Best Classic DOS Games from the 1990s

The 1990s were arguably the greatest decade in PC gaming history. MS-DOS games reached new heights of complexity, storytelling, and technical achievement. The early 90s saw the rise of the FPS with Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM, while mid-decade brought legendary RPGs like Ultima VII and Baldur's Gate. Real-time strategy boomed with Dune II, Warcraft, and StarCraft. By the late 90s, DOS was giving way to Windows — but the games from this era remain some of the most beloved in all of gaming. Explore the best of the decade below.

Games of all genres

Bio Menace

Bio Menace
Bio Menace is a fast-paced side-scrolling action platformer developed by Apogee Software and released for MS-DOS in 1993. Built on the Commander Keen engine, the game follows Snake Logan, a tough CIA operative who must battle hordes of mutants and mo...
Genre: PLATFORMER
Release: 1993
Developer: 3D Realms
Publisher: -

Shadow of the Comet

Shadow of the Comet
Shadow of the Comet is a classic point-and-click adventure game developed by Infogrames and released for MS-DOS in 1993. Set in the eerie New England town of Illsmouth in 1910, the story follows British journalist John T. Parker, who arrives to photo...
Genre: ADVENTURE
Release: 1993
Developer: Infogrames
Publisher: -

Hook

Hook
Hook is a side-scrolling action-adventure game based on Steven Spielberg's 1991 film of the same name. Players step into the shoes of Peter Banning—now rediscovering his identity as the legendary Peter Pan—as he embarks on a perilous journey to rescu...
Genre: ADVENTURE
Release: 1992
Developer: Ocean Software
Publisher: -

Inca

Inca
Inca, released in 1992 by Coktel Vision, is a surreal and genre-blending adventure that fuses ancient mythology with futuristic sci-fi. Set in an alternate universe where the Inca Empire has reached the stars, players take on the role of El Dorado, a...
Genre: SIMULATION
Release: 1992
Developer: Coktel Vision
Publisher: Sierra On-Line

SEAL Team

SEAL Team
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 off...
Genre: ACTION
Release: 1993
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: -

Tubular Worlds

Tubular Worlds
Tubular Worlds, released in 1994 by Creative Game Design, is a vibrant side-scrolling shoot-’em-up that plunges players into a surreal sci-fi universe teeming with alien threats. As the pilot of an advanced starfighter, your mission is to traverse fo...
Genre: SHOOTER
Release: 1994
Developer: Creative Game Design
Publisher: Dongleware Verlags GmbH

Super Cars International

Super Cars International
Super Cars International, released in 1996 by Magnetic Fields, is a top-down arcade racing game that delivers fast, competitive action with a touch of vehicular mayhem. An updated version of the classic Super Cars II, the game features a lineup of sl...
Genre: RACING
Release: 1996
Developer: Magnetic Fields
Publisher: Gremlin Interactive

Cool Spot

Cool Spot
Cool Spot, released in 1994 by Virgin Games, is a vibrant and stylish platformer starring the red, sunglasses-wearing mascot of 7UP. Set in a series of colorful and whimsical environments, the game follows Cool Spot on a mission to rescue his fellow ...
Genre: PLATFORMER
Release: 1994
Developer: Virgin Interactive
Publisher: -

Caesar

Caesar
Caesar, released in 1992 by Sierra On-Line (originally developed by Impressions Games), is a city-building strategy game set in the grandeur of ancient Rome. As a Roman governor, players are tasked with founding and managing provinces across the empi...
Genre: STRATEGY
Release: 1992
Developer: Impressions Games
Publisher: Sierra On-Line

Warlords II Deluxe

Warlords II Deluxe
Warlords II Deluxe, released in 1995 by Strategic Studies Group, is an enhanced version of the classic turn-based strategy game that immerses players in epic fantasy warfare. Set in a richly detailed world of swords, sorcery, and conquest, players co...
Genre: STRATEGY
Release: 1995
Developer: Strategic Studies Group
Publisher: -

Alien Breed

Alien Breed
Alien Breed, released in 1993 by Team17, is a top-down sci-fi shooter that plunges players into the heart of a deadly alien invasion aboard a futuristic space station. Drawing inspiration from classic sci-fi horror, the game puts you in the role of a...
Genre: ACTION
Release: 1993
Developer: Team17
Publisher: -

Heart of China

Heart of China
Heart of China, released in 1991 by Dynamix, is a cinematic point-and-click adventure that whisks players away to a romantic and dangerous journey across 1930s Asia. Blending action, drama, and light-hearted charm, the game follows Jake “Lucky” Maste...
Genre: ADVENTURE
Release: 1991
Developer: Dynamix
Publisher: Sierra On-Line

The Incredible Machine

The Incredible Machine
The Incredible Machine, released in 1993 by Dynamix, is a delightfully inventive puzzle game that challenges players to solve problems using whimsical contraptions and Rube Goldberg-style logic. The game provides an assortment of everyday objects—lik...
Genre: PUZZLE
Release: 1993
Developer: Dynamix
Publisher: -

Scorched Earth

Scorched Earth
Scorched Earth, released in 1991 by Wendell Hicken, is a turn-based artillery game that became a staple of early '90s PC gaming. Dubbed “The Mother of All Games,” it pits players against each other in strategic tank battles across destructible, 2D la...
Genre: STRATEGY
Release: 1991
Developer: Wendell Hicken
Publisher: -

Rise of the Triad

Rise of the Triad
Rise of the Triad, released in 1995 by Apogee Software, is a fast-paced, over-the-top first-person shooter that builds on the legacy of Wolfenstein 3D with more weapons, mayhem, and mid-'90s attitude. Players take on the role of a member of the HUNT ...
Genre: SHOOTER
Release: 1995
Developer: 3D Realms
Publisher: -

Master of Orion

Master of Orion
Master of Orion, released in 1993 by MicroProse, is a genre-defining 4X strategy game that invites players to explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate their way to galactic dominance. Set in a vast and procedurally generated universe, the game puts ...
Genre: STRATEGY
Release: 1993
Developer: Simtex
Publisher: MicroProse

Waxworks

Waxworks
Waxworks, released in 1992 by Horror Soft, is a gruesome first-person horror RPG that plunges players into a macabre journey through time and terror. As the last surviving heir of a cursed bloodline, you must explore a mysterious wax museum where eac...
Genre: HORROR
Release: 1992
Developer: Horror Soft
Publisher: Accolade

Rise of the Dragon

Rise of the Dragon
Rise of the Dragon, released in 1990 by Dynamix, is a cyberpunk adventure game that blends noir storytelling with point-and-click gameplay in a gritty, dystopian future. Set in a crime-ridden Los Angeles in the year 2053, players assume the role of B...
Genre: ADVENTURE
Release: 1990
Developer: Dynamix
Publisher: Sierra On-Line

Battle Isle 2

Battle Isle 2
Battle Isle 2, released in 1994 by Blue Byte, is a turn-based strategy game that continues the sci-fi conflict on the planet Chromos. As the commander of the Drullian forces, players are tasked with repelling the invading Titan-Net army across a seri...
Genre: STRATEGY
Release: 1994
Developer: Blue Byte
Publisher: -

Quarantine

Quarantine
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 population...
Genre: ACTION
Release: 1996
Developer: Imagexcel
Publisher: GameTek

The Simpsons

The Simpsons
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 o...
Genre: ACTION
Release: 1991
Developer: Novotrade
Publisher: Konami

Legends of Valour

Legends of Valour
Legends of Valour, released in 1992 by Synthetic Dimensions, is an ambitious first-person RPG that offers players an open-ended adventure in a vast medieval fantasy city. Set in the sprawling metropolis of Mitteldorf, the game allows players to explo...
Genre: RPG
Release: 1992
Developer: Synthetic Dimensions
Publisher: U.S. Gold

Comanche: Maximum Overkill

Comanche: Maximum Overkill
Comanche: Maximum Overkill, released in 1992 by NovaLogic, is a groundbreaking helicopter combat simulator that introduced voxel-based graphics for unprecedented terrain detail. Players take control of the advanced RAH-66 Comanche, a stealth attack h...
Genre: SIMULATION
Release: 1992
Developer: NovaLogic
Publisher: -

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