Abandonware DOS title

Games with grid-based movement

Grid-based movement in video games refers to a movement system where characters or objects can only move along a predefined grid or set of discrete positions. The game world is divided into a grid, composed of squares or tiles, and the movement is typically restricted to the cardinal directions (up, down, left, and right). Grid-based movement has been widely used in various types of games, including turn-based strategy games, role-playing games (RPGs), and tactical games. This movement system allows for precise positioning and strategic planning, as the player must consider the grid layout and plan their movements accordingly.

Most popular grid-based games

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221B Baker Street

DOS1986 Datasoft
You are Sherlock Holmes, and someone has committed a crime, possibly because they couldn’t handle the game’s UI. 221B Baker Street is a detective board game where your mind is your only weapon. And also a notepad, because keeping track of clues is half the game. You wander through foggy London, asking yourself how such elegant mystery-s...
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2400 A.D.

DOS1988 Origin Systems
Ah, 2400 A.D. A game where you can rebel against a robot police state… by slowly walking around in beige. Released in 1988, it’s what happens when you mix Orwellian dystopia with MS Paint aesthetics. You’ll sneak, hack, and run errands for the revolution, all while wearing what looks like a futuristic jumpsuit made of cardboard. ...
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AlphaMan

DOS1995
Ever wondered what would happen if a roguelike and a B-movie had a radioactive baby? AlphaMan is the answer. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where mutant banana slugs might be your best friend—or your worst enemy—you play a survivor with a bad attitude and worse fashion sense. The goal? Stop the evil Doomsday Bomb. The method? Whatever ...
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Amulet of Yendor

DOS1985 Keypunch Software
Before there were AAA games with 100GB installs, there was Amulet of Yendor, a rogue-like so old-school it might as well come with a floppy disk and a sandwich bag of D&D dice. Your goal? Find the legendary amulet. Your method? Die. A lot. This game is brutal, random, and completely addicting. ASCII graphics give it the visual appeal of a tax f...
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Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) v1.1

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinux1996freeware
ADOM is what happens when a rogue, a wizard, and a hungry troll walk into a dungeon and never come out. Released in 1996, this roguelike classic is brutal, brilliant, and unapologetically text-heavy. Permadeath is the norm, the story is deep enough to drown in, and don’t even get me started on the corruption system. You’ll die often, po...
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Ancients 1: Deathwatch

DOS1991 Farr-Ware Software
In Ancients 1: Deathwatch, you gather your pixelated party and set off to cleanse a city of evil, or at least try not to get mugged by slimes. It's a dungeon crawler in classic DOS fashion — grid movement, turn-based battles, and interface menus with all the elegance of a fax machine. Released in 1991, it’s as old-school as they come, r...
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Ancients 2: Approaching Evil

DOS1994 Farr-Ware Software
A direct sequel to Deathwatch, Ancients 2: Approaching Evil is like returning to your childhood neighborhood, except everyone’s still trying to kill you. Released in 1994, it builds on the first game’s formula by adding more monsters, spells, and slightly improved graphics that still look like a dungeon crawler built in a spreadsheet. E...
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Angband

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinux1992freeware
If you’ve ever thought The Lord of the Rings needed more ASCII and fewer hobbit feelings, Angband is your jam. Since 1992, this dungeon-crawling roguelike has been throwing players into a 100-level deathtrap where the ultimate goal is to defeat Morgoth, because why not aim big? With perma-death looming over every decision, this game turns "op...
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Anvil of dawn

DOS1995protected DreamForge Intertainment
Anvil of Dawn is what happens when 1995 tries to reinvent the fantasy RPG and ends up creating something strangely beautiful. It’s first-person, it’s real-time, and it’s dripping with atmosphere — from moody lighting to that voice acting that’s either brilliant or totally unhinged. The game lets you pick a hero to save...
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Archon Ultra

DOS1994protected Free Fall Associates
Archon Ultra is what happens when you smash chess into an arcade cabinet and call it a day. This updated version of the original Archon throws in jazzed-up graphics and faster gameplay, but keeps the core idea: when pieces meet, they fight. Literally. On a battlefield. Think Wizard’s Chess, but instead of CGI knights, you’ve got pixelat...
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Archon: the Light and the Dark

DOS1984 Free Fall Associates
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 that feel like Pong with grudges. It's chess, but spicy. Despite the primitive graphics, it’s shockingly addictive...
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Arnhem: The Market Garden Operation

DOS1988 Cases Computer Simulations
Arnhem is the kind of wargame where you spend more time reading hex maps than shooting anything. It’s all about recreating Operation Market Garden — you know, that WWII battle where everything went spectacularly sideways. The graphics are what you’d call “functional,” the sound is silent, and your troops have the survi...
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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 crawler features deep customization, open-ended quests, and graphics that scream “programmed at 2 a.m.” The story is delightfully dark: evil cults, bird-themed may...
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Blades of Exile

Windows 3.xMac OSWindows XP/98/951997freeware Spiderweb Software
Blades of Exile is a classic role-playing video game developed by Spiderweb Software. It's the third installment in the "Exile" series. The game was released in 1997 for Mac OS, and later for Windows in 1998. In Blades of Exile, players control a party of adventurers who explore the underground world of Exile/Avernum, a vast network of caves and du...
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Bloodwych

DOS1989
Step into a dungeon, take a left at the creepy skeleton, and say hello to Bloodwych, the 1989 DOS game that proves co-op first-person dungeon crawling can be both confusing and oddly addictive. It's got split-screen multiplayer (yes, really) and color-coded mages who look like they've just come from a low-budget wizard convention. The game lets you...
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Boulder Dash

DOS1984 First Star Software
Boulder Dash is a classic action-puzzle video game that was first released in 1984 by First Star Software. In Boulder Dash, players control a character named Rockford as he digs through caves to collect diamonds while avoiding falling boulders and other hazards. The game is set in a scrolling, grid-based environment, and players must strategic...
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Boulder Dash 2: Rockford's Revenge

DOS1985 First Star Software
Boulder Dash II is the sequel to the original Boulder Dash game. It was released in 1985 and follows the same basic gameplay mechanics as its predecessor while introducing new levels and features.In Boulder Dash II, players once again control the character Rockford as he explores caves, collects diamonds, and avoids various hazards such as falling ...
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Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday

DOS1990protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
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Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed

DOS1992protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed is a CRPG developed by SSI Strategic Simulations Inc. and released in 1992 for DOS only. Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed is the sequel to Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday and it's based on a campaign setting created by TSR in the late 80s. The game uses the Gold Box engine, common to much of the RPGs developed by SSI.
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Captive

DOS1992 Mindscape
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Champions of Krynn

DOS1990protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Champions of Krynn is a RPG released in 1990 by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) and is the first game in the Dragonlance Gold Box series. It is based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons ruleset and set in the world of Krynn, known from the Dragonlance novels. Players create a party of up to six characters, choosing from the standard AD&am...
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Circuit's Edge

DOS1990 Westwood Studios
Circuit's Edge is a cyberpunk-themed role-playing game developed by Westwood Associates and published by Infocom. It was released in 1990 for MS-DOS. Set in a dystopian future, Circuit's Edge takes place in the fictional city of Rhoes Island, a dark and gritty urban landscape filled with crime, corruption, and advanced technology. Players take on t...
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Civilization

DOSWindows 3.xMac OS1991 MicroProse Software
Civilization is the critically acclaimed strategy game designed by Sid Meier and Bruce Campbell Shelley that became a staple in 4X turn-based strategy. Civilization was developed by MicroProse Software and released in 1991 for DOS, Windows 3.x, Amiga, Atari ST, Mac, etc. Civilization was followed by sequels, the last one being published recently. T...
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Civilization 2

Windows XP/98/951996 MicroProse Software
Civilization II is a turn-based strategy game developed by MicroProse and released in 1996. It's the second installment in the "Civilization" series, created by Sid Meier. The game builds upon the concept of its predecessor, Civilization, and expands on its gameplay mechanics, graphics, and depth.In Civilization II, players take on the role of a le...
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Civilization II: Test of Time

Windows XP/98/951999remake Atari
Civilization II: Test of Time is an abandoned turn-based strategy game developed by Atari and released by MicroProse Software in 1999 for Windows. Civilization II: Test of Time is a remake of the cult classic Civilization 2, without the involvement of Sid Meier (the creator of the Civilization franchise). Test of Time includes fantasy and science f...
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Crystals of Arborea

DOS1990 Silmarils
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Curse of the Azure Bonds

DOS1989protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
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Dark Queen of Krynn

DOS1992protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
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Death Knights of Krynn

DOS1991protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
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Decker

Windows 10/112002freeware