If Doom defined the early FPS era, Quake launched the next one. Released by id Software in 1996, Quake was the first major shooter to use true 3D polygonal graphics throughout — no more sprite-based enemies, no more fake depth. The result was a darker, faster, more technically impressive game that set the template for modern shooters. The shareware episode is free to download.
About the Game
A government experiment with teleportation has gone wrong, and an entity called Quake is using the portals to send an army of medieval monsters and eldritch horrors into our world. You are a lone soldier sent in to stop it. The story is thin — but in Quake, the atmosphere does the storytelling. Dark stone castles, dripping dungeons, and impossible Lovecraftian geometry create a world that feels genuinely threatening.
Episode one of the shareware release, Dimension of the Doomed, contains eight full levels plus a secret level, and serves as a complete and satisfying experience on its own.
Gameplay Features
Quake is faster and more vertical than Doom. The true 3D environment means enemies can attack from above and below, and the level design exploits this constantly. The game introduced rocket jumping — using the blast of a rocket launcher to propel yourself to otherwise unreachable areas — a technique that would become a staple of competitive FPS games for decades.
The weapons include a shotgun, a double-barrelled super shotgun, a nailgun (and a super nailgun), a grenade launcher, a rocket launcher, and the devastating thunderbolt that fires continuous lightning bolts. The soundtrack, composed by industrial rock pioneer Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, perfectly matches the dark, aggressive tone of the game.
Why It’s Worth Playing Today
Quake’s movement system — tight, responsive, and physics-based — feels excellent even today. The level design by American McGee, Sandy Petersen, and Tim Willits is inventive and atmospheric. And the modding community around Quake remains one of the most active in gaming history, with thousands of fan-made levels and total conversions still being released. This is one of the most historically significant games ever made.
Download Quake Shareware for Free
How to Run with DOSBox
- Install DOSBox if you haven’t already.
- Extract the files to a folder like
C:QUAKE. - In DOSBox:
mount c C:QUAKE→c:→quake.