Top 10 · 1980s

The 10 best DOS games of the 1980s

The 10 best DOS games of the 1980s, as the players of dos.games rate them. Dig Dug leads the list, ahead of Pole Position and Amazon.

Every game on the list plays in your browser, with nothing to install. The order comes from players' ratings and real play time, so it moves as people play.

Updated November 6, 2026How the lists are ranked

120DOS games of the 1980s in the archive
10 of 10Play in your browser
3.6Score of #1, out of 5

1. Dig Dug
1983 · Namco Limited · Action
3.6 out of 5Played a lot
Dig Dug is a 1-2 player arcade game in which you have to use your shovel to dig your way through the earth.
Play now: Dig Dug About the game
2. Pole Position
1988 · Namco Limited · Racing / Driving
3.5 out of 5Played a lot
Pole Position is the conversion of the arcade racing game.
Play now: Pole Position About the game
3. Amazon
1984 · Telarium · Adventure
3.5 out of 5Played a lot
The Amazon jungle.
Play now: Amazon About the game
4. King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown (1987)
1987 · Sierra On-Line, Inc. · Adventure
3.4 out of 5Played all the time
King's Quest is an adventure game where you play Sir Graham, a brave knight who is sent on a quest to retrieve three treasures that were stolen by deception and stealth: a shield that protects its bearer from invaders, a mirror that foretells the future, and a treasure chest that is forever filled with gold.
Play now: King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown (1987)About the game
5. Zork I: The Great Underground Empire
1982 · Infocom, Inc. · Adventure
3.4 out of 5Played a lot
Zork: The Great Underground Empire is a classic text adventure game.
Play now: Zork I: The Great Underground Empire About the game
6. SimCity
1989 · Maxis Software Inc. · Simulation
3.3 out of 5Played all the time
SimCity sets you as the mayor of a new municipality, with the responsibility of building and maintaining a place where citizens can move to and work and be happy.
Play now: SimCity About the game
7. Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World
1988 · New World Computing, Inc. · Role-playing (RPG)
3.3 out of 5Played all the time
The Sequel to the successful Might and Magic I, it boasted better graphics, a larger world, but still pretty much the same game engine and presentation.
Play now: Might and Magic II: Gates to Another World About the game
8. Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress
1982 · Richard Garriott · Role-playing (RPG)
3.3 out of 5Played a lot
The sequel to Ultima featured several improvements over the original, such as separate town and world maps, and the concept of traveling through time gates into different eras on Earth.
Play now: Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress About the game
9. Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness
1987 · ORIGIN Systems, Inc. · Role-playing (RPG)
3.3 out of 5Played all the time
Ultima I is a remake of the classic RPG Ultima from 1981.
Play now: Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness About the game
10. Rogue
1984 · A.I. Design · Role-playing (RPG)
3.3 out of 5Played a lot
This classic dungeon-crawl uses ASCII characters (letters and some symbols) and basic colors to depict a rogue's epic adventure through the infamous Dungeon of Doom.
Play now: Rogue About the game

Ranks 11–20

More great DOS games of the 1980s

11. Ultima III: ExodusORIGIN Systems, Inc. · Role-playing (RPG) · 1985Played a lot
A lot
3.3 out of 5
12. Strip Poker: A Sizzling Game of ChanceArtworx Software Company, Inc. · Gambling · 1985Played all the time
All the time
3.3 out of 5
13. King's Quest II: Romancing the ThroneSierra On-Line, Inc. · Adventure · 1987Played a lot
A lot
3.3 out of 5
14. Montezuma's Revenge (1984)Parker Brothers · Action · 1984Played all the time
All the time
3.3 out of 5
15. Wizardry I: Proving Grounds of the Mad OverlordSir-tech Software, Inc. · Role-playing (RPG) · 1984Played a lot
A lot
3.3 out of 5
16. King's Quest IV: The Perils of RosellaSierra On-Line, Inc. · Adventure · 1988Played all the time
All the time
3.3 out of 5
17. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action GameU.S. Gold Ltd. · Action · 1989Played a lot
A lot
3.3 out of 5
18. Ghosts 'N GoblinsCapcom U.S.A., Inc. · Action · 1987Played a lot
A lot
3.3 out of 5
19. King's Quest III: To Heir is HumanSierra On-Line, Inc. · Adventure · 1986Played a lot
A lot
3.3 out of 5
20. ContraKonami, Inc. · Action · 1988Played all the time
All the time
3.3 out of 5

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Questions

Frequently asked

How Best DOS Games are ranked

What is the best DOS game of the 1980s?

Dig Dug (1983, Namco Limited) is the best DOS game of the 1980s by our players' ratings, ahead of Pole Position and Amazon. The ranking follows players' ratings and real play time, so it changes as people play.

Can I play these DOS games of the 1980s online?

Yes. 10 of the games on this list play free in your browser on dos.games, with no download and no emulator to set up. Press Play on any of them; your progress can be saved.

How many DOS games of the 1980s are there on dos.games?

120. This list ranks the best 10 in full and the next ones below them; the catalogue has every one, with filters for year, studio and more.

How is this list ranked?

With the same score as our Best DOS Games ranking: players' ratings, pulled toward the archive's own rating while a game has few of them, plus a small bonus for the games people actually keep playing. No editor and no sponsor decides a place.