List of self-booting IBM PC compatible games

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Many early IBM PC compatible games between 1981 and 1988 were known as PC booters. These games were distributed on 5¼" or, later, 3½", floppy disks that booted directly, meaning once they were inserted in the drive and the computer was turned on, a custom operating system on the diskette took over and ran the program. This was commonly used as a form of copy protection until it became obsolete as games grew larger. Due to bit rot, original working versions of these floppy disks are rare, and many have largely been abandoned by their publishers, although working copies of some have been ported to DOS and may be found on the internet.

Title Released Genre Publisher/developer
3-K Trivia 1984 Strategy IBM
Ace of Aces 1986 Combat flight simulator Accolade Inc. / Artech Digital Entertainment
Agent USA 1984 Adventure / strategy Scholastic Corporation / Tom Snyder Productions
Alley Cat 1984 Platform IBM / Synapse Software
The Alpine Encounter 1985 Adventure Random House
Amnesia 1986 Adventure Electronic Arts
Apple Panic 1982 Platform / adventure Brøderbund
Archon: The Light and the Dark 1984 Strategy Electronic Arts / Free Fall Associates
Attack On Altair 1983 Action / arcade Windmill Software
Battlezone 1983 Action / arcade Atari
BC's Quest for Tires 1984 Action Sierra On-line / Sydney Development
Below the Root 1984 Adventure Windham Classics / Dale Disharoon
Beneath Apple Manor 1983 RPG Quality Software
Beyond Castle Wolfenstein 1984 Stealth game Muse Software
Big Top 1983 Platform Funtastic/ Michael Abrash
The Black Cauldron 1986 Adventure Sierra On-line
Borrowed Time 1985 Adventure Activision / Interplay Productions
Boulder Dash 1984 Action / arcade First Star Software
Boulderdash II: Rockford's Revenge 1985 Action / arcade First Star Software
Bruce Lee 1984 Platform Datasoft
Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom 1984 Action / arcade Sega
BurgerTime 1982 Platform Mattel Electronics / Data East
Centipede 1983 Arcade Atarisoft
Championship Lode Runner 1984 Platform Brøderbund Software
Chess88 1984 Board game Unknown
Climber 5 1987 Platform COMPUTE! Publications
Commando 1987 Run and gun Quicksilver / Data East
Conflict in Vietnam 1986 Simulation MicroProse
Congo Bongo 1984 Isometric platformer Sega
Conquest 1983 Platform Windmill Software
Cosmic Crusader 1982 Fixed shooter Michael Abrash / Funtastic
Crossfire 1981 Action Jay Sullivan / Sierra On-Line
Crusade in Europe 1985 Simulation MicroProse
Crypto Cube 1983 Puzzle DesignWare
Cutthroats 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
Cyborg 1982 Interactive fiction Sentient Software / Softsmith Software
Czorian Siege 1983 Arcade Computer Applications Unlimited / Howard W. Sams
Deadline 1982 Interactive fiction Infocom
Decision in the Desert 1985 Simulation MicroProse
Defender 1980 Scrolling shooter Williams Electronics
Defender of the Crown 1987 Strategy game Master Designer Software / Mirrorsoft
Demon Attack 1982 Fixed shooter Imagic
Demon's Forge 1981 Adventure Saber Software
Destroyer 1986 Simulation Epyx
Dig Dug 1982 Maze Namco / Atari
Digger 1983 Arcade Windmill Software
Donald Duck's Playground 1986 Educational Sierra On-Line
Donkey Kong 1982 Platform Nintendo / Coleco
Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One on One 1983 Sports Electronic Arts
Dunjonquest: Morloc's Tower 1979 Dungeon crawl Epyx / Automated Simulations
Earthly Delights 1983 Adventure Datamost
Eden Blues 1987 Adventure ERE Informatique
Enchanter 1986 Text adventure Infocom
Evolution 1982 Action Sydney Development Corp.
The Exterminator 1982 Action Nufekop / Bubble Bus Software
F-15 Strike Eagle 1984 Combat flight simulator MicroProse
FaceMaker 1982 Educational DesignWare / Spinnaker Software Corporation
Five-a-Side Indoor Soccer 1986 Sports Mastertronic Group
Fleet Sweep 1983 Arcade Mirror Images Software
Floppy Frenzy 1982 Arcade Windmill Software
Forbidden Castle 1985 Adventure Angelsoft / Mindscape
Forbidden Quest 1983 Adventure Pryority Software
The Fourth Protocol 1985 Adventure Electronic Pencil Company / Hutchinson Computer Publishing
Freddy Fish 1983 Arcade Mirror Images Software
Freddy Hardest 1988 Platform Dinamic Software
FriendlyWare P.C. Arcade 1983 Action FriendlySoft
FriendlyWare PC Introductory Set 1983 Action FriendlySoft
Frogger 1983 Arcade Konami / Sierra On-Line
Frogger II: Three Deep 1984 Action Parker Brothers / Sega
Full Count Baseball 1984 Sports Lance Haffner Games
Galactic Gladiators 1983 Tactical combat Strategic Simulations
Galaxian 1983 Fixed shooter Namco, Atari
Game Over 1987 Run and gun Dinamic Software, Imagine Software
Game Over II 1987 Shoot em' up Dinamic Software
Gamma Force in Pit of a Thousand Screams 1988 Text adventure Tom Snyder Productions, Infocom
Ghostbusters 1986 Miscellaneous Activision
Gremlins 1984 Fixed shooter Atari
Guerrilla War 1987 Run and gun SNK, Data East
Hacker II: The Doomsday Papers 1986 Puzzle / strategy Activision
Hard Hat Mack 1984 Platform game Electronic Arts
Harrier Combat Simulator 1987 Simulation Mindscape
HellCat Ace 1984 First person shooter MicroProse
High Stakes 1986 Card game Angelsoft, Mindscape
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
The Hobbit 1983 Text adventure Beam Software, Melbourne House
The Holy Grail 1984 Adventure Hayden Software
I, Damiano: The Wizard of Partestrada 1985 Text adventure Imagic, Bantam Software
Ikari Warriors 1987 Run and gun SNK, Data East
Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road 1988 Run and gun SNK, Data East
Indianapolis 500: The Simulation 1989 Racing Electronic Arts
Infidel 1983 Interactive fiction Infocom
International Hockey 1987 Sports Artworx Software, Superior Quality Software
J-Bird 1983 Puzzle Orion Software
James Bond 007: Goldfinger 1986 Text adventure Angelsoft, Mindscape
John Elway's Quarterback 1988 Sports Leland Corporation, Melbourne House
Joust 1983 Platformer Williams Electronics, Atari
Jumpman 1984 Platformer / puzzle Epyx, IBM
Jungle Hunt 1983 Action Taito, Atari
Karnov 1989 Platformer Data East
Kindercomp 1983 Educational Spinnaker Software Corporation
King's Quest: Quest for the Crown 1984 Adventure Sierra On-Line
King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne 1985 Adventure Sierra On-Line
Kobyashi Naru 1987 Adventure Mastertronic
Lane Mastodon vs. the Blubbermen 1988 Adventure Tom Snyder Productions, Infocom
The Last Mission 1987 Action Opera Soft
Lock On 1987 First person shooter Tatsumi Electronics, Data East
Lode Runner 1983 Platformer / puzzle Brøderbund, Ariolasoft
Marble Madness 1986 Platformer / racing Brøderbund, Ariolasoft
Master Miner 1983 Arcade Funtastic
Math Maze 1983 Racing DesignWare
Metropolis 1987 Simulation Arcadia Systems, Melbourne House
MicroLeague Baseball 1984 Sports MicroLeague Sports Association, MicroLeague Multimedia
Microsoft Adventure 1981 Text adventure Microsoft, IBM
Microsoft Decathlon 1982 Sports Microsoft, IBM
Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0 1982 Simulation subLOGIC, Microsoft
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2.0 1984 Simulation subLOGIC, Microsoft
Mindshadow 1984 Adventure Interplay Entertainment, Activision
Mine Shaft 1983 Puzzle Sierra On-Line, IBM
Miner 2049er 1983 Platformer / puzzle Big Five Software, Micro Fun
Montezuma's Revenge 1984 Platformer Parker Brothers, BCI Software
Moon Bugs 1983 Arcade Windmill Software
Moon Patrol 1983 Scrolling shooter Irem, Atari
Mouser 1983 Platformer / puzzle Gebelli Software, IBM
Ms. Pac-Man 1983 Maze General Computer Corporation, Midway, Atari
Murder on the Zinderneuf 1984 Adventure Free Fall Associates, Electronic Arts
Narco Police 1989 Action / shooter Iron Byte, Dinamic Software
Night Mission Pinball 1982 Pinball subLOGIC
Night Stalker 1983 Maze Mattel Electronics
Oil's Well 1984 Maze Sierra On-Line
Pac-Man 1983 Maze Namco, Atari
Paratrooper 1982 Shooter Greg Kuperberg, Orion Software
PC Pool 1983 Sports Hesware, IBM
PC Pool Challenges 1984 Sports Hesware, IBM
PC-Man 1982 Maze Orion Software
Pinball Construction Set 1985 Pinball Electronic Arts
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns 1984 Platformer Activision
Pitstop II 1984 Racing Synergistic Software, Epyx
Planetfall 1983 Interactive fiction Infocom
Portal 1986 RPG Nexa Corporation, Activision
Prowler 1987 Simulation Icon Design Ltd., Mastertronic
Rasterscan 1987 Puzzle Binary Design, Mastertronic
Rescue at Rigel 1980 RPG Epyx
River Raid 1984 Scrolling shooter Activision
Robotron: 2084 1983 Fixed shooter Williams Electronic Games, Atari
Rollo And The Brush Bros 1983 Puzzle Windmill Software
Satan 1990 Platformer Dinamic Software
ScubaVenture 1983 Arcade Gebelli Software, IBM
Seastalker 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
Serpentine 1982 Action Brøderbund
The Seven Cities of Gold 1987 Adventure Ozark Softscape, Electronic Arts
Shamus 1984 Action William Mataga, Synapse Software
Sherlock Holmes: Another Bow 1985 Adventure Imagic, Bantam Software
Sid Meier's Pirates! 1987 Action / adventure MicroProse
Sidewinder 1988 Shoot em' up Synergistic Software, Arcadia Systems
Sierra Championship Boxing 1985 Sports Evryware, Sierra On-Line
Silent Service 1986 Submarine simulator MicroProse
The Slugger 1988 Sports Ocean Software, Mastertronic
Snack Attack II 1982 Maze Funtastic
Solo Flight 1983 Simulation MicroProse
Solomon's Key 1988 Puzzle Tecmo, U.S. Gold
Sorcerer 1984 Text adventure Infocom
Space Strike 1982 Arcade Michael Abrash, Datamost
Spiderbot 1988 Platformer Addictive Games, Epyx
Spitfire Ace 1984 Flying shooter MicroProse
Spy Hunter 1984 Vehicular combat Midway, Sega
Starcross 1982 Interactive fiction Infocom
Stargate 1983 Scrolling shooter Williams Electronic Games, Atari
Storm 1987 Puzzle Mastertronic
Strategy Games 1983 Strategy IBM
Styx 1983 Puzzle Windmill Software
Sub Mission 1987 Shooter Tom Snyder Productions, Mindscape
Summer Games II 1986 Sports Epyx
Super Boulder Dash 1986 Arcade First Star Software, Electronic Arts
Super Football Sunday 1985 Sports Quest Inc., Avalon Hill
Super Zaxxon 1984 Shoot em' up Sega
Suspect 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
Suspended 1983 Interactive fiction Infocom
Tag Team Wrestling 1985 Sports Data East
Tapper 1983 Action Marvin Glass and Associates, Midway
Tass Times in Tonetown 1986 Adventure Brainwave Creations, Interplay Productions, Activision
Timothy Leary's Mind Mirror 1986 Interactive fiction Futique, Electronic Arts
Touchdown Football 1984 Sports Imagic, IBM
The Tracer Sanction 1984 Adventure Interplay Productions, Activision
Trilogy 1987 Adventure Mastertronic
Trivia 101 1984 Educational Digital Learning Systems, IBM
Troll's Tale 1984 Adventure Sierra On-Line
TV and Cinema 101: Trivia from Talkies to Trekkies 1984 Game show Digital Learning Systems, IBM
Ulysses and the Golden Fleece 1982 Hi-res adventure Sierra On-Line
Voodoo Island 1985 Text adventure Angelsoft, Mindscape
Warrior of Ras: Volume I - Dunzhin 1982 RPG Intelligent Statements Inc., Computer Applications Unlimited
Will Harvey's Music Construction Set 1984 Educational Electronic Arts
Winter Games 1986 Sports Epyx
The Witness 1983 Interactive fiction Infocom
Wizard and the Princess 1982 Adventure On-Line Systems
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord 1984 RPG Sir-Tech
Wizardry II: The Knight of Diamonds 1985 RPG Sir-Tech
Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn 1986 RPG Sir-Tech
Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna 1987 RPG Sir-Tech
Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom 1988 RPG Sir-Tech
Wizball 1987 Shoot 'em up Sensible Software, Ocean Software
Word Spinner 1984 Educational The Learning Company
World Games 1986 Sports K-Byte, Epyx
World Karate Championship 1986 Fighting Epyx / System 3
The World's Greatest Baseball Game 1985 Sports Quest Inc., Epyx
Zaxxon 1984 Arcade Sega
Zork: The Great Underground Empire 1982 Interactive fiction Infocom
Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz 1983 Interactive fiction Infocom
Zork III: The Dungeon Master 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
ZorkQuest: Assault on Egreth Castle 1988 Adventure Tom Snyder Productions, Infocom
ZorkQuest: The Crystal of Doom 1989 Adventure Tom Snyder Productions, Infocom
Zyll 1984 Interactive fiction IBM

See also