Abandonware DOS title

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
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Trivial Pursuit Deluxe

DOS1992 trivia / quiz, board game
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Robo Rumble

Windows XP/98/951998 real-time strategy
champion-of-the-raj-02

Champion of the Raj

DOS1991 kingdom simulation
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Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor

Windows XP/98/951997 real-time strategy
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Robot Rascals

DOS1987 board game
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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...
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Gary Grigsby's War in Russia

DOS1993protected wargame, turn-based tactics
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
heatsink-03

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?" ...
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Gnome Alone

DOS1991
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Iron Lord

DOS1990
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Reach for the Stars

DOS1988 4x
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Scrabble

DOS1989 board game
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Strip Poker 2 plus

DOS1988NSFW cards
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Warhammer 40000: Chaos Gate

Windows XP/98/951998protected turn-based tactics
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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...
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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...
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Star Wars Rebellion

Windows XP/98/951998protected real-time strategy
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Imperium

DOS1990 4x
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Gengis Khan 2: Clan of the Gray Wolf

DOS1992 kingdom simulation