Abandonware strategy games sorted by release date

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.

Recently added and trending strategy games

Heroes of Might and Magic

Hoyle Book of Games

Cossacks: Back to War

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Chess

DOS1981 chess

If you’ve ever wanted to feel intellectually inferior to a few hundred lines of 1981 code, Chess is your game. This digital board doesn’t bother with graphics flair or friendly tutorials—it’s just you, the ...

Galaxy

DOS1981 board game

The Battle of the Bulge: Tigers in the Snow

DOS1982protected wargame, turn-based tactics

Battle for Normandy

DOS1983protected wargame, turn-based tactics

Released in 1983, Battle for Normandy plays less like a game and more like a history book that came alive, donned a helmet, and asked for a coffee. This is wargaming at its purest: grid maps, unit stats, and more abbreviations tha...

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?" ...

Knights of the Desert

DOS1983protected wargame, turn-based tactics

Midway Campaign

DOS1983 wargame, turn-based tactics

Archon: the Light and the Dark

DOS1984 board game

Before Battle Chess, there was Archon. Imagine a board game where pawns and knights settle disputes not with rules, but with full-on gladiatorial combat. Archon gives you light versus dark, spellcasters versus golems, and battles ...

Backgammon

DOS1984 board game

Chess88

DOS1984 chess

With Chess88, you’re entering the elite club of DOS chess nerds who appreciate ASCII art and precision time controls. Compared to its 1981 predecessor, it’s a leap forward—kind of like going from a stone tablet t...

Computer Diplomacy

DOS1984 board game

Do you enjoy betrayal, backstabbing, and pretending to be a global power while actually being terrible at geography? Computer Diplomacy is the digital version of the classic board game, where alliances are fleeting and wars are fo...

Core War Plus

DOS1984 real-time tactics

In Core War Plus, programming isn’t just for making spreadsheets—it’s for virtual combat. You write tiny programs that battle for control of computer memory, turning coding into a gladiator sport. It’s part...

Felony!

DOS1984 board game

Lords of Midnight

DOS1984remake first-person party-based RPG

Mychess

DOS1984 chess

The Ancient Art of War

DOS1984 real-time strategy

The Ancient Art of War is a classic video game that was released in the late 1980s. Developed by Evryware and published by Broderbund, it was available on various platforms, including Apple II, Atari ST, Amiga, and MS-DOS. The Anc...

8088 Othello

DOS1985 board game

There’s something oddly poetic about 8088 Othello, a 1985 take on the classic board game that feels like it was programmed by someone who had a personal vendetta against flashy graphics. The visuals are almost nonexistent, t...

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 ...

Crusade in Europe

DOS1985 wargame, turn-based tactics

Crusade in Europe is a detailed World War II strategy game that lets you take command of the Allied or Axis forces during some of the war’s most famous campaigns. It’s not about flashy graphics or explosive sound&mdash...

Cyrus

DOS1985 chess

Cyrus is a chess program that doesn’t just play well—it plays with personality. The AI adjusts to your skill level, offering a challenge whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player. The interface is clean and ...

Decision in the Desert

DOS1985 wargame, turn-based tactics

Before Gettysburg, there was Decision in the Desert (1985), which simulates WWII’s North African campaign. Expect hex maps, endless sand, and the occasional tank battle that feels like a chess match with explosions. SSI&rsqu...

Doomdark's Revenge

DOS1985 first-person party-based RPG

Doomdark's Revenge is a strategy and role-playing video game developed by Mike Singleton and originally released in 1985 for DOS and various home computer systems, including the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Commodore 64. It is th...