Classic MS-DOS Games from 1988

By 1988, EGA had become the dominant display standard, and developers were pushing its 16-colour palette to its limits. King's Quest IV was the first Sierra game to star a female protagonist, while Leisure Suit Larry 2 continued Al Lowe's irreverent adventure series. The Ultima series kept refining its open-world RPG formula, and a growing range of sports simulations and early action games cemented MS-DOS as a serious gaming platform.

Games from 1988 (recently added)

Related:

All Years 1987 1989 All Games

Soko-Ban
Soko-Ban – MS-DOS cover art
Soko-Ban, released in 1988 by Spectrum HoloByte, is a classic puzzle game that challenges players with its simple yet highly engaging mechanics. In "Soko-Ban," players take on the role of a warehouse worker tasked with pushing crates onto designated…
Genre: PUZZLE
Release: 1988
Developer: Spectrum HoloByte
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: -

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

Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master – MS-DOS cover art
Dungeon Master, released in 1988 by FTL Games, is a groundbreaking dungeon-crawling RPG that set the standard for immersive, real-time gameplay in the genre. Players embark on a perilous quest to recover the Firestaff and defeat the evil Lord Chaos,…
Genre: RPG
Release: 1988
Developer: FTL Games
Publisher: -

Tetris
Tetris – MS-DOS cover art
Tetris, released in 1988 by Spectrum Holobyte, is a timeless puzzle game that challenges players to strategically arrange falling tetrominoes to clear rows and earn points. Originally created by Alexey Pajitnov, this version introduced Western…
Genre: PUZZLE
Release: 1988
Developer: Alexey Pajitnov
Publisher: Spectrum HoloByte

Grand Prix Circuit
Grand Prix Circuit – MS-DOS cover art
Grand Prix Circuit, released in 1988 by Accolade, is a Formula One racing simulation that brings the excitement and challenge of professional motorsport to the home computer. Players can choose from three iconic cars of the era—the McLaren Honda…
Genre: RACING
Release: 1988
Developer: Distinctive Software
Publisher: Accolade

Battle Chess
Battle Chess – MS-DOS cover art
Battle Chess, released for MS-DOS in 1988 by Interplay Productions, brought the classic game of chess to life with a unique and entertaining twist. Instead of simple moves on a static board, each piece was represented by a fully animated character,…
Genre: STRATEGY
Release: 1988
Developer: Interplay Productions
Publisher: -

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: -

Better Dead Than Alien
Better Dead Than Alien – MS-DOS cover art
Better Dead Than Alien is a fast-paced sci-fi shoot ’em up developed by Oxford Digital Enterprises and released for MS-DOS in 1988. Taking control of a lone spacecraft, the player must fight through relentless waves of alien enemies while navigating…
Genre: ACTION
Release: 1988
Developer: Oxford Digital Enterprises
Publisher: Electra

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

Carrier Command
Carrier Command – MS-DOS cover art
Carrier Command is a groundbreaking science-fiction strategy and vehicle simulation game developed by Realtime Games Software and originally released in 1988. The player takes command of a highly advanced robotic aircraft carrier and must fight for…
Genre: SIMULATION
Release: 1988
Developer: Realtime Games
Publisher: Rainbird

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: -

HardBall!
HardBall! – MS-DOS cover art
HardBall! is a classic baseball simulation developed and published by Accolade, released for MS-DOS in 1988. Originally created by Bob Whitehead, the game combines fast-paced arcade-style action with surprisingly detailed baseball strategy. Players…
Genre: SPORTS
Release: 1988
Developer: Accolade
Publisher: -

F-19 Stealth Fighter
F-19 Stealth Fighter – MS-DOS cover art
F-19 Stealth Fighter is a combat flight simulator developed and published by MicroProse in 1988. Released for MS-DOS, the game puts players in the cockpit of the fictional F-19 stealth aircraft, designed around the then-secret concept of…
Genre: SIMULATION
Release: 1988
Developer: MicroProse
Publisher: -