Top abandonware games by year
Abandonware DOS hosts games from the early age of Personal Computer videogaming. I'm referring to a time when some of you weren't even born: the 80s.
The golden age of PC games came in the 90s, with classic games still remembered today. In the new millennium, many small developers struggled to stay afloat in the gaming sea now dominated by leviathan companies that ate one software house after another. The golden age ended and "abandonware" started to be a thing.
Here are the top 10 games for every year of that golden age, according to user's votes.
| # | 1982 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Zork I: The Great Underground Empire | adventure |
3.99
|
| 02 | Microsoft Decathlon | sports |
3.70
|
| 03 | Deadline | adventure |
3.64
|
| 04 | Executive Suite | simulation |
3.57
|
| # | 1983 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Frogger | action |
4.11
|
| 02 | Rogue | rpg |
4.06
|
| 03 | Galaxian | shooter |
4.05
|
| 04 | Lode Runner | action |
4.04
|
| 05 | Digger | action |
4.02
|
| 06 | Donkey Kong | action |
4.00
|
| 07 | The Hobbit | adventure |
3.91
|
| 08 | Defender | shooter |
3.90
|
| 09 | Battlezone | shooter |
3.87
|
| 10 | Space Commanders | shooter |
3.75
|
| # | 1984 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Alley Cat | action |
4.08
|
| 02 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | adventure |
4.01
|
| 03 | Soko-Ban | puzzle |
3.96
|
| 04 | DND | rpg |
3.84
|
| 05 | Jumpman | action |
3.79
|
| 06 | Pong v.2.1 clone | action |
3.79
|
| 07 | Styx | action |
3.74
|
| 08 | Hack | rpg |
3.72
|
| 09 | Below The Root | action-adventure |
3.60
|
| 10 | Spy Hunter | racing |
3.39
|
| # | 1985 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | A mind forever voyaging | adventure |
4.12
|
| 02 | Rambo First Blood Part 2 | adventure |
4.03
|
| 03 | King's Quest 2: Romancing the Throne | adventure |
3.94
|
| 04 | James Bond 007: A View to a Kill | adventure |
3.94
|
| 05 | Hacker | simulation |
3.93
|
| 06 | Spacewar | shooter |
3.91
|
| 07 | Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar | rpg |
3.90
|
| 08 | Strip Poker: A Sizzling Game of Chance | strategy |
3.67
|
| 09 | Ultima 3: Exodus | rpg |
3.48
|
| # | 1986 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Norton Commander 5.5 | application |
4.13
|
| 02 | Turbo Prolog 2.0 | application |
4.08
|
| 03 | Alter Ego: Female Version | simulation |
4.08
|
| 04 | Alter Ego: Male Version | simulation |
4.05
|
| 05 | Gunship | vehicle simulation |
4.03
|
| 06 | Starflight | rpg |
4.00
|
| 07 | James Bond 007: Goldfinger | adventure |
4.00
|
| 08 | Wordstar 4 | application |
3.95
|
| 09 | Space Quest 1: The Sarien Encounter | adventure |
3.93
|
| 10 | Karateka | action |
3.88
|
| # | 1987 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards | adventure |
4.13
|
| 02 | Tetris | puzzle |
4.12
|
| 03 | Maniac Mansion | adventure |
4.12
|
| 04 | Elite | vehicle simulation |
4.11
|
| 05 | Test Drive | racing |
4.08
|
| 06 | Project: Space Station | simulation |
4.06
|
| 07 | The Great Giana Sisters | action |
4.05
|
| 08 | Sid Meier's Pirates! | strategy |
4.02
|
| 09 | Police Quest 1: In Pursuit of the Death Angel | adventure |
4.00
|
| 10 | The Bard's Tale | rpg |
3.95
|
| # | 1988 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bad Dudes VS Dragon Ninja | action |
4.11
|
| 02 | Arkanoid | action |
4.09
|
| 03 | Ultima 5: Warriors of Destiny | rpg |
4.08
|
| 04 | Star Command | strategy |
4.05
|
| 05 | F-19 Stealth fighter | vehicle simulation |
4.03
|
| 06 | Life & Death | simulation |
4.00
|
| 07 | Wasteland | rpg |
3.98
|
| 08 | Leisure Suit Larry 2: Goes Looking for Love (in Several Wrong Places) | adventure |
3.97
|
| 09 | Gold Rush! | adventure |
3.97
|
| 10 | Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders | adventure |
3.96
|
| # | 1989 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs | sports |
4.13
|
| 02 | Dungeon Master | rpg |
4.13
|
| 03 | Ferrari Formula 1 | racing |
4.12
|
| 04 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | adventure |
4.11
|
| 05 | F-15 Strike Eagle II | vehicle simulation |
4.11
|
| 06 | The Sentinel | puzzle |
4.11
|
| 07 | A-10 Tank Killer | vehicle simulation |
4.10
|
| 08 | Bubble Bobble | action |
4.10
|
| 09 | Indianapolis 500 | racing |
4.10
|
| 10 | Lost Dutchman Mine | simulation |
4.09
|
| # | 1990 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Secret of Monkey Island | adventure |
4.18
|
| 02 | Prince of Persia | action |
4.15
|
| 03 | Operation Stealth | adventure |
4.11
|
| 04 | Sid Meier's Covert Action | simulation |
4.10
|
| 05 | Kick off 2 | sports |
4.10
|
| 06 | Midwinter | strategy |
4.09
|
| 07 | North and South | strategy |
4.09
|
| 08 | Centurion: Defender of Rome | strategy |
4.09
|
| 09 | F29 Retaliator | vehicle simulation |
4.09
|
| 10 | The Oregon Trail | simulation |
4.07
|
| # | 1991 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Eye of the Beholder 2: The Legend of Darkmoon | rpg |
4.19
|
| 02 | Civilization | strategy |
4.15
|
| 03 | Golden Axe | action |
4.14
|
| 04 | Another World | action-adventure |
4.12
|
| 05 | SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony | simulation |
4.11
|
| 06 | Eye of the Beholder | rpg |
4.10
|
| 07 | Duke Nukem | action |
4.10
|
| 08 | Night Hawk: F-117A Stealth Fighter | vehicle simulation |
4.08
|
| 09 | Prehistorik | action |
4.06
|
| 10 | The Manager | sports |
4.06
|
| # | 1992 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate | rpg |
4.14
|
| 02 | Street Fighter 2 | action |
4.14
|
| 03 | Alone in the Dark | action-adventure |
4.13
|
| 04 | Aces of the Pacific | vehicle simulation |
4.12
|
| 05 | Titus the Fox | action |
4.11
|
| 06 | B-17 Flying fortress | vehicle simulation |
4.11
|
| 07 | Star Control 2 | strategy |
4.11
|
| 08 | Wolfenstein 3D | shooter |
4.11
|
| 09 | Comanche: Maximum overkill | vehicle simulation |
4.10
|
| 10 | Dune | strategy |
4.09
|
| # | 1993 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Doom | shooter |
4.19
|
| 02 | The Settlers | strategy |
4.18
|
| 03 | The Lost Vikings | action |
4.17
|
| 04 | Castle of the Winds | rpg |
4.14
|
| 05 | Mortal Kombat | action |
4.12
|
| 06 | Frontier: Elite 2 | vehicle simulation |
4.12
|
| 07 | Legend of Kyrandia 2: Hand of fate | adventure |
4.11
|
| 08 | Dungeon Hack | rpg |
4.11
|
| 09 | Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle | rpg |
4.10
|
| 10 | Duke Nukem 2 | action |
4.10
|
| # | 1994 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | X-COM: Ufo Defense | strategy |
4.21
|
| 02 | Panzer General | strategy |
4.15
|
| 03 | One Must Fall 2097 | action |
4.15
|
| 04 | Master of Magic | strategy |
4.13
|
| 05 | Warcraft: Orcs and Humans | strategy |
4.13
|
| 06 | Disney's Aladdin | action |
4.11
|
| 07 | Quarantine | racing |
4.10
|
| 08 | 1942: The Pacific air war | vehicle simulation |
4.09
|
| 09 | Knights of Xentar | rpg |
4.09
|
| 10 | Big Sea: The Better One Will Win | simulation |
4.08
|
| # | 1995 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Grand Prix 2 | racing |
4.16
|
| 02 | Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness | strategy |
4.15
|
| 03 | Frontier: First Encounters | vehicle simulation |
4.13
|
| 04 | FIFA Soccer 96 | sports |
4.13
|
| 05 | True love | adventure |
4.10
|
| 06 | Heroes of Might and Magic | strategy |
4.07
|
| 07 | Descent | shooter |
4.07
|
| 08 | The Need for Speed | racing |
4.06
|
| 09 | X-COM: Terror from the Deep | strategy |
4.05
|
| 10 | Ultimate Doom | shooter |
4.02
|
| # | 1996 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Master of Orion 2: Battle at Antares | strategy |
4.22
|
| 02 | Civilization 2 | strategy |
4.15
|
| 03 | Duke Nukem 3D | shooter |
4.15
|
| 04 | Command & Conquer: Red Alert | strategy |
4.13
|
| 05 | Quake | shooter |
4.12
|
| 06 | Discworld 2: Mortality Bytes! | adventure |
4.11
|
| 07 | Albion | rpg |
4.11
|
| 08 | Heroes of Might and Magic II | strategy |
4.09
|
| 09 | Crusader: No Regret | shooter |
4.08
|
| 10 | Adom v1.1 | rpg |
4.06
|
| # | 1997 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Virtua Cop 2 | shooter |
4.12
|
| 02 | Championship Manager: Season 97/98 | sports |
4.12
|
| 03 | Age of Empires | strategy |
4.10
|
| 04 | Dilbert's Desktop Games | action |
4.09
|
| 05 | Fallout | rpg |
4.08
|
| 06 | Virtua Cop | shooter |
4.08
|
| 07 | Theme Hospital | simulation |
4.08
|
| 08 | Blood | shooter |
4.07
|
| 09 | Constructor | simulation |
4.07
|
| 10 | Grand Theft Auto | racing |
4.06
|
| # | 1998 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Dune 2000 | strategy |
4.14
|
| 02 | House of the Dead | shooter |
4.13
|
| 03 | 101: The Airborne Invasion of Normandy | strategy |
4.10
|
| 04 | Dope Wars | simulation |
4.07
|
| 05 | Railroad Tycoon 2 | simulation |
4.07
|
| 06 | Axis and Allies | strategy |
4.07
|
| 07 | Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines | strategy |
4.04
|
| 08 | Mega Man X3 | shooter |
4.00
|
| 09 | Avalon | rpg |
3.98
|
| 10 | Fatal Relations | adventure |
3.92
|
| # | 1999 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Tyrian 2000 | shooter |
4.17
|
| 02 | Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia | strategy |
4.10
|
| 03 | Three Sisters' Story | adventure |
4.09
|
| 04 | System Shock 2 | action-adventure |
4.07
|
| 05 | Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings | strategy |
4.04
|
| 06 | Age of Wonders | strategy |
4.01
|
| 07 | Star Trek: Starfleet Command | vehicle simulation |
3.95
|
| 08 | Pharaoh | simulation |
3.93
|
| 09 | Yoot Tower | simulation |
3.88
|
| 10 | Ultima 9: Ascension | rpg |
3.79
|
| # | 2000 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Zeus: Master of Olympus | simulation |
4.08
|
| 02 | Patrician 2: Quest for Power | simulation |
3.95
|
| 03 | 3D Ultra Lionel Traintown | puzzle |
3.81
|
| # | 2001 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds | strategy |
4.12
|
| 02 | Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura | rpg |
3.91
|
| 03 | Mario and Luigi | action |
3.90
|
| 04 | Empire Earth | strategy |
3.80
|
| # | 2002 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Syberia | adventure |
4.09
|
| 02 | Sid Meier's SimGolf | sports |
4.04
|
| 03 | Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 | simulation |
3.97
|
| 04 | Industry Giant 2 | simulation |
3.77
|
| 05 | Icewind Dale 2 | rpg |
3.71
|
