and a fresh batch of animated fatalities. If you thought regular chess was confusing, welcome to xia...
Star Wars Rebellion
Windows XP/98/951998protected real-time strategy
Imperium
DOS1990 4x
Nobunaga's Ambition
DOS1988
Archon Ultra
DOS1994protected board game
Archon Ultra is what happens when you smash chess into an arcade cabinet and call it a day. This updated version of the original Archon throws in jazzed-up graphics and faster gameplay, but keeps the core idea: when pieces meet, t...
Blitz Draughts
DOS1992 board game
Don’t let the title fool you — Blitz Draughts isn’t a military simulation but rather a gloriously intense checkers game from 1992. This DOS brain-bender turns the classic board game into a high-speed duel of wits...
Caesars Palace
DOS1989 cards
More smoke-filled backrooms than a noir film and enough slot machines to trigger déjà vu—Caesars Palace is your low-res Vegas getaway. You're given a pile of chips and left to your vices: blackjack, poker, roul...
Trump Castle: The Ultimate Casino Gambling Simulation
DOS1988 cards
Gengis Khan 2: Clan of the Gray Wolf
DOS1992 kingdom simulation