Abandonware DOS title

The most popular based on a novel games

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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20000 Leagues under the sea

DOS1988 Coktel Vision
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Prisoner of Ice

DOS1995protected Chaosium Inc.
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Return of the Phantom

DOS1993protecteddemo 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.
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

DOSMac OS1984freeware 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...
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Circuit's Edge

DOS1990 Westwood Studios
Circuit's Edge is a cyberpunk-themed role-playing game developed by Westwood Associates and published by Infocom. It was released in 1990 for MS-DOS. Set in a dystopian future, Circuit's Edge takes place in the fictional city of Rhoes Island, a dark and gritty urban landscape filled with crime, corruption, and advanced technology. Players take on t...
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Conan: the Cimmerian

DOS1991 Synergistic Software
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Spirit of Excalibur

DOS1990 Synergistic Software
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Treasure Island

DOS1985 Byron Preiss Video Productions
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War in Middle Earth

DOS1989 Synergistic Software
War in Middle-earth is a real-time strategy game developed by Synergistic Software and published by Melbourne House. It was released in 1988 for various platforms including the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC.The game is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy world of Middle-earth, specifically focusing on the events depicted in "The Lor...
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Megafortress

DOS1991protected Artech Studios
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Transarctica

DOS1993 Silmarils
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Red Storm Rising

DOS1989 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...
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The Crack of Doom

DOS1989 Beam Software
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The Cardinal of the Kremlin

DOS1990 Capstone Software
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.
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William Shatner's TekWar

DOS1995 Capstone Software
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Return to Ringworld

DOS1994 Tsunami Media
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The Hunt for Red October

DOSMac OS1987 Oxford Digital Enterprises
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La Abadia del Crimen

DOS1987 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.
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Gateway 2: Homeworld

DOS1993protected Legend Entertainment
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ICON: Quest for the Ring

DOS1984 Macrocom
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J.R.R. Tolkien's Riders of Rohan

DOS1997 Papyrus Design Group
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The Fourth Protocol

DOS1987 The Electronic Pencil Co.
The Fourth Protocol is a 1985 interactive fiction video game inspired by Frederick Forsyth's 1984 Cold War spy novel of the same name. Developed by the Electronic Pencil Company and published by Hutchinson Computer Publishing, the game was released on platforms such as the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, and IBM PC (in 1997). Designed as a ...
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9 Princes in Amber

DOS1985 Telarium
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Zorro

DOS1995 Capstone Software
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Castle Elsinore

DOS1992 Temple Software
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Shannara

DOS1995protected Legend Entertainment
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Ringworld: Revenge of the Patriarch

DOS1992 Tsunami Media
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Pacific Islands

DOS1992 Oxford Digital Enterprises