Abandonware DOS title

The best abandonware rpg games

In a Role-Playing Game (RPG), players control one or more characters in a fictional world, be it fantasy-oriented, contemporary, sci-fi, etc. RPGs follow up on traditional tabletop role-playing games features, including narrative threads full of obstacles and enigmas, character development, combat systems, or complex inventories.
ancient-land-of-ys-03

Ys: The Vanished Omens

DOS1989 JRPG, action RPG
Welcome to the Ys series, where you swing swords by running headfirst into enemies. The Vanished Omens introduces Adol Christin, red-haired hero extraordinaire, as he embarks on a ...
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The Bard's Tale 3: Thief of Fate

DOS1990 dungeon crawl, first-person party-based RPG
The Bard’s Tale III: Thief of Fate is the third and final installment in the original The Bard’s Tale trilogy, developed by Interplay and published by Electronic Arts i...
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Prophecy of the Shadow

DOS1992protected
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Starflight

DOS1986 sandbox RPG
Starflight is a classic space exploration and role-playing video game released in 1986 by Binary Systems and published by Electronic Arts. It is known for its innovative gameplay, ...
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Phantasie 3: The Wrath of Nikademus

DOS1987 top-down party-based RPG
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Secret of the Silver Blades

DOSMac OS1990protected
Secret of the Silver Blades is a fantasy RPG set in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons universe, developed and released by SSI Strategic Simulations Inc. in 1990 for DOS, Macintos...
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Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar

DOS1985freeware sandbox RPG, top-down party-based RPG
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar is one of the most influential and innovative role-playing games (RPGs) in video game history. Released in 1985 by Richard Garriott under the Origin ...
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Fallout

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1997protecteddemo
When Fallout landed in 1997, it didn’t just introduce a new RPG, it redefined what post-apocalyptic storytelling could feel like. Set in a retro-futuristic wasteland dripping...
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Ancients 2: Approaching Evil

DOS1994 first-person party-based RPG
A direct sequel to Deathwatch, Ancients 2: Approaching Evil is like returning to your childhood neighborhood, except everyone’s still trying to kill you. Released in 1994, it...
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Cobra Mission

DOS1992NSFW JRPG
Let’s be honest: Cobra Mission is remembered less for its RPG mechanics and more for its... risqué content. The first “eroge” RPG translated into English, ...
slashem-vampire-03

Slash'Em

Windows XP/98/95LinuxMac OS1997freewareremake dungeon crawl, roguelike
SLASH'EM (Super Lotsa Added Stuff Hack - Extended Magic) is a roguelike game based on NetHack, one of the most famous dungeon-crawling games of all time. It expands upon NetHack 3....
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ZAngband

Mac OSDOSLinux1999freeware dungeon crawl, roguelike
Zangband is a variant of the popular roguelike game Angband. Zangband, short for Zelazny Angband, was developed by Chris Weisiger and first released in 1994. The game features...
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Champions of Krynn

DOS1990protected
Champions of Krynn is a RPG released in 1990 by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) and is the first game in the Dragonlance Gold Box series. It is based on the Advanced Dungeons &am...
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Ultima 8: Pagan

DOS1994protected action RPG
Ultima 8 drops the Avatar into a grim, volcanic world where “fun” is defined as plummeting to your death from badly timed jumps. Yes, the infamous platforming mechanics...
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Gateway to the Savage Frontier

DOS1991protected
Gateway to the Savage Frontier is a Dungeons & Dragons computer role-playing game released in 1991. It was developed by Beyond Software (later known as Stormfront Studios) and ...
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Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator

Windows XP/98/951999protected JRPG
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DND

DOS1984 dungeon crawl, roguelike
Before there was Baldur’s Gate or Skyrim, there was DND. This 1984 DOS dungeon crawler is as old-school as it gets, complete with ASCII graphics, endless hallways, and monste...
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Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle

DOS1993 sandbox RPG, top-down party-based RPG
As sequels go, Serpent Isle is less “more of the same” and more “everything is different, good luck.” Shipwrecked on a strange new land, you’ll deal w...
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Alternate Reality: The City

DOSMac OS1988
Alternate Reality: The City is a role-playing video game developed by Paradise Programming for various platforms including Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, and Commodore 64. It was released ...
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Betrayal at Krondor

DOS1993protected first-person party-based RPG
If you like your RPGs verbose, Betrayal at Krondor is basically a fantasy novel you play. Set in Raymond E. Feist’s Midkemia, the game oozes with narrative depth, detailed ch...
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Warriors of Legend

DOS1993 action RPG
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Deus Ex

DOSMac OS2000protecteddemo first-person shooter, action RPG
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...
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Legends of Valour

DOS1992 sandbox RPG, action RPG
Legends of Valour (1992) was one of those ambitious games that aimed to create a living, breathing fantasy city—and partially succeeded. Set in the sprawling metropolis of Mi...
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Hired Guns

DOS1993 first-person party-based RPG
Hired Guns is what happens when someone looks at a dungeon crawler and thinks, “Yes, but what if it were louder, messier, and slightly unhinged?” Released in 1993, this squad-b...
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Anachronox

Windows XP/98/952001protected action RPG
Anachronox is a 2001 role-playing video game developed by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive with a futuristic, cyberpunk-inspired setting. The game was written and direc...
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Might and Magic 3: Isles of Terra

DOS1991protected first-person party-based RPG
Might and Magic 3: Isles of Terra is where the series starts to feel confident, like a dungeon master who has finally figured out how cruel they can be before players revolt. The l...
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Pool of Radiance

DOSMac OS1988protected
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Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS2000protected action RPG
Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption is an action role-playing game released in 2000 by Nihilistic Software and published by Activision. It is based on the "Vampire: The Masquerade...