Classic MS-DOS Platformer Games

While consoles had Mario and Sonic, DOS gamers enjoyed a rich library of platform games uniquely suited to the keyboard. Commander Keen by id Software and Jazz Jackrabbit by Epic MegaGames were beloved mascots of the shareware era. Prince of Persia introduced rotoscoped animation and fluid physics that felt revolutionary in 1989. Jill of the Jungle, Hocus Pocus and Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure rounded out a genre packed with creative level design and memorable characters. DOS platformers are a fascinating slice of gaming history that often gets overlooked next to console equivalents.

Games in the platformer genre (recently added)

RoboCop
RoboCop – MS-DOS cover art
RoboCop is an action-packed MS-DOS game released by Data East in 1988, based on the iconic sci-fi film. Players take control of RoboCop, the heavily armored cybernetic police officer, and fight their way through the crime-ridden streets of Detroit.…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1988
Developer: Data East
Publisher: -

The Adventures of Captain Comic
The Adventures of Captain Comic – MS-DOS cover art
The Adventures of Captain Comic is a colorful side-scrolling platform game released for MS-DOS in 1988 and created by Michael Denio. Players take control of Captain Comic, a brave space explorer who travels to the mysterious planet Tambi in search…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1988
Developer: Color Dreams
Publisher: Michael Denio

El Capitán Trueno
El Capitán Trueno – MS-DOS cover art
El Capitán Trueno is an action-adventure game released for MS-DOS by Dinamic Software in 1990. Based on the famous Spanish comic-book hero created by Víctor Mora and Ambrós, the game takes players into a medieval world filled with dangerous enemies,…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1990
Developer: Dinamic Software
Publisher: -

Batman: The Movie
Batman: The Movie – MS-DOS cover art
Step into the shadows of Gotham City in Batman: The Movie, a 1989 action game developed by Ocean Software for MS-DOS. Inspired by Tim Burton’s blockbuster film, the game puts you behind the mask of the Dark Knight as he battles criminals, navigates…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1989
Developer: Ocean Software
Publisher: -

The Gold of the Aztecs
The Gold of the Aztecs – MS-DOS cover art
The Gold of the Aztecs is a cinematic action-platform game published by U.S. Gold for MS-DOS in 1990. Players take control of Special Forces veteran Bret Conrad, who ventures deep into an ancient Aztec tomb in search of a legendary treasure. The…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1990
Developer: U.S. Gold
Publisher: -

Duke Nukem
Duke Nukem – MS-DOS cover art
Released in 1991 by Apogee Software, Duke Nukem is the game that introduced one of PC gaming's most iconic action heroes. This classic side-scrolling platformer follows Duke as he battles the evil Dr. Proton and his army of Techbots across three…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1991
Developer: 3D Realms
Publisher: -

First Samurai
First Samurai – MS-DOS cover art
First Samurai is a side-scrolling action platformer released for MS-DOS in 1992, developed by Vivid Image. Set in a stylized feudal Japan mixed with mythological fantasy, the game follows a lone samurai warrior on a quest to defeat a powerful demon…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1992
Developer: Vivid Image
Publisher: Ubisoft

Zorro
Zorro – MS-DOS cover art
Zorro is a 1995 MS-DOS action platformer developed and published by Capstone Software, bringing the legendary masked hero to the PC screen. Players step into the boots of Don Diego de la Vega, who adopts the persona of Zorro to fight injustice in…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1995
Developer: Capstone Software
Publisher: -

Earthworm Jim
Earthworm Jim – MS-DOS cover art
Earthworm Jim is a fast-paced, side-scrolling action platformer released for MS-DOS in 1994 by Shiny Entertainment. The game follows an ordinary earthworm who accidentally acquires a high-tech supersuit, transforming him into an unlikely hero with a…
Genre: Platformer
Release: -
Developer: Shiny Entertainment
Publisher: Interplay Productions

Crystal Caves
Crystal Caves – MS-DOS cover art
Crystal Caves, released in 1991 by Apogee Software, is a colorful side-scrolling platform game starring the quirky space prospector Mylo Steamwitz. Always on the lookout for a quick profit, Mylo ventures into a series of dangerous caves on distant…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1991
Developer: 3D Realms
Publisher: -

Abuse
Abuse – MS-DOS cover art
Abuse, released in 1996 by Crack dot Com, is a side-scrolling action game that blends fast-paced shooting with atmospheric sci-fi horror. Players control Nick Vrenna, a prisoner in a high-security facility where a genetic experiment has gone…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1996
Developer: Crack dot Com
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Trolls
Trolls – MS-DOS cover art
Trolls, released in 1992 by Flair Software, is a colorful side-scrolling platform game starring the popular toy trolls with their distinctive wild hair. Players guide a cheerful troll through a series of vibrant, imaginative worlds in a quest to…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1992
Developer: Flair Software
Publisher: -

The Lion King
The Lion King – MS-DOS cover art
The Lion King, released by Virgin Interactive in 1994, is a platform game based on Disney’s beloved animated film. Players guide Simba through his journey from a playful cub to the rightful king of the Pride Lands, reliving key moments and iconic…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1994
Developer: East Point Software
Publisher: Virgin Interactive

Dylan Dog: The Murderers
Dylan Dog: The Murderers – MS-DOS cover art
Dylan Dog: The Murderers, released in 1992 by Italian developer Simulmondo, is an adventure game based on the popular comic book series featuring the “nightmare investigator” Dylan Dog. Set in a dark and mysterious London, the story plunges players…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1992
Developer: Simulmondo
Publisher: -

Monster Bash
Monster Bash – MS-DOS cover art
Monster Bash, released by Apogee Software in 1993, is a side-scrolling platform game with a spooky yet humorous twist. Players control Johnny Dash, a young boy armed with a powerful slingshot, who ventures into creepy graveyards, haunted castles,…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1993
Developer: 3D Realms
Publisher: -

Yo! Joe! Beat the Ghosts
Yo! Joe! Beat the Ghosts – MS-DOS cover art
Yo! Joe! Beat the Ghosts, developed by Play Byte and released for MS-DOS in 1993, is a colorful side-scrolling action platformer with a distinctive 90s comic-book style. Players take control of two street-smart heroes, Joe and Nat, who find…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1993
Developer: Scipio
Publisher: Play Byte

Putty Squad
Putty Squad – MS-DOS cover art
Putty Squad is a quirky and colorful platformer developed by System 3 and released for MS-DOS in 1994. Players control Putty, a shape-shifting blue blob with the ability to stretch, bounce, inflate, and absorb enemies, on a mission to rescue his…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1994
Developer: System 3
Publisher: -

Fury of the Furries
Fury of the Furries – MS-DOS cover art
Fury of the Furries is a colorful puzzle-platformer developed by Kalisto and published by Mindscape for MS-DOS in 1993. Players control a tribe of small, fuzzy creatures known as Tinies, each with unique elemental powers—fire, water, earth, and…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1993
Developer: Atreid Concept
Publisher: Mindscape

Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus – MS-DOS cover art
Hocus Pocus is a colorful side-scrolling platformer developed by Moonlite Software and published by Apogee Software for MS-DOS in 1994. You play as Hocus, a young apprentice wizard on a quest to prove himself worthy of joining the Council of…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1994
Developer: Moonlite Software
Publisher: 3D Realms

Bio Menace
Bio Menace – MS-DOS cover art
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…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1993
Developer: 3D Realms
Publisher: -

Zool
Zool – MS-DOS cover art
Zool, released in 1993 by Gremlin Graphics, is a lightning-fast platformer starring a ninja from the Nth Dimension on a mission to prove his worth. With vibrant graphics, high-energy gameplay, and a surreal, candy-coated world, Zool was designed to…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1993
Developer: Gremlin Interactive
Publisher: -

Elf
Elf – MS-DOS cover art
Elf, released in 1991 by Ocean Software, is a side-scrolling action-platformer that plunges players into a vibrant fantasy world filled with danger, magic, and whimsy. You play as Cornelius, a young elf on a quest to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1991
Developer: Ocean Software
Publisher: -

Superfrog
Superfrog – MS-DOS cover art
Superfrog, released in 1994 by Team17, is a colorful and energetic platformer that follows the story of a humble prince transformed into a frog by an evil witch. Empowered by a mysterious energy drink, the now-supercharged amphibian sets out on a…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1994
Developer: Team17
Publisher: -