Games based on a novel
Many classic games were based on books, whether novels or short stories. This literary influence brought rich narratives and intricate worlds to the gaming medium. Some notable examples include "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien, which inspired numerous games that explore Middle-earth's epic battles and complex lore. "Rendezvous with Rama" by Arthur C. Clarke provided a foundation for games that delve into the mysteries of space exploration and alien encounters. "The Mist" by Stephen King led to atmospheric horror games that capture the suspense and terror of the original story.
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ICON: Quest for the Ring
DOS19843.6/5 Macrocom
J.R.R. Tolkien's Riders of Rohan
DOS19974.1/5 Papyrus Design Group
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I
DOS19904/5 Interplay Productions
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is an abandoned fantasy top-down DOS RPG game set in the The Lord of the Rings universe. The Lord of the Rings I was developed and released by Interplay Productions in 1990. The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is based on the popular The Lord Of The Rings book by J.R.R. Tolkien and it's focused on the f...
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers
DOS19924/5 Interplay Productions
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers is an abandoned fantasy top-down DOS RPG game set in the The Lord of the Rings universe. The Lord of the Rings II was developed and released by Interplay Productions in 1992. The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers is based on the popular The Lord Of The Rings book by J.R.R. Tol...
James Clavell's Shogun
DOS19894.3/5 Infocom
James Clavell's Shogun, a text adventure game developed by Infocom and released in 1989. Infocom was known for its interactive fiction games, and "James Clavell's Shogun" was one of its later releases.This text adventure game is based on James Clavell's novel "Shogun" and follows the story of John Blackthorne, an English navigator who becomes invol...
Journey to the Center of the Earth
DOS19883.5/5 Chip
La Abadia del Crimen
DOS19874.1/5 Opera Soft
La Abadía del Crimen (The Abbey of Crime) is an action-adventure developed in Spain by Paco Menéndez in the mid-1980s. It was initially created for the Amstrad CPC and later ported to other popular home computer systems of the time, such as the ZX Spectrum and MSX. The game was released in 1987.
Lone Wolf: The Mirror of Death
DOS19913.8/5 Mr. Micro
Megafortress
DOS1991protected4.1/5 Artech Studios
Mixed-up Mother Goose
DOS19874.1/5 Sierra On-Line
Neuromancer
DOS19894/5 Interplay Productions
Pacific Islands
DOS19924.1/5 Oxford Digital Enterprises
Prisoner of Ice
DOS1995protected4.1/5 Chaosium Inc.
Red Storm Rising
DOS19894/5 MicroProse Software
Red Storm Rising is a submarine simulation video game developed and published by MicroProse in 1988, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Clancy and Larry Bond. The game is set during a hypothetical World War III scenario, focusing on naval combat between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces. Players command a modern nuclear submarine from a first-per...
Rendezvous with Rama
DOS19853.7/5 Telarium
Rendezvous with Rama is an interactive fiction (text adventure) game released in 1984. Telarium, a subsidiary of Spinnaker Software, was known for producing narrative-driven games based on popular literary works. This adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's novel is one of the earlier attempts to translate a science fiction classic into an interactive for...
Return of the Phantom
DOS1993protecteddemo3.7/5 MicroProse Software
Return of the Phantom is adventure game set in France, designed by Raymond Benson, developed by MicroProse Software and released in 1993 for DOS only. Return of the Phantom is a third-person adventure game based on the book Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux.
Return to Ringworld
DOS19943.8/5 Tsunami Media
Ringworld: Revenge of the Patriarch
DOS19923.8/5 Tsunami Media
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
DOS19893.9/5 KOEI
Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2
DOS19904/5 KOEI
Romance of the Three Kingdoms II is a turn-based strategy game developed and published by Koei. It was released in 1989 for various platforms, including the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), MS-DOS.In Romance of the Three Kingdoms II, players take on the role of a ruler during this period, and their objective is to unify China under their rule. ...
Romance of the Three Kingdoms 3: Dragon of Destiny
DOS19934/5 KOEI
Scrooge
DOS19913/5 Leisuresoft
Scrooge is an abandoned interactive fiction graphic adventure game developed and released by Leisuresoft in 1991 for DO. Scrooge is based on the popular Christmas tale of the same name.
Shannara
DOS1995protected4/5 Legend Entertainment
Spirit of Excalibur
DOS19903.8/5 Synergistic Software
Team Yankee
DOS19904.2/5 Oxford Digital Enterprises
The Cardinal of the Kremlin
DOS19903.9/5 Capstone
The Cardinal of the Kremlin is an abandoned simulation game involving espionage, politics and govern management set in the cold war years. It was designed by Kenneth Rothschild, developed by Capstone and released by IntraCorp in 1990 for DOS and Amiga. The Cardinal of the Kremlin was based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name.
The Crack of Doom
DOS19893.7/5 Beam Software
The Fellowship of the Ring
DOS19864.1/5 Beam Software
The Fourth Protocol
DOS19874/5 The Electronic Pencil Co.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
DOSMac OS1984freeware4.2/5 Infocom
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a humorous free text adventure game based on the novel of the same name written by Douglas Adams (if you never read it, shame on you!). The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was designed by Douglas Adams himself and interactive fiction god Steve Eric Meretzky, it was released by Infocom in 1984 for DOS and for...