Best abandonware games by year
Abandonware DOS is home to games from the early days of personal computer gaming—I'm talking about the 1980s, a time when some of you weren’t even born.
The golden age of PC gaming truly blossomed in the 1990s, giving us classics that are still fondly remembered today. But with the arrival of the new millennium, many small developers found it hard to survive in a gaming industry now ruled by corporate giants swallowing up one studio after another. The golden age came to an end—and the era of "abandonware" began.
Here are the top 10 games for each year of that golden age, as voted by our users.
| # | 1981 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ultima 1: The First Age of Darkness | rpg | 4.01/5 |
| 02 | Galaxy | strategy | 4.00/5 |
| 03 | Softporn Adventure | adventure | 3.98/5 |
| 04 | Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord | rpg | 3.92/5 |
| 05 | Chess | strategy | 3.88/5 |
| 06 | Akalabeth: World of Doom | rpg | 3.63/5 |
| 07 | B-1 Nuclear Bomber | vehicle simulation | 3.63/5 |
| # | 1982 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Zork I: The Great Underground Empire | adventure | 4.14/5 |
| 02 | PC-Man | action | 4.08/5 |
| 03 | Microsoft Decathlon | sports | 4.02/5 |
| 04 | Executive Suite | simulation | 3.91/5 |
| 05 | Paratrooper | shooter | 3.91/5 |
| 06 | Wizardry 2: The knight of diamonds | rpg | 3.90/5 |
| 07 | Deadline | adventure | 3.87/5 |
| 08 | BurgerTime | action | 3.83/5 |
| 09 | Car Builder | simulation | 3.81/5 |
| 10 | The Battle of the Bulge: Tigers in the Snow | strategy | 3.80/5 |
| # | 1983 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Defender | shooter | 4.21/5 |
| 02 | Lode Runner | action | 4.21/5 |
| 03 | Battlezone | shooter | 4.17/5 |
| 04 | Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz | adventure | 4.13/5 |
| 05 | Digger | action | 4.13/5 |
| 06 | Frogger | action | 4.13/5 |
| 07 | Planetfall | adventure | 4.12/5 |
| 08 | J-Bird | action | 4.10/5 |
| 09 | Sleuth: A Murder Mystery | simulation | 4.08/5 |
| 10 | Pango | action | 4.05/5 |
| # | 1984 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Alley Cat | action | 4.25/5 |
| 02 | Montezuma's Revenge | action | 4.20/5 |
| 03 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | adventure | 4.18/5 |
| 04 | Archon: the Light and the Dark | strategy | 4.18/5 |
| 05 | Rogue | rpg | 4.17/5 |
| 06 | King's Quest 1: Quest for the Crown | adventure | 4.15/5 |
| 07 | Soko-Ban | puzzle | 4.14/5 |
| 08 | Crime and Punishment | simulation | 4.12/5 |
| 09 | DND | rpg | 4.09/5 |
| 10 | dBASE III | application | 4.06/5 |
| # | 1985 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ultima 3: Exodus | rpg | 4.15/5 |
| 02 | A Mind Forever Voyaging | adventure | 4.14/5 |
| 03 | Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar | rpg | 4.11/5 |
| 04 | Alice: The Personal Pascal | application | 4.11/5 |
| 05 | Silent Service | vehicle simulation | 4.11/5 |
| 06 | 9 Princes in Amber | adventure | 4.10/5 |
| 07 | Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? | adventure | 4.10/5 |
| 08 | Rambo First Blood Part 2 | adventure | 4.10/5 |
| 09 | King's Quest 2: Romancing the Throne | adventure | 4.06/5 |
| 10 | Star Trek: the Kobayashi alternative | adventure | 4.04/5 |
| # | 1986 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Space Quest 1: The Sarien Encounter | adventure | 4.21/5 |
| 02 | Leather Goddesses of Phobos | adventure | 4.18/5 |
| 03 | Gunship | vehicle simulation | 4.18/5 |
| 04 | King's Quest 3: To Heir is Human | adventure | 4.16/5 |
| 05 | Orbiter | vehicle simulation | 4.16/5 |
| 06 | Wordstar 4 | application | 4.15/5 |
| 07 | Conflict in Vietnam | strategy | 4.14/5 |
| 08 | AutoCAD 2.5 | application | 4.14/5 |
| 09 | Alter Ego: Female Version | simulation | 4.14/5 |
| 10 | Karateka | action | 4.13/5 |
| # | 1987 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards | adventure | 4.25/5 |
| 02 | Driller | action-adventure | 4.21/5 |
| 03 | Police Quest 1: In Pursuit of the Death Angel | adventure | 4.20/5 |
| 04 | Test Drive | racing | 4.18/5 |
| 05 | Falcon | vehicle simulation | 4.17/5 |
| 06 | Rockford: The Arcade Game | puzzle | 4.16/5 |
| 07 | Maniac Mansion | adventure | 4.16/5 |
| 08 | Mah Jongg Solitaire | puzzle | 4.15/5 |
| 09 | The Guild of Thieves | adventure | 4.14/5 |
| 10 | Elite | vehicle simulation | 4.14/5 |
| # | 1988 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Rampage | action | 4.22/5 |
| 02 | Battlehawks 1942 | vehicle simulation | 4.22/5 |
| 03 | Battle Chess | strategy | 4.20/5 |
| 04 | Speedball | sports | 4.20/5 |
| 05 | Rocket Ranger | action | 4.19/5 |
| 06 | Deluxe Paint 2 | application | 4.18/5 |
| 07 | Skate or Die | sports | 4.18/5 |
| 08 | Classic Concentration | puzzle | 4.18/5 |
| 09 | Impossible Mission 2 | action-adventure | 4.17/5 |
| 10 | Star Wars | shooter | 4.17/5 |
| # | 1989 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Turbo Assembler (TASM) | application | 4.37/5 |
| 02 | Pipe Dream | puzzle | 4.25/5 |
| 03 | A-10 Tank Killer | vehicle simulation | 4.22/5 |
| 04 | Hero's Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero | adventure | 4.21/5 |
| 05 | Carrier command | vehicle simulation | 4.21/5 |
| 06 | Operation Wolf | shooter | 4.20/5 |
| 07 | Bubble Bobble | action | 4.20/5 |
| 08 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | adventure | 4.19/5 |
| 09 | Conflict: Europe | strategy | 4.19/5 |
| 10 | Their Finest Hour: The Battle of Britain | vehicle simulation | 4.19/5 |
| # | 1990 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Secret of Monkey Island | adventure | 4.31/5 |
| 02 | Ultima 6: The False Prophet | rpg | 4.22/5 |
| 03 | Prince of Persia | action | 4.22/5 |
| 04 | Night Shift | puzzle | 4.21/5 |
| 05 | Ivan 'Iron Man' Stewart's Super Off Road | racing | 4.21/5 |
| 06 | Puzznic | puzzle | 4.20/5 |
| 07 | The Oregon Trail | simulation | 4.20/5 |
| 08 | Red Baron | vehicle simulation | 4.20/5 |
| 09 | Team Yankee | vehicle simulation | 4.20/5 |
| 10 | Jetfighter 2: Advanced Tactical Fighter | vehicle simulation | 4.20/5 |
| # | 1991 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Volfied | action | 4.30/5 |
| 02 | QBasic 7.1 | application | 4.24/5 |
| 03 | Eye of the Beholder 2: The Legend of Darkmoon | rpg | 4.24/5 |
| 04 | Chuck Yeager's Air Combat | vehicle simulation | 4.23/5 |
| 05 | Civilization | strategy | 4.22/5 |
| 06 | Chip's Challenge | puzzle | 4.22/5 |
| 07 | Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge | adventure | 4.22/5 |
| 08 | Gods | action | 4.21/5 |
| 09 | Night Hawk: F-117A Stealth Fighter | vehicle simulation | 4.21/5 |
| 10 | Eye of the Beholder | rpg | 4.21/5 |
| # | 1992 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Tetris Classic | puzzle | 4.31/5 |
| 02 | Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate | rpg | 4.31/5 |
| 03 | Street Fighter 2 | action | 4.31/5 |
| 04 | Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis | adventure | 4.24/5 |
| 05 | Virtual Reality Studio 2.0 | application | 4.23/5 |
| 06 | Aces of the Pacific | vehicle simulation | 4.21/5 |
| 07 | King's Quest 6: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow | adventure | 4.21/5 |
| 08 | Mega lo Mania | strategy | 4.21/5 |
| 09 | Locomotion | puzzle | 4.21/5 |
| 10 | B-17 Flying Fortress | vehicle simulation | 4.20/5 |
| # | 1993 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Mortal Kombat | action | 4.27/5 |
| 02 | Populous 2: Trials of the Olympian Gods | strategy | 4.24/5 |
| 03 | The Incredible Machine | puzzle | 4.23/5 |
| 04 | SimCity 2000 | simulation | 4.23/5 |
| 05 | Subwar 2050 | vehicle simulation | 4.22/5 |
| 06 | Police Quest: Open Season | adventure | 4.22/5 |
| 07 | Strike Commander | vehicle simulation | 4.22/5 |
| 08 | Doom | shooter | 4.22/5 |
| 09 | Space Hulk | strategy | 4.21/5 |
| 10 | Dizzy: Prince of the Yolkfolk | action-adventure | 4.21/5 |
| # | 1994 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | X-COM: Ufo Defense | strategy | 4.29/5 |
| 02 | Micro Machines | racing | 4.27/5 |
| 03 | Doom 2: Hell on Earth | shooter | 4.26/5 |
| 04 | The Incredible Machine 2 | puzzle | 4.24/5 |
| 05 | Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf | shooter | 4.21/5 |
| 06 | Heretic | shooter | 4.21/5 |
| 07 | Colonization | strategy | 4.21/5 |
| 08 | Fleet Defender | vehicle simulation | 4.21/5 |
| 09 | Little Big Adventure | action-adventure | 4.20/5 |
| 10 | Blackthorne | action | 4.19/5 |
| # | 1995 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ka-50 Hokum | vehicle simulation | 4.21/5 |
| 02 | The Need for Speed | racing | 4.21/5 |
| 03 | Caesar 2 | simulation | 4.21/5 |
| 04 | Comix Zone | action | 4.20/5 |
| 05 | EF 2000 | vehicle simulation | 4.20/5 |
| 06 | River Raid remake | shooter | 4.20/5 |
| 07 | Albion | rpg | 4.20/5 |
| 08 | Apache Longbow | vehicle simulation | 4.20/5 |
| 09 | Virtual Pool | sports | 4.20/5 |
| 10 | Transport Tycoon Deluxe | simulation | 4.19/5 |
| # | 1996 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Master of Orion 2: Battle at Antares | strategy | 4.28/5 |
| 02 | Final Doom | shooter | 4.25/5 |
| 03 | Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games | strategy | 4.22/5 |
| 04 | Quake | shooter | 4.22/5 |
| 05 | Civilization 2 | strategy | 4.21/5 |
| 06 | Road Rash | racing | 4.21/5 |
| 07 | Fantasy General | strategy | 4.21/5 |
| 08 | Super Street Fighter 2 | action | 4.20/5 |
| 09 | Jane's Combat Simulations: Advanced Tactical Fighters | vehicle simulation | 4.20/5 |
| 10 | F-22 Lightning 2 | vehicle simulation | 4.20/5 |
| # | 1997 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Virtua Cop 2 | shooter | 4.23/5 |
| 02 | Blood | shooter | 4.21/5 |
| 03 | Carmageddon | racing | 4.21/5 |
| 04 | Pacific General | strategy | 4.19/5 |
| 05 | Interstate '76 | racing | 4.19/5 |
| 06 | Age of Empires | strategy | 4.18/5 |
| 07 | Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror | adventure | 4.18/5 |
| 08 | Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II | shooter | 4.17/5 |
| 09 | Dilbert's Desktop Games | action | 4.17/5 |
| 10 | Flying Corps | vehicle simulation | 4.16/5 |
| # | 1998 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Caesar 3 | simulation | 4.22/5 |
| 02 | Norton Commander 5.5 | application | 4.20/5 |
| 03 | Dune 2000 | strategy | 4.20/5 |
| 04 | Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines | strategy | 4.19/5 |
| 05 | Railroad Tycoon 2 | simulation | 4.17/5 |
| 06 | People's General | strategy | 4.17/5 |
| 07 | Dope Wars | simulation | 4.16/5 |
| 08 | Axis and Allies | strategy | 4.16/5 |
| 09 | Army Men | strategy | 4.15/5 |
| 10 | Fallout 2 | rpg | 4.15/5 |
| # | 1999 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings | strategy | 4.24/5 |
| 02 | Age of Wonders | strategy | 4.21/5 |
| 03 | Outcast | action-adventure | 4.21/5 |
| 04 | Star Trek: Starfleet Command | vehicle simulation | 4.20/5 |
| 05 | Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia | strategy | 4.19/5 |
| 06 | Jagged Alliance 2 | strategy | 4.19/5 |
| 07 | Pharaoh | simulation | 4.18/5 |
| 08 | Midtown Madness | racing | 4.17/5 |
| 09 | Tyrian 2000 | shooter | 4.17/5 |
| 10 | Roller Coaster Tycoon | simulation | 4.16/5 |
| # | 2000 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Zeus: Master of Olympus | simulation | 4.21/5 |
| 02 | Nox | rpg | 4.18/5 |
| 03 | Patrician 2: Quest for Power | simulation | 4.13/5 |
| 04 | Deus Ex | rpg | 4.09/5 |
| 05 | Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption | rpg | 4.08/5 |
| 06 | The Sims | simulation | 4.05/5 |
| 07 | Unreal Gold | shooter | 4.05/5 |
| 08 | Ground Control | strategy | 4.04/5 |
| 09 | Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn | rpg | 4.03/5 |
| 10 | Gal Pani X | action | 4.02/5 |
| # | 2001 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Empire Earth | strategy | 4.20/5 |
| 02 | Capitalism 2 | simulation | 4.16/5 |
| 03 | Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura | rpg | 4.15/5 |
| 04 | Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel | strategy | 4.13/5 |
| 05 | Zoo Tycoon | simulation | 4.13/5 |
| 06 | Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds | strategy | 4.10/5 |
| 07 | ScummVM | application | 4.09/5 |
| 08 | Anachronox | rpg | 4.08/5 |
| 09 | Independence War 2: Edge Of Chaos | vehicle simulation | 4.06/5 |
| 10 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | action-adventure | 4.02/5 |
| # | 2002 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind | rpg | 4.20/5 |
| 02 | Hooligans: Storm Over Europe | strategy | 4.17/5 |
| 03 | Bomb Jack remake | action | 4.14/5 |
| 04 | Crazy Taxi | racing | 4.13/5 |
| 05 | Chessmaster 9000 | strategy | 4.13/5 |
| 06 | Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 | simulation | 4.11/5 |
| 07 | Sid Meier's SimGolf | sports | 4.11/5 |
| 08 | DOSBox | application | 4.08/5 |
| 09 | Port Royale | simulation | 4.07/5 |
| 10 | Syberia | adventure | 4.04/5 |
| # | 2003 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Master of Orion 3 | strategy | 4.18/5 |
| 02 | The Temple of Elemental Evil | rpg | 4.05/5 |
| 03 | Van Buren (Fallout 3) | rpg | 3.90/5 |
| 04 | Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos - Yugi the Destiny | strategy | 3.89/5 |
| 05 | Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader | rpg | 3.87/5 |
| 06 | Babylon 5: I've Found Her | vehicle simulation | 3.81/5 |
| 07 | Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound | rpg | 3.80/5 |
| 08 | 1893: A World's Fair Mystery | adventure | 3.77/5 |
| 09 | Hulk | action | 3.74/5 |
| 10 | ResidualVM | application | 3.52/5 |
| # | 2004 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ghosts 'n Goblins remake | action | 4.04/5 |
| 02 | UFO 2000 | strategy | 4.04/5 |
| 03 | Dark Horizons Lore: Invasion | vehicle simulation | 4.03/5 |
| 04 | Maniac Mansion Deluxe | adventure | 4.00/5 |
| 05 | Spider-Man 2: The Game | action-adventure | 3.87/5 |
| 06 | Blues Brothers RPG | rpg | 3.75/5 |
| 07 | Pyjamarama | action | 3.65/5 |
| 08 | Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos - Joey the Passion | strategy | 3.54/5 |
| 09 | Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos - Kaiba the Revenge | strategy | 3.17/5 |