Abandonware DOS title

The most popular open world games

An open-world video game is a genre of video game where the player is given a large, expansive virtual world (or universe) to explore and interact with. In contrast to linear games that follow a predetermined path or level-based progression, open-world games typically offer freedom and non-linearity, allowing players to roam and engage with the game world at their own pace.

Open-world games often feature vast landscapes or cities that can be freely traversed, and they often include a variety of activities, missions, or quests for players to undertake. These games commonly provide a range of gameplay options, such as exploration, combat, puzzle-solving, character development, and interacting with non-player characters (NPCs).

Popular examples of open-world games include The Elder Scrolls series (e.g., Morrowind), the Grand Theft Auto series, Ultima 7, Darklands, and Star Control 2, among many others.

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The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Windows XP/98/952002protected Bethesda Softworks
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is a critically acclaimed open-world action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios. It was released in 2002 and is the third in...
might-and-magic-4-6

Might and Magic 4: Clouds of Xeen

DOS1992protecteddemo New World Computing
Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen is a role-playing video game developed and published by New World Computing in 1992. It's part of the long-running Might and Magic series. In Clo...
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Solar Winds: The Escape

DOS1993 Stone Interactive Media
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Sid Meier's Pirates!

DOS1987protected MicroProse Software
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Might and Magic: World of Xeen

DOSMac OS1994protecteddemo New World Computing
Might and Magic: World of Xeen is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) released in 1994, which is a combination of two games: Clouds of Xeen and Darkside of Xeen. These games were par...
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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.&n...
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Wing Commander: Privateer

Windows XP/98/95DOSMac OS1993protected Origin Systems
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Divine Divinity

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS2002protected Larian Studios
Don’t let the tongue-twister title fool you—Divine Divinity is a classic in the sprawling world of RPGs. Think of it as Diablo’s eccentric cousin who insists on t...
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Spirit of Adventure

DOS1991 Attic Entertainment Software
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Rings of Medusa

DOS1990 Starbyte Software
Rings of Medusa is a strategy / RPG developed by the German studio Starbyte Software. It was released in 1989 for various platforms including the Commodore 64, Amiga, and MS-DOS.&n...
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Whale's Voyage

DOS1993 neo Software Produktions
Whale's Voyage is an abandoned science fiction first-person view party-based RPG, developed by neo Software Produktions and released by Pro One Software in 1993. Whale's Voyage is ...
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Disciples of Steel

DOS1994
By 1994, RPG fans were spoiled with titles like Might and Magic and Ultima. Then along came Disciples of Steel, a brutally complex, turn-based fantasy epic for DOS. It drops you in...
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Ys: The Vanished Omens

DOS1989 Nihon Falcom
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 Faery Tale Adventure: Book I

DOS1987 MicroIllusions
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Exile: Escape from the Pit

Windows XP/98/95Mac OSWindows 3.x1995freeware Spiderweb Software
Exile: Escape from the Pit, released in 1995, is where the whole strange, subterranean saga begins. You’re exiled—literally—thrown into an underground world and t...
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Realms of Arkania 3: Shadows Over Riva

DOS1996protected Attic Entertainment Software
Shadows Over Riva caps the trilogy with a confident stride. The graphics receive a welcome upgrade, the atmosphere takes a darker turn, and the narrative leans heavily into detecti...
eternam-5

Eternam

DOS1992protected Infogrames
Eternam is a gloriously strange hybrid of 3D exploration, adventure puzzles, and comedic sci-fi. You play Don Jonzon, a man just trying to enjoy a vacation—only to end up cha...
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Miami Vice

DOS1989 Capstone Software
The Miami Vice game developed by Capstone Software and released in 1989 for MS-DOS was an action-strategy game based on the popular TV show. Unlike other arcade-style adaptations, ...
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Ishar 3: The Seven Gates of Infinity

DOS1994protected Silmarils
By 1994, the Ishar series decided subtlety was overrated. Ishar 3 is bigger, bolder, and occasionally more confusing than its predecessors. Your party once again explores vast land...
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Tau Ceti

DOS1987 Thunder Mountain
In Tau Ceti, you’re the lone pilot of a heavily armed hoverbike trying to reboot a dying colony under an alien sun. It’s slow, moody, and brilliantly atmospheric. The v...
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Azalta: Cult of the Raven

DOS1996
Azalta: Cult of the Raven is what happens when a lone developer says, “I can make an RPG better than Ultima!” and sort of does. Released in 1996, this DOS dungeon crawl...
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Galdregon's Domain

DOS1988 Pandora
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UnReal World v. 3.20

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS1992freeware
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Prophecy of the Shadow

DOS1992protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
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Planet's Edge

DOS1991protected New World Computing
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Exile II: Crystal Souls

Windows XP/98/95Mac OSWindows 3.x1996freeware Spiderweb Software
Exile II: Crystal Souls is the kind of RPG that quietly sneaks into your life and then refuses to leave your thoughts. Released in 1996, it looks humble, even a bit scruffy, but be...
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Highway Patrol 2

DOS1990 Microids
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Outcast

Windows XP/98/951999protected Appeal
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Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

DOS1990 New World Computing
Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan is a computer RPG released in 1990 for MS-DOS and PC-98 platforms. It is based on the tabletop role-playing game Tunnels & Trolls crea...