Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: GN Team - Published: 14 May 2025, 12:49 am
Street Rod 2, developed by P.Z. Karen Co. Development Group and Logical Design Works, is the 1991 follow-up to the original Street Rod. The game continues its faithful tribute to American hot rod culture. Initially released for MS-DOS, the game was developed specifically with EGA graphics in mind, limiting the color palette to 16 colors—a curious choice, especially considering that VGA had already become standard for many games by the early 1990s (the game supported also CGA and Hercules monochrome graphics).
The game places players in the shoes of a young car enthusiast in the summer of 1969, aiming to climb the local street racing hierarchy. You begin by purchasing a used car and working on it in your garage, replacing parts like the engine, tires, transmission, or even adjusting the gear ratios manually. Every decision affects how your car will perform in drag races or road competitions. The game is set in 1969, a few years after the predecessor, and it includes cars like Ford Torino, Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Ford Mustang and more.
Read More
Author: GN Team - Published: 13 May 2025, 11:56 pm
Warlords, designed by Steve Fawkner and first released in 1990 for MS-DOS, is one of the foundational titles in the turn-based strategy genre. It predates many of the classics that would come later. Set in the fantasy land of Illuria, the game blends traditional wargaming mechanics with a rich setting of knights, dragons, and ruined cities.
The player can choose one of eight factions, each with its own emblem, strengths, and territories. The objective is to conquer the land by capturing cities and defeating rival lords. Cities produce armies, which are used to explore the map, take over neutral or enemy holdings, and uncover hidden treasures in ruins or dungeons. One of the most engaging features of the game is the presence of heroes—special units that can gain artifacts and boost army strength. The turn-based nature allows for careful planning, and the fog-of-war style map keeps exploration relevant throughout the game.
Read More
Author: GN Team - Published: 13 May 2025, 9:04 pm
Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a famous run-and-gun shooter created by LucasArts for SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis and SNES, released in 1993.
It is one of the most inventive and offbeat action games of the 16-bit era. The game published by Konami in 1993 became a cult classic thanks to its tongue-in-cheek horror theme, frenetic gameplay, and distinct visual style that mixes campy humor with monster movie thrills.
Players control either Zeke or Julie, two suburban teenagers who must save their neighbors from waves of classic horror monsters. Armed at first with squirt guns, they can collect an array of bizarre weapons such as explosive soda cans, silverware, fire extinguishers, and even magic tomes. The game pays homage to every kind of horror film imaginable: zombies, werewolves, evil dolls, axe murderers, Martians, and even giant mutant babies roam the neighborhoods, malls, castles, and haunted mansions. Each level is a race to rescue all the neighbors before the monsters reach them.
Read More
Author: GN Team - Published: 13 May 2025, 8:13 pm
Racing Destruction Set, released in 1985 for the Commodore 64 by Electronic Arts, is customizable combat racing game for 2 players. It was a remarkably advanced racing game for its time, co-designed by Rick Koenig, Dave Warhol and Connie Goldman. While it may look like a straightforward top-down racer at first glance, the game hid a surprising level of depth and creativity, setting it apart from other driving titles of the era.
At its core, Racing Destruction Set offered players a wide range of customization options that were nearly unheard of in 8-bit games. Players could choose from different types of vehicles — from dune buggies to formula cars, or even lunar rovers — and equip them with various features like high-traction tires, nitro boosts, or even landmines. The game didn't just simulate racing; it let you embrace chaos. You could race to win, or simply aim to destroy your opponents by forcing them off cliffs or launching into jumps at unsafe speeds.
Read More
Author: GN Team - Published: 13 May 2025, 1:14 am
Defender of the Crown is a strategy game created by Cinemaware and released in November 1986 for the Amiga. Designed by Kellyn Beck, this title is one of the first and most influential Amiga games ever.
Set in medieval England during a period of internal strife following the death of a king, the game cast players as a Saxon nobleman fighting to reclaim the kingdom from Norman control. While the premise may sound like a typical strategy game, Defender of the Crown was anything but ordinary for its time.
What made the game revolutionary was its unprecedented visual presentation. The Amiga version showcased richly detailed, hand-drawn artwork, stunning color gradients, and animations that were closer to film or illustrated books than anything previously seen in games. It wasn’t just technically impressive — it was cinematic. Defender of the Crown was one of the first games to fully utilize the multimedia capabilities of the Amiga, including high-resolution graphics and digitized sound. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that this game alone helped justify the Amiga’s role as a serious gaming platform and not just a computer for productivity or hobbyist programming.
Read More
Author: GN Team - Published: 13 May 2025, 12:29 am
Transarctica, also known as Arctic Baron in the US, is a post-apocalyptic strategy game developed by French studio Silmarils and released in 1993. Loosely inspired by Georges-Jean Arnaud’s science fiction series *La Compagnie des Glaces*, the game offers a chilling vision of the future: Earth has been plunged into a permanent ice age after climate weapons were used in a global conflict. The remnants of humanity survive aboard massive armored steam trains that traverse frozen wastelands.
The game was designed by André Rocques, co-founder of Silmarils, studio famous for Ishar: Legend of the Fortress. You play as the commander of the Transarctica, a rebel train on a mission to break the monopoly of the Viking Union, a powerful corporation that controls the railways and hoards coal — the only remaining energy source. The gameplay is split between managing your train's cars, trading with isolated outposts, exploring derelict cities, rescuing survivors, and engaging in combat with enemy trains.
Read More