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 release years)

Related:

All Years 1989 1991 All Games

Silent Service II
Silent Service II – MS-DOS cover art
Silent Service II, released in 1990 by MicroProse for MS-DOS, is a realistic submarine warfare simulator set in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. As the sequel to the acclaimed Silent Service, the game puts players in command of an American…
Genre: Simulation
Release: 1990
Developer: MPS Labs
Publisher: MicroProse

Turn It
Turn It – MS-DOS cover art
Turn It is a puzzle game developed by Tale Software and published by Kingsoft in 1990 for MS-DOS. Inspired by traditional Mahjong solitaire, the game introduces a distinctive twist on the classic tile-matching formula. Instead of stacked tiles,…
Genre: Puzzle
Release: 1990
Developer: Tale Software
Publisher: Kingsoft GmbH

Pinball Magic
Pinball Magic – MS-DOS cover art
Pinball Magic is a classic pinball game developed and published by the French company Loriciel for MS-DOS in 1990. Presented from a top-down perspective, it combines traditional pinball mechanics with a more arcade-oriented progression system,…
Genre: Action
Release: 1990
Developer: Loriciel
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: -

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: -

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: -

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

Sharkey's 3D Pool
Sharkey's 3D Pool – MS-DOS cover art
Sharkey's 3D Pool is a classic billiards simulation released for MS-DOS in 1990 by MicroProse. The game aimed to deliver one of the most realistic pool experiences available on home computers at the time, combining detailed 3D table rendering with…
Genre: Simulation
Release: 1990
Developer: Aardvark Software
Publisher: MicroProse

LHX Attack Chopper
LHX Attack Chopper – MS-DOS cover art
LHX Attack Chopper, developed and published by Electronic Arts in 1990, is a classic combat flight simulator that puts players in the cockpit of advanced military helicopters. Designed for MS-DOS systems, the game blends arcade-style accessibility…
Genre: Simulation
Release: 1990
Developer: Electronic Arts
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: -

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

Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe – MS-DOS cover art
Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe is a fast-paced, futuristic sports game that blends elements of handball, hockey, and pinball into a uniquely aggressive competition. Developed by The Bitmap Brothers and released in 1990, it places players in a brutal…
Genre: Sports
Release: 1990
Developer: The Bitmap Brothers
Publisher: Image Works

The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail – MS-DOS cover art
The Oregon Trail (1990), developed by MECC for MS-DOS, is a landmark educational simulation that blends historical learning with strategic resource management. Set during the 19th-century westward expansion of the United States, the game places…
Genre: Simulation
Release: 1990
Developer: MECC
Publisher: -

Red Baron
Red Baron – MS-DOS cover art
Red Baron, released in 1990 by Dynamix and published by Sierra On-Line, is a legendary World War I flight simulator that lets players relive the dawn of aerial combat. Taking to the skies in fragile biplanes and triplanes, pilots engage in dogfights…
Genre: Simulation
Release: 1990
Developer: Dynamix
Publisher: Sierra On-Line

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

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

B.A.T.
B.A.T. – MS-DOS cover art
B.A.T. is a futuristic cyberpunk role-playing adventure game developed by Computer’s Dream 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…
Genre: Adventure
Release: 1990
Developer: Computer's Dream
Publisher: Ubisoft

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

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: -

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

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