Abandonware DOS title

The games with the best replay value

Replay value in a game refers to how enjoyable and worthwhile it is to replay the same game multiple times after completing it or after having already experienced it once. Certain genres naturally lend themselves to high replay value, often due to randomized elements or open-ended gameplay. Examples include roguelikes, racing games, business simulations, and puzzle games like Tetris. On the other hand, some genres have inherently lower replay value, particularly those with linear narratives or heavily scripted events. Story-driven adventure games, for example, may lose much of their appeal after the first playthrough unless they offer multiple branching paths or significantly different endings.
pinball-fantasies-03

Pinball Fantasies

DOS1994 Digital Illusions
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Pirates! Gold

DOSWindows 3.xMac OS1993protectedremakedemo 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. Pirates! Gold is a remake of the game Pirates, created by Sid Meier in 1987. Pirates! Gold gameplay is a unique mix of action, strategy, pirate life simulation, ...
populos2-4

Populous 2: Trials of the Olympian Gods

DOSMac OS1993protected Bullfrog
Populous 2: Trials of the Olympian Gods is a classic sandbox strategy god game. As the title suggests, its setting is loosely based on ancient Greek mythology, and you play as a deity (hence the "god game" label). Populous 2 is the sequel to the highly acclaimed Populous, designed by Peter Molyneux. It was developed by Bullfrog Productions and publ...
princessmaker2-3

Princess Maker 2

DOS1993 Gainax
Princess Maker 2 is a life simulation anime-style game developed by Gainax in 1993. In Princess Maker 2, the player is the father of a young princess and must tutor and raise her to the age of 18 by scheduling jobs, school classes and programming other activities. The princess is defined by attributes (strength, cooking, etc.) that will change depe...
psychopinball-splash

Psycho Pinball

DOS1995 Codemasters
rogue-1

Rogue

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinuxMac OS1984 Artificial Intelligence Design
Rogue is one of the first RPGs in the history of video gaming. It's a text-based dungeon crawler in which you have to fight your way in the dungeon to recover the Amulet of Yendor. Rogue became popular around 1980 on mainframes and later ported to various platforms, including DOS in 1984. Rogue is simply the father of all the roguelike games that c...
roller-coaster-tycoon-2-05

Roller Coaster Tycoon 2

Windows XP/98/952002protected Chris Sawyer Productions
Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 is a simulation game developed by Chris Sawyer Productions and published by Infogrames. It was released in 2002 as the sequel to the original  classic Roller Coaster Tycoon. In Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 players take on the role of an amusement park manager and are tasked with designing, building, and managing their own th...
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Sargon V: World Class Chess

DOS1991 Activision
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Scorched Earth

DOS1991protected
simcity2000-1

SimCity 2000

DOSWindows 3.xWindows XP/98/951993protected Maxis
SimCity 2000 is a classic city building simulation, part of the popular SimCity series, developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. SimCity 2000 is a huge step up from the 2D predecessor SimCity and boasts improvements like: isometric view, underground, water pipes, subways, new buildings like prisons, schools, libraries, museums, etc.
sim-tower-5

SimTower

Windows 3.x1994 OPeNBooK Co.
SimTower is an old Windows 3.x (1994) building and business simulation game where the player is tasked with the management of a skyscraper nonetheless. Raise floors, build apartments, shops, offices and try to avoid bankruptcy if you can. SimTower spawned some similar games for mobile devices, most notably the wonderful Tiny Tower, It's surprisingl...
snood-03

Snood

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1996freeware
space-hulk-3

Space Hulk

DOS1993 Electronic Arts
Space Hulk is an abandoned real-time tactical strategy game set in the Warhammer  40000 universe, developed and released by Electronic Arts in 1993 for DOS and Amiga systems. In Space Hulk, the player is tasked with wiping out hordes of aliens by the means of a squad of Space Marines armored and armed to the teeth. Space Hulk is the adaptation...
star-wars-battleground-07

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS2001protected LucasArts
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds is a science fiction real-time strategy game set in the Star Wars universe, focused both on the first and the second Star Wars trilogy. Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds was developed by LucasArts Entertainment in 2001. SWGB was developed using the Genie engine, the same used for Age of Empires.
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 a sci-fi setting with an interesting story, three very different races (the militaristic Humans, the alien Zerg and the religious Protoss) and one of the best gameplay ex...
street-fighter-2-6

Street Fighter 2

DOS1992 Capcom
Street Fighter II is a classic arcade fighting game developed and published by Capcom. It was first released in 1991 as a sequel to the original Street Fighter. Street Fighter II is widely regarded as one of the most influential and iconic video games of all time, credited with popularizing the fighting game genre and shaping the arcade scene of th...
super-street-fighter-2-05

Super Street Fighter 2

DOS1996 Capcom
Super Street Fighter II is an enhanced version of the iconic arcade fighting game Street Fighter II, developed and published by Capcom. It was released in 1993 as an upgrade to Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting and introduced several new features, characters, and gameplay mechanics to the series.Super Street Fighter II expanded the roster wit...
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Tetris (Academysoft)

DOS1996 AcademySoft
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Tetris 2.0

Windows XP/98/951990 AcademySoft
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Tetris Classic

DOSWindows 3.x1992 Spectrum HoloByte
serfcity-6

The Settlers

DOS1993protected Blue Byte Software
the-sims-02

The Sims

Windows XP/98/952000 Maxis
The Sims, released in 2000, marked the beginning of the iconic life simulation series. Developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright, the game quickly became a cultural phenomenon and a best-selling title.In The Sims, players create and control virtual characters known as Sims. They can customize their Sims' appearance, personality traits, and asp...
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Transport Tycoon

DOS1994 Chris Sawyer Productions
Transport Tycoon is a business simulation game that puts the player at the head of a transport company to compete against rival companies. The player can build stations, airports, railroads to transport passengers, mail and various goods using trucks, trains and planes. The game became a cult and a few talented fans created some of the best remakes...
warlords2-4

Warlords 2

DOS1993 SSG Strategic Studies Group
whereeuropecarmen-2

Where in Europe is Carmen Sandiego?

DOSMac OS1988 Broderbund
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Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe edition

DOS1993 Broderbund
Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe Edition is an educational computer game released in 1992 by Broderbund Software. It's part of the popular Carmen Sandiego franchise, designed to teach players about geography and history. Players take on the role of a detective working for the ACME Detective Agency. The objective is to track Carmen S...