Abandonware DOS title

The most popular action RPG games

ARPG games (the acronym stands for Action Role-Playing Game) borrow gameplay elements from the action genre and mix them with real-time gameplay still retaining core RPG concepts that makes a CRPG (Computer Role-Playing Game) what it is. Combat is often dependent on the players' own reflexes while combat tactics usually play a minor role.
daggerfall-01

The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall

DOS1996freeware Bethesda Softworks
The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall is an old school first-person 3D RPG developed by Bethesda Softworks and released in 1996 for DOS. Daggerfall is the second chapter in popular The Elder Scrolls series. The open world gameplay, the procedural generation of dungeons and the freedom of exploring and taking on the quests at your own pace are some of the...
elderscrollsarena-8

The Elder Scrolls: Arena

DOS1994freeware Bethesda Softworks
The Elder Scrolls: Arena is the first installment in the highly acclaimed Elder Scrolls series of fantasy ARPG (action role-playing games), developed and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was initially released in 1994. Arena is set in the continent of Tamriel, which later becomes the central location for all the Elder Scrolls games (Skyrim,...
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Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse

DOS1994protected Cyberlore studios
In Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse (1994), you’re not some grizzled barbarian or pointy-hatted wizard - no, you’re a noble corsair with charm, a sword, and a knack for getting into magical messes. This is Dungeons & Dragons meets Arabian Nights, with sand, spells, and more genies than you can reasonably fit into one bottle. The combat&r...
moonstone-5

Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight

DOS1992 Mindscape
Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight is an action-RPG and strategy game developed by Rob Anderson and published by Mindscape in 1991 for the Amiga and later for MS-DOS. The game is famous for its combination of strategic, RPG elements with fast-paced, brutal action combat, as well as its dark medieval fantasy setting. Up to four players can take turn...
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System Shock 2

Windows XP/98/95LinuxMac OS1999protected Irrational Games
System Shock 2 is a first-person action role-playing video game developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios. It was released in 1999 and is known for its innovative gameplay, atmospheric setting, and deep narrative.The game is set in a futuristic cyberpunk universe aboard the starship Von Braun in the year 2114. Players assume the role ...
auto-duel-05

Autoduel

DOS1985 Origin Systems
What do you get when you mix Mad Max, Car Wars, and a fondness for vehicular homicide? You get Autoduel (1985, DOS), a top-down driving RPG where your car is your castle and your guns are your diplomatic policy. Part racing game, part combat sim, and part postal delivery service (seriously), it's the kind of game that punishes mistakes with explosi...
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Anachronox

Windows XP/98/952001protected Ion Storm
Anachronox is a 2001 role-playing video game developed by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive with a futuristic, cyberpunk-inspired setting. The game was written and directed by Tom Hall, one of the original developers behind Doom and Quake. The story of Anachronox takes place in a galaxy where technology and magic coexist. The game&r...
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The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Windows XP/98/952002protected Bethesda Softworks
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is a critically acclaimed open-world action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios. It was released in 2002 and is the third installment in the Elder Scrolls series. The game is set in the fantasy world of Tamriel, on the island of Vvardenfell in the province of Morrowind.The game offers a vast a...
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Diablo

Windows XP/98/951996protecteddemo Blizzard Entertainment
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Nox

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS2000protected Westwood Studios
uu1-5

Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss

DOS1992protected Blue Sky Productions
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss is one of the first free-roaming first-person 3D ARPG (action RPG) ever created. The Stygian Abyss is the dungeon of the same name, part of the land of Britannia, and it's set in the Ultima universe created by Richard Garriott. Ultima Underworld was designed by Paul Neurath, developed by Blue Sky Productions and...
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Windwalker (Moebius 2)

DOS1989 Origin Systems
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Prophecy: the Fall of Trinadon

DOS1989 Activision
timesoflore-4

Times of Lore

DOS1989 Origin Systems
Times of Lore is an abandoned action RPG designed by Chris Roberts, developed and released by Origin Systems in 1989 for DOS and many more 8 bit and 16 bit platforms. Compared to Ultima (the much more popular franchise also by Origin) Times of Lore is a washed down RPG, more similar to a NES game. In fact, Roberts was inspired by The Legend of Zelda.
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Conan: the Cimmerian

DOS1991 Synergistic Software
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Spirit of Excalibur

DOS1990 Synergistic Software
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Legends of Valour

DOS1992 Syntetic Dimensions
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Zeliard

DOS1990 Game Arts
Zeliard is a fantasy platformer - JRPG hybrid with metroidvania gameplay elements developed by Game Arts and released for DOS in 1990. Zeliard is a single-player game.
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Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS2000protected Nihilistic Software
Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption is an action role-playing game released in 2000 by Nihilistic Software and published by Activision. It is based on the "Vampire: The Masquerade" tabletop RPG by White Wolf Publishing. The game combines traditional RPG elements with real-time combat. Players control Christof and a party of vampire allies, cu...
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Entomorph: Plague Of The Darkfall

Windows XP/98/95Windows 3.xMac OS1995protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
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Deus Ex

DOSMac OS2000protecteddemo Ion Storm
Deus Ex is a critically acclaimed action role-playing video game developed by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released in 2000 and was designed by Warren Spector, combining elements of first-person shooters, stealth games, and role-playing games. The game is set in a dystopian future where society is fraught with conspiracy the...
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Ultima 9: Ascension

Windows XP/98/951999protected Origin Systems
moebius-splash

Moebius

DOS1987 Origin Systems
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Sorcerian

DOS1990 Nihon Falcom
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Ys: The Vanished Omens

DOS1989 Nihon Falcom
Ys: The Vanished Omens (also known as The Ancient Land of Ys) is an abandoned top-down open-world action RPG designed by Masaya Hashimoto, developed by Nihon Falcom and released by Kyodai Software Marketing for DOS in 1989. Ys: The Vanished Omens was published (earlier) for quite a few other home computers and console.
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God of Thunder

DOSWindows XP/98/951993freeware Adept Software
God of Thunder is a classic computer game developed by Adept Software and released in 1993. It's a puzzle platformer with a fantasy theme. In the game, you control Thor, the Norse god of thunder, on a quest to save Midgard (Earth) from the evil god Loki and his minions.The gameplay involves navigating through various levels filled with obstacles, e...
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An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire

Windows XP/98/951997protected Bethesda Softworks
Battlespire is the weird, dark cousin of the Elder Scrolls family - the one who shows up late to the reunion with a sword and no pants. This first-person RPG strips out all the comfy open-world stuff and throws you into a linear, dungeon-based nightmare full of daedra, bugs (the technical kind), and voice acting that swings wildly between Shakespea...
dinksmallwodhd-3

Dink Smallwood

Windows XP/98/951998freeware Robinson Technologies
Dink Smallwood is an action role-playing video game developed by Robinson Technologies. It was first released in 1997 for Windows and later became freeware. The game was created by Seth Robinson, and it gained a cult following for its humor.The game's plot revolves around the titular character, Dink Smallwood, a pig farmer who embarks on an epic ad...
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Dragons of Flame

DOS1989protected U.S. Gold
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Ultima Underworld 2: Labyrinth of Worlds

DOS1993protected Looking Glass Studios