Free Games Guide - By Ray

No this is not a way to download games illegally. This is my guide to finding some great freeware/abandonware games - which includes old dos/windows games that used to be for sale but are now free, and independent games created by people who just do it out of their love for games.

These games fall into many categories. For example, would you expect the original two Grand Theft Autos to be available for free? Well they are! As is Tribes - an online team based FPS that has a huge following. Did you like point and click adventure games? Then maybe you should download Beneath a Steel Sky with full voice support. Or perhaps you played Manic Mansion and would like to download it... well don't! Instead download the even better Manic Mansion Deluxe painstakingly re-created and updated with better graphics by fans of the original.

Perhaps you don't know any of these games I'm talking about and you just want to download a fun shoot-em-up or a Lode Runner clone or a Tetris type game or a Civilisation type game... The list is endless and it's all out there for free!

Before I get to the sites it is worth mentioning that some of these games will require a little effort on your behalf to get going. Many of the newer re-makes of games will run perfectly with no fiddling while others may require you to click on a few of those handy windows 95 compatibility options (run in 640x480, run in 256 colours etc...). While others will require you to run them in Dosbox (there is a mac version of Dosbox too by the way). Whatever the case there are plenty of guides out there to help you get games going and it's really not that hard. So don't let a little effort put you off. Old games rock!


Abandonia - dedicated to classic dos games

There are a heap of old dos and windows games here divided into several categories. Just glancing through I found myself being constantly surprised by the number of very flash looking games available for free download. There are of course plenty of older - EGA, adlib - type dos games available too if that's your thing.

MDK (Murder Death Kill)


Beneath a Steel Sky


GTA 1 + 2


NOTE: Not all the games at Abandonia are available to download. If it has a small 'ESA' sign next to it it is protected by copyright.

Abandonia also have a link to their newer site called Abandonia Reloaded - dedicated to retro remakes and community made freeware. Just glancing through I noticed they only have about 60 games, but what's there is pretty sweet.


GameHippo - over 1000 freeware PC games to download

Heaps of cool games here and the majority of them are very small downloads. Great if you only have dial-up.

Gene Rally


Spice Trade


Also what is interesting about Abandonia is that they list what 'dev' tool each game was created with. Of course some are programmed traditionally, but many are made using the popular game creation tool Game Maker (there's a free version with a few limitations, but the full version is cheap anyway). Gamemaker is perfect for creating platformers and shoot-em-ups, but in theory you can create a game in any genre (like a strategy game for example), with no programming skills required. Check out some Gamemaker games.

Seiklus - An original platformer. It's beauty lies in it's simplicity.


Legend of Shadow - A retro remake of the arcade classic Legend Of Kage.



Home of the Underdogs

In their own words these guys are "dedicated to the preservation and promotion of underrated PC games".

This was the first "abandonware" type games site I found where there was an abundance of great games that I thought I would never be able to find again. Some games which are not available for download at other sites are available here because as they put it "We believe that providing games that have been abandoned by their publishers, while technically illegal, is a valuable service to the gaming community because these games are in danger of disappearing into obscurity, and their copyright holders no longer derive any revenues from them".

One cool thing about the site is the ability to list games in handy ways (popularity, publisher, year etc), though I've found this feature no longer works for me under Firefox browser. Also these guys are popular so sometimes it is slow. Still well worth checking out though.


GarageGames - changing the way games are made and played

Here you will find some awesome games made using the Torque game engine (which sounds fantastic by the way). All the games have demos available for free download. Once again it is truly inspiring to see what fellow game enthusiasts out there have made themselves using the flexible and impressive Torque Game Engine.

Marble Blast Gold (I am addicted to this one. Pure bliss!)

DH: Lore Invasion


Retrospec - Retro Gaming at it's best!

These are games that have been re-made to run on current PC's. Some of them are up-dated with better graphics and sound, while others retain their old look.

There aren't many here, but what's here is the cream of the crop.

We have already reviewed Head Over Heels (you can find it in the previous posts). A great example of what retro gaming is all about!

Head Over Heels


Chuckie Egg: The Next Batch


Adventure Game Studio

Adventure Game Studio (AGS) is an awesome free development tool for creating Lucasarts and Sierra type adventure games. It is extremely easy to use, yet with some time and skill the results can be incredible. Some games are re-makes like Manic Mansion Deluxe and Kings Quest 1 + 2 where they have painstakingly updated the graphics and in some instances added more puzzles and depth if it was lacking. While others are total originals. Just look at the quality of the titles available here:

Manic Mansion Deluxe


King's Quest II - VGA


Apprentice II: The Knight's Move

For me these are the most inspiring to see as Monkey Island is still my top gaming experience. I just can't let go of these point and click adventure games and now I don't have too!

Soldat - 2D Multiplayer Shooter

This is possibly the greatest freeware game I have come across. It's a bit like Worms and Liero, but in my opinion it's even better. Basically you control a little army guy and jump around (with the help of jet powered boots) blowing people away with a wide range of guns. You can play against bots or go online (or networked too of course). No words can describe how fun it is so just download it!


Well that's it from me for now. Whether it's a game from your past that you want to re-live or something new in your favorite genre, I guarantee if you spend a little time browsing these sites you will find something you love.