Demo versions: try before you buy sorted by release date
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!
Most popular demo games
strategyWindows XP/98/95
strategyWindows XP/98/95
adventureDOS
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F-15 Strike Eagle
DOS1985demo3.7/5 MicroProse Software
Silent Service
DOSMac OS1985protecteddemo4/5 MicroProse Software
Silent Service is a submarine simulation game developed and published by MicroProse. The first game in the series, Silent Service, was released in 1985. It was designed by Sid Meier and inspired by his interest in naval history. The game focused on simulating the experience of commanding a U.S. submarine during World War II in the Pacific...
Gunship
DOS1986demo4.3/5 MicroProse Software
King's Quest 4: The Perils of Rosella
DOS1988protecteddemo3.8/5 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 created by Roberta Williams. The game was originally released for MS-DOS and Apple II computers and later ported to other platforms.The story of King's Quest IV follows Prince...
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
DOS1989protecteddemo4.2/5 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, and Noah Falstein. It is based on the 1989 film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", directed by Steven Spielberg.The game follows the plot of the movie closely and incl...
The Colonel's Bequest
DOS1989protecteddemo4.1/5 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. The game was created by Roberta Williams, co-founder of Sierra On-Line.The game is part of the "Laura Bow" series, with the full title being "Laura Bow: The Colonel's Bequ...
Loom
DOSLinuxMac OS1990protecteddemo4.2/5 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 emphasis on storytelling. Loom is distinctive for its interface, which revolves around musical notes and spells. The protagonist, Bobbin Threadbare, is a young weaver ...
The Secret of Monkey Island
DOS1990protecteddemo4.3/5 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 Schafer. In Monkey Island you're the would-be pirate Guybrush Threepwood on a quest to become a fearsome pirate in the Caribbean. Monkey Island uses one of the most friendlie...
Eye of the Beholder 2: The Legend of Darkmoon
DOS1991protecteddemo4.3/5 Westwood Studios
Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon is a first-person party-based role-playing game (RPG) developed by Westwood Associates and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI). It was released in 1991 as a sequel to the successful "Eye of the Beholder" game.Set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, specifically the Forgotten Realms ...
Hugo 2: Whodunit?
DOS1991protecteddemo3.5/5 Gray Design Associates
Hugo 2: Whodunit? is an old school graphic adventure game designed by David P. Gray, developed by Gray Design Associates and released in 1991 for MS-DOS only. Hugo 2: Whodunit? is the second installment of the Hugo game series.
Martian Memorandum
DOS1991protecteddemo4/5 Access Software
Martian Memorandum is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Access Software. It was released in 1991 and is the sequel to the game Mean Streets. The game is set in a dystopian future on Mars, where players take on the role of Tex Murphy, a private investigator with a sarcastic and humorous demeanor.The story begins with Tex Mu...
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
DOS1991protecteddemo4.3/5 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 command-based SCUMM interface and a branching dialogue system.
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
DOSMac OS1992protecteddemo4.2/5 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 archaeologist Indiana Jones, you will travel the world searching for the mythical land of Atlantis. Fate of Atlantis is the sequel to the acclaimed Indiana Jones and the...
Laura Bow 2: The Dagger of Amon Ra
DOSWindows 3.x1992protecteddemo3.7/5 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 the adventures of the protagonist, Laura Bow, a young investigative journalist.In the game, the Dagger of Amon Ra is a valuable Egyptian artifact rumored to have mystical...
Might and Magic 4: Clouds of Xeen
DOS1992protecteddemo3.8/5 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 Clouds of Xeen, players explore the world of Xeen, which is composed of four elemental realms: air, earth, fire, and water. The game features a first-person perspective and ...
WaxWorks
DOSMac OS1992protecteddemo4.3/5 Horror Soft
Waxworks was a horror-themed first-person role-playing game developed by Horror Soft, a subsidiary of Adventure Soft, published in 1992. The game is set in a wax museum where players must travel through different historical periods, each represented by a wax exhibit. Each exhibit serves as a portal to a different time and place, featuring vari...
Wolfenstein 3D
DOSMac OS1992protecteddemo4.1/5 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 John Romero and Tom Hall (id Software) and released as shareware by Apogee Software in 1992 for DOS. Wolfenstein 3D is based on the Wolf3D engine, programmed by John ...
Doom
DOS1993protecteddemo4.2/5 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 shooter (FPS) genre.Set in the future on the moons of Mars, the game follows the player-controlled character, known as the "Doom Marine", as they battle through a research fa...
Dungeon Hack
DOS1993protecteddemo4.2/5 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-DOS and is known for its randomly generated levels, making each playthrough a unique experience. The game is set in a first-person perspective, and players explore dungeo...
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
DOSWindows 3.xMac OS1993protecteddemo4.2/5 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 the first installment in the Gabriel Knight series.The story revolves around Gabriel Knight, a struggling writer living in New Orleans. He inherits a bookstore from his d...
Legend of Kyrandia 2: Hand of fate
DOSMac OS1993protecteddemo4.2/5 Westwood Studios
The Legend of Kyrandia: Hand of Fate is the second installment in the Legend of Kyrandia point and click adventure game series developed by Westwood Studios. It was released in 1993 as a sequel to The Legend of Kyrandia.The game's story revolves around Zanthia, a young alchemist who resides in the land of Kyrandia. The villainous jester, Malcolm, r...
Pirates! Gold
DOSWindows 3.xMac OS1993protectedremakedemo4/5 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. Pirates! Gold is a remake of the game Pirates, created by Sid Meier in 1987. Pirates! Gold gameplay is a unique mix of action, strategy, pirate life simulation, ...
Quest for Glory 4: Shadows of Darkness
DOSWindows 3.x1993protecteddemo4.1/5 Sierra On-Line
Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness is an adventure role-playing game (RPG) developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It was released in 1993 as the fourth installment in the Quest for Glory series. The game was designed by Lori Ann Cole and Corey Cole, who were also responsible for the previous entries in the series.The game is set in the dar...
Return of the Phantom
DOS1993protecteddemo3.7/5 MicroProse Software
Return of the Phantom is adventure game set in France, designed by Raymond Benson, developed by MicroProse Software and released in 1993 for DOS only. Return of the Phantom is a third-person adventure game based on the book Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux.
Sam and Max Hit the Road
DOSWindows XP/98/95LinuxMac OS1993protecteddemo3.8/5 LucasArts
Sam & Max Hit the Road is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by LucasArts. It was released in 1993 and is based on the characters Sam and Max created by comic artist Steve Purcell. The game follows the titular characters, Sam, a detective canine, and Max, a hyperkinetic rabbity thing, as they embark on a bizarre and humoro...
Voyeur
Windows XP/98/95Mac OSDOS1993demoNSFW3.8/5 Philips Interactive Media
Dragonsphere
DOS1994protecteddemo4/5 MicroProse Software
Dragonsphere is a point-and-click adventure game released in 1994 by MicroProse. It's set in a fantasy world where you play as a sorcerer named Callash, tasked with saving the land of Granville from an evil sorceress named Sanwe. The game involves exploring various locations, solving puzzles, and interacting with characters to gather magical sphere...
Goblins 3
DOS1994protecteddemo3.9/5 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 Gobliiins series. The game was created by Pierre Gilhodes and features a unique combination of puzzle-solving and humor.Gameplay in Goblins 3 revolves around controlling a te...
Heretic
DOS1994protecteddemo4.3/5 Raven Software
Ishar 2: Messengers of Doom
DOS1994protecteddemo3.5/5 Silmarils
Ishar 2: Messengers of Doom is a role-playing video game developed and published by Silmarils, released in 1993. It is the sequel to Crystals of Arborea and the second installment in the Ishar series. Set in the fantasy world of Kendoria, the game follows the adventures of a group of adventurers as they journey across the land to defeat the evil so...