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Best Apogee Software games

Apogee Software revolutionized PC gaming in the early 1990s through their innovative shareware distribution model and consistently high-quality games. Founded by Scott Miller in 1987, Apogee proved that independent developers could compete with major publishers by delivering the first episode of games for free, then selling the complete experience directly to players.

The company's catalog ranged from polished gems that deserved wider recognition to genre-defining blockbusters. Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure showcased Apogee's smooth parallax scrolling and detailed sprite animation that rivaled commercial platformers. Crystal Caves combined puzzle-solving with action in a mining-themed adventure that featured an impressive level editor ahead of its time. Secret Agent demonstrated their versatility with top-down stealth gameplay that was surprisingly sophisticated for 1992.

As a publisher, Apogee launched some of the most important franchises in PC gaming history. Their partnership with id Software produced Commander Keen, which brought console-quality smooth scrolling to DOS machines through John Carmack's revolutionary engine. More significantly, they distributed Wolfenstein 3D, the game that essentially created the first-person shooter genre on PC. The raycasting engine delivered fast-paced 3D action on 386 machines, proving that mature content could find massive audiences through shareware distribution.

Apogee's own development efforts created the Duke Nukem franchise, starting with the original side-scrolling Duke Nukem in 1991, which featured large detailed sprites and non-linear level design. Duke Nukem II improved on everything with better VGA graphics and jetpack mechanics. The series culminated in Duke Nukem 3D, developed after Apogee became 3D Realms, which used the Build engine to create interactive environments and multiple gameplay paths that made it feel more alive than competitors like Doom.

Rise of the Triad was Apogee's direct answer to Doom, built on a heavily modified Wolfenstein engine but featuring insane weapons, over-the-top violence, and support for up to 11 players in multiplayer. Other notable releases included Hocus Pocus, a beautifully hand-drawn platformer from Moonlite Software, Alien Carnage with its jetpack-powered action and weapon upgrade system, and Blake Stone: Aliens Of Gold, which improved on Wolfenstein's formula with textured floors and ceilings.

Apogee didn't just make games - they established the foundation of modern independent game distribution and proved that quality and innovation could triumph over big publisher marketing budgets.

Wolfenstein 3D dos

Wolfenstein 3D is a first-person shooter developed by Id Software and published by Apogee Software in 1992 for DOS. It has since been ported for several systems including PC-98, Mac, Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Year: 1992 Genre: Shooter

3d first-person fps science fiction shooter texture map wolfenstein 3d engine ww2

Rise of the Triad dos

Rise of the Triad: Dark War is a first-person shooter developed and published by Apogee Software in December 1994 for MS-DOS. It is a fast-paced first-person shooter that stands a...

Year: 1994 Genre: Shooter

3d first-person fps shareware shooter texture map wolfenstein 3d engine

Commander Keen dos

Commander Keen 1: Marooned on Mars is the first in the franchise of side scrollers of the same name, developed by id Software. The game was published by Apogee Software in 1990 for DOS.

Year: 1990 Genre: Platformer

2d hop and bop platformer science fiction side-scrolling

Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine dos

Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine is a platformer by id Software, creators of Doom. Released in 1991 for PC only, it's the fifth game in the famous series of Commander Keen, and it's the second episode of "Goodbye Galaxy".

Year: 1991 Genre: Platformer

2d hop and bop platformer science fiction

Commander Keen 4: Secret of the Oracle dos

Commander Keen 4: Secret of the Oracle is the fourth game in the Commander Keen series and the first in the second series "Goodbye, Galaxy". Developed by idSoftware, it was released in 1991 for MS-DOS.

Year: 1991 Genre: Platformer

2d hop and bop platformer science fiction

Duke Nukem II dos

Duke Nukem II is the second game in the Duke Nukem franchise and was developed and published by Apogee Software for DOS in 1993. It has since been ported to multiple other platforms.

Year: 1993 Genre: Shooter

platform-shooter run and gun science fiction shareware shooter

Duke Nukem dos

Released in 1991 by Apogee Software, Duke Nukem Episode 1 - Shrapnel City is a side-scrolling platform shooter. It introduced players to one of gaming’s most recognizable action heroes.

Year: 1991 Genre: Shooter

2d platform-shooter platformer run and gun science fiction shareware shooter side-scrolling

Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die! dos

Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die is the third episode in the Invasion of the Vorticons series and was developed by id Software. It was published by Apogee in 1990 for DOS. Commander...

Year: 1990 Genre: Platformer

hop and bop platformer science fiction

Duke Nukem: Episode 2 - Mission: Moonbase dos

Duke Nukem: Episode 2 - Mission: Moonbase is the second chapter of the Duke Nukem I trilogy. It's a 2D side-scrolling shooter developed by Apogee Software in 1991..

Year: 1991 Genre: Shooter

platform-shooter platformer science fiction shareware shooter

Hocus Pocus dos

Hocus Pocus is a fantasy platform action game developed by Moonlite Software and published by Apogee Software in 1994 for DOS. This game has nothing to do with the movie of the same title that was released in 1993.

Year: 1994 Genre: Platformer

fantasy platform-adventure platformer

Commander Keen 2: The Earth Explodes dos

Commander Keen 2: The Earth Explodes is the sequel to Commander Keen: Marooned on Mars. It was developed by id Software and published by Apogee in 1990 for DOS only. Programmed, ...

Year: 1990 Genre: Platformer

hop and bop platformer science fiction side-scrolling

Bio Menace dos

Bio Menace is an action platform game developed almost entirely by Jim Norwood and published by Apogee Software in 1993 for DOS only. It became freeware in 2005. The game utilizes ...

Year: 1993 Genre: Shooter

freeware mutants platform-shooter shooter

Blake Stone: Aliens Of Gold dos

Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold (a.k.a Blake Stone 3-D) is a sci-fi FPS that was developed by JAM Productions and published by Apogee in 1993 for DOS. The game also got a sequel called...

Year: 1993 Genre: Shooter

3d first-person fps science fiction shareware shooter wolfenstein 3d engine

Wacky Wheels dos

Wacky Wheels is an arcade-kart racing game released by Apogee Software in 1994 for MS-DOS only. In this game, you can play any of eight wacky animals. As you can imagine, Super Mario Kart strongly inspired the game.

Year: 1994 Genre: Racing

2d racing sim automobile racing track racing