Play Wasteland online

Released in 1988 for DOS, Wasteland is the kind of game that quietly changed history while pretending to be just another post-apocalyptic RPG. Long before wastelands were fashionable, this one dropped you into a harsh nuclear future where actions had consequences, characters could die permanently, and the game absolutely did not care about your feelings. The interface is clunky by modern standards, but it hides a surprisingly deep system of skills, choices, and moral ambiguity. Reading the included paragraph book felt like homework at the time, yet it added a strange tabletop charm. Humor pops up in unexpected places, usually dark and dry, like the world itself. Wasteland doesn’t hold your hand—it barely acknowledges your existence—but if you stick with it, you’ll find a smart, unsettling experience that still feels influential decades later.