Abandonware strategy games
Games based on strategy allow for reasoning and planning of one’s moves and actions. The gameplay may be based on player’s turns (Turn-based Strategy) or it may be in real time (Real-Time Strategy, RTS). These games focus on strategy and tactics rather than action, sometimes with the addition of financial or logistic features.
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Battle of Antietam
DOS1985protected wargame, turn-based tactics
Civil War buffs, rejoice. Battle of Antietam (1985) lets you relive one of the bloodiest days in American history... via pixelated dots and turn-based tension. There’s no flash here—just raw, old-school strategy where ...
Battleship
DOS1983 board game
Released in 1983, this is your grandpa’s Battleship—minus the plastic pegs, but with all the tension of blind naval warfare. There are no fancy graphics, no Hollywood explosions, just good old-fashioned "Is it a hit?" ...
Battlestar
Windows 3.x1996freeware board game
No, not that Battlestar. Battlestar (1996) is more obscure than a reboot that never happened. Set in deep space with a top-down view and UI only a Windows 3.x user could love, it mixes tactical combat and sci-fi storytelling like ...
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawks' Revenge
DOS1990 real-time tactics
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawks' Revenge is a turn-based strategy game developed by Westwood Associates and published by Infocom in 1990. It is the sequel to "Crescent Hawk's Inception" and is set in the BattleTech universe, a...
Betrayal
DOS1990protected kingdom simulation
Ah, Betrayal—a game with a name that really sets the tone. Is it about backstabbing? Politics? Lost love? Not really. It’s actually a hybrid of strategy and role-playing where you move pieces around a map like a fantas...
Bicycle Bridge
DOS1992 cards
Ready to get your heart racing with the world’s slowest competitive sport? Bicycle Bridge brings the thrill of bidding, trick-taking, and utter confusion straight to your DOS machine. Whether you're a grandmaster or just som...
Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance
Windows XP/98/951996 board game, kingdom simulation
Ever wanted to manage a kingdom, lead armies, go dungeon-crawling, and attend budget meetings? Birthright: The Gorgon’s Alliance makes all your fantasy micromanagement dreams come true. Released in 1996 for Windows XP (yes, ...
Black & White
Windows XP/98/952001 god game
Black & White (2001) is what happens when a god game gets a bit too literal. You play as a deity, complete with a giant hand, an enormous ego, and a giant pet that poops on villagers. Will you be kind and benevolent, or a flam...
Black Crown
DOS1995 board game
In Black Crown (1995), you play as a prince with a very punchable name, trying to reclaim his rightful throne by solving puzzles and dying a lot. It's one of those DOS-era games where half the difficulty is figuring out which pixe...
Black Moon Chronicles
DOS1999protected real-time tactics
Based on a French comic series, Black Moon Chronicles (1999) is what you'd get if a fantasy novel and a real-time strategy game had a slightly awkward baby. The art is dark, the tone is darker, and the gameplay is surprisingly com...
Blitz Draughts
DOS1992 board game
Don’t let the title fool you — Blitz Draughts isn’t a military simulation but rather a gloriously intense checkers game from 1992. This DOS brain-bender turns the classic board game into a high-speed duel of wits...
Blitzkrieg: Battle at the Ardennes
DOS1990 wargame, turn-based tactics
In Blitzkrieg: Battle at the Ardennes, you’re not just playing a wargame — you’re being handed a clipboard, a stack of orders, and a freezing cold battlefield in 1944. This 1990 DOS title lets you relive one of W...
Blood & Magic
DOS1996 real-time strategy
From the people who brought you Dungeons & Dragons, here's Blood & Magic (1996), the RTS that nobody remembers but definitely deserves a second glance. You summon golems from magical “blood forges” because appa...
Bobby Fisher teaches chess
DOS1994 chess
Ever wanted to get chess lessons from a genius who could crush your soul with a bishop and a glare? Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess (1994, DOS) is your chance. Based on the classic book, the game patiently walks you through strategies...
Bridge 7.0
DOS1992 cards
Finally, a game for people who think solitaire is just too wild. Bridge 7.0 is the digital equivalent of sipping tea with your grandparents while arguing about trumps and bidding strategies. Released in 1992, it simulates the clas...
Burntime
DOS1993 action RPG, real-time strategy
Post-apocalyptic survival meets real estate management in Burntime, where the world is ruined, but you still need to hire employees and secure water rights. It’s like Mad Max if Max decided to open a franchise of fortified r...
Bush Buck: Global Treasure Hunter
DOS1991 board game
If Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego had a caffeinated younger cousin, it would be Bush Buck: Global Treasure Hunter. You race around the globe chasing clues, dodging rivals, and learning just enough geography to impress your ...
Caesars Palace
DOS1989 cards
More smoke-filled backrooms than a noir film and enough slot machines to trigger déjà vu—Caesars Palace is your low-res Vegas getaway. You're given a pile of chips and left to your vices: blackjack, poker, roul...
Cannon Fodder
DOS1994protected real-time tactics
War never changes—but it does get oddly cute in Cannon Fodder. Guide your tiny commandos through missions filled with explosions, carnage, and dark humor. The game mixes arcade action with light strategy, and the body count ...
Capture the Flag
DOS1993 turn-based tactics
No guns. No glory. Just two invisible players navigating a weird Tron-like maze to steal each other’s flag. Capture the Flag is what you get when someone says “let’s make Pac-Man multiplayer and add a dash of par...
Carrier Strike: South Pacific 1942-44
DOS1992protected wargame, turn-based tactics
If you ever wanted to command the Pacific fleet without getting wet, Carrier Strike is your game. Set during WWII, it’s a turn-based wargame where numbers, radar, and weather reports matter more than reflexes. You’ll p...
Castles
DOS1991protected real-time strategy
Castles is what happens when SimCity meets Game of Thrones. You design your own fortress, manage the budget, and tell unruly peasants why the walls are more important than food. Between building bricks and issuing royal edicts, yo...
Castles 2: Siege and Conquest
DOSMac OS1992protected real-time strategy
Castles 2 took everything the first game did and cranked it up with actual diplomacy, espionage, and conquest mechanics. Now you’re not just stacking bricks—you’re plotting political marriages and assassinating r...
Cave Wars
DOS1996 real-time tactics
Celtic Tales: Balor of the Evil Eye
DOS1995 kingdom simulation
Celtic Tales: Balor of the Evil Eye is a strategy video game developed by KOEI and released in 1995. It is set in a mythical version of ancient Ireland and draws heavily from Celtic mythology, particularly focusing on the legendar...
Centurion: Defender of Rome
DOS1990 4x
Centurion: Defender of Rome is a turn-based strategy game set in ancient Rome times. As a centurion of the Roman Empire, you will fight against the enemies of Rome in real time battles in every corner of Italy and Europe, you'll b...
Champion of the Raj
DOS1991 kingdom simulation
Chaos Overlords
Windows XP/98/95Mac OS1996protected board game
Chaos Overlords is a cyberpunk-themed strategy game developed by Stick Man Games and published by New World Computing in 1996. Set in a dystopian future, the game focuses on controlling the underworld of a city dominated by corrup...
Checkers for Windows
Windows 3.x1997 board game
Chess
DOS1981 chess