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 (alphabetical)

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

Alcatraz
Alcatraz – MS-DOS cover art
Alcatraz, is a 1992 action-adventure game developed by Infogrames. Set in the infamous Alcatraz prison, the game combines elements of stealth, strategy, and combat. Players assume the roles of two special agents, Bird and Fist, who are tasked with…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1992
Developer: 221B Software Productions
Publisher: Infogrames

Another World
Another World – MS-DOS cover art
Another World, released in 1992 by Delphine Software, is a cinematic action-adventure game that captivated players with its groundbreaking visuals and atmospheric storytelling. Developed by Eric Chahi, this iconic title pushes the boundaries of…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1992
Developer: Delphine Software
Publisher: -

Barbarian
Barbarian – MS-DOS cover art
Barbarian, released in 1988 by Psygnosis, is a brutal action-adventure game set in a savage, mythical world. Players take on the role of a mighty warrior on a perilous quest to defeat an evil sorcerer and reclaim their homeland. The game is renowned…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1988
Developer: Psygnosis
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: -

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: -

Blackthorne
Blackthorne – MS-DOS cover art
Blackthorne, released in 1994 by Blizzard Entertainment, is a cinematic action-platformer that blends gritty sci-fi fantasy with smooth, rotoscoped animation and intense gunplay. Players take on the role of Kyle "Blackthorne" Vlaros, a rugged,…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1994
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Interplay Productions

Commander Keen in Goodbye, Galaxy
Commander Keen in Goodbye, Galaxy – MS-DOS cover art
Commander Keen in Goodbye, Galaxy!, released in 1991 by Apogee Software, is a vibrant and humorous platformer that follows the adventures of Billy Blaze, an eight-year-old genius who dons the persona of Commander Keen to save the galaxy. This…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1991
Developer: id Software
Publisher: 3D Realms

Cool Spot
Cool Spot – MS-DOS cover art
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: -

Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure
Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure – MS-DOS cover art
Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure, released in 1992 by Apogee Software, is a charming platformer that follows the adventures of Cosmo, a young alien stranded on a mysterious planet while searching for his missing parents. With his suction-cup hands and…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1992
Developer: 3D Realms
Publisher: -

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: -

Dangerous Dave
Dangerous Dave – MS-DOS cover art
Dangerous Dave, released in 1988 by Softdisk, is a classic platformer that challenges players to guide the adventurous Dave through a series of perilous levels filled with traps, enemies, and treasures. Created by John Romero, one of the masterminds…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1988
Developer: John Romero
Publisher: Softdisk

Disney's Aladdin
Disney's Aladdin – MS-DOS cover art
Disney's Aladdin, released in 1993 by Virgin Interactive Entertainment, is a vibrant action-platformer based on the classic Disney animated film. Players step into the shoes of Aladdin, a street-smart hero armed with a scimitar and a bag of tricks,…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1993
Developer: Virgin Interactive
Publisher: Virgin Interactive

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: -

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: -

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

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: -

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: -

Fantastic Dizzy
Fantastic Dizzy – MS-DOS cover art
Fantastic Dizzy, released in 1991 by Codemasters, is a charming puzzle-platformer that follows the adventures of Dizzy, a brave egg-shaped hero, on a quest to rescue his girlfriend Daisy and defeat the evil wizard Zaks. Set in the whimsical land of…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1991
Developer: Codemasters
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

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

Gods
Gods – MS-DOS cover art
Gods, released in 1991 by The Bitmap Brothers, is a mythological action-platformer that plunges players into a dangerous world of ancient gods and mythical creatures. Set in a crumbling city overrun by chaos, players assume the role of Hercules,…
Genre: Platformer
Release: 1991
Developer: The Bitmap Brothers
Publisher: Renegade Software

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