PC games from the past can often be re-released in HD or even remade from the ground up. There are occasions though, when a game can become lost to time, unless someone archives it to ensure future generations can play. These games are often known as Abandonware.
Perhaps a download was never openly available, making a disk the only way you could access it in the past. Other times, the rights are passed around, preventing cult classics from getting all the signatures they need to actually make a comeback. Regardless, it’s no easy feat to find these games, but they can be worth the effort to dig for.
10
You Are Empty
A Bad Game Worth Playing
You Are Empty may seem clunky by today’s standards, and it certainly got bashed when it was released. However, it is one of those games you just need to experience at least once in your life. It has plenty of horrific enemy designs, a foreboding atmosphere, and jumpscares that will genuinely get you.
Taking place in an alternate 1950s Soviet Union, reality has been altered through psychic powers, causing the landscape and its citizens to become nightmarish mutants. Luckily, you still have your own consciousness and can fight back as you make your way to where it all began.
9
Land Of The Dead: Road To Fiddler’s Green
Slow Scares And Lurching Undead
Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler’s Green
- Released
-
October 18, 2005
- Developer(s)
-
Brainbox Games
- Publisher(s)
-
Groove Games
- How Long To Beat
-
4.5 Hours
Land of the Dead: Road To Fiddler’s Green is a movie tie-in game to the George Romero film of the same name. However, if you’re expecting headshots to work on the undead, you’ll find that zombies are complete bullet sponges.
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This isn’t an open-world zombie experience, but a linear one as you leave the safety of your farm and travel towards Fiddler’s Green, a city protected from the dead. With a creepy soundtrack and shambling ghouls that will swarm you if you take too long to deal with them, it’s a surprisingly scary game.
8
Lego Island
Delivering Pizzas Through A Retro Island
Lego Island
- Platform(s)
-
Microsoft Windows
- Developer(s)
-
Mindscape
- Released
-
September 26, 1997
- Publisher(s)
-
Mindscape
- How Long To Beat
-
2 hours
Lego Island is the first 3D Lego Game from the ’90s that lets you freely explore every nook and cranny of the island. Build vehicles such as jet skis, helicopters, race cars, and more as you complete various minigames across the world.
Lego Island would later get some sequels that changed the gameplay and goals drastically, though the first installment is still the hardest to get or even run properly on a modern PC. Just make sure you don’t deliver a hot pizza to the Brickster’s jail cell.
7
The Simpsons Hit And Run
The Greatest Simpsons Game
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The Simpsons: Hit & Run
- Released
-
September 16, 2003
- Developer(s)
-
Radical Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
-
Radical Entertainment
- How Long To Beat
-
10 hours
It’s Grand Theft Auto meets The Simpsons as you drive recklessly through Springfield to discover the secret behind a mysterious soda company. The Simpsons: Hit and Run is a classic title that lets players explore some of the most iconic locations from the show at their own leisure.
There are so many references to the show’s history, ranging from quotes, visual gags, unlockable cars, and more. Every Simpsons character also gets time to shine with levels that let you control a different member of the family.
6
The House Of The Dead
A Zombie Mansion From The 90s
The House of the Dead
- Platform(s)
-
PC, Arcade, Sega Saturn
- Released
-
September 13, 1996
- How Long To Beat
-
51 Minutes
If you’ve ever walked into an arcade, then one of the most memorable cabinets is The House Of The Dead. This zombie light gun shooter spawned a series of games that have hit both consoles and arcades. However, one of the hardest to get running is the original game.
This is because ports of the original are rarely seen, with some of the better ones requiring a console or supplemental accessories that aren’t guaranteed to work anymore. Luckily, you can still play this title as it was intended through emulators.
5
SimAnt
It’s Tough To Be A Bug
Simulators have been around since as long as PCs have been able to get them to work. SimAnt is a nostalgic trip to the past as you form your own ant colony. Dig tunnels, collect resources, and battle larger insects that want to take you down.
Gameplay for this title mostly revolves around pointing and clicking at whatever you want to interact with. Some interactions will even show you a different pixelated panel of an action, such as your ant being reborn, the queen laying more eggs, or the bigger bugs that attack you.
4
The Neverhood
Claymation At Its Finest
The Neverhood
- Released
-
October 30, 1996
- Publisher(s)
-
DreamWorks Interactive
- Developer
-
The Neverhood, Inc.
The ’90s produced some of the most uncanny and sometimes even creepy claymations. The Neverhood uses this art style for its point-and-click adventure through a surreal world, where you must complete puzzles to make progress.
Take control of Klayman, who wakes up one morning and explores the mostly deserted Neverhood. All is not as it seems with the villainous Kloog, another one of his species, having stolen a magic crown and taken control of the realm. With a distinct look, this is an abandonware with a cult following.
3
JumpStart Adventures: Haunted Island
Reawaken Your Childhood Nightmares
JumpStart Adventures 4th Grade: Haunted Island
- Released
-
December 9, 1996
- Developer
-
Knowledge Adventure
- Publisher
-
Knowledge Adventure
JumpStart Adventures: Haunted Island is abandonware buried deep within the pile of old games. This is because the entry was so scary for kids with its sinister witch and thick haunted forests. Even during its prime, it was quickly replaced by a more child-friendly game with robots.
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Jumpstart Haunted Island is a game with a cult following due to the complexity of the game itself. Despite being intended for children, there are plenty of scary elements and travel methods that make you feel like you could be killed at any moment. Regardless, someone has to save those kids after being turned into monsters by their substitute teacher.
2
Sid Mier’s Civilization 2
Turning Back The Clock
Turn-Based Strategy
Tactical
- Released
-
February 29, 1996
- Developer(s)
-
MicroProse
- Publisher(s)
-
MicroProse
- How Long To Beat
-
22 Hours
There’s nothing like booting up your old Windows 95 and playing some Civilization 2. While the modern games have plenty of additional details and more in-depth gameplay features, Civilization 2 is a simpler way to enjoy the series with just as much challenge.
You can tell this game is old through its use of pre-recorded videos for all of your advisors’ wisest words. This can mean praising you for pursuing cultural victories or pushing you towards war. These videos are a highlight of the title, adding just a bit more campiness to the series that makes the game worth digging up.
1
Lego Rock Raiders
Building A New Strategy
Lego Rock Raiders
Real-Time Strategy
Action
Adventure
Vehicular Combat
- Released
-
November 15, 1999
- Developer(s)
-
Data Design Interactive
- Publisher(s)
-
Lego Media
- How Long To Beat
-
30 hours
Lego Games often try to adapt some of the biggest movie franchises, or dive into their own IPs. However, none requires more strategic thinking than Lego Rock Raiders. This entry is vastly different from other titles since it requires you to manage a base, mine for resources, and protect your creations from alien monsters.
When your ship becomes stranded in space, Rock Raiders are sent down to collect Energy Crystals. These crystals can be used to repair the ship, but to find them, you must dig deep into the planet’s core.
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