Classic MS-DOS Games from 1990

1990 was the year VGA became the new standard, and MS-DOS games grew dramatically more colourful and detailed overnight. Wing Commander from Origin Systems delivered cinematic space combat that felt like playing a science-fiction film. The Secret of Monkey Island — LucasArts' debut SCUMM masterpiece — reinvented the adventure game with perfect comic writing and clever puzzles. King's Quest V transitioned Sierra's flagship series to a fully point-and-click interface. The golden age of DOS gaming had definitively arrived.

Games from 1990 (by rating)

Related:

All Years 1989 1991 All Games

Cadaver
Cadaver – MS-DOS cover art
Cadaver, released in 1990 by The Bitmap Brothers, is an isometric action-adventure game that combines puzzle solving, exploration, and combat. Players step into the role of Karadoc, a lone dwarf adventurer who dares to enter the sprawling fortress…
Genre: ACTION
Release: 1990
Developer: The Bitmap Brothers
Publisher: Image Works

Test Drive III: The Passion
Test Drive III: The Passion – MS-DOS cover art
Test Drive III: The Passion, released in 1990 by Accolade, is a revolutionary entry in the Test Drive series that brought open-world exploration and advanced 3D graphics to the racing genre. Departing from the linear courses of its predecessors, the…
Genre: RACING
Release: 1990
Developer: Accolade
Publisher: -

Dyna Blaster
Dyna Blaster – MS-DOS cover art
Dyna Blaster, released in 1990 by Hudson Soft, is a fast-paced action-puzzle game better known as Bomberman in other regions. This classic arcade-style game challenges players to strategically place bombs, destroy obstacles, and defeat enemies while…
Genre: ACTION
Release: 1990
Developer: Hudson Soft
Publisher: -

Maupiti Island
Maupiti Island – MS-DOS cover art
Maupiti Island, released in 1990 by Lankhor, is a deep and atmospheric detective adventure that immerses players in a gripping noir-style mystery. As private investigator Jérôme Lange, players find themselves stranded on the remote Maupiti Island…
Genre: ADVENTURE
Release: 1990
Developer: Lankhor
Publisher: Ubisoft

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: -

Countdown
Countdown – MS-DOS cover art
Countdown is a gripping point-and-click adventure thriller that plunges players into a world of espionage, conspiracy, and psychological intrigue. You awaken in a Turkish asylum with no memory of who you are, accused of a murder you don’t remember…
Genre: ADVENTURE
Release: 1990
Developer: Access Software
Publisher: -

DragonStrike
DragonStrike – MS-DOS cover art
DragonStrike is a fantasy flight-combat simulator that puts players in the saddle of a mighty dragon, soaring across the war-torn skies of Krynn. Developed by Westwood Associates and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc., the game blends…
Genre: ACTION
Release: 1990
Developer: Westwood Studios
Publisher: Strategic Simulations

E-Motion
E-Motion – MS-DOS cover art
E-Motion is an inventive action-puzzle game developed by The Assembly Line and published by U.S. Gold for MS-DOS in 1990. Set in a series of minimalist, abstract arenas, the game places you in control of a small spherical spacecraft surrounded by…
Genre: PUZZLE
Release: 1990
Developer: The Assembly Line
Publisher: U.S. Gold

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: -

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: -

Klax
Klax – MS-DOS cover art
Klax is a fast-paced puzzle game originally created by Atari Games and released for MS-DOS in 1990. The player must catch colored tiles as they roll down a conveyor belt and carefully drop them into a stack below. The goal is to arrange matching…
Genre: PUZZLE
Release: 1990
Developer: Atari Games
Publisher: -

Knights of the Sky
Knights of the Sky – MS-DOS cover art
Knights of the Sky is a classic World War I flight simulation developed and published by MicroProse in 1990 for MS-DOS. Set during the early days of aerial combat, the game places players in the cockpit of fragile biplanes, where skill, timing, and…
Genre: SIMULATION
Release: 1990
Developer: MicroProse
Publisher: -

The Secret of Monkey Island
The Secret of Monkey Island – MS-DOS cover art
The Secret of Monkey Island, released in 1990 by Lucasfilm Games, is a seminal point-and-click adventure game that has become one of the most beloved titles in gaming history. Set in a whimsical and humorous pirate-themed world, the game follows the…
Genre: ADVENTURE
Release: 1990
Developer: LucasArts
Publisher: -

North & South
North & South – MS-DOS cover art
North & South, released in 1989 by Infogrames, is a unique blend of strategy and action that brings the American Civil War to life with a mix of humor and historical themes. Based on the popular French-Belgian comic series Les Tuniques Bleues, the…
Genre: STRATEGY
Release: 1990
Developer: Infogrames
Publisher: -

Ski or Die
Ski or Die – MS-DOS cover art
Ski or Die, released in 1990 by Electronic Arts, is a high-energy sports game that brings the thrill of extreme winter sports to life. Packed with humor and adrenaline-pumping action, the game offers players a variety of quirky and challenging…
Genre: SPORTS
Release: 1990
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: -

Centurion: Defender of Rome
Centurion: Defender of Rome – MS-DOS cover art
Centurion: Defender of Rome, released in 1990 by Electronic Arts, is a strategy game that places players in the role of a Roman centurion tasked with building and leading the Roman Empire to glory. Combining elements of turn-based strategy,…
Genre: STRATEGY
Release: 1990
Developer: Bits of Magic
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Atomix
Atomix – MS-DOS cover art
Atomix, released in 1990 by Thalion Software, is a challenging and addictive puzzle game that tasks players with assembling molecules from individual atoms. Set on a grid-based playing field, players must slide atoms into position to recreate the…
Genre: PUZZLE
Release: 1990
Developer: Günter Krämer
Publisher: Thalion Software

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark – MS-DOS cover art
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, released in 1990 by Horror Soft, is a horror-themed adventure RPG that blends dungeon-crawling mechanics with point-and-click gameplay. Based on the iconic horror hostess Elvira, the game follows the player, a hero…
Genre: HORROR
Release: 1990
Developer: Horror Soft
Publisher: Accolade

Rise of the Dragon
Rise of the Dragon – MS-DOS cover art
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…
Genre: ADVENTURE
Release: 1990
Developer: Dynamix
Publisher: Sierra On-Line

Operation Stealth
Operation Stealth – MS-DOS cover art
Operation Stealth, known as James Bond: The Stealth Affair in North America, is a spy-themed point-and-click adventure developed by Delphine Software and released for MS-DOS in 1990. The game follows CIA agent John Glames as he is assigned to…
Genre: ADVENTURE
Release: 1990
Developer: Delphine Software
Publisher: U.S. Gold

B.A.T.
B.A.T. – MS-DOS cover art
B.A.T. is a futuristic cyberpunk role-playing adventure game developed and published by Ubi Soft in 1990 for MS-DOS and other platforms. Set in a gritty sci-fi metropolis, it blends traditional RPG elements with a strong emphasis on investigation,…
Genre: ADVENTURE
Release: 1990
Developer: Computer's Dream
Publisher: Ubisoft

Powermonger
Powermonger – MS-DOS cover art
Powermonger, released in 1990 by Bullfrog Productions, is a real-time strategy game that challenges players to conquer a living, breathing world through cunning, diplomacy, and military might. Set in a medieval-style landscape of towns, villages,…
Genre: STRATEGY
Release: 1990
Developer: Bullfrog Productions
Publisher: Electronic Arts