Abandonware DOS title

The most popular demo games

Let's begin with a crucial point: not every old game is abandoned. With the resurgence of "vintage," there's a renewed interest in all things retro, including video games. As a direct consequence, some companies have acquired entire back catalogs of old games and started selling them. That's why many interesting games on Abandonware DOS are marked as "NOT abandonware"; they are available for purchase online.

Enter demos. As you probably already know, game demos, short for demonstration, are limited versions of video games that are released by game developers or publishers to give players a taste of the gameplay before they decide to purchase the full game. These demos are often released ahead of the full game's launch or alongside it. Game demos typically showcase a portion of the game, allowing players to experience the mechanics, graphics, and overall feel of the gameplay.

Game demo versions are a relic of the past. You don't often see demos of recent games on platforms like Steam or GOG, but in the late 80s and 90s, demo versions of games were quite common. This trend was especially notable when video game magazines started including floppy disks or CDs, at a time when the internet was almost non-existent.

Building on this premise, I have embarked on a journey to collect old game demos and make them accessible online through Abandonware DOS, with a specific focus on commercial games. Enjoy!

return-of-the-phantom-06

Return of the Phantom

DOS1993protecteddemo MicroProse Software
Ever wondered what would happen if The Phantom of the Opera got his hands on a time machine, a vengeful streak, and a point-and-click interface? In Return of the Phantom, you step ...
monkey1-2

The Secret of Monkey Island

DOS1990protecteddemo LucasArts
The Secret of Monkey Island is perhaps the most popular point and click adventure game developed by Lucasfilm Games and designed by the trio Ron Gilbert, Dave Grossman and Tim Scha...
age-of-empires-2-04

Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings

Windows XP/98/951999protecteddemo Ensemble Studios
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings is a landmark real-time strategy (RTS) game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft. Released in 1999, it is the second install...
age_of_empires-7

Age of Empires

Windows XP/98/951997protecteddemo Ensemble Studios
Released in 1997, Age of Empires is what happens when ancient history gets drunk and decides to party. You start in the Stone Age, bashing wild boars and clubbing trees, and before...
diablo1-06

Diablo

Windows XP/98/951996protecteddemo Blizzard Entertainment
In 1996, Diablo descended onto PCs and basically defined the “click until everything dies” genre. The gothic town of Tristram sits atop a dungeon stuffed with demons, l...
quake_002

Quake

DOSWindows XP/98/951996protecteddemo id Software
Quake is a first-person shooter (FPS) video game developed by id Software and released in 1996. It is the successor to id Software's immensely popular "Doom" series and is known fo...
indy-desktop-adventures-1

Indiana Jones and his Desktop Adventures

Windows 3.xMac OS1996demo LucasArts
Indiana Jones and His Desktop Adventures is a charmingly odd experiment that shrinks globe-trotting archaeology into bite-sized missions designed for quick play sessions. Viewed fr...
gabrielknight-5

Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers

DOSWindows 3.xMac OS1993protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It was released in 1993 and designed by Jane Jensen. The game is ...
eotb2-4

Eye of the Beholder 2: The Legend of Darkmoon

DOS1991protecteddemo Westwood Studios
Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon, also released in 1991, takes everything that worked in the original and expands it thoughtfully. The dungeon design is more varied, ...
dragonsphere-04

Dragonsphere

DOS1994protecteddemo MicroProse Software
By 1994, point-and-click adventures were everywhere, but Dragonsphere carved out its niche with lush graphics, an intriguing plot, and plenty of puzzles. You play a young king task...
dukenukem3d-4

Duke Nukem 3D

DOS1996protecteddemo 3d Realms
Here’s where Duke goes full legend. Duke Nukem 3D isn’t just a shooter; it’s a cultural moment. The game exploded onto DOS with outrageous humor, interactive envi...
dungeonhack-2

Dungeon Hack

DOS1993protecteddemo DreamForge Intertainment
Dungeon Hack is a dungeon-crawling role-playing game (RPG) developed by DreamForge Intertainment and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI). It was released in 1993 for MS-...
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Voyeur

Windows XP/98/95Mac OSDOS1993demoNSFW Philips Interactive Media
piratesg_006

Pirates! Gold

DOSWindows 3.xMac OS1993protectedremakedemo MicroProse Software
Pirates! Gold is an open world game designed by Paul Murphy, developed and released by MicroProse Software in 1993 for DOS, Windows 3.x, Mac and also Sega Genesis and Amiga CD32.&n...
grim-fandango-04

Grim Fandango

Windows XP/98/951998protecteddemo LucasArts
Grim Fandango is an adventure game developed and published by LucasArts. It was released in 1998 and is known for its unique setting and distinctive art style. The game was directe...
age-of-wonder-2-05

Age of Wonders 2: The Wizard's Throne

Windows XP/98/952002protecteddemo Triumph Studios
Age of Wonders II: The Wizard's Throne is a turn-based strategy game developed by Triumph Studios and published by Gathering of Developers. It was released in 2002 as a sequel to t...
doom-3

Doom

DOS1993protecteddemo id Software
Doom was released by id Software in 1993. It is widely regarded as one of the most influential and groundbreaking video games of all time, particularly within the first-person shoo...
laurabow2-2

Laura Bow 2: The Dagger of Amon Ra

DOSWindows 3.x1992protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Laura Bow 2: The Dagger of Amon Ra is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1992. The game is a sequel to The Colonel's Bequest and follows ...
age-of-wonders-09

Age of Wonders

Windows XP/98/951999protecteddemo Triumph Studios
Mix one part turn-based strategy, one part fantasy novel, add a dash of dragon, and you get Age of Wonders (1999). This is the game where wizards rule, elves sulk in forests, and y...
lemonade-tycoon-02

Lemonade Tycoon

Windows XP/98/952002remakedemo Hexacto Games
Lemonade Tycoon is a business simulation game that allows players to run their own virtual lemonade stand and try to turn it into a successful and profitable business. The game typ...
starcraft-03

StarCraft

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS1998protecteddemo Blizzard Entertainment
StarCraft is a classic RTS (Real-Time Strategy) game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released in 1998 for Windows and Macintosh. StarCraft takes the Warcraft experience to ...
warcraft-1

Warcraft: Orcs and Humans

DOS1994protecteddemo Blizzard Entertainment
Warcraft: Orcs and Humans is where Blizzard’s legendary fantasy saga began. This real-time strategy classic pits humans against orcs in a battle for control of a war-torn wor...
indylastcrusade-4

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

DOS1989protecteddemo LucasArts
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure is a point-and-click adventure game released in 1989 by Lucasfilm Games. The game was designed by Ron Gilbert, David Fox, ...
freddy-pharkas-04

Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist

DOSWindows XP/98/95Windows 3.xMac OS1993protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
In Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist, Sierra took the Wild West and decided it needed more jokes, more puns, and significantly more medical malpractice. Released in 1993, this po...
themehospital-2

Theme Hospital

DOSWindows XP/98/951997protecteddemo Bullfrog
crusadernoregret-4

Crusader: No Regret

DOS1996protecteddemo Origin Systems
In Crusader: No Regret, subtlety is left at the door. You’re a heavily armed operative on a mission to blast your way through enemy installations, leaving nothing but rubble ...
kingsquest4-1

King's Quest 4: The Perils of Rosella

DOS1988protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella is an adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1988. It is the fourth installment in the popular King's Quest series creat...
fallout1-8

Fallout

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1997protecteddemo Interplay Productions
When Fallout landed in 1997, it didn’t just introduce a new RPG, it redefined what post-apocalyptic storytelling could feel like. Set in a retro-futuristic wasteland dripping...
monkey2-3

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge

DOS1991protecteddemo LucasArts
Monkey Island 2 is the second game of the Monkey Island series, a point and click adventure game set in a world of pirates and mysterious treasures. Monkey Island 2 utilizes a comm...
gunship-splash

Gunship

DOS1986demo MicroProse Software
Gunship is a landmark helicopter simulation that treats you less like a player and more like a trainee pilot who forgot to read the manual. It demands attention to instrumentation,...