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!

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...
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...
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...
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...
fallout1-8

Fallout

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1997protecteddemo Interplay Productions
The first Fallout game was released in 1997 by Interplay Productions and is widely regarded as one of the most influential RPGs of its time. The game begins in the year 2161, ...
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, ...
gabriel-knight-2-03

Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OSWindows 3.x1995protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It was released in 1995 as a sequel to the original Gabriel Knight...
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...
indy-desktop-adventures-1

Indiana Jones and his Desktop Adventures

Windows 3.xMac OS1996demo LucasArts
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...
gunship-splash

Gunship

DOS1986demo MicroProse Software
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 ...
midtown-madness-02

Midtown Madness

Windows XP/98/951999demo Angel Studios
Midtown Madness is a car racing game developed by Angel Studios (later known as Rockstar San Diego) and released by Microsoft in 1999 for Windows. Midtown Madness is know...
colonelbequest-3

The Colonel's Bequest

DOS1989protecteddemo Sierra On-Line
The Colonel's Bequest is a graphic adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It was released in 1989 for various platforms, including MS-DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST. T...
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...
warcraft-1

Warcraft: Orcs and Humans

DOS1994protecteddemo Blizzard Entertainment
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is the first real-time fantasy strategy game from Blizzard Entertainment. Two separate story lines (Orcs and Humans) evolve with 12 scenarios per side t...
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-...
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...
voyeur-05

Voyeur

Windows XP/98/95Mac OSDOS1993demoNSFW Philips Interactive Media
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...
loom-11

Loom

DOSLinuxMac OS1990protecteddemo LucasArts
Loom is a graphic adventure game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games (now LucasArts). It was designed by Brian Moriarty and is known for its unique gameplay mechanics and em...
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, ...
ihnom-4

I have no Mouth and I Must Scream

DOS1995protecteddemo The Dreamers Guild
goblins-3-03

Goblins 3

DOS1994protecteddemo Coktel Vision
Goblins 3 (also known as Goblins Quest 3) is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Coktel Vision. It was released in 1993 as the third installment in the Gobl...
wolfenstein3d-2

Wolfenstein 3D

DOSMac OS1992protecteddemo id software
Wolfenstein 3D is the first-person shooter that popularized the whole genre in the early 90s and is considered one of the greatest games ever made. Wolfenstein 3D was designed by J...
myst-09

Myst

Windows XP/98/95Windows 3.xMac OS1995protecteddemo Cyan Worlds
Myst is a classic puzzle-adventure video game that was first released in 1993. It was developed by Cyan, a small independent game development studio. The game was initially release...
indianafateatlantis-2

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis

DOSMac OS1992protecteddemo LucasArts
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is a graphical point and click adventure game created by LucasArts and published in 1992, based on the popular movie character. As the famous...
operation-inner-space-03

Operation: Inner Space

Windows 3.x1994protecteddemo Software Dynamics
might-and-magic-4-6

Might and Magic 4: Clouds of Xeen

DOS1992protecteddemo New World Computing
Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen is a role-playing video game developed and published by New World Computing in 1992. It's part of the long-running Might and Magic series. In Clo...