Abandonware DOS title

Best 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 PC-Man action
4.20
02 Zork I: The Great Underground Empire adventure
4.18
03 Microsoft Decathlon sports
3.94
04 Paratrooper shooter
3.90
05 Executive Suite simulation
3.88
06 Wizardry 2: The knight of diamonds rpg
3.86
07 Car Builder simulation
3.85
08 Deadline adventure
3.84
09 The Battle of the Bulge: Tigers in the Snow strategy
3.79
10 BurgerTime action
3.78
# 1983 genre rating
01 Lode Runner action
4.28
02 Battlezone shooter
4.28
03 Sleuth: A Murder Mystery simulation
4.24
04 Digger action
4.24
05 Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz adventure
4.21
06 Defender shooter
4.19
07 Planetfall adventure
4.14
08 Donkey Kong action
4.12
09 Frogger action
4.10
10 Borland Turbo Pascal 2.0 application
4.08
# 1984 genre rating
01 Montezuma's Revenge action
4.31
02 Alley Cat action
4.29
03 Rogue rpg
4.27
04 DBase 3 application
4.25
05 Crime and Punishment simulation
4.25
06 King's Quest 1: Quest for the Crown adventure
4.24
07 GATO vehicle simulation
4.20
08 Archon: the Light and the Dark strategy
4.16
09 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy adventure
4.15
10 DND rpg
4.12
# 1985 genre rating
01 Alice: The Personal Pascal application
4.40
02 9 Princes in Amber adventure
4.21
03 Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar rpg
4.17
04 Ultima 3: Exodus rpg
4.15
05 A Mind Forever Voyaging adventure
4.14
06 Rambo First Blood Part 2 adventure
4.13
07 Spacewar shooter
4.07
08 Star Trek: the Kobayashi alternative adventure
4.04
09 Monopoly strategy
4.00
10 The Dam busters vehicle simulation
3.95
# 1986 genre rating
01 Space Quest 1: The Sarien Encounter adventure
4.23
02 Wordstar 4 application
4.21
03 Trinity adventure
4.19
04 Starflight rpg
4.17
05 Gunship vehicle simulation
4.16
06 Gauntlet action
4.14
07 Leather Goddesses of Phobos adventure
4.14
08 Psi 5 Trading Company vehicle simulation
4.13
09 Conflict in Vietnam strategy
4.12
10 The Chessmaster 2000 strategy
4.11
# 1987 genre rating
01 Mah Jongg Solitaire puzzle
4.31
02 Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards adventure
4.31
03 Police Quest 1: In Pursuit of the Death Angel adventure
4.28
04 Earl Weaver Baseball sports
4.27
05 Borland Turbo C v1 application
4.25
06 Maniac Mansion adventure
4.21
07 Bad Street Brawler action
4.18
08 Test Drive racing
4.18
09 Driller action-adventure
4.18
10 Tau Ceti vehicle simulation
4.15
# 1988 genre rating
01 Deluxe Paint 2 application
4.36
02 Skate or Die sports
4.29
03 Impossible Mission 2 action-adventure
4.26
04 MicroProse Soccer sports
4.25
05 GW-BASIC 3 application
4.25
06 Battle Chess strategy
4.23
07 Classic Concentration puzzle
4.23
08 Speedball sports
4.20
09 World class leaderboard sports
4.20
10 Airborne Ranger shooter
4.19
# 1989 genre rating
01 Operation Wolf shooter
4.30
02 The Duel: Test Drive 2 racing
4.29
03 Rick Dangerous action
4.28
04 Hero's Quest: So you want to be a hero adventure
4.28
05 Pipe Dream puzzle
4.28
06 Oil Imperium simulation
4.24
07 Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs sports
4.22
08 Bubble Bobble action
4.22
09 OutRun racing
4.21
10 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade adventure
4.21
# 1990 genre rating
01 The Secret of Monkey Island adventure
4.32
02 Tank Wars strategy
4.32
03 Loom adventure
4.29
04 Norton Editor 2 application
4.28
05 Night Shift puzzle
4.27
06 SimEarth simulation
4.25
07 Tetris 2.0 puzzle
4.25
08 Ultima 6: The False Prophet rpg
4.25
09 LadyLove action
4.24
10 Arj application
4.24
# 1991 genre rating
01 QBASIC application
4.50
02 Chip's Challenge puzzle
4.32
03 Cisco Heat racing
4.29
04 DOS Navigator v 1.5 application
4.29
05 Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge adventure
4.28
06 X-Men 2: The Fall of the Mutants action-adventure
4.27
07 Gods action
4.27
08 Eye of the Beholder 2: The Legend of Darkmoon rpg
4.25
09 Eye of the Beholder rpg
4.25
10 Volfied action
4.25
# 1992 genre rating
01 Virtual Reality Studio 2.0 application
4.41
02 Tetris Classic puzzle
4.35
03 Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate rpg
4.33
04 Street Fighter 2 action
4.32
05 Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant rpg
4.30
06 The Oregon Trail Deluxe simulation
4.29
07 Amazon: Guardians of Eden adventure
4.29
08 Ugh! action
4.28
09 Spear of Destiny shooter
4.26
10 Pacific Islands vehicle simulation
4.25
# 1993 genre rating
01 NeoPaint 3.2 application
4.53
02 Bio Menace Episode 3: Master Cain action
4.30
03 Space Hulk strategy
4.28
04 Mortal Kombat action
4.27
05 Bio Menace Episode 2: The Hidden Lab action
4.27
06 Populous 2: Trials of the Olympian Gods strategy
4.27
07 Lemmings 2: The Tribes puzzle
4.26
08 Lotus: The ultimate challenge racing
4.25
09 The Lost Vikings action
4.25
10 Dungeon Hack rpg
4.25
# 1994 genre rating
01 X-COM: Ufo Defense strategy
4.31
02 Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf shooter
4.29
03 Heretic shooter
4.29
04 Super Mariio Bros action
4.29
05 Colonization strategy
4.29
06 Doom 2: Hell on Earth shooter
4.28
07 Disney's Aladdin action
4.28
08 Diggers puzzle
4.28
09 The Incredible Machine 2 puzzle
4.27
10 Cannon Fodder strategy
4.26
# 1995 genre rating
01 Queen of Tenshindo 95 strategy
4.29
02 Whiplash racing
4.27
03 Screamer racing
4.27
04 Jungle Strike shooter
4.27
05 Grand Prix 2 racing
4.27
06 Virtual Pool sports
4.26
07 Transport Tycoon Deluxe simulation
4.26
08 Witchaven shooter
4.26
09 Star Wars: Dark Forces shooter
4.25
10 Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons simulation
4.25
# 1996 genre rating
01 Master of Orion 2: Battle at Antares strategy
4.31
02 The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall rpg
4.30
03 X-Tetris puzzle
4.29
04 Super Street Fighter 2 action
4.29
05 Quake shooter
4.29
06 Road Rash racing
4.29
07 Civilization 2 strategy
4.28
08 Dogs of War strategy
4.26
09 F-22 Lightning 2 vehicle simulation
4.26
10 Alien Trilogy shooter
4.26
# 1997 genre rating
01 Warlords 3: Reign of Heroes strategy
4.30
02 Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror adventure
4.26
03 Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Dark Forces II shooter
4.25
04 Virtua Cop 2 shooter
4.25
05 Carmageddon racing
4.24
06 Warheads strategy
4.24
07 Age of Empires strategy
4.24
08 Blood shooter
4.22
09 Magic: The Gathering strategy
4.21
10 Blade Runner adventure
4.21
# 1998 genre rating
01 Caesar 3 simulation
4.27
02 People's General strategy
4.27
03 Army Men strategy
4.25
04 Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines strategy
4.24
05 Norton Commander 5.5 application
4.23
06 Dune 2000 strategy
4.23
07 Mega Man X3 shooter
4.21
08 101: The Airborne Invasion of Normandy strategy
4.19
09 Populous: The Beginning strategy
4.19
10 Railroad Tycoon 2 simulation
4.17
# 1999 genre rating
01 Jagged Alliance 2 strategy
4.28
02 Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings strategy
4.28
03 Mick's Strip Poker strategy
4.27
04 Might and Magic 7: For Blood and Honor rpg
4.27
05 Outcast action-adventure
4.27
06 Axis and Allies: Iron Blitz strategy
4.26
07 Midtown Madness racing
4.25
08 Age of Wonders strategy
4.23
09 Pharaoh simulation
4.22
10 System Shock 2 action-adventure
4.21
# 2000 genre rating
01 Dark Reign 2 strategy
4.27
02 Nox rpg
4.25
03 Zeus: Master of Olympus simulation
4.24
04 Deus Ex rpg
4.15
05 Patrician 2: Quest for Power simulation
4.12
06 Gal Pani X action
4.11
07 Ground Control strategy
4.08
08 3D Ultra Lionel Traintown puzzle
4.05
09 Fairy Nights adventure
4.00
10 Cultures strategy
3.96
# 2001 genre rating
01 ScummVM application
4.31
02 Empire Earth strategy
4.28
03 Capitalism 2 simulation
4.26
04 Zoo Tycoon simulation
4.23
05 Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura rpg
4.19
06 Anachronox rpg
4.11
07 Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds strategy
4.07
08 Mario and Luigi action
4.06
09 Independence War 2: Edge Of Chaos vehicle simulation
4.04
10 Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel strategy
4.00
# 2002 genre rating
01 Hooligans: Storm Over Europe strategy
4.21
02 Crazy Taxi racing
4.21
03 DOSBox application
4.19
04 Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 simulation
4.17
05 Chessmaster 9000 strategy
4.16
06 Sid Meier's SimGolf sports
4.10
07 Syberia adventure
4.03
08 Industry Giant 2 simulation
4.00
09 Icewind Dale 2 rpg
3.81
10 X-COM: Alliance shooter
3.78