Abandonware DOS title
download DOS and Windows abandonware games

Demo versions: try before you buy

Let's begin with a crucial point: not every old game is abandoned. With the resurgence of "vintage," there's a renewed interest in all things retro, including video games. As a direct consequence, some companies have acquired entire back catalogs of old games and started selling them. That's why many interesting games on Abandonware DOS are marked as "NOT abandonware"; they are available for purchase online.

Enter demos. As you probably already know, game demos, short for demonstration, are limited versions of video games that are released by game developers or publishers to give players a taste of the gameplay before they decide to purchase the full game. These demos are often released ahead of the full game's launch or alongside it. Game demos typically showcase a portion of the game, allowing players to experience the mechanics, graphics, and overall feel of the gameplay.

Game demo versions are a relic of the past. You don't often see demos of recent games on platforms like Steam or GOG, but in the late 80s and 90s, demo versions of games were quite common. This trend was especially notable when video game magazines started including floppy disks or CDs, at a time when the internet was almost non-existent.

Building on this premise, I have embarked on a journey to collect old game demos and make them accessible online through Abandonware DOS, with a specific focus on commercial games. Enjoy!

indy-desktop-adventures-1

Indiana Jones and his Desktop Adventures

Windows 3.xMac OS1996demo LucasArts
Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures is a charmingly odd experiment that shrinks globe-trotting archaeology into bite-sized missions designed for quick play sessions. Viewed fr...
indianafateatlantis-2

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis

DOSMac OS1992protecteddemo LucasArts
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is often spoken of in the same breath as the finest adventure games ever made, and for once, nostalgia is not exaggerating. Released in 1992,...
indylastcrusade-4

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

DOS1989protecteddemo LucasArts
Released in 1989, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade takes the film's adventure and translates it into a point-and-click experience with surprising elegance. It captures the charm,...
ishar2-7

Ishar 2: Messengers of Doom

DOS1994protecteddemo Silmarils
Ishar 2 (1994, DOS) picks up where the first game left off, and then throws in more ways to punish careless adventurers. It’s a first-person RPG where managing your party isn...
kingsquest4-1

King's Quest 4: The Perils of Rosella

DOS1988protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
For the first time, the spotlight falls on Princess Rosella in King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella, an adventure that combines fairy tales with genuine danger. Her quest to save...
kings-quest-6-4

King's Quest 6: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow

DOSWindows 3.x1992protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Often regarded as the high point of the series, King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow follows Prince Alexander as he searches for Princess Cassima across the mysterious Land o...
laurabow2-2

Laura Bow 2: The Dagger of Amon Ra

DOSWindows 3.x1992protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
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 ...
handoffate-3

Legend of Kyrandia 2: Hand of fate

DOSMac OS1993protecteddemo Westwood Studios
The Legend of Kyrandia: Hand of Fate is the second installment in the Legend of Kyrandia point and click adventure game series developed by Westwood Studios. It was released in 199...
malcolmrevenge-1

Legend of Kyrandia 3: Malcolm's Revenge

DOSMac OS1994protecteddemo Westwood Studios
The Legend of Kyrandia: Malcolm's Revenge is the third and final installment in the Legend of Kyrandia series. This point-and-click adventure game was developed and published by We...
larry7-04

Leisure Suit Larry 7: Love for Sail

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1996protecteddemoNSFW Sierra On-Line
Released in 1996, Leisure Suit Larry 7: Love for Sail sends Larry aboard a luxurious cruise where romance, mystery, and comedy collide with spectacular enthusiasm. The hand-drawn a...
lemonade-tycoon-02

Lemonade Tycoon

Windows XP/98/952002remakedemo Hexacto Games
Released in 2002, Lemonade Tycoon proves that running a successful drink stand can be every bit as competitive as conquering an empire. Players adjust recipes, monitor weather fore...
loom-11

Loom

DOSLinuxMac OS1990protecteddemo LucasArts
Loom is a graphic adventure game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games (now LucasArts). It was designed by Brian Moriarty and is known for its unique gameplay mechanics and em...
martianmemo-2

Martian Memorandum

DOS1991protecteddemo Access Software
Set in a futuristic detective story, Martian Memorandum combines mystery, science fiction, and classic point-and-click adventure design into an engaging investigation. Private dete...
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Midtown Madness

Windows XP/98/951999demo Angel Studios
Midtown Madness turns the streets of Chicago into one enormous playground for chaotic driving, where racing is only one of several excellent excuses to ignore traffic laws. Players...
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Might and Magic 4: Clouds of Xeen

DOS1992protecteddemo New World Computing
With Might and Magic 4: Clouds of Xeen, the series heads to the colorful world of Xeen, where the sky is bright, the monsters are plentiful, and the sense of adventure is delightfu...
might-and-magic-V-7

Might and Magic 5: Darkside of Xeen

DOS1993protecteddemo New World Computing
If Clouds of Xeen was the sunny side of the adventure, Might and Magic 5: Darkside of Xeen gleefully flips the map over and shows you the other half. The tone is a bit darker, the ...
mm-world-of-xeen-06

Might and Magic: World of Xeen

DOSMac OS1994protecteddemo New World Computing
Might and Magic: World of Xeen is what happens when two already massive RPGs decide to shake hands and merge into one enormous adventure. By combining Clouds of Xeen and Darkside o...
monkey2-3

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge

DOS1991protecteddemo LucasArts
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge is one of the great comedy adventures, combining clever puzzles, unforgettable characters, and writing sharp enough to cut through a pirate ship'...
mortalkombat2-5

Mortal Kombat 2

DOS1994protecteddemo Midway Manufacturing Company
Mortal Kombat 2 takes the original formula and turns the intensity up several notches with more fighters, new arenas, additional special moves, and an even greater supply of specta...
myst-09

Myst

Windows XP/98/95Windows 3.xMac OS1995protecteddemo Cyan Worlds
Myst is a classic puzzle-adventure video game that was first released in 1993. It was developed by Cyan, a small independent game development studio. The game was initially release...
normality-03

Normality

DOS1996protecteddemo Gremlin Graphics / Gremlin Interactive
Normality is a first-person adventure video game developed by Gremlin Interactive and released in 1996. The game is set in a dystopian future where a totalitarian regime known as t...
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Operation: Inner Space

Windows 3.x1994protecteddemo Software Dynamics
Operation: Inner Space is a 1994 Windows 3.x game that takes players on a strange journey through the microscopic world inside the human body. Rather than exploring distant planets...
panzerl-general-2-08

Panzer General 2

Windows XP/98/951997protecteddemo SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Panzer General 2 builds upon its celebrated predecessor with improved visuals, expanded campaigns, and an even richer collection of strategic possibilities. Released in 1997, it in...
peppers-adventures-in-time-1

Pepper's Adventures in Time

DOS1993demo Sierra On-Line
Pepper's Adventures in Time is a 1993 adventure game that sends players on a journey through history filled with puzzles, humor, and plenty of unusual situations. The story follows...
phantasmagoria-04

Phantasmagoria

Windows XP/98/95DOSMac OS1995protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Phantasmagoria is a 1995 interactive horror adventure that pushed the boundaries of computer gaming with its use of live-action video, cinematic presentation, and a disturbing supe...
piratesg_006

Pirates! Gold

DOSWindows 3.xMac OS1993protecteddemo MicroProse Software
Pirates! Gold is a 1993 enhanced version of the legendary pirate adventure game, allowing players to become captains searching for treasure, fame, and opportunities to annoy rival ...
policequest3-3

Police Quest 3: The Kindred

DOS1991protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Police Quest 3: The Kindred is a 1991 adventure game that continues the story of the police simulation series with improved graphics and a more cinematic presentation. Players inve...
quake_002

Quake

DOSWindows XP/98/951996protecteddemo id Software
Quake is a 1996 first-person shooter that helped redefine what players expected from PC action games. Its dark, industrial environments, grotesque enemies, powerful weapons, and fu...
quake2-03

Quake 2

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS1997protecteddemo Activision
Quake II is a first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and released in 1997. It is the sequel to the original Quake and was a significant milestone in the evolution...
qfg2-2

Quest for Glory 2: Trial by Fire

DOS1990protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Quest for Glory 2: Trial by Fire continues the adventures of the aspiring hero introduced in the first game, sending the player to the exotic desert land of Shapeir. Released in 19...