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 | Paratrooper | shooter |
3.87
|
| 03 | Microsoft Decathlon | sports |
3.74
|
| 04 | Executive Suite | simulation |
3.66
|
| 05 | Deadline | adventure |
3.64
|
| # | 1983 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Frogger | action |
4.11
|
| 02 | Rogue | rpg |
4.06
|
| 03 | Galaxian | shooter |
4.05
|
| 04 | Lode Runner | action |
4.03
|
| 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 |
3.86
|
| 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 |
4.04
|
| 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 | Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar | rpg |
3.90
|
| 07 | Spacewar | shooter |
3.84
|
| 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 |
4.12
|
| 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 |
4.14
|
| 02 | Maniac Mansion | adventure |
4.12
|
| 03 | Elite | vehicle simulation |
4.11
|
| 04 | Tetris | puzzle |
4.09
|
| 05 | Test Drive | racing |
4.08
|
| 06 | The Great Giana Sisters | action |
4.05
|
| 07 | Sid Meier's Pirates! | strategy |
4.04
|
| 08 | Project: Space Station | simulation |
4.03
|
| 09 | Police Quest 1: In Pursuit of the Death Angel | adventure |
4.00
|
| 10 | The Bard's Tale | rpg |
3.93
|
| # | 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 | 2400 A.D. | rpg |
4.07
|
| 05 | F-19 Stealth fighter | vehicle simulation |
4.05
|
| 06 | Star Command | strategy |
4.05
|
| 07 | Leisure Suit Larry 2: Goes Looking for Love (in Several Wrong Places) | adventure |
4.00
|
| 08 | Life & Death | simulation |
4.00
|
| 09 | Gold Rush! | adventure |
4.00
|
| 10 | Wasteland | rpg |
3.99
|
| # | 1989 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Dungeon Master | rpg |
4.15
|
| 02 | Bubble Bobble | action |
4.13
|
| 03 | Ferrari Formula 1 | racing |
4.12
|
| 04 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | adventure |
4.12
|
| 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 | Indianapolis 500 | racing |
4.10
|
| 09 | Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs | sports |
4.09
|
| 10 | 007: License to Kill | shooter |
4.09
|
| # | 1990 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Secret of Monkey Island | adventure |
4.19
|
| 02 | Prince of Persia | action |
4.15
|
| 03 | Midwinter | strategy |
4.12
|
| 04 | Kick off 2 | sports |
4.10
|
| 05 | Centurion: Defender of Rome | strategy |
4.09
|
| 06 | F29 Retaliator | vehicle simulation |
4.09
|
| 07 | The Oregon Trail | simulation |
4.08
|
| 08 | Champions of Krynn | rpg |
4.07
|
| 09 | Operation Stealth | adventure |
4.07
|
| 10 | Dangerous Dave | action |
4.07
|
| # | 1991 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Eye of the Beholder 2: The Legend of Darkmoon | rpg |
4.20
|
| 02 | Golden Axe | action |
4.16
|
| 03 | Civilization | strategy |
4.15
|
| 04 | Another World | action-adventure |
4.12
|
| 05 | SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony | simulation |
4.11
|
| 06 | Eye of the Beholder | rpg |
4.11
|
| 07 | Duke Nukem | action |
4.10
|
| 08 | Night Hawk: F-117A Stealth Fighter | vehicle simulation |
4.09
|
| 09 | Prehistorik | action |
4.06
|
| 10 | The Manager | sports |
4.06
|
| # | 1992 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate | rpg |
4.16
|
| 02 | Street Fighter 2 | action |
4.13
|
| 03 | Wolfenstein 3D | shooter |
4.13
|
| 04 | Aces of the Pacific | vehicle simulation |
4.12
|
| 05 | Comanche: Maximum overkill | vehicle simulation |
4.12
|
| 06 | Titus the Fox | action |
4.11
|
| 07 | Alone in the Dark | action-adventure |
4.11
|
| 08 | Star Control 2 | strategy |
4.11
|
| 09 | B-17 Flying fortress | vehicle simulation |
4.10
|
| 10 | Dune | strategy |
4.09
|
| # | 1993 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Doom | shooter |
4.18
|
| 02 | The Settlers | strategy |
4.16
|
| 03 | The Lost Vikings | action |
4.15
|
| 04 | Castle of the Winds | rpg |
4.14
|
| 05 | Mortal Kombat | action |
4.12
|
| 06 | Frontier: Elite 2 | vehicle simulation |
4.12
|
| 07 | Dungeon Hack | rpg |
4.11
|
| 08 | The Incredible Machine | puzzle |
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 |
4.22
|
| 02 | Warcraft: Orcs and Humans | strategy |
4.14
|
| 03 | Panzer General | strategy |
4.14
|
| 04 | Disney's Aladdin | action |
4.12
|
| 05 | Master of Magic | strategy |
4.12
|
| 06 | One Must Fall 2097 | action |
4.10
|
| 07 | Quarantine | racing |
4.10
|
| 08 | Knights of Xentar | rpg |
4.08
|
| 09 | Colonization | strategy |
4.08
|
| 10 | The Elder Scrolls: Arena | rpg |
4.07
|
| # | 1995 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Grand Prix 2 | racing |
4.15
|
| 02 | Screamer | racing |
4.13
|
| 03 | Frontier: First Encounters | vehicle simulation |
4.13
|
| 04 | FIFA Soccer 96 | sports |
4.13
|
| 05 | Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness | strategy |
4.13
|
| 06 | True love | adventure |
4.08
|
| 07 | Heroes of Might and Magic | strategy |
4.07
|
| 08 | Descent | shooter |
4.07
|
| 09 | Star Wars: Dark Forces | shooter |
4.07
|
| 10 | Steel Panthers | strategy |
4.07
|
| # | 1996 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Master of Orion 2: Battle at Antares | strategy |
4.22
|
| 02 | Civilization 2 | strategy |
4.17
|
| 03 | Duke Nukem 3D | shooter |
4.14
|
| 04 | Command & Conquer: Red Alert | strategy |
4.14
|
| 05 | Heroes of Might and Magic II | strategy |
4.11
|
| 06 | Albion | rpg |
4.10
|
| 07 | Quake | shooter |
4.10
|
| 08 | Discworld 2: Mortality Bytes! | adventure |
4.08
|
| 09 | Crusader: No Regret | shooter |
4.08
|
| 10 | Conquest of the New World (Deluxe Edition) | strategy |
4.06
|
| # | 1997 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Championship Manager: Season 97/98 | sports |
4.12
|
| 02 | Virtua Cop 2 | shooter |
4.12
|
| 03 | Age of Empires | strategy |
4.10
|
| 04 | Virtua Cop | shooter |
4.10
|
| 05 | Fallout | rpg |
4.09
|
| 06 | Theme Hospital | simulation |
4.08
|
| 07 | Blood | shooter |
4.07
|
| 08 | Season of the Sakura | adventure |
4.07
|
| 09 | Dilbert's Desktop Games | action |
4.07
|
| 10 | Grand Theft Auto | racing |
4.06
|
| # | 1998 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Dune 2000 | strategy |
4.13
|
| 02 | House of the Dead | shooter |
4.12
|
| 03 | 101: The Airborne Invasion of Normandy | strategy |
4.12
|
| 04 | Railroad Tycoon 2 | simulation |
4.07
|
| 05 | Dope Wars | simulation |
4.06
|
| 06 | Axis and Allies | strategy |
4.06
|
| 07 | Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines | strategy |
4.04
|
| 08 | Mega Man X3 | shooter |
4.00
|
| 09 | Sanitarium | adventure |
4.00
|
| 10 | Avalon | rpg |
3.98
|
| # | 1999 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Tyrian 2000 | shooter |
4.17
|
| 02 | Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia | strategy |
4.11
|
| 03 | System Shock 2 | action-adventure |
4.09
|
| 04 | Three Sisters' Story | adventure |
4.09
|
| 05 | Age of Wonders | strategy |
4.01
|
| 06 | Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings | strategy |
4.01
|
| 07 | Star Trek: Starfleet Command | vehicle simulation |
3.98
|
| 08 | Pharaoh | simulation |
3.93
|
| 09 | Yoot Tower | simulation |
3.88
|
| 10 | SimCity 3000 | simulation |
3.80
|
| # | 2000 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Zeus: Master of Olympus | simulation |
4.08
|
| 02 | Patrician 2: Quest for Power | simulation |
3.98
|
| 03 | 3D Ultra Lionel Traintown | puzzle |
3.80
|
| # | 2001 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds | strategy |
4.11
|
| 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 |
4.03
|
| 03 | Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 | simulation |
3.97
|
| 04 | Industry Giant 2 | simulation |
3.77
|
| 05 | Icewind Dale 2 | rpg |
3.75
|
