Google's playable 30th-anniversary Doodle, made with Namco: the original maze, ghosts, sounds and even the old bugs.
PAC-MAN turned arcade games into a pop-culture event in 1980, giving players a character instead of a spaceship and four ghosts with their own chasing habits. In 2010 Google marked the game's 30th anniversary with a fully playable Doodle made with the game's original publisher. It recreates the classic maze, the sounds and even the famous glitches. How to run it: open the link and press Insert Coin, or just start using the arrow keys. It plays in any modern browser. On phones it works but is fiddly, so a keyboard gives the best experience.
Plays in your browser. Best with a keyboard.
🧱
Tetris
1984 · Elektronika 60
The falling-block puzzle that started it all, on the official Tetris site.
Tetris is the puzzle game almost everyone has played at least once. Alexey Pajitnov created it in 1984 on a Soviet Elektronika 60 computer, and its simple idea, rotating falling shapes to clear full rows, went on to sell on nearly every platform ever made. It matters because it proved a game could be endlessly replayable with no story, no characters and only seven pieces. How to run it: the official Tetris site plays right in your browser on a phone or PC with nothing to install. The site shows ads, so expect a short break between games. A keyboard is easiest on a computer.
Plays in your browser on phone or PC. The official site shows ads.
The legendary dungeon crawl where almost anything you can think of works. Free and open source since day one.
NetHack is one of the oldest games still being developed, first released in 1987 and built on the earlier dungeon game Hack. You descend a randomly generated dungeon to recover a legendary amulet, and it's famous for how many odd interactions its developers anticipated, which gave rise to the saying 'the DevTeam thinks of everything.' It's free and open source under its own license. How to run it: the link opens a browser terminal on the long-running alt.org public server, where you pick a free player name. You can also download it for Windows, Mac or Linux from nethack.org and play offline.
Play in the browser on the long-running alt.org server (make a free player name), or download it from nethack.org.
⛏️
Minecraft Classic
2009 · PC (browser)
Mojang's free re-release of the 2009 creative mode, with 32 blocks and the original look.
Minecraft Classic is a snapshot of the game as it looked in 2009, before survival mode, crafting or mobs existed. Mojang re-released it in the browser for the game's tenth anniversary, with the original 32 blocks and the original blocky look. It's a fun piece of history: you can see the simple creative sandbox that grew into one of the best-selling games of all time. How to run it: open the official page and the world loads in your browser. You need a keyboard and mouse. You can share a link so up to nine friends can build in the same world.
Plays in your browser. Needs a keyboard and mouse.
🧙
Akalabeth: World of Doom
1979 · Apple II
Richard Garriott's first RPG and the forerunner of Ultima, written while he was in high school.
Akalabeth is a 1979 role-playing game Richard Garriott wrote as a teenager, sold in plastic bags at a local computer store. It's one of the earliest commercial computer RPGs, and its first-person dungeons and overhead world led directly to his Ultima series. Playing it shows how much the genre grew from very simple roots. How to run it: claim it free on GOG with a free account, and it's packaged to run on modern Windows. Buy food before anything else, since running out of food ends the game quickly.
Free on GOG, set up to run on modern Windows. Needs a free GOG account.
🏚️
Mystery House
1980 · Apple II
Sierra's very first game and the first graphic adventure, released into the public domain.
Mystery House, from 1980, was the first game by the people who founded Sierra On-Line and is widely credited as the first adventure game with graphics. Its simple line drawings and two-word commands were a big step at the time, when most adventures were text only. Ken and Roberta Williams later released it into the public domain, so it's free for anyone to share. How to run it: download it from ScummVM's freeware page and run it in ScummVM, a free app for Windows, Mac, Linux and phones that plays many classic adventure games. Type commands like LOOK or GET KEY.
Free download that runs in ScummVM, a free app for PC, Mac and phones.
☥
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
1985 · Apple II / DOS
The RPG where you win by becoming a better person, not just by beating the bad guy.
Ultima IV, from 1985, changed role-playing games by making the goal moral rather than military. Instead of just slaying a villain, you try to become a living example of eight virtues, and the game notices if you steal, lie or flee from fights. It's often cited as one of the first games to treat ethics as a game mechanic. How to run it: claim the free copy on GOG and play on modern Windows. Keep notes, because characters give clues you'll need much later, and answer the opening questions honestly, since they decide your character's class.
Free on GOG, set up to run on modern Windows. Needs a free GOG account.
Dodge trees, hit jumps, and try to outrun the Yeti, from the original author's own page.
SkiFree is a tiny Windows game from 1991 that many people remember from their first family PC. You ski downhill dodging trees, hitting jumps and doing tricks, until a yeti appears and chases you down. That surprise ending made it a lasting internet memory. Its creator, Chris Pirih, still hosts the game on his own site. How to run it: download the small file from the author's page and run it on Windows. The author notes that some antivirus tools wrongly flag the old program. Press F to go faster, and know that the yeti can be outrun if you go fast enough.
Tiny Windows download. The author notes some antivirus apps wrongly flag it.
🕯️
Lure of the Temptress
1992 · DOS / Amiga
Revolution Software's first point-and-click adventure, about a prisoner taking back a captured town.
Lure of the Temptress was the 1992 debut of Revolution Software, the British studio that went on to make the Broken Sword series. You play a prisoner in a town taken over by an enchantress and her monsters. Its notable feature was that townsfolk walked around on their own schedules, an ambitious idea for the time. Revolution later made it freeware. How to run it: get the free download from ScummVM's games page and play it in ScummVM on almost any device, or claim the free copy on GOG, which runs it on modern Windows for you.
Free download that runs in ScummVM. Also free on GOG.
🛸
Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters
1992 · DOS / 3DO
Explore hundreds of star systems, meet strange aliens, and free Earth. Its creators made it open source.
Star Control II, from 1992, is often named one of the best space adventures ever made. You return to an Earth under alien control and roam hundreds of star systems, mining planets, trading and talking to a cast of funny and strange alien races, with an arcade ship-combat mode on the side. Its creators released the 3DO version's code as open source under the name The Ur-Quan Masters. How to run it: download it free for Windows, Mac or Linux from the project site, or get the free release on Steam. Take notes: much of the game is following clues.
Free download for Windows and Mac, or free on Steam as Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters.
🌆
Beneath a Steel Sky
1994 · DOS / Amiga
A cyberpunk point-and-click adventure with comic art by Dave Gibbons, made freeware by Revolution.
Beneath a Steel Sky is a 1994 cyberpunk point-and-click adventure set in a grim future city, with art by comic artist Dave Gibbons, best known for Watchmen. It mixes dark humor with a story about a man taken from the wasteland into a city run by a computer. Revolution Software released it as freeware in 2003, and it later received a sequel. How to run it: download the free version from ScummVM's games page and play it in ScummVM. The free GOG copy is the easiest option on Windows. Look for the CD version, which includes full voice acting.
Free download that runs in ScummVM. Also free on GOG.
🚀
Marathon Trilogy
1994 · Mac
Bungie's sci-fi shooters from before Halo, released free with Bungie's blessing using the original game data.
Marathon is Bungie's sci-fi shooter series from the mid-1990s, made for the Mac years before Halo. It was praised for telling a surprisingly deep story through computer terminals scattered across a colony ship. Bungie released the source code and later allowed the original game data to be shared freely, and the community keeps it running through a project called Aleph One. How to run it: download it free for Windows, Mac or Linux from the Aleph One site, or add the free Classic Marathon release on Steam. It's an older shooter with violence, so it may not suit young players.
Free for Windows, Mac and Linux from Aleph One, or free on Steam.
🏰
The Elder Scrolls: Arena
1994 · DOS
The first Elder Scrolls, a huge first-person RPG across all of Tamriel, given away free by Bethesda.
Arena is the 1994 first entry in The Elder Scrolls, the series that later produced Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim. It let you roam an enormous version of the whole continent of Tamriel, with towns and dungeons generated by the computer. It's rough by modern standards but shows where the open-world series began. Bethesda gave it away free for the series' anniversary. How to run it: add it free on Steam with a free account, and it downloads with DOSBox already set up. Expect a hard opening dungeon, so save often and rest when you can.
Free on Steam (free Steam account) with DOSBox already set up.
✈️
Flight of the Amazon Queen
1995 · DOS / Amiga
A pulpy jungle adventure starring a wisecracking pilot, released free by its makers.
Flight of the Amazon Queen is a 1995 comedy adventure about a pilot who crash-lands in the Amazon and stumbles into a mad scientist's plot. It's an affectionate send-up of pulp adventure films, full of jokes and odd characters. Its Australian creators later released it free, and the talkie version is especially good fun. How to run it: download it from ScummVM's games page and play it in ScummVM on PC, Mac, Linux or a phone, or grab the free copy on GOG for an easy Windows setup. Saving often is a good habit with adventures of this era.
Free download that runs in ScummVM. Also free on GOG.
A goofy point-and-click spy comedy about a teenager recruited as a secret agent.
Teenagent is a 1995 point-and-click comedy from Poland about an ordinary teenager recruited to find out who's stealing gold from banks. It's short, silly and full of the absurd puzzle logic adventure fans love, which makes it a good first classic adventure. It became freeware after its original release, and GOG now gives it away. How to run it: sign in to a free GOG account, add the game to your library, and download it already set up for modern Windows. If you'd prefer not to use a launcher, ScummVM also supports the game.
Free on GOG. Needs a free GOG account.
🪖
Command & Conquer
1995 · DOS / Windows
The real-time strategy classic: GDI against Nod in the fight for Tiberium. EA made it freeware in 2007.
Command & Conquer helped define the real-time strategy genre in 1995, with base building, resource gathering and live-action video cutscenes between missions. Its story of the GDI and the Brotherhood of Nod fighting over the alien mineral Tiberium became one of the best-known in strategy games. EA made it freeware in 2007. How to run it: the CnCNet community provides a free installer with patches for modern Windows, plus online multiplayer. If you're new, start with the GDI campaign on easy and learn how harvesters and refineries keep your money flowing.
Windows installer from CnCNet, updated for modern PCs. Includes online play.
A fast vertical space shooter with tons of weapons, upgrades and a full story campaign.
Tyrian is a 1995 vertical scrolling shooter that combined fast arcade action with a story campaign and a shop full of weapons and ship upgrades between levels. It has several game modes and a lot of hidden secrets, which made it a favorite among PC shooter fans. Tyrian 2000 is the expanded version with an extra episode, and it was later released for free. How to run it: claim it free on GOG with a free account and it runs on modern Windows. Spend early credits on a better front gun and shields.
Free on GOG, set up to run on modern Windows. Needs a free GOG account.
🐻
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
1996 · DOS / Windows
Allies against Soviets in an alternate history. EA made it freeware in 2008.
Red Alert, from 1996, moved the Command & Conquer formula to an alternate history where the Allies fight the Soviet Union. It added naval battles, spies and famously over-the-top cutscenes, and it was one of the most popular multiplayer strategy games of the late 1990s. EA released it as freeware in 2008. How to run it: download the free installer from CnCNet, which updates the game for modern Windows and adds online play. Each side plays differently: Allies rely on speed and the navy, while Soviets lean on heavy tanks.
Windows installer from CnCNet, updated for modern PCs. Includes online play.
🐉
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
1996 · DOS
A gigantic open-world RPG with a map the size of Great Britain, given away free by Bethesda.
Daggerfall, from 1996, is famous for its staggering size: its world is often compared to the size of Great Britain, with thousands of towns and dungeons. It added deep character creation, factions and several different endings, and many fans still consider it the most ambitious entry in the series. Bethesda released it free. How to run it: add it free on Steam, where it comes with DOSBox already configured. The fan project Daggerfall Unity is a popular way to play with modern controls. It contains combat violence.
Free on Steam (free Steam account) with DOSBox already set up.
🐷
Dink Smallwood
1997 · Windows
A cheeky action RPG about a pig farmer who becomes a hero, rereleased free by its original creators.
Dink Smallwood is a 1997 action role-playing game about a pig farmer who reluctantly becomes a hero. It was made by a tiny indie team and is known for its crude, irreverent sense of humor. Its creators released it free in 1999, and fans have made hundreds of add-on adventures for it since. How to run it: download the free Windows version from the creator's site, which also links free iPhone and Android versions. Expect cartoon violence and rude jokes, so it isn't for young kids. The add-on adventures are installed through the same free app.
Free for Windows, plus free iPhone and Android apps. Has crude humor and cartoon violence.
👾
StarCraft + Brood War
1998 · Windows
Terran, Zerg and Protoss in one of the greatest strategy games ever. Blizzard made it free in 2017.
StarCraft is the 1998 real-time strategy game whose three very different sides, Terran, Zerg and Protoss, are still held up as a model of balanced design. With its Brood War expansion it became a national esport in South Korea and stayed competitive for decades. Blizzard made the original game and expansion free in 2017. How to run it: install the free Battle.net app for Windows or Mac, sign in with a free Blizzard account, and download StarCraft from there. The campaign starts with the Terrans and works as a good tutorial before you try playing online.
Free through the Battle.net app for Windows and Mac. Needs a free Blizzard account.
☢️
C&C: Tiberian Sun
1999 · Windows
The second Tiberium war, with walkers, subterranean units and ion storms. EA made it freeware in 2010.
Tiberian Sun continues the Command & Conquer story in 1999, years after the first Tiberium war. It added walking mechs, units that tunnel underground, changing terrain and ion storms that disrupt the battlefield. It's a good look at how the series developed between its first games and later 3D entries. EA made it freeware in 2010. How to run it: download the free CnCNet installer for Windows, which includes compatibility fixes and online play. The included Firestorm expansion adds more missions once you finish the main campaigns.
Windows installer through CnCNet, updated for modern PCs.
🎯
Unreal Tournament
1999 · Windows
The classic arena shooter, free to download with Epic's okay through the OldUnreal community installer.
Unreal Tournament, from 1999, is a landmark arena shooter known for fast movement, creative weapons with two firing modes, and computer-controlled bots that played surprisingly like people. It helped make the Unreal Engine famous and has a large community that still maintains it. Epic has said it's fine for the game to be shared free, and the OldUnreal community provides updated installers. How to run it: download the full-game installer for Windows, Mac or Linux from OldUnreal. Play against bots to learn the maps. It's rated M for violence.
Windows, Mac and Linux installers from OldUnreal. Rated M for violence.
💎
Spelunky Classic
2009 · Windows
The original freeware cave-diving platformer that became a hit, with new caves every run.
Spelunky Classic is the 2008 freeware original of the cave-diving platformer that later became a big commercial hit. Every run builds new caves from pieces, so you can't memorize the levels, and dying sends you back to the start. It helped popularize roguelike ideas in action games. Its creator, Derek Yu, still offers the original download. How to run it: download the small zip file, extract it, and run the program on Windows. A controller or keyboard works. Expect to die a lot while you learn how traps, shopkeepers and enemies behave. That's the point.
Small Windows download from the creator.