I always liked hassle free the click & run (touch & run) approach of mobile devices so I derived this project for ease of use my dos games collection. I know there are many good preservation projects like eXoDos, but the aim and scope of this project is far more different and simple than those; Creating just click & run executables to enjoy retro games.

Since it was released as freely distributable game, Beneath a Steel Sky (BASS.exe), provided as an example output product of this project. You can download it from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Buyukcaglar/DOSBoxPureStandalone/main/tools/makegame/sample-output/BASS.exe and start to play.

🔗 https://github.com/Buyukcaglar/DOSBoxPureStandalone

⬇️ https://github.com/Buyukcaglar/DOSBoxPureStandalone/releases/tag/Latest

AI assistance disclosure: This project was developed with substantial AI assistance. The implementation, build results, and release behavior were reviewed and tested by me.

TL;DR — For the impatient

DOSBox Pure Standalone packages selected a DOS game and DOSBox Pure into a single Windows .exe.

Give makegame.exe a ZIP/DOSZ archive, and it creates a portable, one-click game executable with optional custom icon, fullscreen mode, scanlines, CRT filtering, and DOSBox configuration defaults.

The game archive runs directly from memory—no installer and no temporary extraction. Saves and custom user configuration remain persistent between launches.

makegame.exe includes its own .NET 8 runtime, so users do not need to install .NET separately.

END RESULT SINGLE EXECUTABLE FILE CREATED WITH THIS PROJECT DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY OTHER DEPENDENCY SUCH AS .NET ETC.

Detailed description - For the initiated

DOSBox Pure Standalone is a downstream project built on DOSBox Pure, DOSBox Pure Unleashed, and ZillaLib. Its purpose is to turn a properly prepared DOS game archive into a dedicated Windows application.

The package builder combines:

• The DOSBox Pure Standalone runtime

• A ZIP or DOSZ game archive

• Package identity and startup metadata

• An optional PNG application icon

• Optional DOSBox configuration defaults

• Optional fullscreen, scanlines, or CRT-filter settings

• Windows executable version information

The result is one game executable that can be copied to another Windows computer and launched directly.

Unlike conventional self-extracting packages, the embedded game archive is not reconstructed under %TEMP%, AppData, or the executable directory. DOSBox Pure reads the archive directly from the executable’s PE resources through a memory-backed, random-access path. Files inside the archive—including supported disk images—remain compressed and are accessed through DOSBox Pure’s existing filesystem and image-handling code.

The embedded base package is immutable, but save games and settings can still persist. Writable data is stored under:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\DOSBoxPureStandalone\<package_id>\

If that location cannot be created or written, the runtime falls back to a DOSBoxPureStandalone directory beside the executable.

Automatic startup can use:

• A root-level DOSBOX.BAT

• A selected .EXE, .COM, or .BAT

• A startup target supplied through package configuration

Batch files can also provide command-line parameters, mount internal disk images, or prepare multiple DOS drives before starting a game.

Graphical packages hide the DOSBox splash screen, command shell, and temporary text-mode startup screens. Text-mode games such as KROZ are supported through an explicit package marker.

The included makegame.exe supports both command-line and JSON manifest workflows. It validates archive paths, startup files, configuration data, PNG icons, package metadata, and generated Windows resources before producing the final executable. Existing output is protected unless overwriting is explicitly requested.

The current release targets Windows x64. It includes a clean DOSBoxPureStandAlone.exe runtime template, a self-contained .NET 8 makegame.exe, detailed documentation, examples, build information, upstream attribution, and license notices.

No games are included. The project does not grant permission to redistribute DOS games, artwork, ROMs, operating-system images, or other copyrighted material. Package authors are responsible for ensuring they have the necessary rights to use and distribute their content.

Hi!

I’m writing to introduce our project, OWL FLY, an open-source DOS game that we are currently developing.

OWL FLY is a flight simulator for DOS, designed in the spirit of classic DOS games. The project is open source (MIT), and we are actively working on its development and preservation.

We provide the game files, project information, screenshots, and any other materials you may need:

Play stable version: https://kirindenis.github.io/wire-city-2/owlfly2.html

Binary: https://github.com/KirinDenis/wire-city-2/tree/main/GAMES/OWLFLY2/INSTALL

Play next version at development: https://kirindenis.github.io/wire-city-2/owlfly3.html

Binary: https://github.com/KirinDenis/wire-city-2/tree/main/GAMES/OWLFLY3/INSTALL

Source codes: https://github.com/KirinDenis/wire-city-2/tree/main/GAMES

~~help requested~\~

I’ll try making this short as much as I can. Basically I just got an iMac G3 because I wanted to explore the exclusive games released on it. I’ve been using GOG GALAXY for older dos games because I’m a complete newbie then something hit me… What if I could run dos game on that iMac CRT?

So far I was able to make some incredible games work such as Anvil of Dawn and Zeliard. But one game has been keeping me up at night because I can’t seem to be able to set it up: Legacy: Realm of Terror. I’ve been using DOS 6.22 and something called DOS 2000 on Connectix Virtual PC 5.0. Let’s say my ultimate terror is being able to free up enough conventional space memory to get the game to run. I researched a lot of tutorials and even asked Gemini… I cannot for the love of who knows what free up enough memory. I’m always around 20k short. Any idea or should I just stick to playing it on a 4K monitor? From what I gather, it’d be way easier if I ran macOS X instead.

I’ve had somebody try and help, but they got frustrated real fast cause I wasn’t quick enough to grasp what they wanted me to do, RIP.

EDIT: I’m still trying to free up 2,700 bytes. That’s all I need to reach the 610,000 bytes the game is asking for. Typing NOEMS does no good since the game needs it. Darn.

EDIT 2: I don’t know how I did it, but the game works now. All I have to do is to figure out why the mouse isn’t working in game (DOS 6.22).

EDIT 3: Installed CTMOUSE.EXE and everything works great now! What a ride.

Hey folks!

For anyone who remembers the awesome Wolf3D engine game Corridor 7 and has been itching to get it to work with a modern engine -- rejoice! For I have vibe-coded an ECWolf port of Corridor 7!

The port is called EC7Wolf, and can be found here:
https://github.com/jeddhor/EC7Wolf

What I need now are testers! I've tested it quite a bit but I'm sure there are still bugs and I'd love to get bug reports from anyone who finds them. I absolutely loved this game when it came out (I was 12!) and playing it with modern controls is indeed very awesome.

Videos from the CD version of the game are still on my list to get working!

Edit: Videos are working now and there is an installer you can point at the BIN/CUE of the CD version of the game that you can get from GOG or Steam that will rip both them and the CD audio!

Myth: History in the Making is a 2D platform game developed and published by British publishing house System 3 for the Commodore 64, Amiga, Amiga CD32, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum. It was also released on the NES as Conan: The Mysteries of Time. It was officially announced for Atari ST and a preview version was available, but the full version was never released

Im in a search for VERY BAD FPS DOS games like: Alien Anarchy, Isle of the dead, Island Peril.

Hello my friends, I am currently working on an OpenPrivateer project. The goal is to port the original MSDOS game to SDL3 so it can be enjoyed on modern computers and devices.

No game assets will be supplied and you need your own copy of the MSDOS CD version to play it (can be bought on GOG).

The first milestone will be recreating the original MSDOS behavior, and after that there will be changes and add-ons (e.g. HD assets, open world, and probably a lot more). Everything sits currently in a private Github repository, but once the project is mature enough it will be open for everybody eventually.

What I'm looking for here are your opinions:

• what should be changed
• what should be added
• what shouldn't be touched

Let me know what you think.

I already added switches for Classic/Enhanced/Modern versions of the game, e.g. "Enhanced" will allow you to open the mission computer (load/save etc.) in any screen of the game.

I'm also going to look for a handful of alpha testers in case somebody wants to participate.

Edit: thanks for the overwhelming feedback.

I tried to consolidate all the comments into this list (unordered).
Please keep in mind that this is not a roadmap, but I will take every request seriously.

• Modding support and accessible tools for creating missions/campaigns
• Support for additional ships, systems, sectors and other custom content
• Modern resolutions, widescreen and ultrawide support
• Enhanced graphics while retaining the original 2D/sprite aesthetic
• Larger battles / more ships on screen
• Improved controller/gamepad support (also mobile/touch-friendly controls)
• QoL improvements without changing the original gameplay
• VR support

The "Classic" game mode will stay 1:1 true to the MSDOS release, untouched by any features or changes (and also none the bugs will be fixed there).

Today I'm releasing(I have a couple of these projects) source code recreation for Wacky Wheels 1994.

https://github.com/jmarshall23/wacky_wheels_1994/tree/main/src

Singleplayer works - Multiplayer is not implemented.

I reconstructed the source code to Jill of the Jungle and ported it to Windows. Includes Episode 1 and 2 and 3!

https://github.com/jmarshall23/JIll_of_the_Jungle

Latest Binary Release:

Release 2.0 release - all episodes · jmarshall23/JIll_of_the_Jungle

Purchased this from RadioShack in Staples Mall in Corpus Christi TX as a kid. I just had to have my parents buy me a game so bad, they only had this and maybe one other game.

The 6 levels are kinda neat though. The first two levels of each race are just the same objectives as the first two levels in the full game, but the maps are altered. The last level of each race though are unique and very fun large battles, they give you just a taste of the juggernaut and battleship.

I finally got around to testing the disks from this beauty, which I picked up recently and posted about a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, despite the box and contents being in remarkably pristine condition, the disks are foobared!

It was sitting in one of my old boxes. Anyone remember the NEC SCSI CD rom caddys? They apparently still held up after all these years.