The best based on a novel games
Many classic games were based on books, whether novels or short stories. This literary influence brought rich narratives and intricate worlds to the gaming medium. Some notable examples include "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien, which inspired numerous games that explore Middle-earth's epic battles and complex lore. "Rendezvous with Rama" by Arthur C. Clarke provided a foundation for games that delve into the mysteries of space exploration and alien encounters. "The Mist" by Stephen King led to atmospheric horror games that capture the suspense and terror of the original story.
Most popular based on a novel games
strategyWindows XP/98/95
strategyDOS
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James Clavell's Shogun
DOS19894.3/5 Infocom
James Clavell's Shogun, a text adventure game developed by Infocom and released in 1989. Infocom was known for its interactive fiction games, and "James Clavell's Shogun" was one of its later releases.This text adventure game is based on James Clavell's novel "Shogun" and follows the story of John Blackthorne, an English navigator who becomes invol...
War of the Lance
DOS1990protected4.3/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Conan: the Cimmerian
DOS19914.2/5 Synergistic Software
Dune 2000
Windows XP/98/9519984.2/5 Westwood Studios
Dune 2000 is an abandoned science fiction classic real-time strategy game based on the popular Dune franchise. The Dune "universe" took form in the books of science fiction writer Frank Herbert and went on to include movies, TV series, comics, and of course video games. Dune 2000 is one of the finest RTS of its era; it was developed by We...
Dune II: The building of a dynasty
DOS19924.2/5 Westwood Studios
Dune II, released in 1992, is a pioneering real-time strategy game developed by Westwood Studios. Set in the world of Frank Herbert's Dune, players command noble houses in a battle for control over the planet Arrakis. With base-building, resource management, and tactical combat, the game introduced key elements of the genre and influenced future RT...
Frankenstein
DOS19944.2/5 Junkyard
Team Yankee
DOS19904.2/5 Oxford Digital Enterprises
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
DOSMac OS1984freeware4.2/5 Infocom
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a humorous free text adventure game based on the novel of the same name written by Douglas Adams (if you never read it, shame on you!). The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was designed by Douglas Adams himself and interactive fiction god Steve Eric Meretzky, it was released by Infocom in 1984 for DOS and for...
Hook
DOS19924.2/5 Shadow Software
The Fellowship of the Ring
DOS19864.1/5 Beam Software
Megafortress
DOS1991protected4.1/5 Artech Studios
Pacific Islands
DOS19924.1/5 Oxford Digital Enterprises
Frederik Pohl's Gateway
DOS19924.1/5 Legend Entertainment
Frederik Pohl's Gateway is one of the best abandoned adventures games from Legend Entertainment. Gateway is an interactive fiction with graphics and an improved interface (unusual for IFs), based on the Frederik Pohl's novel Gateway. Tt was designed by Michael Verdu and Glen R. Dahlgren and published by Legend Entertainment in 1992.
9 Princes in Amber
DOS19854.1/5 Telarium
Dune
DOS19924.1/5 Cryo Interactive Entertainment
Dune, released in 1992, is a game developed by Cryo Interactive and published by Virgin Games. It's based on the iconic science fiction novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. In Dune, players assume the role of Paul Atreides, the young scion of House Atreides, as he arrives on the desert planet Arrakis with his family to take control of spice pro...
Discworld
DOS19954.1/5 Perfect Entertainment
J.R.R. Tolkien's Riders of Rohan
DOS19974.1/5 Papyrus Design Group
La Abadia del Crimen
DOS19874.1/5 Opera Soft
La Abadía del Crimen (The Abbey of Crime) is an action-adventure developed in Spain by Paco Menéndez in the mid-1980s. It was initially created for the Amstrad CPC and later ported to other popular home computer systems of the time, such as the ZX Spectrum and MSX. The game was released in 1987.
Discworld 2: Mortality Bytes!
DOS19964.1/5 Perfect Entertainment
Flight of the Intruder
DOS19904.1/5 Rowan Software
Prisoner of Ice
DOS1995protected4.1/5 Chaosium Inc.
Mixed-up Mother Goose
DOS19874.1/5 Sierra On-Line
I have no Mouth and I Must Scream
DOS1995protected4.1/5 The Dreamers Guild
Touché: The Adventures of the Fifth Musketeer
DOS19954.1/5 Clipper Software
Betrayal at Krondor
DOS1993protected4.1/5 Dynamix
The Hunt for Red October
DOSMac OS19874.1/5 Oxford Digital Enterprises
Red Storm Rising
DOS19894/5 MicroProse Software
Red Storm Rising is a submarine simulation video game developed and published by MicroProse in 1988, based on the novel of the same name by Tom Clancy and Larry Bond. The game is set during a hypothetical World War III scenario, focusing on naval combat between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces. Players command a modern nuclear submarine from a first-per...
Circuit's Edge
DOS19904/5 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 various platforms including DOS, Amiga, and Commodore 64.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, corru...
Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur
DOS19894/5 Infocom
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I
DOS19904/5 Interplay Productions
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is an abandoned fantasy top-down DOS RPG game set in the The Lord of the Rings universe. The Lord of the Rings I was developed and released by Interplay Productions in 1990. The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is based on the popular The Lord Of The Rings book by J.R.R. Tolkien and it's focused on the f...