Here are some shareware and demo games from both the PCG archive and around the net, covering both classic shareware and demos of some of the newest games.
A-10 Cuba! Activision's A-10 Warthog flight sim is now available. Put yourself in the cockpit of this fierce ground attack warplane as you defend the Guatanamo Bay military base from hostile incursions. Requires Windows 95 and DirectX. No other system requirements listed. Download the A-10 Cuba! demo from Activision; 7.5 megabytes. Download the A-10 Cuba! demo from PC Gamer Online; 7.5 megabytes.
Abuse This platform shooter was PC Gamer's Website's January demo of the month. A popular shareware release, it is the premiere offering from Crack dot Com, and an Editors' Choice winner. Download the Abuse shareware; 2.4 megabytes; from Electronic Arts. Download the Abuse shareware; 2.4 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Advanced Tactical Fighters From Jane's and Origin comes this two-minute long playable demo of ATF. You'll be able to fly the F-22 and even particpate in multi-player matches. Requires a 486/66 and 8 MB of RAM. Download the ATF demo; 6.5 megabytes; from Electronic Arts. Download the ATF demo; 6.5 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Afterlife LucasArts' new simulation game puts you in charge of Heaven and Hell. Win'95 required. Download the Afterlife demo; 10.5 megabytes; from LucasArts. Download the Afterlife demo; 10.5 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Age of Rifles From SSI comes the Age of Rifles, a new turn-based wargame that takes place during the heyday of the rifle Download the Age of Rifles demo; 4.6 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Albion This new roleplaying game from Germany takes place on an strange, alien planet. It requires DOS or Win95, a 486, and 8 megabytes of RAM. Download the Albion demo; 11 megabytes; from BlueByte.
Alien Rampage Alien Rampage is a new side-scrolling shooter. This shareware game has seven levels and many puzzles and weapons, so it's worth a look. The game requires: a 486 DX2 66mhz or better (recomend Pentium 75 or above); 6.5 Megs of free memory, 15 Megs free hard drive space, VGA graphics card and MS-DOS 5.0 or higher. Alien Rampage will be downloaded to your computer as a 6.5 megabyte self-extracting executable file named sdramp.exe. Run it and it will create a temporary subdirectory called ramtemp within the current directory. Go there and run install.exe to install the game. Download the Alien Rampage demo; 6.5 megabytes, from SoftDisk. Download the Alien Rampage demo; 6.5 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
Alien Trilogy The acclaimed console shooter series blasts its way onto the PC in this new action trilogy from Acclaim. Its based on the world famous Alien movies. No System Requirements listed on either the Acclaim site or within the demo. However it will run under either DOS or Windows 95. Download the Alien Trilogy demo from the Adrenaline Vault; 3.8 megabytes. Download the Alien Trilogy demo from PC Gamer Online; 3.8 megabytes.
Allied General SSI's follow-up to the award-winning Panzer General. Requires Windows. Download the Allied General demo; 14 megabytes.
American Civil War A strategic overview of the Civil War, from Interactive Magic; requires Windows 3.1 or Win95. Download the American Civil War demo; 5.8 megabytes, from Interactive Magic.
Amok Control a battle mech in this new game from GT Interactive. The first PC release from Scavenger, an LA development house. GT notes that this demo will not work with the Matrox Millenium card. Download the Amok demo; 6.6 megabytes, from GT Interactive.
Amulets and Armor An impressive little shareware RPG featuring a first-person, Doom-style pespective, eleven different character classes, three types of magic and multi-player IPX network play. The graphics are a bit dated but it's very playable. No system requirements listed in the documentation, but it seems to run under both DOS and Win95. Download the Amulets and Armour demo; 6.71 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
Apache This helicopter combat game from Interactive Magic was an Editors' Choice winner and PC Gamer's simulation of the year for 1995. Also be sure to check out the Hind demo. Download the Apache demo; 2.8 megabytes.
Archimedean Dynasty From Blue Byte Software over in Germany comes this new action strategy game. Similar to Wing Commander except set underwater, you get a sub, buy weapons, complete missions and battle bad guys. IMPORTANT: You must have HiColor (65,000 colors) to run this demo. You'll also need 16 megabytes of RAM and a 486/100 or better. Win95 or DOS 5.0+. Download the Archimedean demo; 7.8 megabytes.
Ashes to Ashes Corel has branched out from their graphics programs into games. Here's their new first-person shooter. Requires: Windows95, P60 CPU, 8 MB of RAM. Download the Ashes to Ashes demo; 3.8 megabytes, from Corel. Download the Ashes to Ashes demo; 3.8 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
Bad Mojo Here's a small demo of Bad Mojo, an offbeat graphic adventure in which you are transformed into a cockroach, and must explore the grimy depths of a New York tenement building. It's a manageable download size, so it's worth a look for adventure fans. Requires: Win 3.1 or Win95, 486/66+, 8MB RAM, QuickTime Download the Bad Mojo demo; 3.2 megabytes, from Pulse Entertainment. Download the Bad Mojo demo; 3.2 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
Battle Arena Toshinden This is the PC version of the huge arcade hit. It's a 3D fighting game, so get your fighting gloves out! Download the Toshinden demo from PC Gamer Online; 2.7 megabytes.
Battle Isle 2200 An exciting wargame set on a strange alien planet, this game is from the German software house Blue Byte. Download the Battle Isle 2200 demo; 2.1 megabytes.
Battle Isle 2220 The latest installment in the Battle Isle series, this demo requires a P75, 8 MB of RAM, and Windows 95, NT or 3.11. Download the Battle Isle 2200 demo; 4.7 megabytes, from Blue Byte.
Beavis & Butthead in Virtual Stupidity They're rude, they're crude, and they're on your PC. Here's a minigame called "Hock the Loogie"; it's only a small portion of this great adventure game. Requires Windows 95. Download the Beavis & Butthead demo; 1.3 megabytes.
Betrayal at Krondor One of the most respected roleplaying games of the last several years, and based on the popular fantasy novels of Raymond Feist. Download the Betrayal at Krondor demo; 1.3 megabytes.
Big Red Racing This new racing game from Domark puts you behind the wheel of toy racers as you whip around muddy tracks all over the world. Download the Big Red Racing demo; 2.8 megabytes. (use the -d option to unzip)
Birthright This is a Sierra title based on TSR's AD&D boxed game, Birthright. It combines roleplaying, strategy and real-time combat elements into one fantasy game. The game requires a 486, 8 MB of RAM, Win 3.1 or 95, and a 256 color display. The demo is self-extracting, put it in a temporary directory and extract it. Then run the setup program. Download the Birthright demo; 10.7 megabytes, from Sierra Online. Download the Birthright demo; 10.7 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
New !Blast Chamber An action game from Activision, Blast Chamber puts you in a rotating chamber with a timebomb strapped to your chest. This game is out for the PlayStation right now but the planned PC port was cancelled -- despite the work that's obviously gone into it, as this demo attests. Requires Pentium 90 MHz processor or higher, 8 MB RAM, 2 MB of hard disk space (not including 5 MB for downloaded files and 9.5 MB for decompressed files) 16-bit high-color SVGA video card with VBE 2.0 compatibility 100% Sound Blaster 16 compatible sound card and Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22, Windows 3.1x, or Windows 95 operating system. Download the Blast Chamber demo from Activision; 5/1 megabytes. Download the Blast Chamber demo from the Adrenaline Vault; 5.1 megabytes. Download the Blast Chamber demo from PC Gamer Online; 5.1 megabytes.
Caesar II Can you match the feats of one of the greatest conquerors in history? Not only must you match wits on the battlefield, but Caesar II challenges you to manage the cities of your growing empire as well. This small demo will give you an idea of the whole scope of the game. Download the Caesar II demo; 2.7 megabytes, from Sierra Online. Download the Caesar II demo; 2.7 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
Cannon Fodder Is this what happens when Lemmings go to war? Sure, they're little and cute, but they've got guns. And grenades. And bazookas... This is an oldie but a goodie, especially since it will run on 386s. Download the Cannon Fodder demo.
Capitalism This business simulation from Interactive Magic was an Editors' Choice winner because of its excellent game play and numerous options. Download the Capitalism demo; 4.4 megabytes.
New !Cave Wars Set in a world of subterranean warfare, Cave Wars is a turn-based strategy game from Avalon Hill. Its most intriguing features is that your empire can expand in three dimensions, up and down as well as left and right, as you burrow through the earth. Requires 8 MB of RAM and a 486. It will run under DOS or under Windows 95 in a DOS box. Unzip using the -d switch, and be sure to read the readme.txt file too. Download the Cave Wars demo from PC Gamer Online; 12 megabytes.
Chasm A beta look at a first-person shooter being developed by a Russian team and distributed by MegaMedia. Has some Quake-like features like a console, but a lot of placeholder art and sounds. Requires 486 DX2-66 MHz CPU, Standard VGA card, 8 MB of RAM, 6 MB of hard disk space. Pentium recommended. Read the readme file. Download the Chasm demo from PC Game Online; 1.6 megabytes. Download the Chasm demo from Megamedia; 1.6 megabytes.
Close Combat Microsoft and Atomic Games have teamed up to bring us this new real-time wargame set in the smoky aftermath of D-Day. It requires Win 95, a Pentium processor, 8 megabytes of RAM, and Super VGA. Download the Close Combat demo; 7 megabytes; from Atomic Games. Download the Close Combat demo; 7 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Command & Conquer This is a demo of Westwood's fantastic realtime strategy game. The action never stops as you control troops and vehicles engaging the ruthless Brotherhood of Nod. Download the Command & Conquer demo; 9.3 megabytes; from Westwood. Download the Command & Conquer demo; 9.3 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Conquest of the New World This demo gives you a good idea of the combat model in Conquest of the New World, a new strategy game from Interplay. It also makes an enjoyable mini-game on its own. 486/66DX2 w/ 8 MB RAM required; Pentium recommended. Download the Conquest of the New World demo; 4.5 megabytes.
Crusader: No Regret The follow up to the action spectacular, Crusader: No Remorse, has finally been made available by Origin. Download the Crusader: No Regret demo; 17.5 megabytes.
CyberGladiators Sierra's first fighting game, it uses a 2D perspective and futuristic alien fighters, reminiscent of Rise of the Robots. Requires: Windows 95. Download the CyberGladiators demo, 3 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online. Download the CyberGladiators demo, 3 megabytes, from Sierra Online
Daggerfall RPG fans take note! Here is a previw of Daggerfall, the sequel to Elder Scrolls. This is an old demo, but some of you may not have seen it, and even though the game is now out, it at least gives you a good glimpse at some of the character generation stuff. Download the Daggerfall demo; 11.5 megabytes. Download the Daggerfall demo; 9.7 megabytes.
Dark Forces The demo of LucasArts' great Doom rival. Take on the role of Kyle Katarn and battle Stormtroopers, Imperial officers, and other denizens of the Star Wars universe in this classic game. Requires: 486 or better processor, 8 megabytes of RAM. Download the Dark Forces demo, from the Adrenaline Vault; 3.3 megabytes. Download the Dark Forces demo, from PC Gamer Online; 3.3 megabytes.
Death Drome Arcade action from Viacom New Media. Eight heavily-armed vehicles are forced to compete in a domed stadium, the Death Drome. Only the survivor gets his freedom, and his life. This game is Windows 95, and requires DirectX 2.0, a Pentium 75, and 16 megabytes of RAM. Download the Death Drome demo; 14 megabytes.
Death Rally Top-down combat driving from Apogee. With every victory, you may earn enough money to buy more weapons, armor and tires for your car. Requires 486DX2/66 or faster processor(Pentium recommended), 8MB RAM (16 MB recommended), DOS or Windows. Download the Death Rally shareware from Apogee; 6.8 megabytes. Download the Death Rally shareware from PC Gamer Online; 6.8 megabytes.
Descent The shareware version of the original Descent, a blockbuster of a game, and Doom's first true rival, it features true three-dimensional action and fantastic multi-player gameplay. In fact, Descent was probably the key games to push Internet gaming into the big time. Download the Descent shareware; 2.1 megabytes.
Descent II Here's the demo of the sequel to Interplay's smash success, Descent, which shows off a truly remarkable 3D engine that lets you manuever your ship in any direction. Download the Descent 2 demo; 4.3 megabytes, from Interplay.
Destruction Derby 2 Put an end to bad driving on the information superhighway! Here's Psygnosis' sequel to their great smash'em up driving game. Requires a 486/66 and 8 MB of RAM. Download the Destruction Derby 2 demo, 3.0 megabytes from Psygnosis. Download the Destruction Derby 2 demo, 3.0 megabytes from PC Gamer Online.
Doom It's all been said before, so here it is, the shareware version of the original Doom. Download the Doom shareware; 2.4 megabytes.
Duke Nukem 3D The best 3D shooter since Doom itself, Duke Nukem 3D combines brilliant level design, fun weapons and raunchy, sarcastic, adolescent humor to make one helluva game. 486/66, 8 MB RAM are our minimal recommendations. Download the Duke Nukem 3D shareware; 5.8 megabytes; from Best. Download the Duke Nukem 3D shareware; 5.8 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Earthsiege 2 Sierra's battle armor fighting game, along the lines of MechWarrior 2. Requies Pentium, 16 megabytes of RAM, Windows 95 and DirectX. Download the Earthsiege 2 demo; 5.5 megabytes; from Sierra Online. Download the Earthsiege 2 demo; 5.5 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Earthworm Jim There's plenty of arcade-style fun and annelid antics in this side-scroller from Playmates Interactive. Download the Earthworm Jim demo; 3.4 megabytes.
Elder Scrolls: Arena Before there was Daggerfall there was Arena. Check out this small demo of the classic rpg from Bethesda. Download the Arena demo; 1.8 megabytes.
Enemy Nations Real-time strategy from Viacom New Media. This will take a ridiculously long time to download if you have a modem so we strongly advise against it. Requires: 486 DX/66; 8 MB RAM; Win 95, DirectX. Download the Enemy Nations demo from PC Gamer Online; 20 megabytes. Download the Enemy Nations demo from Viacom; 20 megabytes.
Eradicator A new action title from Accolade, Eradicator features a third-person perspective in a Doom-style environment. This game runs pretty well on 486s too. Download the Eradicator demo; 4.6 megabytes.
Extreme Pinball Epic MegaGames enters the pinball arena with Extreme Pinball, with its rocking Rock Fantasy table. Download the Extreme Pinball shareware; 3 megabytes.
F22 Lightning II NovaLogic's sharp looking new F22 sim, with incredible graphic detail and loads of armaments. The demo requires a 486DX4/100+, 8 MB of RAM, DOS or Win'95, and a PCI or VLB SuperVGA graphics card. Download the F22 demo; 7.5 MB, from Novalogic. Download the F22 demo; 7.5 MB, from PC Gamer Online.
Fallen Haven The planet New Haven was supposed to be a paradise, an idyllic, peaceful new home for colonists from Old Earth. But that was before the wars broke out, before the provinces turned on one another ... and before the aliens arrived ... This is a new scifi turn-based strategy game from Interactive Magic. You'll need Windows 95, a 486DX2/66 (Pentium recommended), an SVGA video card, and 8 MB of RAM. Download the Fallen Haven demo; 4.8 megabytes, from Interactive Magic. Download the Fallen Haven demo; 4.8 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
Fantasy General Using a design similar to Panzer General, this wargame puts you in command of armies of knights, wizards and elves against a ruthless orc opponent. Download the Fantasy General demo from PC Gamer Online; 3.7 megabytes.
Fate A new first-person shooter from Intracorp, using the Build engine. No system requirements listed in the file, or on their website. Download the Fate demo; 7.5 megabytes.
Fire Fight This new arcade action game, developed by Chaos Works and published by Epic MegaGames, Fire Fight features an isometric view, rendered graphics, parallaxing backgrounds, digitized speech, and heart-pounding action for one to four players. Requires Windows 95. Download the Fire Fight shareware; 11 megabytes; from Epic. Download the Fire Fight shareware; 11 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Fury3 Microsoft is not the first name to come to mind when you think of computer games, but Fury3 earned a respectable 84% rating in our December issue. Download the Fury3 demo; 4.6 megabytes.
FX Fighter This is a fighting game in a 3D arena, where cool-looking polygons pummel each other for your gaming pleasure. Download the FX Fighter demo; 3.3 megabytes.
FX Fighter: Turbo A newer version of the original fighting game, with new fighters and modem and network support. Download the FX Fighter Turbo demo; 10.2 megabytes.
Gazillionaire Deluxe An enhanced version of LavaMind's classic science fiction business simulation. Strange aliens, wierd art, and a toungue-in-cheek sense of humor give this game its charm. Requires a 486/66DX2, 8 megabytes of RAM and Windows 3.1 or 95. Download the Gazillionaire Deluxe demo; 4.7 megabytes.
Gearheads From Phillips Multimedia, this one or two player game of wind-up toys is a treat. Requires Windows 3.1 or Win 95, and a 256-color display. Download the Gearheads demo; 1.2 megabytes.
Gene Wars Bullfrog's real-time strategy game of evolution and UFOs. You have a team of scientists on a wasted planet, and you must rebuild its ecology, while stopping your rivals from doing the same. Download the Gene Wars demo; 22 megabytes.
GEX Will Microsoft's lizard, GEX, become the mascot of the PC, like Mario or Crash Bandicoot? Check him out for yourself in this side-scrolling shooter, similar to Jazz Jackrabbit and other platform games. Requires a Pentium 75 MHz+, Windows 95, DirectX 2.0, 8 MB of RAM, and 55 MB of available hard disk space. Download the GEX trial version from Microsoft; 11 megabytes. Download the GEX trial version from PC Gamer; 11 megabytes.
G-nome Robotic mayhem reigns in 7th Level's mechanized shoot-em up. Download the G-Nome demo; 12 megabytes. Download DirectX, required by G-Nome; 6 megabytes.
New !Great Battles of Alexander From Interactive Magic comes this gigantic demo of their new turn-based strategy game, based on the conquests and career of Alexander the Great. Requires Windows 95, a 486DX2/66 MHz processor or faster (Pentium recommended), 8 Mb RAM (16 Mb recommended). Download the Alexander demo from Interactive Magic; 19 megabytes. Download the Alexander demo from PC Gamer Online; 19 megabytes.
Greed In Pursuit of Greed is another first person shooter in a 3D world, but it features different characters you can play as, as well as a rear-view camera. Download the Greed demo; 5.2 megabytes; from Softdisk. Download the Greed demo; 5.2 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Hellbender The latest incarnation of Fury 3, from Microsoft. Requires DirectX version 2.0 and Windows 95. Download the Hellbender demo; 10.0 megabytes, from Microsoft.
HeliCops A new helicopter game from 7th Level. Requires Windows 95, Direct X 2.0, a P90, 16 megabytes of RAM. Download the HeliCops demo; 6.7 megabytes.
Heretic Raven Software's version of Doom, set in a fantasy setting. Be sure to try out the flying potions, one of the game's coolest features. By now surpassed by Hexen and Duke Nukem 3D, this shareware title is still a lot of fun. Download the Heretic shareware; 2.8 megabytes.
Heroes of Might and Magic II New World Computing's award-winning strategy game is now available as an Internet download. Gather your heroes and manage your resources carefully in this turn-based strategy game set in the world of the fantasy roleplaying games, Might and Magic. This demo requires Windows 95, a 486/66 and 8 MB of RAM. It will only run in full screen if you have DirectX installed. Download the HOMM II demo from New World Computing; 26 megabytes. Download the HOMM II demo from PC Gamer Online; 26 megabytes. A broken-up version of the files is available here on New World Computing's website.
Hexen This sequel to Heretic brings new monsters, treasures, and adds character classes to the mix. One of the best 3D action games you'll find. Download the Hexen demo; 5.6 megabytes; from id Software. Download the Hexen demo; 5.6 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Hind The sequel to the successful helicopter sim, Apache, from Interactive Magic. Use the -d tag when unzipping, run from a DOS session. Download the Hind demo; 4.9 megabytes. Part 1 of 2. Download the Hind demo; 5.3 megabytes. Part 2 of 2.
HoverRaceHoverRace is a multi-player hovercraft racing game, designed for Internet and LAN play, but also playable offline in single player and split-screen modes. Under development by Grokksoft, this is a beta test. Requires: 486/66(Pentium recommended), 4 MB of RAM, PCI or VESA Local Bus Video, Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 and DirectX (v1 or above or v2 or above for NT). Download the HoverRace beta test; 2.2 megabytes, from GrokkSoft/
Hunter-Hunted "You are the perfect specimen -- the biggest, the baddest, the best of the best. Selected as the representative of your species, you'll prove your superiority in bloodsport," says Sierra. Try this new side-scrolling platform shooter from Sierra Online. Requires Windows 95 and DirectX Download the Hunter-Hunted demo, 7.6 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
HyperBlade HyperBlade is a future sport, played on roller blades in elaborate arenas and against armed and dangerous opponents. From Activision. Download the HyperBlade demo from Activsion; 9/1 megabytes. (You'll have to register on this page). Download the HyperBlade demo from PC Gamer Online; 9/1 megabytes.
iM1A2 Abrams A tank simulation from Interactive Magic, it requires Windows 95 and DirectX. Download the iM1A2 Abrams demo; 6.0 megabytes, from Interactive Magic
Indiana Jones and his Desktop Adventures LucasArts' latest adventure game is a simple little affair that reminds one of classic adventure games. Windows 95 only. Download the Indiana Jones demo; 1 megabyte.
IndyCar Racing II Papyrus's powerful new racing simulation is a hit. Download the IndyCar II demo; 10.5 megabytes; from Sierra. Download the IndyCar II demo; 10.5 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
KKND A real-time strategy game from an Australian developer and set to be published by Electronic Arts in February. You'll take command of monster trucks, giant scorpions and strange, mutant bikers in this charming portrait of the 25th Century. One playable mission. This one's definitely worth a look. It stands for Krush, Kill and Destroy. Download the KKND demo, from PC Gamer Online; 6.0 megabytes.
Lemmings 3D The new 3D version of the original classic. Manuever your little purple and green Lemmings out of danger to complete the levels. The full version of the game has 100 levels; this has ten. Download the Lemmings 3D demo; 2.7 megabytes.
Lemmings Paintball The Lemmings are back, and this time they're armed with paintball guns! This demo requires a 486DX/33 or faster, 8MB RAM, and Windows 95. Download the Lemmings Paintball demo from Psygnosis, 3.3 megabytes. Download the Lemmings Paintball demo from PC Gamer Online, 3.3 megabytes.
Lighthouse Enter the dark world of Lighthouse, the richly-rendered graphic adventure from Sierra Online. Requires Windows 95 and SVGA; 16 megabytes of RAM and Pentium recommended. Download the Lighthouse demo, 15 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online. Download the Lighthouse demo, 15 megabytes, from Sierra Online.
Lords of the Realm II An impressive strategy game from Impressions, and combines turn-based economic management of your medieval economy with real-time combat. System Requirements: 486DX2/66, 8 MB of RAM, SVGA and Windows 95. Download the Lords demo, from Sierra; 7.5 megabytes. Download the Lords demo, from PC Gamer Online; 7.5 megabytes.
Madden NFL 97 The long-awaited king of the football sims is here. Minimum system requirements for the demo: PentiumTM 60 with 8 MB RAM; SVGA VESA VLB/PCI; compatible video card with 512K RAM or more; Sound BlasterTM compatible sound card Mouse (with real mode driver) Follow these instructions carefully: Create a temporary directory called MADDEMO on your hard drive. Download/save the demo file (MADDEN.EXE) to the MADDEMO directory. When you have finished downloading the file, go to the DOS Prompt and move to the MADDEMO directory. Type madden to begin extracting the installation files. When extraction is complete, type install to install the Madden NFL 97 demo. The installation creates a \MADDEN directory on your current drive. To set up your sound card and joystick, type setup from the \MADDEN directory and follow the onscreen instructions. To start the demo, type madden from the \MADDEN directory. The Game Setup screen appears. Choose the number of players and type of controllers, then click RETURN. Download the Madden NFL 97 demo; 12 megabytes.
Magic Carpet 2 This demo of the sequel to the innovative Magic Carpet lacks sound but gives you a good feel for the game. Download the Magic Carpet 2 demo; 5.6 megabytes; from Electronic Arts.
Magic: The Gathering Microprose's version of the famous fantasy card game from Wizards of the Coast. (This demo has been fixed -- it is now the complete package). Requires: 486, 8 MB of RAM, Win95, and SVGA. Download the Magic demo from Microprose; 13.7 MB. Download the Magic demo from PC Gamer Online; 13.7 MB.
Marathon 2: Durandal Bungie Software presents the sequel to Marathon, the most popular of the Macintosh Doom-style games. The game needs a 486DX2/66, 16MB of RAM, Windows 95, and SVGA. This file includes DirectX 2.0 Download the Marathon 2 demo from PC Gamer Online; 17 megabytes.
M.A.X. M.A.X.: Mechanized Assault and Exploration is a turn-based strategy wargame with real-time elements, SVGA graphics, and customizable vehicles. Requires a 486/66 or faster (P90 recommended), SVGA and 8 megabytes of RAM. Download the M.A.X. demo; 10 megabytes; from Interplay. Use the -d switch with PKUNZIP when unzipping!
MechWarrior 2 The original MechWarrior 2 from Activision. Download the MechWarrior 2 demo; 5 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries The latest MechWarrior 2 game from Activision. Visit the Activision MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries demo download page and follow the somewhat involved downloading instructions there.
Microsoft Golf 3.0 A new demo of Microsoft's golf game. With the demo you can create and edit players and play three holes at Banff Springs. Requires a 486/66 computer (Pentium 90 computer or better recommended), Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.51+, 8 MB of RAM, 16 MB recommended, 20 MB hard drive space, sound card, mouse and 256c SVGA. Download the Microsoft Golf trial version, 8 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online. Download the Microsoft Soccer trial version, 8 megabytes, from Microsoft.
Microsoft Soccer A demo of Microsoft's new soccer game. Requires Direct X, Windows 95, 8 MB of RAM and a 486/66 Mhz. Download the Microsoft Soccer demo; 6.2 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online. Download the Microsoft Soccer demo; 6.2 megabytes; from Microsoft.
Mission Critical You are the last survivor of a crashed spaceship on a mysterious alien planet. Legend's new graphic adventure stars Michael Dorn from Star Trek. Download the Mission Critical demo; 3.2 megabytes.
NBA Full Court Press Microsoft takes to the courts and shoots the hoops. Read a preview in our November 96 issue as well. This demo requires a 486/66 or higher processor (Pentium 75 or better recommended) Windows 95, and 8MB of RAM (16MB recommended) Download the Full Court Press trial version from PC Gamer Online; 20.8 megabytes. Download the Full Court Press trial version from Microsoft; 20.8 megabytes.
Necrodome A shoot 'em up racing game from Raven Software, playable over networks, modems, and TEN. Requires Win 95, 8 megabytes of RAM, a Pentium and DirectX drivers. Download the Necrodome demo; 7.9 megabytes; from SSI Online.
Need for Speed This racing game is a hit with drivers of all ages. This file is corrupt and will be replaced when a working one is found.
Net Mech This is the multi-player add-on for Mech Warrior 2 from Activision. In this file is install.txt, the executable, and the bin file, that let's you play Mech over IPX networks, modems or DWANGO. Download the Net Mech expansion pack; 10.5 megabytes; from Activision. Download the Net Mech expansion pack; 10.5 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
NHL '96 Electronic Arts takes to the ice in this demo of last year's hockey title. Download the NHL '96 demo; 3 megabytes.
Nihilist Space combat arcade action from Philips Multimedia. Requires 486/66DX and 8 MB of RAM. Download the Nihilist demo; 4.4 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online. Download the Nihilist demo; 4.4 megabytes, from Philips Media
Pinball Dreams 21st Century's original pinball title, it requires only a 386/20. Download the Pinball Dreams demo; 256 kilobytes.
Pinball Fantasies Winner of PC Gamer's Best Arcade Game of 1994, it requires only a 286/16 and 560k free memory. Download the Pinball Fantasies demo; 648 kilobytes.
Pinball Illusions Another one from 21st Century, it goes up to 800x600 in resolution. 386/33 minimum, 486 recommended. Download the Pinball Illusions demo; 1.1 megabytes.
Powerslave This game, apparently named for an Iron Maiden album, features attack crabs, piranhas and the Sons of Set. It pre-dates Duke Nukem 3D by a few months, and uses an earlier version of the 3D Realms "Build" engine used in Duke, allowing you to do things like push stone blocks around and swim underwater. Download the Powerslave demo; 3.8 megabytes.
Quake The first new game from id Software since Doom II, and one of the most eagerly awaited games of all time, this game is simply unbelievable. Pentium processor or better, 8 MB RAM, 16 MB recommended. Download quake101.zip right now!; 8.8 megabytes; from an id Mirror. Download from the Mirror Sites right now!; 8.8 megabytes
QuakeWorld Client software for the QuakeWorld servers. You'll also need Quake to play. Read the text files carefully, neither we nor id offers technical support. Download the QuakeWorld client, 1.3 megabytes, from id Software. Download the QuakeWorld client, 1.3 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
Quake Deathmatch Test This is the Quake deathmatch level test. There are three levels with no monsters for you to walk around and explore in. You can deathmatch over a network or try it over the internet with Kali. It's got walkways and multiple level buildings, so it's definitely worth a look. Be sure to look at the readme.txt for this. Download the Quake test from PC Gamer Online; 4.3 megabytes.
Rayman The console classic hits the PC in this quirky, non-violent side-scrolling adventure from Ubisoft. Download the Rayman demo; 2.8 megabytes.
Rocket Jockey This is a future sports action game with some interesting physics: you control a rocket around a playing field, grabbing onto a ball and trying to fling it into a goal. Other players are trying to stop you. This game requires Win95 and DirectX. Download the Rocket Jockey demo; 30 megabytes, from SegaSoft.
Screamer 2 Here's a demo of Screamer 2, a sequel to the solid arcade racing game from Virgin Interactive Entertainment. This demo runs in DOS and can run under Win95 -- it's a one track, one car low-res demo. Unpack the download in its own directory, than type: s2demo.exe -d to properly extract the files. Then run install. Download the Screamer 2 demo; 8.4 megabytes.
Settlers II The follow-up to Settlers I (released in the U.S. as Serf City), it requires a P75, 8 MB of RAM, a VESA driver, and DOS or Win95. Download the Settlers II demo, from Blue Byte; 3.5 megabytes.
Shattered Steel Shattered Steel is a giant Mech fighting game, similar to MechWarrior but not as complex. It requires DOS, a 486/66 and 8 Megs of RAM (only allows 320x200 resolution). Download the Shattered Steel demo; 16 megabytes; from Interplay. Download the Shattered Steel demo; 16 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Shellshock From Eidos Interactive comes this tank action game. Use the -d tag when unzipping. Download the Shellshock demo; 2.0 megabytes; from Eidos Interactive.
Skullcracker A new side-scrolling action game from GTE. This one level demo lets you play as one of two characters: Skullcracker or Bonebreaker Jones. Requires: Windows 95, Windows 3.1, or Windows NT 3.51; 486/66 or faster processor recommended; 8 MB RAM; SVGA monitor (256 colors) and a 100% Windows compatible sound card. Download the Skullcracker demo; 7.3 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
SkyNET Bethesda Softworks' sequel to Terminator: Future Shock, SkyNET features SuperVGA graphics, multi-player action, thirteen different characters to play (humans and Terminators), and a host of other options. This demo requires DOS or Win95 and 8 MB of RAM. Download the SkyNET demo, 10 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
Soultrap A new 3D action/adventure game from Microforum. You enter a demented, nightmare world filled with danger and challenge. Requires P90, 12 MB of RAM and Windows 95. Download the Soultrap demo, 5.7 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online. Download the Soultrap demo, 5.7 megabytes, from Microforum.
Star Command A new galactic conquest strategy sim from GT Interactive. The game requires: 486/66 or higher (Pentium Processor is recommended), MS-DOS 5.0 or higher, 16 MB RAM, 25 MB of free hard drive space, and 1 MB of VRAM on your video card. Download the Star Command demo, 6.0 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online.
Star Control III The HyperMelee module from Accolade's Star Control III. This demo will show the combat module in the game. Requires 486/66DX2, Windows 95 or DOS 5.0, 8 MB of RAM. Download the Star Control demo; 7.1 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online. Download the Star Control demo; 7.1 megabytes, from Accolade.
Star General The latest incarnation of the Panzer General engine, set in deep space. Requires P60, Win95, 16 megs of RAM, DirectX II, and SVGA. Download the Star General demo; 14 megabytes, from Catware.
Stargunner Six mission shareware version of Apogee's new side-scrolling space action game. It requires a 486/66, 8 MB of RAM, and DOS (Reboot into a DOS Session from Win95). Download the Stargunner shareware, 5 megabytes, from Apogee. Download the Stargunner shareware, 5 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online. Download the Stargunner shareware, 5 megabytes, from Apogee's Best.com Mirror
Star Rangers A deep space shoot 'em up from Interactive Magic. Requires DOS. Download the Star Rangers demo; 4.0 megabytes, from Interactive Magic.
Steel Panthers 2 SSI's classic WW2 tank battle game returns in this DOS demo. Note: If any key on the keyboard is pressed while the computer player is taking a turn in this demo, the scenario ends and returns you to the main screen. Download the Steel Panthers 2 demo; 14.0 megabytes, from PC Gamer Online. Download the Steel Panthers 2 demo; 14.0 megabytes, from SSI.
Strife From Velocity, Strife uses the Doom engine, but adds a roleplaying game twist -- as you move through the world you need to talk to people and buy ammunition, as well as blast enemies. Download the Strife demo; 5 megabytes.
Surface Tension GameTek's new action game is a scifi shooter along the lines of a Terminal Velocity or Hellbender. The demo requires a 486 DX2/66 (Pentium recommended), DOS 5.0+ or Windows 95, and 8 MB of RAM. Download the Surface Tension demo from GameTek, 15 megabytes. Download the Surface Tension demo from PC Gamer Online, 15 megabytes.
Syndicate Wars From Bullfrog, the sequel to Syndicate. Command a squad of assassins in a rotating isometric perspective. This demo runs in VGA. Requires: 8 MB of RAM; Pentium. Download the Syndicate Wars demo; 19 megabytes.
System Shock The classic science fiction adventure with a unique interface, and based on the popular Ultima Underworld engine. Download the System Shock demo; 2.7 megabytes.
Terra Nova Inspired by Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers, this great game from Looking Glass puts you into battle wearing a PBA (Powered Battle Armour) suit. This demo lets you play in one mission. Download the Terra Nova demo; 8.2 megabytes; from Looking Glass. Download the Terra Nova demo; 8.2 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Tomb Raider Eidos Interactive's extremely impressive Tomb Raider, starring Lara Croft. It's a 3D game with a polygon character, in a kind of Indiana Jones world of lost temples, underground caves, wolves, vines and rivers. Requires: P60, 8 MB of RAM, VESA SVGA. Be sure to use the -d switch on pkunzip when unzipping, so you preserve the file's directory structure. Download the Tomb Raider demo; 2.1 megabytes; from Eidos Interactive. Download the Tomb Raider demo; 2.1 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Total Mayhem Domark's new action game has a three-quarter isometric view, similar to Crusader: No Remorse. Download the Total Mayhem demo; 5.6 megabytes; from Domark. Download the Total Mayhem demo; 5.6 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
Tyrian This arcade game from Epic Megagames puts you inside a sidescrolling starfighter as you battle your way across several planets. Very low system requirements -- 386, 4 MB of RAM. Download the Tyrian shareware, from Epic MegaGames; 1.8 megabytes.
Ultimate Warrior A 2D fighting game set in the Middle Ages and featuring SuperVGA graphics, this demo has been put out by newcomer AD Studios, in the UK. Requires P60, VESA 2.0, SVGA, and DOS 6.22 or Win 95. Use the "-d" switch when unzipping to recurse subdirectories. Download the Ultimate Warrior demo from AD Studios, 8 megabytes. Download the Ultimate Warrior demo from PC Gamer Online, 8 megabytes.
VGA Planets An Internet classic, this game puts you in competition with ten other players in a strategic, galactic contest. Turns are processed by E-mail, and there are forums on AOL and Prodigy, as well as many WWW sites, for finding games. The shareware version will let you play a complete game, limiting you only in technology levels. Download the shareware game of VGA Planets, version 3.2; 1.0 megabytes.
Virtual Pool Download a demo of the pool sim for the PC. In addition to its seamless interface, this demo features a 4-ball version of 9-ball, complete with match play, modem/network support, and an optional target line toggle to help you knock the ivory around. Download the Virtual Pool demo; 318 kilobytes.
Wacky Wheels A wacky car-racing game with animal drivers and easy-to-use keyboard commands, from Apogee software. This shareware version includes the wacky Duck shoot-em out too. Download the Wacky Wheels shareware; 1.6 megabytes.
WarCraft IWarCraft: Orcs and Humans was one of the first of the real-time strategy games, and led to the monster hit, WarCraft II. Download the WarCraft I demo; 1.5 megabytes; from Blizzard.
WarCraft II WarCraft II: Tides of Darkness, the superb follow up to WarCraft, is one of the best games we've seen in a long time. At eleven megabytes this is a huge demo, but if you have the time, it's worth it. You'll need a 486/33 with 8 MB of RAM and SVGA to run this one. Our website's Featured Demo for March. Download the Warcraft II demo; 11.2 megabytes; from PC Gamer Online.
War Diary More real-time strategy, this time from the Game Factory. It's set in 16th Century Asia, and you lead the Koreans against the invading armies of the Japanese Shogun. The game plays much like WarCraft II with resource-gathering, but the graphics are VGA and you can buy and sell resources. Requires 486 or greater, 8 MB of RAM, mouse and SoundBlaster compatible sound card. Download the War Diary demo; 3.5 megabytes from PC Gamer Online. Download the War Diary demo; 3.5 megabytes; from the CD-ROM.COM.
Wing Commander IV The latest chapter in Origin's science fiction epic, Wing IV features full-motion video, space combat and stars Mark Hamill. Download the Wing Commander IV demo; 13 megabytes.
Z This new real-time strategy game from the Bitmap Brothers features robots with very bad attitudes. Download the e_zdemo1.zip; 1.0 megs. Download the e_zdemo2.zip; 1.3 megs. Download the e_zdemo3.zip; 1.4 megs. Download the e_zdemow.zip; 0.8 megs. You need the first three files for DOS, and the fourth as well if you're running Windows 95.
Zone Raiders Post-nuclear combat driving from Virgin Interactive lets you take your modified hovercars for a spin in Super VGA. Download the Zone Raiders demo; 2.0 megabytes.
Zoop! The Zoop! demo is a self-extracting, 1.2 MB file. After downloading, choose FileManager, Run, and select the Zoopzip.exe program from the directory where you downloaded it to. This demo was February's Featured Demo. Download the Zoop demo; 1.2 megabytes.
ZPC ZPC is a new first-person shooter, based on the on the art of MTV animation artist Aidan Hughes with music by Roland Barker of Ministry (no music in the demo, though). Basically, it's like Rise of the Triad with wierd art. Requires Windows 95 and DirectX. Download the ZPC demo; 8 megabytes.