36 Classic PC Games From The '90s

Finding a game that created a genre and still offers fun remains rare.DoomDoom is not the first FPS; that honor belongs to its predecessor,Wolfenstein 3Dbut Doom combined everything into a satisfying experience.

Ultima 1orDune 2the first true 'RTS', or the firstKing's Questthese games have their appeal, but you must accept their age.Do not overlook Doom. Dive in. The demons are present. Can you defeat them?You can get Doom on gog.com or on Steam.

You can getDoom on gog.comoron Steam.

The late 1990s saw the real-time strategy genre peak. This fantastic follow-up to 1997'sAge of Empires. The action shifts from ancient times to the medieval period. Improved unit AI, featuring those great marching formations, makes battles feel grander.

Early rush tactics mean some matches end before anyone builds a castle. Other games become empire-vs.-empire fights. This features some of the best RTS units ever, like the deadly English Longbowman and the powerful trebuchet.

The game is on Steam, available in both the modestly updatedHD Editionanda new Definitive Edition.

Half-LifeHalf-Life gave the still-young FPS genre new storytelling. Instead of just dropping you into monster levels,Half-Lifeslowly introduced situations via in-engine cutscenes, spoken dialogue, and steady pacing. You play Gordon Freeman, a quiet nuclear physicist at the Black Mesa Research Facility caught in a teleportation experiment gone wrong. Soon, you fight an invasion of alien soldiers and cleanup crews eradicating anything that moves. A mysterious G-Man oversees this, looking likeThe X-Files's Cigarette Smoking Man, adding a layer of government paranoia.frissonHalf-Life's creature designs, excellent enemy AI, atmospheric setting, and tight pacing create an instant classic, possibly the best FPS. Graphics look old now, but the gameplay remains great—especially the tense fights with enemy grunts who take cover and try to flank you. Play Half-Life

Half-Life's creative creature designs, superb enemy A.I., atmospheric setting, and masterful pacing make it an instant classic, possibly the best FPS ever. Graphics show age, but gameplay stays superb—especially tense fights with enemy grunts taking cover and flanking attempts. You can play Half-LifeBlack Mesa, an acclaimed fan-made update/remaster that shows real effort.Black MesaDiablo

CRPG fans didn't know what to make ofBut Diablo was not trying to bewhen it released in 1996. It lacked story, character customization was small, and the game world mostly covered a town and its underground dungeon. ButorMight and MagicUltimaorMight and MagicDiablo offered a Skinner-box fantasy. You clicked on evil minions, ended their short lives, and gathered loot.

This created the modern action RPG.DiabloDiablo became a massive hit. It spawned two sequels and many imitators. Graphics and the interface look old, but the appeal stays.

DiabloDiablo with its expansion, HellfireHellfire)Buy it on gog.com..

Before games likeStarcraftStarcraft came and dominated the RTS genre. Command & Conquer followed.Command & ConquerThis early RTS epic set a fictional modern setting. Players control either the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) or the mysterious Brotherhood of Nod. Players build a base and a military, launch attacks, and defend their base in real time.

The RTS did not start here (Dune 2, among others, came before it.Command & ConquerCommand & Conquer's slick production and sales helped shape the genre's core gameplay.

A remastered version ofCommand & Conquerand its sequel, Red Alertisset for June 2020 release..

After the success ofDoom, John Carmack and id Software saw the potential for online multiplayer in first-person shooters. They reworked the Doomcode to build the Quakeengine. Its full freedom of vertical movement improved Quakebeyond the "2.5D" technology ofDoomand its competitors. The Lovecraftian Gothic feel gave the genre a new tone.

Quakealso featured maps made for multiplayer. Eight players could play a match, double the standard then. The modern FPS starts here.

Buy Quakeongog.comandon Steam.

Duke Nukem looked like what boys wanted to look like as they grew up. This handsome guy had machismo, wore sunglasses and a red tank top, and took no crap from anyone.Duke Nukem 3Dlet you live out this fantasy while fighting aliens in interactive spaces with weird, creative weapons.

This game lets you turn off your brain and have fun. For its long sequel, Duke Nukem Forever?That is a long story..

Buy Duke Nukem 3D on Steam.

TheFalloutseries remains a top RPG franchise globally. The original Falloutlacked today's graphics and smooth gameplay, but the setup was the same. You control someone trying to survive a post-apocalyptic wasteland. New games show factions like the Brotherhood of Steel and features like the Pip-Boy.

In your playthrough, you will see many features from the first game survived for over 20 years.

Get Fallout on gog.comoron Steam.Its 1998 sequelis pretty great too.

Sometimes a game design is so perfect, so unique.sui generisLemmings transcends time and genre. Tetris is one example.TetrisHere is another game.

Your mission involves guiding a bunch of cute creatures who walk forward ignoring everything. Use special Lemmings with skills like climbing or digging to clear the path to safety. This game was a hit then. Gaming history fans should read Jimmy Maher's fascinating blog entry on its origins.This blog entry covers the origins of Tetris..

You cannot easily buy the original PC version of Lemmings now. However, you might find old copies on Amazon.LemmingsLemmings is hard to find, but you might chase down old copies on Amazon.Find Lemmings on Amazon.. People want a gog.com release., so fingers crossed.

In 1999, a gamer issue involved the battle between Unreal Tournament and Quake III: Arena.The battle betweenQuake III: ArenaandUnreal Tournament. Unreal Tournament became the king of the multiplayer FPS genre. People still argue about it today. UT gave us great things: dazzling sci-fi settings, a campaign mode better than a simple single-player experience, and many weapons that added much-needed punch to Unreal's imaginative arsenal.UnrealArsenal.

The graphics then were top-notch (and they still look decent). The bot AI set a new standard.

You can get Unreal Tournament.Unreal Tournament Get Unreal Tournament on Steam.andfind it on gog.com..

Civilizationis a franchise that keeps improving the player experience. Six editions exist now, but the second edition remains a highlight. It improved over its first version in almost every way. Newer games look unimpressive graphically, but the core mechanics stay similar.

End-game pollution cleanup can be tiring. Mostly, the game moves fast, and constant decisions give Civ II a quick pace.Civ IIa classic "just one more turn" feeling. The "Wonder" mini-movies also stand out.

Finding these games is hard now. Some box copies still circulate, but you may need tweaks to run them on Windows 10.Some box copies of Civilization II still float around.However, running it on Windows 10 systems might need some tweaks.

The first Monkey Island game.Monkey IslandThe first Monkey Island game was a popular LucasArts creation outside Star Wars. The second game made significant improvements, making it bigger than the first.

The adventure classic's story follows pirate LeChuck returning as a zombie after the first game's events. That's right, Pirates of the Caribbean wasn't the first franchise with undead pirates.Pirates of the CaribbeanMonkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge was not the first franchise to feature undead pirates.

An updated 2010 special edition is available on gog.com.See Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge on gog.com.andget it on Steam..

Mystis the best-selling adventure game of the '90s. It actually sold the most PC game.PC gameMyst, from the '90s. The player gets a magical book to jump worlds. To continue, you must solve puzzles and find missing book pages. The goal is to save one of two brothers trapped in another book.

If you feel evil, leave them to rot in their prisons. The game uses ray-traced 3D environments and a strange, eerie atmosphere.These environments were unlike anything '90s gamers had seen.

Find Myst ongog.comWant to move through its environments in real time? Check outRealMyst

Some games achieve alchemy; all the parts fit perfectly for their time.Heroes of Might and Magic IIThis game shows alchemy. Charming pixel graphics show skill beyond their simple look. The thrilling fairy-tale music evokes a high-fantasy world filled with treasures and mysteries waiting to be explored. Everything flows together.

Tactical combat offers varied challenges. You learn unit strengths and weaknesses, from small halflings and pixies to giant titans and black dragons. Many follow-up titles exist, and some are better.HOMMSome HOMM titles are superior, butIIThis version has a unique, indescribable charm.

Buy you can onHOMM II on gog.com

This game gives you all the features, flexibility, art, animation, and power to build your dream environment. Choose bonus cities and scenarios to rule or ruin. Build schools, libraries, hospitals, zoos, prisons, power plants, and more. Lay down roads, railways, and highways. Explore the underground, build subways and utilities without harming the look. Customize buildings or design graphics sets from scratch. This is the ultimate classic Maxis city-building and management simulation.

RollerCoaster Tycoon simulates amusement park management. MicroProse and Chris Sawyer developed it, and Hasbro Interactive published it. The game launched for Microsoft Windows on March 31, 1999, and later moved to the Xbox console. It is the first game in the RollerCoaster Tycoon series. RollerCoaster Tycoon got two expansion packs: Added Attractions in 1999, and Loopy Landscapes in 2000. Two special editions appeared: RollerCoaster Tycoon Gold/Totally RollerCoaster in 2002, which included the original game.

Age of Empires (AoE) is a real-time strategy game based on history. Ensemble Studios made it. Microsoft published it. The game uses the Genie, a 2D sprite engine. Users lead an ancient civilization. They advance it through four ages: Stone, Tool, Bronze, and Iron Ages. Each advance grants new, better units.

People often ask that old question: "But are videogames art?"Grim FandangoGets Exhibit A. Its production design makes a world like a '40s film noir mixed with a Dio De Los Muertos parade. A Pixar movie deserves it. Its offbeat humor shows adventure designer Tim Schaffer's unique style.

Some call it the best game of 1998. Competition matters.Half-Life, Starcraft, Baldur's Gate, just for starters), is a compliment.

You can find the excellent remaster of Grim Fandango.on gog.comandon Steam.

Though not as acclaimed asHalf-Life, the other big single-player FPS of 1998,Unrealcontinues to be an important game. It pioneered the tech it developed. Fondly (or not-so-fondly?) labeled "Mystwith guns" for its focus on exploring huge, atmospheric places.Unrealis a great example of FPS world-building.

Its planet Na Pali is beautiful and mysterious. Peaceful inhabitants face invasion from space races. This creates real interest. More than any other FPS, Unrealis a place you want to return to. The music sounds great too.

GetUnreal on Steamoron gog.com.

StarCraft is a strategy game set in a galaxy with many planets. Its style and balance between the three enemy species is unique and attracted millions.

Twenty-plus years later, Thief: The Dark Projectremains the main stealth game. Its graphics did not age well, but other things did. The sound design holds up well. Gameplay allows violence or no violence. Experts prefer "ghosting" through a level without hitting guards.

Add sprawling, non-linear levels, moody cutscenes, and a steampunk world. You get a classic.

Thief and its sequels (also worth seeing) are available on gog.comandon Steam.

Day of the Tentacleis a sequel to 1987sManiac Mansion, the game that started the "SCUMM" graphical adventure interface style. In this point-and-click adventure, you switch between three characters who play with a time machine.

Unfortunately, the time machine breaks, and they separate. You must guide them through strange adventures to reunite.

A remastered edition is availableon gog.comandon Steam.

id Software made Quake. GT Interactive published it. Players move through maze-like, medieval settings. They fight monsters with weapons. Quake borrows from gothic fiction and H. P. Lovecraft's work. It launched for MS-DOS, Windows, and Linux in 1996.

This is the even better follow-up to the classic.Dark Forces, Jedi KnightIt brings the franchise into the post-QuakeThe game offers fully-3D, mouselook action for the Quake era. The game uses new tech well. Graphics look bad now, but the huge, dizzying level designs have never been beaten.

Lightsaber combat and Force Powers are just extras. The cutscenes, a relic of the '90s FMV trend, look cheesy. Still, they beat much of what was made for games then.

FindJedi Knight on Steamandon gog.com.

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun follows the 1995 genre-defining game. The tiberium spread across the world, making areas unlivable. The dormant Brotherhood of NOD starts a surprise attack on the GDI forces.

Many first-person shooters in the 90s tried to copy the success of Doom. Star Wars: Dark Forces This game advanced the genre with new moves like jumping, crouching, and looking up and down. These moves seemed new then, but they changed things.

Fans of the Star Wars expanded universe will see story points from this game in later years. Kyle Katarn's role in securing the Death Star plans got overwritten by Rogue One. We still love you, Kyle!

Dark Forces can be bought on gog.comandon Steam.

I cursed my luck again as I slid down the monkey's throat. Have my dreams of grog and plundering been reduced to this? "Three small trials and you're a pirate like us," they said. Fair enough. If only I could stomach the foul brew these seadogs drank, the rest would be easy. How could I know I'd meet a powerful, beautiful woman with a jealous suitor too dumb to know he'd been dead for years? And how can I crawl through this big stone monkey to find a man who walks three inches above the ground and sets fire to his beard every morning? Do business with

The Atari Jaguar port of Wolfenstein 3D. It uses the SNES port but adds graphics and no censorship.

X-ComIt climbed to the top tier of "best PC game of all time" lists quickly. Over twenty-five years later, it remains thegold standard for tactical combat games; everything else is measured against it.

The story of a global defense team fighting an alien invasion shows tense small-scale combat, framed by a steady strategy.

You find it ongog.comandon Steam.

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is the first game in the Warcraft series, developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The Orcish hordes summon players through a dark portal to the human Kingdom of Azeroth. When the two races clash, a terrible war starts. Only one race can take control of the land. Players select Humans or Orcs. Each race has 12 scenarios, mostly aiming to destroy the enemy. Like most RTS games from that time, players spend much time gathering resources and building structures to make or upgrade units.

Most first-person shooters happen in realistic or future settings. ButHexenmoves the first-person genre into a fantasy world. Choose from three classes, and you enter a world of magic and danger. Fight through levels before the final boss.

Though the game looks dated now, several mods improve the graphics. With these mods, the game still plays well mechanically.

Hexen: Beyond HereticisYou can buy Hexen: Beyond Heretic on Steam..

Intrepid invertebrates return with force in Worms Armageddon. It is a new challenge! Enjoy this hilarious fun alone or with friends. Worms Armageddon started as an expansion for Worms 2, initially named Wormageddon, before becoming a standalone game. Critics praised its refined gameplay and stylized graphics. It appears on 'greatest games of all time' lists. Updates happen periodically; as of 2020, it was released.

Everyone likes a Star Wars game, andStar Wars: TIE Fighterwas early on PC. Its premise, making you work for the bad guys, made it a standout. The video game community calls it one of the best space-combat simulators ever made.

The energy system stops players from running everything at full power. Players must choose where to put energy: shields, engines, or weapons. Each choice has pros and cons, demanding different strategies for different fights.

You can purchase Star Wars: TIE Fighter.TIE Fighter on Steamandon gog.com.

Everyone likes a prison break, and you get that in Oddworld: Abe's OddyseeOddworld: Abe's Oddysee. This escape is not typical. Instead, you flee a meat processing plant grinding local species into alien treats. You must save as many slaves as possible.

You must perform well because the ending depends on the number of slaves you save.

Find Oddworld on Steam and on gog.com.Oddworld is on Steam.It is also on gog.com.You can find Oddworld on gog.com..

This game mixes explosive action and real-life strategy. It offers the most revolutionary action/strategy game. It gives you an exciting mix of strategy, team-building, realistic 3D graphics, and true-to-life special forces action. Save yourself and the world from deadly terrorists. Complete 17 unique missions. Dying doesn't end the game; the world does.

Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines pits you against the most ruthless military force in history. Set during WWII, this real-time tactical wargame puts you in command of elite Allied Commandos. Your squad must complete 24 dangerous missions behind enemy lines. Use sabotage and tactical genius to stop the German war effort. Revolutionary AI lets you control six individual commandos, each with a specific skill, as they infiltrate hostile territories and fight.

Planescape: Torment is the second CRPG made with the legendary Infinity Engine.Planescape TormentPlanescape Torment came out with less hype than its predecessor.Baldur's GateBaldur's Gate developed a reputation as the ideal of good RPG writing. You play the Nameless One, a wanderer blessed (or cursed?) to rise from the dead repeatedly.

While seeking information about your origins in Sigil, the City of Doors, you join an eccentric band of traveling companions. This group includes a thief with a tail and an Irish accent, and a wisecracking floating skull. Many people considerPS:TPS:T is the best CRPG ever made.

You can get it on gog.com.You can get it on gog.com.You can get it on Steam.It is also on Steam..

In Civilization, once you build your spacecraft and aim for the stars, your problems end. In Sid Meier'sCivilizationOnce you build your spacecraft and head for the stars in Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, your problems are over.They have just begun in Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. You must deal with colonists from other factions and the organisms of a strange, hostile world to secure your civilization's future beyond Earth.You must contend with colonists from other factions and the organisms of a strange, hostile world to secure your civilization's future beyond its terrestrial cradle in Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.Many still consider Alpha Centauri the peak of the 4X strategy genre.Alpha Centauri is the peak of the 4X strategy genre.

You can buy it on gog.com.You can buy it on gog.com..

Most real-time strategy games stuck to a 2D map. While most real-time strategy games were limiting themselves to a 2D map,HomeworldHomeworld boldly moved into three dimensions. It showed what combat looks like in space emptiness, allowing craft to move up and down as easily as left and right.

The game features distinctive gameplay, wonderful visuals, and music. No other RTS feels like this.Homeworld..

The 2015 version, remastered, is available on gog.com.The 2015 version is on gog.com.It is also on Steam.It is also on Steam..

EverQuest is a 3D fantasy MMORPG. It launched March 16, 1999. Players move characters across Norrath's medieval fantasy world. They fight monsters and enemies for treasure and experience points. Players can also master trade skills. Players advance levels, gaining power, prestige, spells, and abilities. Valorous deeds, like entering castles, defeating opponents, and looting remains, grant experience and equipment.

Underwater detective Freddi Fish and her friend Luther solve a case. They explore underwater caves, deep canyons, and colorful reefs. They find places like King Crab's Castle and A Sunken Ship Out of Time while trying to save the reef.

Master of OrionThis is the first true space 4X game. It remains arguably the best. Its streamlined interface, made from thorough playtesting, makes it enjoyable even now. The graphics look old, but they keep their pixel-art style.MOO 2Many players loved it.MOO 3This was a famous failure. The original version still stands.MOOabides.

You can get it on Steam or on gog.com.Master of Orion on Steamoron gog.com.

Backyard Baseball, created by Humongous Entertainment in 1997, was the first PC game. It is a single-player game. Players choose from 55 neighborhood kids to join their baseball team. Each kid has different stats, so pick carefully.

Many cyberpunk games came out in the mid-'90s. Those games often felt dour and self-important. This game offers a different view with actual humor.Beneath a Steel SkyIt brings a Douglas Adams-style tongue-in-cheek wit to its dystopian world.

Its point-and-click puzzle gameplay suits adventure fans. Be ready for some frustration if you do not like that style. Dave "Watchmen" Gibbons did the cutscene artwork.

Best of all,it's totally free!

Based on Raymond Feist's Riftwar novels, Betrayal at Krondor entered the CRPG scene. This happened at a time when Ultima, Might and Magic, and SSI's 'Gold Box' D&D games were all still concerns.Ultima, Might and Magic,and SSI's 'Gold Box' D&Dgames were still worries. A strong literary backstory supports this. Krondor featured some of the best writing in a video game and an engaging tactical combat system.Krondorfeatured strong writing and an engaging tactical combat system.

You can find Betrayal at Krondor on Steam and on gog.com.Betrayal at Krondor on Steamand ongog.com.

The firstStar Controlwas a fun space-combat game. It came from the original Space War.The first game had a simple strategic wrapper. The second game was much bigger. It built on the first game's core to create a galaxy-spanning adventure where you fought the evil, caterpillar-like Ur-Quan to free Earth., that had a perfunctory strategic wrapper. The second game built on its predecessor's core, making a galaxy-spanning adventure where you fought to free Earth from the malevolent, caterpillar-like Ur-Quan.

Almost everyone loved it.Star Control IIIt stays in fans' hearts as one of the best computer games ever made.

Get Star Control II on gog.com and on Steam.Star Control IIcomes with the first game bundled for good measure on gog.com.gog.comandon Steam.

The follow-up to the 1980s space sim genre-founding gameElite, FrontierFrontier was a fantastically ambitious game in the 1990s, and it stays impressive. Whole solar systems (including ours) render in real time; orbits change, and planet surfaces are accessible. Decades later,No Man's Skycreated something with the same feel, but lacks the scientific authenticity Frontier still has.Frontierstill commands.

To thelamentation of fans, Frontiercan't be bought now. Modern successor Elite Dangerous is a much better game in some ways, but not the same experience.Elite DangerousElite Dangerous is a much better game in some ways, but not the same experience in others.

Outcast features a huge, 3D, third-person open world. NPCs can be spoken to and act like they live their own lives. The story involves parallel universes, high technology, and intrigue. You can ride a mount, approach enemy-infested fortresses from many angles, and use many powerful objects for your quest.

This mix of action gameplay, RPG mechanics, and world-building may be normal now, with GTA and Assassin's Creed titles dominating sales charts.GTAandAssassin's Creedtitles dominate sales charts, but in 1999, it was a bold experiment. Aside from a few quirks, the gameplay holds up, and you get the bonus of one of the very best musical scores ever made for a video game.very best musical scoresever composed for a videogame.

You cangetOutcasthere.If the blocky voxel graphics are too much, there is also a gorgeous, though pricier, modern update.gorgeous, pricier modern update.

At a time when the CRPG genre was full of generic fantasy worlds based on Dungeons and Dragons, Darklands offered something different: a history/fantasy hybrid setting imagining what medieval German supernatural beliefs would be like in reality.Dungeons and Dragons, Darklandsoffered something different—a history/fantasy hybrid setting that imagined what it would be like if the supernatural preoccupations of medieval Germany were real.

The game mixed well-researched facts with speculative fantasy. The game did not sell enough to get sequels, but it remains a beloved oddity for genre fans.

GetDarklandsonSteamandgog.com.

Jordan Mechner created the Prince of Persia platformer games. He tried the adventure genre with this cult classic set on the eve of WWI. Many games of that time used CD-ROMs by cramming bad live-action cutscenes into gameplay.Prince of Persiahe tried his hand at the adventure genre with this cult classic set on the eve of WWI.The Last Express's rotoscoped animation aged better. It remains an enigmatic title whose reputation greatly exceeds its poor sales.'s rotoscoped animation has aged far better. It remains an enigmatic title whose reputation greatly exceeds its disappointing sales.

Get iton gog.comandon Steam.