Classic MS-DOS Action Games

Action games were one of the most popular genres in the MS-DOS era, offering fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled gameplay that pushed early PC hardware to its limits. From side-scrolling platform shooters to top-down brawlers, DOS action games demanded quick reflexes and sharp timing. Iconic titles like Commander Keen, Duke Nukem, Dangerous Dave and Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure were staples of the shareware scene, often distributed on floppy disks through Apogee Software. If you like your games immediate, kinetic and challenging, DOS action titles deliver.

Games in the action genre (alphabetical)

Ugh!
Ugh! – MS-DOS cover art
Ugh!, released in 1992 by Play Byte, is a charming and quirky arcade-style game that blends action, strategy, and humor. Set in prehistoric times, players take on the role of a caveman who pilots a stone-age helicopter to transport passengers across…
Genre: Action
Release: 1992
Developer: Egosoft
Publisher: Play Byte

Tom & Jerry: Yankee Doodle's CAT-astrophe
Tom & Jerry: Yankee Doodle's CAT-astrophe – MS-DOS cover art
Tom & Jerry: Yankee Doodle's CAT-astrophe, released in 1990 by Hi-Tech Expressions, is a lighthearted action game based on the classic animated duo. Set during the American Revolutionary War, the game follows Jerry the mouse as he tries to outsmart…
Genre: Action
Release: 1990
Developer: Hi-Tech Expressions
Publisher: -

The Simpsons
The Simpsons – MS-DOS cover art
The Simpsons, released in 1991 by Novotrade, is a side-scrolling action game based on the hit animated TV series. Originally an arcade game developed by Konami, this MS-DOS adaptation offers a single-player experience where players take on the role…
Genre: Action
Release: 1991
Developer: Novotrade
Publisher: Konami

The Last Ninja
The Last Ninja – MS-DOS cover art
The Last Ninja is an action-adventure game developed by System 3 and released for MS-DOS in 1987. Set in a mythical version of feudal Japan, it follows the journey of Armakuni, the last surviving ninja of his clan, who seeks revenge against the evil…
Genre: Action
Release: 1987
Developer: System 3
Publisher: Activision

The Chaos Engine
The Chaos Engine – MS-DOS cover art
The Chaos Engine, released in 1993 by The Bitmap Brothers, is a top-down run-and-gun shooter set in a steampunk-inspired alternate history. In a world where a rogue inventor’s machine has twisted time and unleashed monstrous cybernetic creatures,…
Genre: Action
Release: 1993
Developer: The Bitmap Brothers
Publisher: Renegade Software

System Shock
System Shock – MS-DOS cover art
System Shock, released in 1994 by LookingGlass Technologies, is a groundbreaking first-person action-adventure that redefined immersive gameplay and storytelling in the cyberpunk genre. Set aboard the derelict space station Citadel in the year 2072,…
Genre: Action
Release: 1994
Developer: LookingGlass Technologies
Publisher: Origin Systems

Syndicate
Syndicate – MS-DOS cover art
Syndicate, released in 1993 by Electronic Arts, is a gritty real-time tactical game set in a cyberpunk future where corporations rule the world through violence and espionage. Developed by Bullfrog Productions, the game places players at the head of…
Genre: Action
Release: 1993
Developer: Bullfrog Productions
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Starquake
Starquake – MS-DOS cover art
Starquake is a classic sci-fi action platformer released for MS-DOS in 1988 by Bubble Bus Software. Originally created by Stephen Crow, the game places you in the role of BLOB (Bio-Logically Operated Being), a robotic explorer sent deep beneath the…
Genre: Action
Release: 1988
Developer: Bubble Bus Software
Publisher: -

Space Hulk
Space Hulk – MS-DOS cover art
Space Hulk, released in 1993 by Electronic Arts, is a tactical turn-based strategy game set in the dark, war-torn universe of Warhammer 40,000. Players command squads of Space Marines as they navigate derelict spacecraft infested with deadly…
Genre: Action
Release: 1993
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: -

SEAL Team
SEAL Team – MS-DOS cover art
SEAL Team, released in 1993 by Electronic Arts for MS-DOS, is a tactical military simulation that puts players in command of an elite squad of U.S. Navy SEALs during the Vietnam War. Combining first-person action with strategic planning, the game…
Genre: Action
Release: 1993
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: -

RoboCop 3
RoboCop 3 – MS-DOS cover art
RoboCop 3 is a 3D action game developed by Digital Image Design and released for MS-DOS in 1991. Based on the movie of the same name, it puts players in the role of RoboCop as he battles to protect the citizens of Detroit from the corrupt OCP…
Genre: Action
Release: 1991
Developer: Digital Image Design
Publisher: Ocean Software

Rambo III
Rambo III – MS-DOS cover art
Based on the 1988 action movie starring Sylvester Stallone, Rambo III is an action game developed by Ocean Software and released for MS-DOS in 1989. Taking on the role of John Rambo, the player travels to Soviet-occupied Afghanistan to rescue his…
Genre: Action
Release: 1989
Developer: Taito
Publisher: -

Quarantine
Quarantine – MS-DOS cover art
Quarantine, released in 1996 by GameTek, is a gritty, futuristic vehicular combat game that blends high-speed driving with first-person shooter elements. Set in the dystopian city of Kemo, where a failed corporate experiment has turned the…
Genre: Action
Release: 1996
Developer: Imagexcel
Publisher: GameTek

Pinball Magic
Pinball Magic – MS-DOS cover art
Pinball Magic is a classic pinball game developed and published by the French company Loriciel for MS-DOS in 1990. Presented from a top-down perspective, it combines traditional pinball mechanics with a more arcade-oriented progression system,…
Genre: Action
Release: 1990
Developer: Loriciel
Publisher: -

Paperboy 2
Paperboy 2 – MS-DOS cover art
Paperboy 2 is an action-packed arcade game released for MS-DOS in 1991 by Mindscape. As the sequel to the classic Paperboy, the game puts players in the role of a newspaper delivery boy or girl riding a bicycle through chaotic suburban…
Genre: Action
Release: 1991
Developer: Tengen
Publisher: Mindscape

Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight
Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight – MS-DOS cover art
Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight, released in 1992 by Mindscape, is a brutal action-RPG that blends arcade-style combat with strategic exploration and a touch of fantasy. Set in a mythical world, players take on the role of a knight chosen to retrieve…
Genre: Action
Release: 1992
Developer: Rob Anderson
Publisher: Mindscape

Metal Mutant
Metal Mutant – MS-DOS cover art
Metal Mutant, released in 1991 by Silmarils, is a unique side-scrolling action-adventure game that puts players in control of a powerful biomechanical warrior on a mission to overthrow an evil robotic empire. What sets Metal Mutant apart is its…
Genre: Action
Release: 1991
Developer: Silmarils
Publisher: -

Marble Madness
Marble Madness – MS-DOS cover art
Marble Madness, released in 1984 by Electronic Arts, is a fast-paced and innovative arcade-style game that challenges players to navigate a rolling marble through a series of treacherous, obstacle-filled courses. Originally developed by Atari Games…
Genre: Action
Release: 1984
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: -

Magic Carpet
Magic Carpet – MS-DOS cover art
Magic Carpet is a groundbreaking first-person action game developed by Bullfrog Productions and released for MS-DOS in 1994. Set in a fully 3D world, the game places players in the role of a wizard flying a magic carpet, battling rival sorcerers,…
Genre: Action
Release: 1994
Developer: Bullfrog Productions
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Lost Patrol
Lost Patrol – MS-DOS cover art
Lost Patrol is an atmospheric action-strategy game released for MS-DOS in 1991 by Ocean Software. Set during the Vietnam War, the game follows a small squad of American soldiers stranded deep behind enemy lines after their helicopter crashes. With…
Genre: Action
Release: 1991
Developer: Astros Productions
Publisher: Ocean Software

Karateka
Karateka – MS-DOS cover art
Karateka (1984) is a classic side-scrolling martial arts game developed by Jordan Mechner and published by Brøderbund for MS-DOS and other platforms. Renowned for its cinematic presentation and fluid rotoscoped animation, Karateka was one of the…
Genre: Action
Release: 1984
Developer: Jordan Mechner
Publisher: Broderbund

Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park – MS-DOS cover art
Jurassic Park, released in 1994 by Ocean Software, is an action-adventure game based on the blockbuster movie and novel by Michael Crichton. Combining top-down exploration with first-person shooter sequences, the game puts players in the role of Dr.…
Genre: Action
Release: 1994
Developer: Ocean Software
Publisher: -

Ikari Warriors
Ikari Warriors – MS-DOS cover art
Ikari Warriors is a classic top-down run-and-gun action game released for MS-DOS in 1987 by Data East, based on SNK's popular 1986 arcade hit. Inspired by military action movies of the 1980s, the game puts you in control of an elite commando on a…
Genre: Action
Release: 1987
Developer: SNK
Publisher: Data East

Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto – MS-DOS cover art
Grand Theft Auto is an open-world action game developed by DMA Design and released for MS-DOS in 1997. Played from a top-down perspective, the game lets players step into the shoes of a criminal rising through the ranks by completing missions,…
Genre: Action
Release: 1997
Developer: DMA Design
Publisher: BMG Interactive