Underdog games: underrated worth playing sorted by release date
In order to be an underdog, a game has to be "not well known" to the public (not now, nor at the time of its release) or underrated, but worth mentioning and playing for some reason. There are plenty of games that won the love of gamers against all odds; some of them even had a cult following. By the way, this keyword pays tribute to Sarinee Achavanuntakul, the owner of the first version of Home of the Underdogs, the site that started and popularized the abandonware concept.
Sort by:
I have no Mouth and I Must Scream
DOS1995protected The Dreamers Guild
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure
Windows XP/98/951995 Activision
Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is a platform video game that was originally released in 1994. It is a sequel to the classic 1982 game Pitfall! but features updated graphics and gameplay mechanics. The game was developed by Activision and initially released for various platforms, including PC, the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNE...
Zyclunt
DOS1995 Phantagram
Zyclunt is a side-scrolling action game developed and published by Phantagram in 1995. The game is set in a dystopian future where incurable diseases and a rise in criminal activities have brought society to the brink of collapse. In this setting, advanced genetic engineering has led to the creation of cybernetic organisms, or cyborgs, which have b...
Death Rally
DOS1996freeware Remedy Entertainment Ltd.
International Moto X
DOS1996 Renegade Software
Normality
DOS1996protecteddemo Gremlin Graphics / Gremlin Interactive
Normality is a first-person adventure video game developed by Gremlin Interactive and released in 1996. The game is set in a dystopian future where a totalitarian regime known as the One True Government (OTG) controls the city of Neutropolis. The player takes on the role of Kent, a rebellious citizen who opposes the oppressive rule of the OTG. The ...
Snood
DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1996freeware
Strife
DOS1996protecteddemo Velocity
Strife from 1996 is a first-person shooter game developed by Rogue Entertainment and published by Velocity, based on the Doom engine. It's often remembered for being one of the earlier games to blend first-person shooter gameplay with RPG elements, such as dialogue with NPCs, quests, and an overarching storyline.In Strife, players assume the role o...
Zeitgeist
Windows XP/98/951996 Taito
Zeitgeist, also known as Jupiter Strike in North America, is a 3D space shooter developed by Taito and published by Acclaim Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation and Windows in 1996. Zeitgeist is a rail shooter: the player controls a spaceship that moves along a fixed path, with limited control over the ship's movement within...
Blood
DOS1997protected Monolith Productions
NetStorm: Islands at War
Windows XP/98/951997
Redneck Rampage
DOS1997protected Xatrix Entertainment
Dink Smallwood
Windows XP/98/951998freeware Robinson Technologies
Dink Smallwood is an action role-playing video game developed by Robinson Technologies. It was first released in 1997 for Windows and later became freeware. The game was created by Seth Robinson, and it gained a cult following for its humor.The game's plot revolves around the titular character, Dink Smallwood, a pig farmer who embarks on an epic ad...
Dope Wars
Windows XP/98/951998 Beermat Software
Dope Wars is a text-based simulation game that originated as a DOS program in the early 1980s, but gained popularity in its Windows version released in 1998. The game puts players in the role of a drug dealer navigating the underground economy of buying, selling, and transporting various illegal substances.In the Windows version of the game, player...
Wizard of Wor 98
DOS1998remake
Star Trek: Birth of the Federation
Windows XP/98/951999 MicroProse Software
Star Trek: Birth of the Federation is a turn-based strategy video game set in the Star Trek universe. The game was developed by MicroProse Software and published by Infogrames for Windows in 1999. Players take on the role of one of five major Star Trek races: the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Ca...
The Typing of the Dead
Windows XP/98/951999 Smilebit
The Typing of the Dead is a distinctive video game, essentially a typing adaptation of the classic rail shooter arcade game, The House of the Dead. Initially debuting in 1999 as an arcade machine, it later became available on other platforms as well.In The Typing of the Dead, players wield a keyboard to dispatch approaching hordes of zombies and ot...
Aquanox
Windows XP/98/952001protected Massive Development
Auf Wiedersehen Monty
Windows XP/98/952001remake
IVAN (Iter Vehemens ad Necem)
DOSWindows 10/11LinuxMac OS2001freeware
Ultra Mortal Kombat Vendetta
Windows XP/98/952001freeware
Decker
Windows 10/112002freeware
Taipan for Windows
Windows XP/98/952002freeware
1893: A World's Fair Mystery
Windows XP/98/95Mac OS2003
1893: A World's Fair Mystery is an interactive fiction game developed by the American studio Illuminated Lantern and released in 2002. Set during the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, the game combines historical fiction with mystery-solving gameplay.In 1893: A World's Fair Mystery, players take on the role of a detective investigating ...
Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space
Windows XP/98/95LinuxMac OS2005protected Digital Eel
Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space is a science fiction roguelike game developed by Digital Eel. Originally released in 2005, it is the sequel to Strange Adventures in Infinite Space. The game puts you in command of a starship exploring the randomly generated reaches of the fictional Purple Void. Your mission is to explore, trade, battle, ...
Elona
Windows XP/98/952007freeware
Elona (short for Eternal League of Nefia) is a free roguelike RPG developed by Japanese indie developer named Noa in 2007. Its gameplay combines elements of open-world exploration, dungeon crawling, and life simulation. It has complex gameplay mechanics, and high replayability. Elona offers a sandbox world where players can pursue various role...