Solar Winds (1993): Epic’s Freeware Space RPG Before Wing Commander: Privateer
What do you get when a shareware studio blends Elite-style space trading with real narrative choice, years before that combination […]
Brix (1992): Epic MegaGames’ Puzznic-Inspired Puzzler Deserves a Second Look
A Simple Idea That Sneaks Up on You Brix looks like a Tetris clone at a glance, colored bricks fall,
Heartlight (1993): Epic MegaGames’ Detour Into Pure Puzzle Design
Epic MegaGames built its name on fast, loud action games — but tucked into their early catalog is a title
Kiloblaster (1992): Epic MegaGames’ Free Galaga Tribute
A lone fighter, three episodes of escalating alien assault, and a weapons upgrade path that gets genuinely out of hand
Xargon (1993): Epic MegaGames’ Most Overlooked Free Platformer
Long before Unreal, Epic MegaGames made its money on shareware platformers. Xargon is arguably the best of that early lineup,
Hugo III: Jungle of Doom (1992) — A One-Man Studio’s Trilogy Closer
David P. Gray built the entire Hugo trilogy essentially by himself under his own Gray Design Associates label, and Jungle
Hugo II: Whodunit? (1991): David Gray’s Agatha Christie Homage
A year after his first Hugo game found an audience through disk libraries and bulletin boards, David Gray had a
Hugo’s House of Horrors (1990): One Programmer’s Answer to Sierra
David P. Gray didn’t have a studio behind him in 1990 — just a home computer, a shareware mailing address,
Epic Pinball (1993): James Schmalz’s SVGA Tables Still Feel Like Real Machines
The Pinball Sim That Made the Rest Look Cheap DOS had no shortage of pinball simulations, but most of them
Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy (1991): id Software Before the Guns
Two years before Wolfenstein 3D and three before Doom, id Software’s biggest release wasn’t a shooter at all — it
Ski or Die (1990) Review — EA’s Winter Answer to Skate or Die
Five snow sports, one relentlessly attitude-heavy presentation, and a cast of characters who treat a ski resort like a skate
Sam & Max Hit the Road (1993): LucasArts’ Weirdest Road Trip
Sam is a dog. Max is some kind of hyperkinetic rabbity thing. Together, they’re the Freelance Police, and in 1993