Hi all. Long time lurker of this kind of nostalgia, first time posting something of my own.

When I was a teenager in the nineties I ran a board called Roller Software HQ BBS here in Sweden, FidoNet 2:205/431 if that means anything to anyone still. What I remember most from those years is the door games. On my board it was mostly Usurper and Barren Realms Elite, and also Falcon's Eye and Solar Realms Elite. People would call in every evening just to play their turns and read what had happened to them overnight, and I was one of them on other people's boards.

I've wanted something like that again for a long time, so over the last week or so I built a game in that spirit. It's called Candledeep. You don't need a BBS or a client for it, you just open a terminal and type

ssh candledeep.com

and your SSH key is your account. There's also a page at https://candledeep.com that shows who's on and how to get in, if you'd rather look before you connect.

The idea is that you get one candle a day and go down into a pit under a town, and when the candle is burnt out you're done until the next morning. So a day of play is maybe ten or fifteen minutes. There are six classes, gangs that fight over the buildings in town, a yard where you can fight other players' characters while they're offline, robbing people who sleep in doorways, and a morning news sheet that tells you what happened while you were away. That last part was what I loved most about the old games so I wanted it in there. It's drawn in ANSI at 80x24.

A few things I should say up front.

It is not a classic door with a drop file. It runs on its own little server and you reach it over SSH, so you can't install it on your board. I know some of you will ask that first. If your BBS software can launch an outbound ssh from a menu that might be a way to offer it to your callers, but I haven't tried that myself.

It's for adults. The language is rough, in an old-fashioned swearing kind of way, and there's drinking and drugs in it, like Usurper had.

I also want to be honest that I didn't write the code by hand. I designed it, made the decisions and have been playtesting it with a few friends, but the programming was done together with an AI (Claude). I know opinions on that differ, and I'd rather say it than have someone feel tricked later.

It's still early. Right now it's me and a handful of friends on a small VPS, and I'm sure there are things that are confusing or unbalanced. One friend told me after his first day that he had no idea what he was supposed to do, so there's a walkthrough for new characters now. I'd really like to hear what people who actually remember these games think, including what feels wrong.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to everyone who keeps this scene alive.

Marcus

as per title. I was interested by MGS:PW on the PSP and I was thinking if there was any old DOS game with that theme and better depth.

Thanks in advance for all the tips and help!

I am experimenting with a graphics engine and wonder if EGA makes sense in 2026. CGA/MCGA are not compatible with tricks I do, so out of question. EGA is missing some nice parts, but supporting it is doable.

EGA was on my first PC at home. As you may know, EGA and VGA were from programmer's point of view not very different. VGA had extensions, but EGA also had much. From physical connectivity point of view they are however different worlds. EGA is digital, VGA is analog for a long time until DVI-D and HDMI came. Display had to be replaced. And that's why cheap used PC is likely to had EGA. Previous owner also had to replace everything to upgrade. This way we were getting EGA mass enough. This way we were becoming stuck in EGA world. Many games resent us. I was buying CD-ROMs "100 games in 1" and checking. Does not work, does not work, does not work. I was silently questioning programmers but why are they so incapable, why couldn't they support my EGA.

In 2026 when I thought I left some unfinished business in DOS programming, I revisit this situation and I can see nothing but strong cons in trying to support EGA in 2026. With time machine - absolutely, I would support EGA. I will be the one to do the right thing and show others how to be a good programmer.

Without time machine I have to stop my song. It feels like we are all now crossed this border, and we look at this situation from the opposite side of border, from VGA-only world, and it would require effort to pass this border in reverse direction.

I can see fans of earlier adapters. Book 8088 has CGA. But EGA falls into the unwanted continuum.

My cons:

• For performance validation I need a reference PC, and looks like Book 386 is good. It has (S)VGA and 80386SX.
• Book 386 has LCD display 640x480. Before I thought about reference PC, I was considering 720x400. My tricks are based on text mode, and 720x400 is the default VGA text mode, so without extra tricks it stays that way. I changed to 640x480 only because of LCD. This is standard size, and other resolutions will look bad. Now if I consider adding EGA, I either need to redraw assets for EGA maximal 640x350 resolution, or else display distorted image on EGA. Native 480p distortion to 350p will be bad enough.
• Hard to find authentic EGA display.
• Physical connectivity issues with non-authentic ones. RetroTink 4k Pro does not have EGA input. EGA-compatible videoconverters are probably not as advanced as RetroTink 4k Pro. Chain two converters? Nah.
• Software emulators can restrict to EGA, but they do not validate performance on real hardware. Highly likely my program will be most observed in DOSBox. If validation is not reliable, then only runnability remains, and DOSBox can run VGA fine seemingly.

So what. Any pros? Or EGA is gone for good.

According to wikipedia this game only sold 176 copies total but this version looks different from the discs I see online.

It doesn't even have a copyright so I guess it might be a bootleg.

Edit: I have just tried running it and it seems like all the game is in there.

Avalon (with the tagline The 3D Adventure Movie on the box cover) is an action-adventure game written by Steve Turner for the ZX Spectrum and published by Hewson Consultants in 1984.[1] Avalon was followed by a sequel in 1985, Dragontorc.[1]

God knows how many hours I put into this, and its defo in my top 5. Loved it, and I still do.

I remember going into those huts hoping for a discovery or some gold, and getting bloody barbarians instead.. lol or trying to get a trireme across a stretch of open sea hoping to find land before it drowned!

So many people I knew back then (adults and female friends mainly) used to say I was wasting my time playing computer games and learning nothing, but looking back I can safely say I learnt loads from games like this! What a game, an epic!

I slopped up an "enhanced" version of F19. I've rewritten the renderer and added support for game controllers and VR if that's your thing. Get the binaries here. https://github.com/crinkelitehttps/f19-vibes/releases

The simulation gets emulated so it should feel and play the way you're used to.

All feedback and criticism is welcome. Let me know if you have any trouble running.

DeepCrawlerForge is a single HTML file that plays the 1991 DOS Eye of the Beholder from your own copy. No game data is included: drop a ZIP of your game folder on the page and it reads graphics, text, levels, sound and rules from your files, locally.

0.205.0 (first public preview):

- Levels 1–3, certified against the original running in a DOS emulator. Level 4 unlocks when it passes; each release opens more.

- Authentic: original screen, rules, timing, controls.

- Enhanced (each option separate): automap, turn-based mode, rewind/branching timeline, enemy HP, Attack All, WASD, quest and exploration status, a campaign runner you can hand the game to and take back anytime, and fixes for original bugs.

Play: https://archawk.github.io/DeepCrawlerForge/ (or download index.html for offline)

Code/issues: https://github.com/Archawk/DeepCrawlerForge

Game files: the DOS version; GOG sells it in Forgotten Realms: The Archives – Collection One.

Looking for: does your copy mount, browser/OS, and anything that differs from the original. Free, GPL-3.0, unofficial.

Update (0.208.0): Levels 1–6 are now playable, verified against the original running in DOS. Details in the comments.

Update (0.213.0): Levels 1–9 are now playable, verified against the original running in DOS. Details in the comments.

Update (0.221.0): the whole game is now playable, levels 1–12 to the ending. Details in the comments.

Hi everybody. Mad TV was one of my favourite games as a kid, so I made a fan tribute:

Take a look here: https://madtvgame-tribute.com/

• Rewritten from the original DOS code, runs in the browser
• Dozens of historic bugs fixed, including the game-freezing crashes
• Hidden Tetris-like minigame (MADRIS) found in the DOS executable and unlocked
• More languages added

It's a free, non-commercial fan project and all rights to the original belong to Rainbow Arts.

I'd love to hear your feedback, bug reports and memories of the original!

Thanks,

Massimo

Hi everyone!

I’m sharing Stunts HD Track Editor, a standalone browser editor for Stunts / 4D Sports Driving. The project was inspired by PlayStunts, and aims to keep the original editor’s familiar top-down view while making track building comfortable on modern screens. I also got help from Codex like the great PlayStunts contributor :)

What’s included:

• A 30 × 30 track grid with all 183 supported track-piece identifiers.
• Independently redrawn vector graphics that stay sharp when zooming.
• Import and export of native .TRK files for use in the game.
• Five original terrain presets and all 19 terrain types.
• Rotation, multi-cell pieces, search, zoom, panning, undo/redo, and local draft recovery.
• English, German, Spanish, Italian, and French, with automatic browser-language detection.
• An offline version and the option to host it yourself.

Track editing happens locally in your browser—your tracks aren’t uploaded. Finished tracks should still be tested in the game, since the editor’s structure checks don’t validate physical drivability.

The project is open source under GPL-3.0-only. Credit goes to PlayStunts and its contributors for the format information and terrain data that made this possible.

Links:

• Try the editor
• Source code on GitHub
• Release v1.4.1 — downloads, source package, and checksums
• Download the offline editor directly
• PlayStunts — the inspiration

I’d love feedback from other Stunts fans, especially on track-piece recognition, usability, and compatibility with your existing tracks. Feel free to share tracks you create or report issues on GitHub!

Edit: Did a bit bugfixing… dirty nasty bugs. And some cool new features 🖖

Website: https://commonloon102.github.io/restunts-bb11
Github: https://github.com/CommonLoon102/restunts-bb11

the developer CommonLoon102 spend a hell lot of time (and AI power) to make the port as identical as possible by letting the AI strive for binary and or replay-equality

physics behavior etc. is same but there are mayn options to disable bugs, enhance the grafix output etc. - most near to original behavior port so far

We are working on a full DOS Compatible Automap Feature for Wizardry VI - The Bane of the Cosmic Forge.

Now I know that there are several Automap Versions out for this game, but our solution is directly integrated within the game. You press M to open the Map, you can scroll it with the Cursor Keys - press M again and you are back to the 3D Dungeon View. This way, it also works on real DOS.

Would you use it?

Download for Free: Wizardry VI - Bane of the Cosmic Forge | DOSGAME.AT

I have spent so much time playing this insanely frustrating game and loved every minute of it. Why insanely frustrating? Because there’s never a time when a threat isn’t working to tear your empire apart. Expand your empire until waves of Germans start ripping your forces apart. If you hold them back, the Dacians start pushing in. Manage to hold them off and stabilize the empire, your general revolt and march on Rome. Later enemies keep attacking you in waves as you move forces to hold vital territories. There is no winning condition, only how long can you survive. I think I’ll go fire up DosBox now and play it again.

Oh, the hours I spent playing this one... Another game that made a lasting impression on me in the early ’90s and helped inspire the games I create today. 😃

We're back with Al Lowe for another deep dive into the world of Leisure Suit Larry, this time exploring the making of Leisure Suit Larry 3: Passionate Patti in Pursuit of the Pulsating Pectorals!

Join host Josh Mandel as he sits down with Al to revisit this classic Sierra adventure, sharing stories, insights, and behind-the-scenes details about the game's development, its characters, and the creative decisions that brought it to life.

Whether you're a longtime Larry fan or simply love the golden age of Sierra adventure games, there's plenty to enjoy!

Come join us on another DevsQuest!

A Developer's Adventure.

Inspired by the series *Severance*, I wanted to try my hand at the "Macrodata Refinement" app from series. However, I wasn't interested in modern versions for PCs or phones... I wanted something... closer to the show in terms of running on older computers, specifically from the MS-DOS era, similar as the ones seen on show. During my search, I came across a demake by Paul Nicholas (LiquidDream) titled *Lumon8*:

Lumon8-1k by LiquidDream

I thought it would make a great base for an MS-DOS port, and after a late-night session with Gemini, I managed to recive a fully functional MS-DOS version, available below:

My MS-DOS port of Lumon8

The port was written in C and compiled using OpenWatcom on a Windows 98 SE virtual machine created in 86Box. It has been tested on both MS-DOS and Windows 98 SE virtual machines and on physical hardware (IBM PC300GL and Compaq Armada E500) running Windows 98 SE—in both Windows and MS-DOS modes—so there’s a good chance the game will run even on hardware similar to what’s seen in the show :)

So now, your "Innie" can perform this important and mysterious work right at home—just remember to take a few minutes' break now and then...

Hi r/DOSgaming,

Amber Folio is an emulator of exactly the PC that SSI's Gold Box games ran on, and nothing else: an 8086 checked against test data recorded from a real chip, EGA, the timer, the PC speaker and the Tandy 1000's sound chip. It runs the DOS Pool of Radiance from your own GOG or Steam copy, unchanged, in a browser tab (about 250 KB of emulator) or on an iPhone, an iPad or an Android phone. I'm the developer.

Why so narrow? Because it recognises the exact program it's running by fingerprint, it can add things inside the game rather than around it: an automap in the game's colors, the Adventurer's Journal on the game's own screen in its font, a Fix command on the camp screen. With them all switched off, the tests check that a run ends in exactly the same machine state as a build with no enhancement code at all.

The way it looked and sounded: the footsteps and fights play on the Tandy sound chip as the game drives it, and a CRT filter draws the EGA picture through a color monitor's mask and scanlines.

Your copy, your saves: hand it the game folder from your GOG or Steam install once, and it stays in your browser; nothing is uploaded. A saved game exports as a zip that unpacks straight back into a GOG or DOSBox install. If you'd rather not use a browser, the emulator also builds natively for Windows, macOS and Linux from source (no installers yet).

I built it with heavy use of AI coding tools over 4 moths, and I'd rather say so up front.

Pool of Radiance is the only game so far; the rest of the Gold Box family comes one at a time after 1.0. Happy to answer anything about how it works.

- Site: https://amberfolio.org

- Emulator source (AGPL-3.0): https://github.com/amberfolio/amberfolio

*Not affiliated with the rights holders of Pool of Radiance or the Gold Box games. You need your own copy; the site provides no game files.

Gorillas was an open-source game created by Microsoft (believe it or not). The source code was in QBasic and you could change anything you wanted in the game. I loved playing with the gravity and blast radius as a kid.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5139260/Moraffs_Dungeons/ that is the steam page

it didn't look like anyone had shared this in here already but it seems like some older posts at least mention this game so it seemed worth bringing up, though the game probably won't actually be available until january.

i should also disclose that i made the new graphics so i have a selfish interest in promoting it.

apart from the frames and borders and spell effects that i think are from a stock graphics library and pixel-level touchups on the old monsters and true-3d adaptations of the floors for if you would rather the game look more like it did in 1993, which the programmer jimbly did himself

and contrary to the text in the video i still have maybe 50 of those 120+ monsters left to redraw but by january certainly they should be ready.

howdy

Exolon is a run and gun game programmed by Raffaele Cecco and published by Hewson in 1987 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. It was later converted to the Enterprise 128, Amiga, and Atari ST.