Early PC Games

They don't make innovative games like in DOS era, just cookie cutter pay2win crap and rehashes of the old stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ2AOkpYVlg&list=PL14B96FBC38C77A08 God of Thunder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtdQwOVwbMA Veil of Darkness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-6PIjPe8pA TAlone in the Dark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8BpkajvBjI Command & Conquer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE3t_WuoSwE Sid Meier's Civilization
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtkMeyRpwCQ Tomb Raider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD6y-uR5ldw Realms of the Haunting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJvdZWhNLiM Elite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6siCTfxGFA Zork2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIuxB1oR2WQ Lemmings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlHJacyqUmo Quest for Glory II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuMBYZrcQfU Descent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz3Aw5qLcOs Maniac Mansion Day of The Tentacle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDtFGh1UJjI Warcraft 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhPDc1gbP5k X-COM: UFO Defense
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbjXuPa1uW0 Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TePZHQ_6GqE Dungeon Keeper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdUp4zgB8so Wizball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZZXJ3zCRDQ Indiana Jones and the Fate Of Atlantis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Dt7PtV1E0 Eric the Unready
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcUZh0BZQSQ Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcdMh1M7QLI Chips Challenge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bANf0CXO0S8 Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpIUxjGfkXg The Secret of Monkey Island

I love how much reading and thinking you had to do back then. The ADHD twitch generation could never play through one of those old Sierra/Lucasarts games.

>>2
Is that why there's a bajillion visual novels these days?

>>3
VNs are different, they're closer to books than games. You don't have to explore or solve puzzles, just read and make choices unless it's a kinetic novel.

>>4
Most VNs use adventure/RPG elements with statistics, inventories and character progression, puzzles also appear(though not as complex as true puzzle games. They're called "Puzzle rooms").

Realms of Arkania Star Trail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li481VkhoEc

a very hard RPG in a Lords of the Rings copycat world

>>6
There are also Realms of Arkania remakes, but these are very amateurish with cheesy 3d graphics, compared to the original games.

Spellcraft: Aspects of Valor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8fPomvqx1g

The game is similar to Magic Carpet, but with more adventure elements. Just stay away from the botched console port.

Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsJl9BrGzEo

Proper and very hard Warhammer game. The second game, Dark Omen is also very good and challenging, yet you can complete it using a single Wizard character. Modern WH games are shitfest, without much tactics.

Deathtrap Dungeon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3jCFmmRxig

A really hard 3d action game with cool level design. Near the end it becomes almost impossible. The PC version is botched, so that is the only time PSX version is actually better.

I can explain why most of these games aren't popular anymore - twitch-based reaction gameplay was more psychologically satisfying than slow games with delayed gratification.
The games that survived the 90's had visceral, fast gameplay and simple control schemes. That meant the FPS became dominant as they're built for fast feedback loops. Action-RPG is the echo of FPS success and Arena/Battle-Royal/MOBA genre is the modern fusion of the two.

>>10
If the graphics were upgraded it would be a great modern title. 3D platformers are rare today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiVQcHnJZ2k

No mention of Prince of Persia and Kye?

Boppin
https://www.myabandonware.com/game/boppin-1u7

a solid puzzle game with some action elements and even boss fighting.

>>14
Oh, and in 1994 they already got annoyed by the crawl of political correctness.

>>13
Never tried Kye, reminds me of Adventures of Lolo. Prince of Persia is pretty bland and mainstream.

>>14,15
Looks eerily familiar to three-in-a-row puzzle games of today.

>>16
Eggerland/Adventures of Lolo speedruns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQKScIJYUxU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNKD9K6MLhA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Pi98fktDs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5HbcRCmlqQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTMlWxqJKSY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOcpXHbKO7A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uEH5WSgjlk

Empire of Fading Suns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzPWFZw7Yec

a civilization like game with several planets for different factions.