The most popular shareware games
Shareware is a type of software distribution model that allows users to try a program before purchasing it. It's a marketing strategy and distribution method that was particularly popular in the early days of personal computing, primarily during the 1980s and 1990s.
Shareware games were released for free with limited functionality (for example: no saving, missing levels, time limit), often via a BBS (Bulletin Board System), a floppy disc or a CD included in a printed magazine or by direct download (when internet was in its infancy). If the user liked the shareware product, they could pay to obtain an upgrade and unlock the full game. When digital distribution started to become popular, shareware games slowly faded into oblivion.
Sort by:
Arctic Adventure
DOS19913.4/5 Apogee Software
Shadow Warrior
DOS1997protected3.9/5 3d Realms
Xatax
DOS19944/5 Pixel Painters Corporation
Aldo's Assault
DOS19913/5
Dark Ages Volume I - Prince of Destiny
DOS1991freeware4/5 Scenerio Software
Blackstar: Agent of Justice
DOS19953.4/5
Dark Designs 2: Closing the Gate
DOS19904/5 Softdisk Publishing
One-Nil Soccer Manager
DOS19923.9/5 New Era Software
One-Nil Soccer Manager is a text-based soccer management simulation game that was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was developed for various home computer systems, including DOS, Commodore 64 and Amiga. In One-Nil Soccer Manager, players take on the role of a soccer team manager, making strategic decisions to guide their team to s...
Solar Winds: The Escape
DOS19934.1/5 Stone Interactive Media
UnReal World v. 3.20
Windows XP/98/95Mac1992freeware4.1/5
Secret Agent
DOS1992protected3.9/5 Apogee Software
Yendorian Tales: The Tyrants of Thaine
DOS19973.9/5 SW Games
Hugo 2: Whodunit?
DOS1991protecteddemo3.5/5 Gray Design Associates
Hugo 2: Whodunit? is an old school graphic adventure game designed by David P. Gray, developed by Gray Design Associates and released in 1991 for MS-DOS only. Hugo 2: Whodunit? is the second installment of the Hugo game series.
Assault Trooper
DOS19973.5/5 Webfoot Technologies
Super ZZT
DOS19923.3/5 Epic MegaGames
Rise of the Triad: Dark War
DOS1994protected3.9/5 Apogee Software
Radix: Beyond the Void
DOS19954.1/5
Amazing Maze
DOS19833.2/5
Mario Bros VGA
DOS1990remake3.9/5
Mario Bros VGA is a fan made remake of the original Mario Bros by Nintendo, the game that popularized the character of Mario, the Italian plumber that first appeared in Donkey Kong. Mario Bros VGA is a fixed-screen platform arcade game that truly shines when played in co-op with a friend.
Exile: Escape from the Pit
Windows XP/98/95MacWindows 3.x1995freeware3.9/5 Spiderweb Software
Yendorian Tales: Book I - Chapter 2
DOS19963.8/5 SW Games
Hugo 3: Jungle of Doom
DOS1992protected3.8/5 Gray Design Associates
Skyroads
DOS1993freeware4.2/5 Bluemoon Interactive
Jumpman Lives!
DOS1991remake4/5 Apogee Software
Invasion of the Mutant Space Bats of Doom
DOS19953.8/5 Pop Software
Gateworld
DOS19933.1/5 HomeBrew Software
Tetris (Academysoft)
DOS19963.7/5 AcademySoft
CHAMP Kong
DOS1996remake4/5 ChamProgramming corp.
Battlestar
Windows 3.x1996freeware3.7/5
Moraff's Revenge
DOS19883.7/5 Moraffware