The Internet Archive has occasionally released MS-DOS games since 2015. It started as part of eXoDOS, which is a project that works to run older MS-DOS games on modern computers.
Since eXoDOS began, they have made over 7,000 games in English or with minimal foreign language knowledge needed playable. The database includes freeware, homebrew, and shareware games with more coming in the future. Set up is simple. Within the download files, all required emulators are included, so all gamers have to do is click and play. Players with little to no experience using game emulators will have no problems playing their favorite games.
The Internet Archive has made the experience even more accessible. Gamers simply visit the website, click a title, and the game immediately begins to run through DOS-BOX within the browser. There are no downloads required.
Internet Archive software curator Jason Scott only had a few warnings before gamers jumped began to play: “The usual caveats apply: Sometimes the emulations are slower than they should be, especially on older machines. Not all games are enjoyable to play. And of course, we are linking manuals where we can but not every game has a manual.”
The games range from known franchises retro gamers are already familiar with, such as WipEout, Night Trap, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream, and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
One of the hidden gems within the collection is the 1992 survival horror game Alone in the Dark, which Guinness World Records awarded it as “The First Ever 3D Survival Horror Game.” Alone in the Dark would be one of the games that influenced the Resident Evil series.
In Alone in the Dark, players can choose between Private Investigator Edward Carnby or the niece of the deceased, Emily Hartwood. Both are investigating the suspicious death of Jeremy Hartwood, who has passed away in his three-floor mansion. Edward and Emily must solve the hidden mysteries of the estate, including mutated animals, zombies, and other dangerous creatures. What begins as a murder mystery quickly becomes a desperate attempt to escape.
Currently, there are 2,500 titles available, which include action, strategy, adventure, sports, simulation, and more. The Internet Archives makes it easy by adding detailed filtering by year, collection, and developer, ensuring that there’s a game for every player.
