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 |
3.88
|
| 02 | PC-Man | action |
3.71
|
| 03 | Paratrooper | shooter |
3.59
|
| 04 | Executive Suite | simulation |
3.58
|
| 05 | Microsoft Decathlon | sports |
3.56
|
| 06 | Astro Dodge | action |
3.42
|
| 07 | Deadline | adventure |
3.41
|
| 08 | Crossfire | shooter |
3.39
|
| 09 | BurgerTime | action |
3.38
|
| 10 | Wizardry 2: The knight of diamonds | rpg |
3.27
|
| # | 1983 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Donkey Kong | action |
4.05
|
| 02 | Frogger | action |
4.04
|
| 03 | Lode Runner | action |
4.02
|
| 04 | Sleuth: A murder mystery | adventure |
4.00
|
| 05 | The Hobbit | adventure |
3.95
|
| 06 | Borland Turbo Pascal 2.0 | application |
3.92
|
| 07 | IBM Centipede | action |
3.91
|
| 08 | Galaxian | action |
3.85
|
| 09 | Rogue | rpg |
3.84
|
| 10 | Defender | action |
3.84
|
| # | 1984 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Pong v.2.1 clone | action |
4.05
|
| 02 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | adventure |
4.03
|
| 03 | Alley Cat | action |
3.97
|
| 04 | Montezuma's Revenge | action |
3.93
|
| 05 | Boulder dash | puzzle |
3.92
|
| 06 | Earthly delights | adventure |
3.92
|
| 07 | Jumpman | action |
3.78
|
| 08 | King's Quest 1: Quest for the Crown | adventure |
3.72
|
| 09 | Styx | action |
3.70
|
| 10 | GATO | vehicle simulation |
3.70
|
| # | 1985 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The mist | adventure |
4.05
|
| 02 | A mind forever voyaging | adventure |
4.04
|
| 03 | Crusade in Europe | strategy |
4.00
|
| 04 | The Dam busters | vehicle simulation |
3.87
|
| 05 | F-15 Strike Eagle | vehicle simulation |
3.82
|
| 06 | Spacewar | action |
3.75
|
| 07 | 9 Princes in Amber | adventure |
3.75
|
| 08 | Wishbringer | adventure |
3.73
|
| 09 | King's Quest 2: Romancing the throne | adventure |
3.71
|
| 10 | Hacker | simulation |
3.70
|
| # | 1986 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Norton Commander 5.5 | application |
4.44
|
| 02 | Turbo Prolog 2.0 | application |
4.08
|
| 03 | Alter Ego: Female Version | simulation |
4.03
|
| 04 | Space Quest 1: The Sarien encounter | adventure |
4.00
|
| 05 | Starflight | rpg |
3.94
|
| 06 | Conflict in Vietnam | strategy |
3.94
|
| 07 | Alter Ego: Male Version | simulation |
3.93
|
| 08 | Archon: the Light and the Dark | strategy |
3.85
|
| 09 | Leather Goddesses of Phobos | adventure |
3.82
|
| 10 | The Great Escape | adventure |
3.80
|
| # | 1987 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Tetris | puzzle |
4.09
|
| 02 | Maniac Mansion | adventure |
4.07
|
| 03 | Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards | adventure |
4.04
|
| 04 | Police Quest 1: In pursuit of the death angel | adventure |
4.00
|
| 05 | Elite | vehicle simulation |
4.00
|
| 06 | Sid Meier's Pirates! | strategy |
3.97
|
| 07 | The lurking horror | adventure |
3.95
|
| 08 | Project: Space Station | simulation |
3.95
|
| 09 | Zeliard | rpg |
3.95
|
| 10 | Beyond Zork | adventure |
3.92
|
| # | 1988 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Cabal | shooter |
4.06
|
| 02 | Ultima 5: Warriors of Destiny | rpg |
4.06
|
| 03 | Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders | adventure |
4.05
|
| 04 | F-19 Stealth fighter | vehicle simulation |
4.05
|
| 05 | Solomon's Key | action |
4.04
|
| 06 | Life & Death | simulation |
4.04
|
| 07 | UMS - The Universal Military Simulator | strategy |
4.00
|
| 08 | Pool of radiance | rpg |
4.00
|
| 09 | Gold Rush! | adventure |
3.96
|
| 10 | Wasteland | rpg |
3.96
|
| # | 1989 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bubble Bobble | action |
4.10
|
| 02 | SimCity (a.k.a. SimCity Classic) | simulation |
4.08
|
| 03 | Street Rod | racing |
4.07
|
| 04 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | adventure |
4.07
|
| 05 | Hero's quest: So you want to be a hero | adventure |
4.06
|
| 06 | Operation Wolf | shooter |
4.05
|
| 07 | Dungeon master | rpg |
4.00
|
| 08 | Where in time is Carmen Sandiego? | adventure |
4.00
|
| 09 | Indianapolis 500 | racing |
4.00
|
| 10 | Batman: the Movie | action |
4.00
|
| # | 1990 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Prince of Persia | action |
4.13
|
| 02 | The Secret of Monkey Island | adventure |
4.12
|
| 03 | Stunts (a.k.a. 4D Sports Driving) | racing |
4.09
|
| 04 | Warlords | strategy |
4.07
|
| 05 | Commander Keen 2: The Earth Explodes | action |
4.06
|
| 06 | Centurion: Defender of Rome | strategy |
4.05
|
| 07 | Uncharted Waters | simulation |
4.05
|
| 08 | Alpha Waves (a.k.a. Continuum) | action |
4.05
|
| 09 | Midwinter | strategy |
4.05
|
| 10 | F29 Retaliator | vehicle simulation |
4.04
|
| # | 1991 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Civilization | strategy |
4.10
|
| 02 | Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge | adventure |
4.07
|
| 03 | Lemmings | puzzle |
4.07
|
| 04 | Space Quest 4: Roger Wilco and the time rippers | adventure |
4.07
|
| 05 | Timequest (a.k.a. Time Quest) | adventure |
4.06
|
| 06 | Golden Axe | action |
4.06
|
| 07 | Gods | action |
4.05
|
| 08 | Magnetic Scrolls Collection | adventure |
4.05
|
| 09 | Prehistorik | action |
4.05
|
| 10 | Night Hawk: F-117A Stealth Fighter | vehicle simulation |
4.05
|
| # | 1992 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis | adventure |
4.10
|
| 02 | Wolfenstein 3D | shooter |
4.09
|
| 03 | Speedball 2 | sports |
4.09
|
| 04 | Bomberman (a.k.a. Dyna Blaster) | action |
4.08
|
| 05 | Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate | rpg |
4.07
|
| 06 | Titus the Fox | action |
4.07
|
| 07 | Dune II: The building of a dynasty | strategy |
4.07
|
| 08 | Jill of the jungle 3: Jill saves the prince | action |
4.07
|
| 09 | Star Control 2 | adventure |
4.06
|
| 10 | B-17 Flying fortress | vehicle simulation |
4.06
|
| # | 1993 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Doom | shooter |
4.17
|
| 02 | The Lost Vikings | action |
4.10
|
| 03 | Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers | adventure |
4.10
|
| 04 | Ultima Underworld 2: Labyrinth of Worlds | rpg |
4.09
|
| 05 | SimCity 2000 | simulation |
4.07
|
| 06 | Mortal Kombat | action |
4.07
|
| 07 | Gateway 2: Homeworld | adventure |
4.06
|
| 08 | Police Quest 4: Open season | adventure |
4.06
|
| 09 | Day of the tentacle | adventure |
4.05
|
| 10 | Innocent until caught | adventure |
4.05
|
| # | 1994 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | X-COM: Ufo defense (a.k.a. Ufo: Enemy unknown) | strategy |
4.20
|
| 02 | Transport Tycoon | simulation |
4.09
|
| 03 | Lode Runner: The Legend Returns | action |
4.08
|
| 04 | Panzer General 1 | strategy |
4.07
|
| 05 | Warcraft: Orcs and Humans | strategy |
4.07
|
| 06 | Master of Magic | strategy |
4.07
|
| 07 | Realms of Arkania 2: Star trail | rpg |
4.06
|
| 08 | Colonization | strategy |
4.06
|
| 09 | Doom 2: Hell on Earth | shooter |
4.05
|
| 10 | Raiden | shooter |
4.05
|
| # | 1995 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Frontier: First Encounters | vehicle simulation |
4.08
|
| 02 | FIFA Soccer 96 | sports |
4.07
|
| 03 | Heroes of Might and Magic | strategy |
4.06
|
| 04 | X-COM: Terror from the deep | strategy |
4.06
|
| 05 | Myst | adventure |
4.06
|
| 06 | Ascendancy | strategy |
4.05
|
| 07 | True love | adventure |
4.05
|
| 08 | Command & Conquer | strategy |
4.04
|
| 09 | The Need for Speed | racing |
4.04
|
| 10 | Advanced Civilization | strategy |
4.04
|
| # | 1996 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Master of Orion 2: Battle at Antares | strategy |
4.15
|
| 02 | Civilization 2 | strategy |
4.08
|
| 03 | Albion | rpg |
4.07
|
| 04 | The Complete Great Naval Battles: The Final Fury | vehicle simulation |
4.07
|
| 05 | Quake | shooter |
4.07
|
| 06 | Duke Nukem 3D | shooter |
4.06
|
| 07 | Conquest of the New World (Deluxe Edition) | strategy |
4.06
|
| 08 | Command & Conquer: Red Alert | strategy |
4.06
|
| 09 | Fable | adventure |
4.05
|
| 10 | Diablo | rpg |
4.04
|
| # | 1997 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Magic: The Gathering | strategy |
4.11
|
| 02 | Fallout | rpg |
4.08
|
| 03 | Age of Empires 1 | strategy |
4.07
|
| 04 | Hercules | action |
4.07
|
| 05 | Blade Runner | adventure |
4.07
|
| 06 | Virtua Cop 2 | shooter |
4.06
|
| 07 | Callahan's Crosstime Saloon | adventure |
4.05
|
| 08 | Blood | shooter |
4.05
|
| 09 | Theme Hospital | simulation |
4.05
|
| 10 | Carmageddon | racing |
4.04
|
| # | 1998 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Railroad Tycoon 2 | simulation |
4.12
|
| 02 | House of the Dead | shooter |
4.10
|
| 03 | Dune 2000 | strategy |
4.08
|
| 04 | Dope Wars | simulation |
4.06
|
| 05 | Axis and Allies | strategy |
4.05
|
| 06 | 101: The Airborne Invasion of Normandy | strategy |
4.03
|
| 07 | Mega Man X3 | shooter |
4.00
|
| 08 | Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines | strategy |
3.92
|
| 09 | Fatal Relations | adventure |
3.91
|
| 10 | Settlers of Catan | strategy |
3.91
|
| # | 1999 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings | strategy |
4.07
|
| 02 | Tyrian 2000 | shooter |
4.06
|
| 03 | Age of Wonders | strategy |
4.05
|
| 04 | Three Sisters' Story | adventure |
4.01
|
| 05 | System Shock 2 | shooter |
4.00
|
| 06 | Star Trek: Starfleet Command | vehicle simulation |
4.00
|
| 07 | Ultima 9: Ascension | rpg |
3.94
|
| 08 | SimCity 3000 | simulation |
3.91
|
| 09 | Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia | strategy |
3.90
|
| 10 | Yoot Tower | simulation |
3.87
|
