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.

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Cosmo's Cosmic Adventures

DOS1992protected4.1/5 Apogee Software

Arctic Adventure

DOS19913.4/5 Apogee Software

Astro Fire

DOS1994freewareremake3.8/5 ORT Software

UnReal World v. 3.20

Windows XP/98/95Mac1992freeware4.1/5

Dark Designs 2: Closing the Gate

DOS19904/5 Softdisk Publishing

Jill of the Jungle 3: Jill Saves the Prince

DOS19923.8/5 Epic MegaGames

ZZT

DOS1991freeware4.2/5 Epic MegaGames

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

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.

Blackstar: Agent of Justice

DOS19953.4/5

Yendorian Tales: The Tyrants of Thaine

DOS19973.9/5 SW Games

Secret Agent

DOS1992protected3.9/5 Apogee Software

Rise of the Triad: Dark War

DOS1994protected3.9/5 Apogee Software

Amazing Maze

DOS19833.2/5

Assault Trooper

DOS19973.5/5 Webfoot Technologies

Radix: Beyond the Void

DOS19954.1/5

Exile: Escape from the Pit

Windows XP/98/95MacWindows 3.x1995freeware3.9/5 Spiderweb Software

Hugo 3: Jungle of Doom

DOS1992protected3.8/5 Gray Design Associates

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.