Games developed by Microïds
We provide a list of companies that developed abandonware games.
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500 cc Grand Prix
The mid-1980s saw the advent of the DOS gaming landscape with the introduction of 500 cc Grand Prix from the creative team at publisher Elite. Released in 1987, the game gave racing aficionados the chance to compete on surreal race tracks with computerised drivers. Players encountered a state-of-the-art display which featured a side-view of the action, allowing them to challenge the computer or each other.
The racetrack itself was curved around a circuit featuring various turns and obstacles. But this was just the beginning. As players earned victory points, they unlocked surprises and bonuses. This included additional courses, dialling up the difficulty to create an ever-increasing challenge. 500 cc Grand Prix also featured a split-screen mode which lets two players each tackle a single track, provided the same computer was used.
The game's sound is not aimed particularly at realism, but rather to simply support the visuals on the game’s colourful and vibrant display. The user-interface accompanied the races with a combination of light bleeps, cheerful hums, and upbeat synthesiser lines, all as a backdrop to the action. While the voices of participants and announcements of winners certainly provided a welcome injection of liveliness to the experience.
The graphics themselves proved superior to many of its peers. Employing multiple flat shades, the designers managed to achieve a variety of shapes and symbols to represent the cars and characters. As a result, regardless of technological limitations, the game provided a largely detailed experience.
In sum, the ambitious 500 cc Grand Prix proved to be a formidable offering. Its audio-visual prowess helped it standout in a market that was already filling up with newcomers. Not to mention, its innovative course selection and split-screen mode, solidified it as a must have game for racing enthusiast and 8-bit gaming fans alike.
Chicago 90
Chicago 90 is a classic DOS game released in 1989 by Electronic Arts. It is a top-down, scrolling shooter game set in the city of Chicago. Players take on the role of a police officer who must battle the gangs of the city in order to clean it up. The game features a variety of weapons and power-ups, as well as a variety of levels, enemies, and boss battles.
The game is set in the year 1990, where the player must battle the gangs of Chicago in order to save the city. The game has three levels, each featuring a different set of enemies and bosses. The player can choose from a variety of weapons, including shotguns, machine guns, and rocket launchers. In addition, the player can collect power-ups to increase their strength and armor.
The gameplay of Chicago 90 is simple and straightforward. The player must move through the levels, shooting enemies and avoiding obstacles. The player can also collect money to buy better weapons and power-ups. The game also features a variety of boss battles, which the player must complete in order to progress to the next level.
Overall, Chicago 90 is a classic DOS game that still holds up today. Its simple yet challenging gameplay makes it a great game for fans of the genre. The game has a variety of weapons and power-ups, as well as a variety of levels and enemies. It is a great game for those who want to experience a classic DOS shooter game.
Corsairs Gold
Corsairs Gold, released in 1999, is a real-time strategy game that takes players on a quest across the New World of the Renaissance era. This Windows game follows the story of Horatio Nelson, a sea captain, as he assembles a crew and fleets of ships to become the most powerful pirate of the Caribbean.
The game starts off with a tutorial which allows the player to learn the basics of navigating on the sea, constructing buildings, fortifying ships, and strategizing naval battles. By constructing a variety of buildings, the players can produce resources, such as lumber or rum, as well as expertise in several professions, which can be utilized to upgrade weapons, armor, and ships. The strategic aspects of the game come from having to skirmish and manage naval battles with other factions, such as Europe or the Native Americans. The player must manage morale, supply, and speeds in order to maximize chances of victory.
Corsairs Gold allows players to develop their own strategy-based gameplay by striving to achieve different political and economic goals as a pirate leader in the Caribbean. The game boasts interesting economic challenges, such as having to produce resources and trade goods with towns; whereas, the political goals involve forming alliances with other factions and enhancing their reputation.
Real-time strategy enthusiasts were certainly treated to challenging and complex naval battles by Corsairs Gold. But the game was even more than that. Through absorbing and fun game design, gamers immersing themselves could interact and develop their pirate colonies and fleets in unique ways. Plus, the political system proved to be an informative introduction into how the forces of government and alliances were able to restructure history over several centuries.
Corsairs Gold was, and still is, a highly regarded classic of its type and makes for a great nostalgia trip for any ardent strategy fan. The game provides a vast array of opportunities for creating strategy, sheer entertainment, and an essential window into the history of the New World.
Des Chiffres et des Lettres
Released in 1997 for Windows, Des Chiffres et des Lettres arrived in North American shelves as a curious hybrid that translated a beloved French game show into interactive puzzling. The concept fuses two widespread genres: arithmetic drills disguised as friendly competition and scavenger-hunt style wordplay that rewards verbal dexterity. On screens of the era, with chunky icons and a neon-inflected interface, the title felt both nostalgic and forward looking. Players who remembered the televised duel between quick calculations and fast forms of language would recognize the show's DNA, while newcomers discovered a brisk, approachable brain-teaser that did not require a complicated setup.
Under the hood the game embraces two distinct rounds that riff on the show s core strengths. In Chiffres players manipulate a handful of digits to hit a target number using plus, minus, multiplication and sometimes division, all under a ticking clock. The pressure creates tense decisions about order and optimization, delivered through simple drag-and-drop controls and quick button presses. In Lettres the action shifts to language creation: a randomized pool of vowels and consonants is presented, and contestants craft valid words to maximize points before time runs out. AI opponents provide steady rivalry, making each match a reluctant triumph or a stinging defeat.
Visually the Windows release captures late 90s digital optimism. A clean, tile based canvas presents the two halves side by side, with a host character who narrates rounds with cheerful cadence and a soft British or continental accent depending on the localization. Sound design leans on brisk beeps, chimes, and a approving applause when a perfect round is reached. The graphics embrace a warm color palette and readable typography, a deliberate antidote to the sometimes austere mechanical leanings of other puzzle titles. The result is approachable elegance that invites patient play rather than frantic twitch reaction. Its charm remains surprisingly modern.
Contextually the game sits at a transitional moment for PC puzzles, bridging television friendly trivia with the untamed experimentation of late era Windows titles. It offered a respectful nod to fans of the broadcast while giving casual players a graceful entry point into wordsmithing and arithmetic. Critics might note a lack of deep progression or cutting edge AI, yet the charm endures in its modest ambitions and easy to learn rules. For collectors and nostalgia seekers Des Chiffres et des Lettres remains a quirky footnote, a snapshot of creative adaptions in a pre digital streaming era.
Dominium
Dominium, a distinctive DOS game released in 1992, occupies a niche in the early world of computer gaming. Developed by a small studio, it attempted to blend complex strategy with engaging gameplay. Rooted in the realm of science fiction, Dominium offers players a chance to navigate an expansive galaxy teeming with interstellar politics, resource management, and tactical warfare. Its aesthetics and mechanics reflect the burgeoning creativity of early ’90s gaming, delivering an experience as captivating as it is multifaceted.
The game thrusts players into a richly detailed universe where they assume control of a fledgling empire seeking to expand its territory. Initially, players must establish a solid economic foundation through mining resources and building up their fleets. This phase showcases the critical balance of resource allocation, where decisions can lead to abundant growth or catastrophic failure. The challenge lies not only in gathering resources but also in adeptly managing relationships with rival factions, as diplomacy often plays a crucial role in a player's survival and expansion.
Dominium’s gameplay mechanics combine elements of turn-based strategy with real-time action, a feature that was quite innovative for its time. Players can strategize their moves during turn-based phases, meticulously planning their assaults or defensive maneuvers. When action erupts, the game seamlessly transitions to real-time, enhancing the adrenaline of space combat. This dual-layer approach allows for both careful planning and quick reflexes, which provides a dynamic gaming experience that feels uniquely satisfying.
The visual presentation, though limited by the technological constraints of its era, carries a certain charm that adds to the game's allure. Pixel art and simple graphics evoke a feeling of nostalgia, as players maneuver their ships across star-strewn backdrops reminiscent of classic science fiction novels. The sound design complements this aesthetic, immersing players in a universe filled with the sounds of warp drives and laser cannons, further enriching the overall atmosphere.
Despite its dated graphics and somewhat clunky interface, Dominium remains a noteworthy representation of the creativity and ambition that characterized early ’90s computer gaming. It encapsulates a pioneering spirit that aimed to merge storytelling with strategic gameplay in a compelling manner. For those who experienced this vintage gem during its heyday, the memories evoke a sense of adventure, while younger players seeking to understand the evolution of gaming might discover gold in this underappreciated title.
Empire of the Ants
Empire of the Ants, a Windows release from 2000, cast players as an ant colony trying to expand its influence in a sprawling, miniature world. Instead of clicking away at abstract icons, you watch thousands of tiny workers behave with convincing purpose: they haul food, defend tunnels, scout danger, and respond to pheromone cues. The game’s central thrill comes from scale. A blade of grass feels like a skyscraper, while a single missing worker can ripple into a labor shortage that slows every plan.
At its core, the title blends real-time management with tactical combat. You direct multiple unit roles, then rely on the colony to carry out tasks that are both practical and dramatic. Engineers dig and reinforce passages, soldiers hold chokepoints, and specialized ants handle threats that threaten the nest’s survival. Battles unfold in a way that feels closer to swarm engineering than to conventional dueling, because positioning, terrain, and unit composition matter as much as raw numbers.
Resources drive the sense of progress. You send teams to locate edible sources, secure them, and keep supply lines intact while predators and competing insects roam nearby. What makes this loop engaging is the way it pressures your priorities: you cannot simply turtle and stockpile forever, since conditions shift and new enemies appear. Even small incidents, like an interrupted route caused by an aggressive beetle, can force you to reroute labor in a hurry.
The campaign structure adds variety by guiding you through changing circumstances across the garden-like landscape. Each area behaves like a different ecosystem, with its own hazards, hiding spots, and vertical obstacles. The visuals were ambitious for the era, and the animations help sell the illusion that you are observing real biology. Camera controls, especially zooming between colony-level overview and close-up chaos, make planning and improvisation equally satisfying.
Though its age shows in presentation and some interface quirks, the game has a distinctive charm that later swarm titles often tried to imitate. It is memorable because the victory conditions depend on building an operational society, not only winning skirmishes. Empire of the Ants rewards patience, experimentation, and the ability to think like a small creature managing a huge collective.
Evidence: The Last Report
Evidence: The Last Report emerges from the mid 1990s DOS landscape as a compact mystery adventure drawn in moody tones. Players assume the role of a investigator who threads through sterile offices, rain slick streets, and shadowed apartments in search of truth. The game emphasizes atmosphere over action, inviting careful observation, puzzle solving, and note taking. Its design mirrors the era’s appetite for replayable scenarios, branching inquiries, and ambiguous endings, where every clue nudges the story toward an unresolved question.
Mechanically the title favors a restrained interface that rewards curiosity rather than brute speed. Players click on objects, type commands, and juggle a concise notebook filled with observations. Inventory is minimal but cunning, encouraging cross linking between discarded items and overheard conversations. Puzzles blend deduction with environmental storytelling; deciphering a maintenance log may unlock a hidden corridor, while a coded note can reveal a suspect’s alibi. The pacing shifts from quiet exploration to sudden conversations that test memory and interpretation.
Visuals ride a chiaroscuro spectrum where shadows carve meaning as much as objects do. Backgrounds show cramped interiors, rain-soaked streets, and neon flicker that hints at urban decay. Color is used sparingly, letting grays and sepias carry noir weight while occasional red accents mark danger. Sound design favors footsteps, sirens, and muffled voices in hallways, creating a sense of place. The interface integrates text narration with occasional voice snippets, lending a human cadence to investigative exposition without overwhelming the player.
Historically the game sits amid a transitional moment when developers chased cinematic storytelling while grappling with limited storage and fickle hardware. If not a blockbuster, it quietly appealed to puzzle minded fans who prized atmosphere over action. Its production history reads like a studio parable: tight budgets, long nights, and a singular vision that valued narrative logic. Designers experimented with branching dialogue, non linear pathways, and multiple endings, inviting players to reconstruct meaning from fragments rather than a single revelation.
The title lives in archives and emulation circles as a testament to interactive fiction that trusted players to think like investigators. Critics of the time noted its restraint, then conceded that mood carried weight stronger than glossy visuals. Fans traded strategies, annotated maps, and theories about motives. While not achieving mass fame, its emphasis on deduction shaped later niche adventures and inspired creators to prize atmosphere and coherence. In the annals of DOS mysteries, Evidence endures as a classic.
