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 |
3.92
|
| 02 | Paratrooper | shooter |
3.77
|
| 03 | Astro Dodge | shooter |
3.70
|
| 04 | Microsoft Decathlon | sports |
3.62
|
| 05 | Executive Suite | simulation |
3.61
|
| 06 | PC-Man | action |
3.60
|
| 07 | Crossfire | shooter |
3.52
|
| 08 | Deadline | adventure |
3.46
|
| # | 1983 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lode Runner | action |
4.12
|
| 02 | Galaxian | shooter |
4.10
|
| 03 | Frogger | action |
4.06
|
| 04 | Rogue | rpg |
4.00
|
| 05 | Donkey Kong | action |
3.94
|
| 06 | The Hobbit | adventure |
3.92
|
| 07 | Digger | action |
3.91
|
| 08 | Defender | shooter |
3.82
|
| 09 | Battlezone | shooter |
3.77
|
| 10 | Space Commanders | shooter |
3.76
|
| # | 1984 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | adventure |
4.11
|
| 02 | Alley Cat | action |
4.00
|
| 03 | Soko-Ban | puzzle |
3.85
|
| 04 | Pong v.2.1 clone | sports |
3.83
|
| 05 | King's Quest 1: Quest for the Crown | adventure |
3.80
|
| 06 | Styx | action |
3.75
|
| 07 | Jumpman | action |
3.72
|
| 08 | DND | rpg |
3.69
|
| 09 | Zork III: The dungeon master | adventure |
3.68
|
| 10 | Hack | rpg |
3.64
|
| # | 1985 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | A mind forever voyaging | adventure |
4.07
|
| 02 | The mist | adventure |
4.00
|
| 03 | King's Quest 2: Romancing the throne | adventure |
3.94
|
| 04 | Hacker | simulation |
3.88
|
| 05 | James Bond 007: A View to a Kill | adventure |
3.86
|
| 06 | Spacewar | shooter |
3.86
|
| 07 | Rambo First Blood Part 2 | adventure |
3.82
|
| 08 | Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar | rpg |
3.76
|
| 09 | Voodoo island | adventure |
3.65
|
| 10 | Strip Poker: A Sizzling Game of Chance | strategy |
3.65
|
| # | 1986 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Norton Commander 5.5 | application |
4.19
|
| 02 | Alter Ego: Female Version | simulation |
4.13
|
| 03 | Turbo Prolog 2.0 | application |
4.07
|
| 04 | Space Quest 1: The Sarien Encounter | adventure |
4.06
|
| 05 | James Bond 007: Goldfinger | adventure |
4.04
|
| 06 | Alter Ego: Male Version | simulation |
4.03
|
| 07 | Starflight | rpg |
4.02
|
| 08 | Gunship | vehicle simulation |
3.97
|
| 09 | Conflict in Vietnam | strategy |
3.96
|
| 10 | The Great Escape | adventure |
3.91
|
| # | 1987 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards | adventure |
4.16
|
| 02 | Maniac Mansion | adventure |
4.14
|
| 03 | Tetris | puzzle |
4.13
|
| 04 | Sid Meier's Pirates! | strategy |
4.07
|
| 05 | Elite | vehicle simulation |
4.06
|
| 06 | The Great Giana Sisters | action |
4.06
|
| 07 | Project: Space Station | simulation |
4.00
|
| 08 | Test Drive | racing |
3.98
|
| 09 | Police Quest 1: In Pursuit of the Death Angel | adventure |
3.97
|
| 10 | The Bard's Tale 1 | rpg |
3.92
|
| # | 1988 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Battle Chess | strategy |
4.12
|
| 02 | F-19 Stealth fighter | vehicle simulation |
4.11
|
| 03 | Star Wars | vehicle simulation |
4.09
|
| 04 | Life & Death | simulation |
4.09
|
| 05 | Teenage Queen | strategy |
4.05
|
| 06 | Ultima 5: Warriors of Destiny | rpg |
4.04
|
| 07 | Gold Rush! | adventure |
4.04
|
| 08 | Bad Dudes VS Dragon Ninja | action |
4.03
|
| 09 | 2400 A.D. | rpg |
4.00
|
| 10 | Arkanoid | action |
4.00
|
| # | 1989 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Quest for glory 1: So you want to be a hero | adventure |
4.23
|
| 02 | SimCity | simulation |
4.12
|
| 03 | Bubble Bobble | action |
4.10
|
| 04 | Lakers vs. Celtics and the NBA Playoffs | sports |
4.10
|
| 05 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | adventure |
4.10
|
| 06 | Indianapolis 500 | racing |
4.09
|
| 07 | A-10 Tank Killer | vehicle simulation |
4.09
|
| 08 | Arkanoid 2: The Revenge of Doh | action |
4.09
|
| 09 | Stunt Car Racer | racing |
4.08
|
| 10 | 007: License to Kill | shooter |
4.08
|
| # | 1990 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Loom | adventure |
4.19
|
| 02 | Midwinter | strategy |
4.14
|
| 03 | Circuit's edge | rpg |
4.14
|
| 04 | The Secret of Monkey Island | adventure |
4.14
|
| 05 | Stunts | racing |
4.14
|
| 06 | Wing Commander | vehicle simulation |
4.13
|
| 07 | Prince of Persia | action |
4.13
|
| 08 | Champions of Krynn | rpg |
4.10
|
| 09 | Dangerous Dave | action |
4.10
|
| 10 | Alpha Waves | action |
4.08
|
| # | 1991 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Eye of the Beholder | rpg |
4.15
|
| 02 | Death Knights of Krynn | rpg |
4.15
|
| 03 | Commander Keen 6: Aliens Ate my Baby Sitter! | action |
4.15
|
| 04 | Magnetic Scrolls Collection | adventure |
4.14
|
| 05 | Eye of the Beholder 2: The Legend of Darkmoon | rpg |
4.13
|
| 06 | Night Hawk: F-117A Stealth Fighter | vehicle simulation |
4.12
|
| 07 | Civilization | strategy |
4.11
|
| 08 | SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony | simulation |
4.11
|
| 09 | Golden Axe | action |
4.10
|
| 10 | Another World | adventure |
4.09
|
| # | 1992 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Heroes of the 357th | vehicle simulation |
4.15
|
| 02 | Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate | rpg |
4.15
|
| 03 | Alone in the Dark | adventure |
4.14
|
| 04 | Dune II: The building of a dynasty | strategy |
4.12
|
| 05 | Angband | rpg |
4.11
|
| 06 | Magic Pockets | action |
4.11
|
| 07 | Comanche: Maximum overkill | vehicle simulation |
4.11
|
| 08 | Mech war | strategy |
4.11
|
| 09 | Rex Nebular and the cosmic gender-bender | adventure |
4.10
|
| 10 | Great Naval Battles: North Atlantic 1939 - 1943 | vehicle simulation |
4.10
|
| # | 1993 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Buzz Aldrin's Race into Space | vehicle simulation |
4.33
|
| 02 | Innocent Until Caught | adventure |
4.23
|
| 03 | The Lost Vikings | action |
4.15
|
| 04 | Frontier: Elite 2 | vehicle simulation |
4.14
|
| 05 | Doom | shooter |
4.13
|
| 06 | The Settlers | strategy |
4.13
|
| 07 | Police Quest: Open Season | adventure |
4.13
|
| 08 | Duke Nukem 2 | action |
4.12
|
| 09 | The Incredible Machine | puzzle |
4.12
|
| 10 | Master of Orion | strategy |
4.12
|
| # | 1994 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Might and Magic: World of Xeen | rpg |
4.19
|
| 02 | Dark Legions | strategy |
4.19
|
| 03 | X-COM: Ufo Defense | strategy |
4.18
|
| 04 | Warcraft: Orcs and Humans | strategy |
4.15
|
| 05 | The Incredible Machine 2 | puzzle |
4.15
|
| 06 | Panzer General 1 | strategy |
4.14
|
| 07 | 1942: The Pacific air war | vehicle simulation |
4.12
|
| 08 | Ecstatica | adventure |
4.12
|
| 09 | Master of Magic | strategy |
4.11
|
| 10 | Colonization | strategy |
4.10
|
| # | 1995 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Screamer | racing |
4.19
|
| 02 | Heroes of Might and Magic | strategy |
4.12
|
| 03 | Worms | strategy |
4.12
|
| 04 | FIFA Soccer 96 | sports |
4.11
|
| 05 | Ultimate Doom | shooter |
4.11
|
| 06 | Frontier: First Encounters | vehicle simulation |
4.10
|
| 07 | Grand Prix 2 | racing |
4.10
|
| 08 | Witchaven | shooter |
4.08
|
| 09 | X-COM: Terror from the Deep | strategy |
4.08
|
| 10 | Descent | shooter |
4.08
|
| # | 1996 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Discworld 2: Mortality Bytes! | adventure |
4.35
|
| 02 | Heroes of Might and Magic II | strategy |
4.22
|
| 03 | Alien Rampage | shooter |
4.21
|
| 04 | Master of Orion 2: Battle at Antares | strategy |
4.20
|
| 05 | Civilization 2 | strategy |
4.18
|
| 06 | Duke Nukem 3D | shooter |
4.14
|
| 07 | Adom v1.1 | rpg |
4.10
|
| 08 | Albion | rpg |
4.08
|
| 09 | Command & Conquer: Red Alert | strategy |
4.08
|
| 10 | Jane's Combat Simulations: Advanced Tactical Fighters | vehicle simulation |
4.06
|
| # | 1997 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Dungeon Keeper | strategy |
4.25
|
| 02 | Championship Manager: Season 97/98 | sports |
4.14
|
| 03 | Virtua Cop | shooter |
4.13
|
| 04 | Blood | shooter |
4.13
|
| 05 | Grand Theft Auto | racing |
4.12
|
| 06 | Magic: The Gathering | strategy |
4.11
|
| 07 | Blade Runner | adventure |
4.11
|
| 08 | Enterpreneur | simulation |
4.10
|
| 09 | Season of the Sakura | adventure |
4.08
|
| 10 | Fallout | rpg |
4.07
|
| # | 1998 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Mega Man X3 | shooter |
4.14
|
| 02 | Dune 2000 | strategy |
4.13
|
| 03 | Railroad Tycoon 2 | simulation |
4.08
|
| 04 | Axis and Allies | strategy |
4.07
|
| 05 | 101: The Airborne Invasion of Normandy | strategy |
4.06
|
| 06 | Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines | strategy |
4.06
|
| 07 | Dope Wars | simulation |
4.05
|
| 08 | House of the Dead | shooter |
3.98
|
| 09 | Avalon | rpg |
3.97
|
| 10 | Fatal Relations | adventure |
3.93
|
| # | 1999 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Pharaoh | simulation |
4.11
|
| 02 | Tyrian 2000 | shooter |
4.10
|
| 03 | Age of Empires 2: The Age of Kings | strategy |
4.10
|
| 04 | Three Sisters' Story | adventure |
4.07
|
| 05 | System Shock 2 | shooter |
4.06
|
| 06 | Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty | strategy |
4.05
|
| 07 | Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia | strategy |
4.04
|
| 08 | Age of Wonders | strategy |
4.02
|
| 09 | Ultima 9: Ascension | rpg |
4.00
|
| 10 | Star Trek: Starfleet Command | vehicle simulation |
3.97
|
| # | 2000 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Zeus: Master of Olympus | simulation |
4.07
|
| 02 | Patrician 2: Quest for Power | simulation |
4.00
|
| 03 | 3D Ultra Lionel Traintown | puzzle |
3.84
|
| # | 2001 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura | rpg |
4.10
|
| 02 | Mario and Luigi | action |
4.08
|
| 03 | Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds | strategy |
4.00
|
| 04 | Empire Earth | strategy |
3.80
|
| # | 2002 | genre | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | DOSBox | application |
4.10
|
| 02 | Sid Meier's SimGolf | sports |
4.09
|
| 03 | Syberia | adventure |
3.96
|
| 04 | Industry Giant 2 | simulation |
3.77
|
| 05 | Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 | simulation |
3.74
|
| 06 | Icewind Dale 2 | rpg |
3.66
|
