Abandonware DOS title

The most popular demo games

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!

panzerl-general-2-08

Panzer General 2

Windows XP/98/951997protecteddemo SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
dungeonhack-2

Dungeon Hack

DOS1993protecteddemo DreamForge Intertainment
Dungeon Hack is a dungeon-crawling role-playing game (RPG) developed by DreamForge Intertainment and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI). It was released in 1993 for MS-...
deus-ex-07

Deus Ex

DOSMac OS2000protecteddemo Ion Storm
Deus Ex is a critically acclaimed action role-playing video game developed by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released in 2000 and was designed by Warren Spect...
worms-3

Worms

DOSMac OS1995protecteddemo Team 17
questglory4-11

Quest for Glory 4: Shadows of Darkness

DOSWindows 3.x1993protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness is an adventure role-playing game (RPG) developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It was released in 1993 as the fourth installment in the ...
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 ...
starcraft-03

StarCraft

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS1998protecteddemo Blizzard Entertainment
StarCraft is a classic RTS (Real-Time Strategy) game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released in 1998 for Windows and Macintosh. StarCraft takes the Warcraft experience to ...
gabriel-knight-2-03

Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OSWindows 3.x1995protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It was released in 1995 as a sequel to the original Gabriel Knight...
freddy-pharkas-04

Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist

DOSWindows XP/98/95Windows 3.xMac OS1993protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
In Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist, Sierra took the Wild West and decided it needed more jokes, more puns, and significantly more medical malpractice. Released in 1993, this po...
dogs-of-war-01

Dogs of War

Windows XP/98/951996demo Software Engineering
Dogs of War (1996) drops you into a gritty mercenary’s life where missions mean money, and money means better gear. Set on Windows XP, the game blends strategy and action wit...
gabrielknight-5

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

DOSWindows 3.xMac OS1993protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It was released in 1993 and designed by Jane Jensen. The game is ...
colonelbequest-3

The Colonel's Bequest

DOS1989protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
The Colonel's Bequest is a graphic adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It was released in 1989 for various platforms, including MS-DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST. T...
policequest3-3

Police Quest 3: The Kindred

DOS1991protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Police Quest 3: The Kindred is an adventure video game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1991. It is the third installment in the Police Quest series, which was designed...
questforglory3-3

Quest for Glory 3: Wages of War

DOS1992protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War is an adventure/role-playing game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1992. The player takes on the role of the Hero, who has journe...
martianmemo-2

Martian Memorandum

DOS1991protecteddemo Access Software
Martian Memorandum is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Access Software. It was released in 1991 and is the sequel to the game Mean Streets. The game is s...
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...
descent-1

Descent

DOS1995protecteddemo Parallax Software
If you ever wanted to feel like you were trapped in a washing machine armed with lasers, Descent is your game. Released in 1995, this claustrophobic, six-degrees-of-freedom shooter...
heretic-1

Heretic

DOS1994protecteddemo Raven Software
Heretic is what happens when someone looks at fantasy and thinks it needs more fireballs and a lot more attitude. Built on familiar shooter foundations, it swaps sci-fi corridors f...
gunship-splash

Gunship

DOS1986demo MicroProse Software
Gunship is a landmark helicopter simulation that treats you less like a player and more like a trainee pilot who forgot to read the manual. It demands attention to instrumentation,...
riven-myst-04

Riven: The Sequel to Myst

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS1997protecteddemo Cyan Worlds
Riven is the sequel to the highly successful and critically acclaimed adventure game, Myst. Developed by Cyan Worlds, Riven was released in 1997 and continues the narrative establi...
van-buren-02

Van Buren (Fallout 3)

Windows XP/98/952003canceleddemo Black Isle Studios
Van Buren was a science fiction post-apocalyptic RPG being developed by Black Isle Studios and never published. Van Buren was the direct sequel to Fallout 2, part of the Fallout fr...
space-quest-6-05

Space Quest 6: Roger Wilco in The Spinal Frontier

DOSWindows XP/98/951995protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Space Quest 6: Roger Wilco in The Spinal Frontier is the most ambitious—and arguably strangest—entry in the series. Released in 1995, it blends traditional adventure ga...
peppers-adventures-in-time-1

Pepper's Adventures in Time

DOS1993demo Sierra On-Line
the-last-express-08

The Last Express

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1997protecteddemo Smoking Car Productions
The Last Express, released in 1997, is a unique adventure game designed by Jordan Mechner, the creator of Prince of Persia. Set on the Orient Express in July 1914, just before Worl...
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...
piratesg_006

Pirates! Gold

DOSWindows 3.xMac OS1993protecteddemo MicroProse Software
Pirates! Gold is an open world game designed by Paul Murphy, developed and released by MicroProse Software in 1993 for DOS, Windows 3.x, Mac and also Sega Genesis and Amiga CD32.&n...
sam-and-max-01

Sam and Max Hit the Road

DOSWindows XP/98/95LinuxMac OS1993protecteddemo LucasArts
Sam & Max Hit the Road is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by LucasArts. It was released in 1993 and is based on the characters Sam and Max created by c...
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...
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...
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 ...