Home of Retro PC Gaming
Currently hosting 40 traditional games!
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Home of Retro PC Gaming Currently hosting 40 traditional games! |
| Argo Checkers 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Argo Games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Software Creations (Impulse Software) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: VGA 320×200×256c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Argo Checkers is a VGA version of the ancient game known as Checkers or Draughts. Around the world, the game is played with different board sizes and capturing rules, but this version is played on an 8×8 board with the capturing rules commonly used in Britain and North America. That means that men can only capture forward, kings can capture in any direction, and men cannot continue capturing if they capture into the promotion row. Capturing is compulsory, and a piece can and must continue to capture if it is able to jump multiple pieces but, unlike some international variants, the player is not obligated to take the path that leads to the greatest number of captures. That is, if a piece can make two captures by jumping left, or three captures by jumping right, the player can choose which move to play. Black is supposed to go first, but in this game red goes first. The game is for two human players only. Registered users can play against Craniac, a powerful computer opponent.
I have found no ordering information for this game.
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| Cheezi 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (always) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Paul T. Dawson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Paul T. Dawson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cheezi is based on the ancient game of Pachisi, but it's basically played on a Parchisi board using the simplified rules of Trouble. The game is played on the familiar 72 square cross-shaped board from Parchisi, but without the 12 safe squares, and only one die is used. Each player has four pawns that begin in the "nest", and can only be entered onto the board if the player rolls a 6. The player can elect to move a piece that is already on the board or enter a new pawn, and then rolls again. Players can choose to pass on any roll if playing the roll might leave their pawn in a vulnerable position. Only one pawn can occupy each square. If a pawn lands on an enemy pawn, the captured pawn returns to the nest. The object of the game is get all four pawns around the board and into the safety zone, at which point they can bear off with an exact roll only. Options include allowing pawns to enter the board on any roll, and playing until all players finish or only until one player wins. The computer players can be customized by choosing how they evaluate nine situations, such as how high a priority they place on chasing or evading enemy pawns, and how willing they are to move in front of enemy pawns.
This game was originally released under a freeware license.
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| Chinese Checkers 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by ImagiSOFT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by ImagiSOFT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As you might expect, this is a game of Chinese checkers for two to six human or computer players. EGA graphics get the job done. The music plays for a few seconds every once in a while, which can be annoying, so you'll probably want to turn the music off. Otherwise, the game is excellent. The computer's difficulty level can't be adjusted, which is unfortunate, but you can set all of the players to be computers in order to watch and learn. The full version is now freeware, but it can't be distributed without permission, so you'll need to go to ImagiSOFT's website to download it.
ImagiSOFT has generously released this game as freeware, which can be downloaded from their website.
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| Crazy Eights 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Moonlite Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Moonlite Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: VGA 640×480×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This is about as good a Crazy Eights game as you could expect from DOS. You can configure whether or not the "miss a turn", "pick up cards", and "change suits" rules are in effect and which cards trigger them, and what score wins the match. Only one player can play against the computer, who plays a decent game. There is no feature to organize the cards in your hand, though your cards do nicely overlap when you get too many of them. The shareware version includes a non-playable copy of Cribbage, which was free with the registered version of Crazy Eights. Both are now freeware, but I have only located the shareware version so far.
Moonlite Software has generously released this game as freeware.
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| Dotso 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Soleau Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Soleau Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Based on Dots and Boxes, the traditional pencil and paper game, Dotso starts the game with a number of lines already randomly drawn on the board, and a few squares may already be completed, but not credited to either side. When taking a box, the computer will automatically draw the fourth line in any boxes that you can still complete. The computer can be played at three difficulty levels. The registered version allows a human opponent to play. Complete version history:Dotso v1.1 Shareware (112k)Dotso v1.0 Shareware (104k) Soleau Software still sells the registered version of this game for $12 by download only.
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| Doubolo 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Soleau Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Soleau Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×200×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A new twist on Reversi, Doubolo is played with on a 23×14 grid, and there are unplayable squares scattered across the board which block capturing and create additional opportunities for groups of pieces to become uncapturable. As in Reversi, players take turns placing a piece on the board, which must sandwich opponent's pieces between another of their own pieces, causing all of the pieces in between to switch to the capturing player's color. Players earn one point for each piece they have on the board. More grid board shapes are available in the registered version. Complete version history:
Soleau Software no longer sells this game.
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| Dragons Bane: Mah Jongg II 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Arcanum Computing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Arcanum Computing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: VGA 640×480×16c SVGA 640×480×256c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An enhanced version of Arcanum's original Mahjong solitaire game. The game calls itself as "Dragons Bane" everywhere except for one instance of "Dragon's Bane" on the title screen. Mah Jongg II upgrades Mah Jongg's EGA graphics to VGA and SVGA, and adds animation and sound effects when pairs of tiles are removed. You can also choose from a number of backgrounds, board layouts and tile sets. The bells and whistles can be turned off if you prefer a more meditative experience. The game also tells you when you run out of moves by default and includes a timer. The registered version includes additional tile sets and layouts.
Arcanum Computing still sells the registered version of this game for $16 on floppy disk only.
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| Hexxagon 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Argo Games | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Software Creations (Impulse Software) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: VGA 320×200×256c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hexxagon is based on the board and video game, Ataxx, which itself was based on a board game called Infection. The board and squares are now hexagonal, with three spaces missing in the center. Both players start with three pieces, and your goal is to fill the board with more pieces than your opponent. Every move, you have the option of "moving" one of your pieces one space in any direction, which causes it to replicate into the new space, or to move it two spaces, which causes it to leap to the new space without replicating. In either case, any adjacent enemy pieces are converted into friendly pieces (switch color). It's a very simple game to learn, but is as difficult to master as most other traditional board games. Users can play against another human or a computer opponent that has three difficulty levels. Registered users get Hexxagon II, which features a new board, new graphics and sounds, and a slighter harder computer opponent.
I have found no ordering information for this game.
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| Kalakh 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (always) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Sergey Ryzhkov | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Sergey Ryzhkov | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sergey Ryzhkov's first game, Kalakh is an EGA version of the game Kalah, known in Russia as Калах (pronounced "kalach", ending with the voiceless velar fricative, or "hard ch sound", found in most European languages). Usually called Mancala in the West, Kalah is a "sowing game", like Wari. The board consists of a row of six pits for each player, known as "houses", with six coins in each house, and a larger pit called a "store" (called a "kalakh" in this game) for each player to place their captured coins. Gameplay is simple, with each player taking turns removing all of the coins from one of his houses and distributing one coin at a time, counter-clockwise around the board, except for the house that he drew from. If this causes two or three coins to be left in any of his opponent's houses, he captures them and places them in his store. Kalah differs from Wari in that the player sows a coin into his own store, though not his opponent's, so the store is actually part of the board. If the player's last coin lands in his store, he gets to play again. If a player has no coins in any of his houses, his opponent scores all of his remaining coins into his store. The player with the most coins at the end of the game wins, and the difference in scores can be used to decide how much the losing players owes the winner if the game is played for money. The computer opponent has three difficulty levels. Though the author notes that he saw little commercial potential for the game, it's equally likely that he distributed the game as freeware because he would not have been entitled to profit from the game as a citizen of the Soviet Union.
This game was originally released under a freeware license.
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| Kosynka 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Sergey Rhyzkov (Sergey Ryzhkov) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kosynka is an EGA version of the Russian solitaire game Косынка ("Big Scarf" or "Neckerchief"), which has the same rules as Klondike, except that the deck is made up of two full decks of cards (104 cards), and there are 9 or 10 columns instead of the usual 7. You draw from the deck one card at a time, but you can only flip the deck twice. The mouse is used to drag the cards or draw from the deck, and you can double click on cards to send them directly to the suit row. If you know how to play Windows Solitaire, you know how to play this game. The game was programmed in Moscow by Sergey Ryzhkov and published by Everett Kaser Software. Complete version history:Kosynka v1.1 Shareware (68k) Play onlineKosynka v1.0 Shareware (66k) I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Everett Kaser Software's website.
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| Mah Jongg 1987 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Arcanum Computing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Arcanum Computing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A decent version of Mahjong solitaire. The EGA graphics and gameplay aren't quite as nice as Mah Jongg -V-G-A-. The option to have the game report when you're out of moves isn't on by default, but it should be. Nothing is more frustrating than looking for a move that isn't there. The timer is also off by default. Keeping track of the passage of time is important during addictive games. Make sure you go into the settings before beginning play. The full version allows game settings to be saved permanently, and includes additional tile sets and layouts. Complete version history:
Arcanum Computing still sells the registered version of this game for $15 on floppy disk only.
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| Mah Jongg -8514- 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (always) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Ron Balewski | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Ron Balewski | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: 8514 1024×768×256c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Think about Mah Jongg -V-G-A-. Now think about it running at 1024×768 with 256 colors, featuring tiles with intricate, shaded pictograms and calligraphy that cast shadows across their tiles. This hidden gem is Mah Jongg -V-G-A- rewritten for the 8514 graphics standard (created by IBM to replace VGA), and it looks absolutely amazing. Sadly, there were no further versions because the standard never became widely adopted. To play it you'll need a genuine 8514/a graphics card, an 8514-compatible graphics card such as the ATI Mach 8 and Mach 32, and the IIT AGX, or a SVGA graphics card with at least 1MB of video RAM and an 8514 emulator. This game can be played in DOSBox by using the Multiple SVGA Chipset plugin to emulate a Tseng Labs ET4000 graphics card, and RIXAI8 to emulate the 8514. Version 0.6 was a public beta, and Ron Balewski confirmed that it may be considered freeware. Complete version history:
This game never left the beta stage and was never sold, and author Ron Balewski has generously released this game as freeware.
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| Mah Jongg -V-G-A- 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Ron Balewski | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Ron Balewski | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: VGA 640×480×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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One of my all-time favorite DOS games. I had never played Mahjong solitaire when I discovered this game, but it was so easy to use that I was able to figure it out without reading the instructions, and now it's the only DOS version I play. It looks great, it tells you when you're out of moves, and it's easy and intuitive to use. After each "official" release, a number of revisions were released with the same version number. Differences are listed in fixes.doc. Version 3.1 / Serial No. 5524 fixes a bug that existed in v3.0 and 3.1 that caused a divide by zero error on CPUs faster than 50 MHz, and also includes Mah Jongg for Windows v1.0.
Author Ron Balewski has generously released this game as freeware. Mah Jongg '97, a Win32 version, is still sold for $20 on CD-ROM or registered download.
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| Mah Jongg for Windows 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (full version) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Ron Balewski | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Ron Balewski | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A Windows port of Mah Jongg -V-G-A-. Very little is different from the DOS version, except that the sounds seem a bit nicer, and the menu on the right side of the screen has been replaced with a Windows menu bar. The game is fully unlocked, but a newer version, v3.1, is available only as a registered version. It supports a new 1024×768 resolution with 256/true color tile format and includes both of the tilesets from Mah Jongg -8514-, adds WAV sound effects, and can magnify old 640×480 tilesets to 1024×768.
Ron Balewski still sells the registered version of this game for $20 on floppy disk or download.
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| Mah Jongg LapTop 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Ron Balewski | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Ron Balewski | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: CGA 640×200 mono | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A monochrome version of Mah Jongg -V-G-A-, this game does an admirable job of bringing Mahjong solitaire to monochrome and LCD screens. The tiles for the winds, flowers, seasons and all three dragons are easily identifiable, and the game has most of the features of the VGA version. The game doesn't automatically tell you when you're out of moves, which is a complaint I have about many Mahjong solitaire games. There is also no timer, but the game is well worth playing if you can only display one color. Mah Jongg LapTop v1.1 Freeware (64k) Play online Author Ron Balewski has generously released this game as freeware. Mah Jongg '97, a Win32 version, is still sold for $20 on CD-ROM or registered download.
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| MasterMind 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (always) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Sverx | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Sverx | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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One of the best Mastermind games I've ever seen. Options must be set from the command line, but there isn't much to configure. It's extremely easy to play and requires no instructions. It is simple, yet attractive. You probably already know how to play this game, but it's interesting to watch the computer opponent play so you can learn the optimal strategy. MasterMind v1.00 Freeware (40k)
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| Moraff's Monster Bridge 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Based on a number of traditional bidding card games, such as Bridge, Monster Bridge is played with a 96 card deck, with 6 suits and 16 cards per suit. The difficulty level increases the longer you survive. Version 2.0 includes Moraff's Stones within the game.
Moraff still sells the registered version of this game through Software Diversions as part of Moraff's Dungeon Pack for $19 by download.
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| Moraff's Monster Memory 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The traditional memory matching game, with pictures of monsters from Moraff's World. The registered version features twice as many monsters.
I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
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| Moraff's Morejongg 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A traditional Mahjongg Tiles game, also including some untraditional tile sets. Pairs of pieces can be removed if they are "free" along the edge of a layer, and no piece is even partially on top of them. The registered "Extended" version includes 20 layouts and has save options.
I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
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| Moraff's Morejongg for Windows 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Moraff's Morejongg ported to Windows 3.1, using a traditional tileset instead of being based on monsters from Moraff's World. Pairs of pieces can be removed if they are "free" along the edge of a layer, and no piece is even partially on top of them. The registered version features more layouts, voices, and 16 million color tilesets.
I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
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| Moraff's Spherejongg 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A traditional Mahjongg Tiles game, using spheres instead of tiles. Pairs of marbles can be removed if they are "free" along the edge of a layer, and no marble is even partially on top of them. Only the medium difficulty level is avaiable in the shareware version. The registered version features more difficulty levels, voices, and 16 million color backgrounds, rings and spheres.
I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
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| Moraff's Stones 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MoraffWare | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Based on a number of traditional card games, Stones is a fun game where you attempt to make the best possible hand from the stones that you and your opponents are dealt. Difficulty increases the longer you survive.
Moraff still sells the registered version of this game through Software Diversions as part of Moraff's Dungeon Pack for $19 by download
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| MVP Backgammon 1995 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Cane Garden Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MVP Backgammon is a Windows version of the classic board game. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their pieces around the board in a race to the finish. Pieces can't be hit when there are two or more on one point, and must roll their back onto the board when hit. Backgammon is a game of deep strategy and tactics. A good player must decide whether to immediately advance his back pieces, known as runners, or whether to try to trap his opponent's runners. If a player believes he is going to win, but by no more than a gammon, he can offer to double the stakes of the game, and the opponent loses instantly if he refuses. The graphics and gameplay are quite nice, though it would be nice if the points were numbered to make the math a bit easier when analyzing moves. There are three difficulty levels in the registered version.
MVP Software still sells v2.0.4, a Win32 version of the game, for $29.99 by CD-ROM or download.
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| MVP Bridge 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Cascoly Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: VGA 640×480×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A DOS version of the classic card game. Play with a computer partner and opponents, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Each player gets 13 cards and plays one card per hand. In the bidding stage, players take turns declaring how many tricks they can win if the trump suit were, for instance, hearts, or without a trump suit. The next player can outbid a bid of the same number of tricks by choosing a more valuable trump suit. The trump suits, in order of value, are clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, and no trump. That means that a bid of "2 hearts" can be outbid by a bid of "2 spades". When no player is willing to outbid the highest bid, that forms the contract and the partnership tries to win the number of tricks in the contract, while their opponents try to prevent them. The registered version, MVP Bridge Deluxe, adds multiplayer support and a number of scoring systems and conventions.
MVP Software still sells MVP Bridge Deluxe v3.07, a Win32 version of the game, for $39.95 by CD-ROM or download.
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| MVP Bridge for Windows 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Cascoly Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Windows version of MVP Bridge. Play with a computer partner and opponents, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Each player gets 13 cards and plays one card per hand. In the bidding stage, players take turns declaring how many tricks they can win if the trump suit were, for instance, hearts, or without a trump suit. The next player can outbid a bid of the same number of tricks by choosing a more valuable trump suit. The trump suits, in order of value, are clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, and no trump. That means that a bid of "2 hearts" can be outbid by a bid of "2 spades". When no player is willing to outbid the highest bid, that forms the contract and the partnership tries to win the number of tricks in the contract, while their opponents try to prevent them.
MVP Software still sells v3.7, a Win32 version of the game, for $39.95 by CD-ROM or download.
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| MVP Cribbage 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Craig W. Kellogg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MVP Cribbage is a Windows version of the classic card game. Pick a computer opponent, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Each player gets 6 cards and must discard 2 into the dealer's crib. A cut of the deck selects a "starter" card, and the dealer gets 2 points if it's a Jack. Players then take turns playing cards, and they score points for causing the total to reach 15 or 31, or for playing a pair or set of 3 or 4, or for creating a run of 3 or more, even if it's not in order (i.e. 3, 5, 4 is a non-sequential run of 3). Once the value of the hand reaches 31, or neither player can play, the count returns to 0 and a new hand starts and play continues until all cards have been played. After play ends, both players score points by combining their hand with the starter for every combination of 15, pairs or sets of 3 or 4, runs, or flushes. The dealer also gets to combine the crib with the starter to score a second set of points, so the non-dealer has to be careful what he puts in the dealer's crib. The non-dealer becomes the dealer, and play continues this way until one player reaches a score of 121. The players keep track of the score by moving pegs around a board. Version 2.2 comes with a Win32 installer on MVP's website now, but the game is still Win16 once installed. There are 3 beginner and 3 intermediate computer players to play with or against, with 3 experts added to the Deluxe version.
MVP Software still sells the registered version of this game for $9.95 by CD-ROM or download.
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| MVP Euchre 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Craig W. Kellogg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MVP Euchre is a Windows version of the classic card game. Pick a computer partner and computer opponents, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Only the cards from Ace down to 9 (or 8 or 7, depending on the rules chosen) are used. Each player gets 5 cards and plays one card per hand. There is no bidding in this version of Euchre; your goal is always to win at least 3 of the 5 tricks. In every round the players must choose a trump suit, at which point the Jack of that suit, followed by the the other Jack of the same color, become the high cards of the trump suit. After the first card is played in each hand, all other players must play a card from the same suit if they can. The highest card of the suit being played, or the highest trump card, wins the trick. If you have a good hand, you can elect to play alone, and your partner sits out. You get 1 point if you and your partner win 3 or 4 tricks, and 2 points if you get a "march" of 5 tricks. A march is worth 4 points if you play alone. If the dealer and his partner win 3 or more tricks, you have been "euchred" and they score 2 points. Version 1.3 comes with a Win32 installer on MVP's website now, but the game is still Win16 once installed. There are 3 beginner and 3 intermediate computer players to play with or against, with 3 experts added to the Deluxe version.
MVP Software still sells the registered version of this game for $9.95 by CD-ROM or download.
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| MVP Hearts 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Craig W. Kellogg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MVP Hearts is a Windows version of the classic card game. Pick three computer opponents, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Each player gets 13 cards and plays one card per hand. The goal is to not win hearts or the Queen of Spades. After the first card is played in each hand, all other players must play a card from the same suit if they can. No one can lead with a heart until hearts have been "broken", meaning that a heart or the queen of spades was played by a player who had no cards of the suit being played. The highest card of the suit being played wins the trick, and a player gets 1 point for each heart, and 13 points for the Queen of Spades, that he wins with the trick. If a player wins all of the hearts and the Queen of Spades, he "shoots the moon" and 26 points are awarded to all of his opponents. The player with the lowest score when someone has over 100 points at the end of a round is the winner. Version 2.2 comes with a Win32 installer, but the game is still Win16 once installed. There are 3 beginner and 3 intermediate computer players to play with or against, with three 3 experts added to the Deluxe version.
MVP Software still sells the registered version of this game for $9.95 by CD-ROM or download.
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| MVP Spades 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Craig W. Kellogg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MVP Spades is a Windows version of the classic card game. Pick a computer partner and computer opponents, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Each player gets 13 cards and plays one card per hand. At the beginning of each round, players bid how many tricks they intend to win during the game, which is added to their partner's bid and forms the contract for that round. After the first card is played in each hand, all other players must play a card from the same suit if they can. Like Hearts, no one can lead with a spade until spades have been "broken", meaning that a spade was played by a player who had no cards of the suit being played. In this game, spades are trump cards. The highest card of the suit being played, or the highest trump card, wins the trick. If the partnership meets or exceeds the number of tricks in the contract, they get 10 points for each trick, but only 1 point for each trick higher than the contract, so bidding too low can be costly. If you bid too high and don't fulfill the contract, you lose points, so the ability to predict how many tricks you can win is the key to bidding. The Spades equivalent of "shooting the moon" is bidding 0, in which case both partners swap three cards, unless the partner also wishes to bid 0. Successfully winning 0 tricks is worth 100 points (or 200 points if both partners are successful), and players incur a penalty of 100 if unsuccessful. Version 1.5 comes with a Win32 installer on MVP's website now, but the game is still Win16 once installed. There are 3 beginner and 3 intermediate computer players to play with or against, with 3 experts added to the Deluxe version.
MVP Software still sells the registered version of this game for $9.95 by CD-ROM or download.
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| Numlo 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Soleau Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Soleau Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Numlo is a Reversi game for three players, like Tribolo. Numlo differs from Tibolo by removing the unplayable squares, the size of the board is reduced to 12×12, and there are random point values scattered across the board which are added to each player's total. As in Reversi, players take turns placing a piece on the board, which must sandwich opponent's pieces between another of their own pieces, causing all of the pieces in between to switch to the capturing player's color. Players earn one point for each piece they have on the board. When capturing in Numlo, all of the pieces in the middle must belong to a single opponent. That means that blue must sandwich pieces belonging to red or green, but not both. In Reversi, capturing the corners and the edge of the board is a strong strategy, unless the center becomes cluttered with pieces from both sides, because it can capture whole rows or columns at a time. In Numlo this doesn't seem to be a good strategy, since there is bound to be at least one piece of each color between your own on a row or column of 12 squares, instead of the usual 8. Point values on the board must be considered in one's strategy, which reduces the value of memorizing "openings", much like Fischer Random Chess does for the traditional game of chess, to a greater extent. I suspect that, by playing moves that would be strong if there were no point values, you can capture enough territory to get a proportional share of the "bonus points". The registered version allows up to three humans to play. Complete version history:
Soleau Software still sells the registered version of this game for $12 by download only.
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| Psion Chess 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former commercial) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Psion Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Psion Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: Hercules 720×348 mono CGA 640×200 mono | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Using an engine written by legendary chess engine programmer Richard Lang, Psion Chess was ahead of its time. Despite monochrome graphics, Psion Chess could be viewed in either 2D or 3D. Designed for high resolution monochrome Hercules Graphics Cards, the Hercules option sets the resolution to 720×384 and uses dithering to simulate shades of gray. The "IBM color card" option reduces the resolution to 640×400 for color graphics cards, still in monochrome, but without dithering. The playing strength doesn't go quite as low as modern chess software, but the easiest level can be beaten by a novice player, and it makes a great opponent for even very skilled players. To illustrate Psion Chess at its weakest level, I played this game as white on Level Novice E0. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Nc3 b5 6. Bb3 b4 7. Nd5 Nxe4 8. d4 d6 9. Nd2 Ng5 10. Nf3 Nxf3+ 11. Qxf3 Be6 12. O-O exd4 13. Nf4 Kd7 14. Nxe6 fxe6 15. Qf7+ Kc8 16. Qxe6+ Kb7 17. Bd5 Qe8 18. Qg4 Qe5 19. c4 Rd8 20. Bf4 Qe8 21. Bg3 Kb6 22. a4 h5 23. Qf4 Qe2 24. a5+ Nxa5 25. Qxd4+ c5 26. Qh4 Re8 27. Qh3 Nxc4 28. Qd7 Na5 29. Rxa5 Kxa5 30. Ra1+ Kb6 31. Qb7# White checkmates Psion Chess v2.13 (96k) Play online Author Richard Lang and copyright holder Psion Software have generously released this game as freeware.
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| Redhook's Revenge 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by ImagiSOFT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by ImagiSOFT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Redhook's Revenge is a pirate-themed board game. Players roll a die and move their ship around the board. Some spaces require you to answer trivia questions, and the rewards will often include items that will help you during the game. Insurance, for instance, can be used to protect yourself from disasters. Most items, like ropes or cotton, only protect against specific disasters. Winning cannons will help you attack cities, or other players if you land on their square. The more cannons you have, the more dice you can roll. Perhaps not as practical as the trivia in most educational games, there is some interesting information about the age of pirates, and the game is infused with a sense of humor as well. The full version is now freeware, but it can't be distributed without permission, so you'll need to go to ImagiSOFT's website to download it.
ImagiSOFT has generously released this game as freeware, which can be downloaded from their website.
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| Second Guess 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Arcanum Computing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Arcanum Computing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: VGA 640×480×16c SVGA 640×480×256c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An enhanced version of Tile Match, a memory concentration game. Second Guess upgrades Tile Match's EGA graphics to VGA and SVGA, and adds animation and sound effects when pairs of tiles are removed. All of the other options for number of tiles, pairs, players, and computer difficulty level remain.
Arcanum Computing still sells the registered version of this game for $16 on floppy disk only.
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| Sink'em 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Soleau Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Soleau Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: CGA 320×200×4c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sink'em is Hangman, except that every wrong guess causes a man in a boat to sink deeper into shark-infested waters. The man congratulates you for correct guesses and insults you for incorrect guesses. The registered version has more words and more quips for the man in the boat. Sink'em v1.01 Shareware (74k) Soleau Software no longer sells this game.
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| Solitile 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An EGA version of Mahjong solitaire that can be played in a variety of different layouts. The default layout isn't the one most people will be familiar with, and the default tileset uses English letters and numbers instead of Chinese symbols. The new tiles allow for layouts with anywhere from 4 to 168 tiles, and eliminates sets that have four different symbols, such as flowers, seasons, and compass directions. There are 65 536 puzzles in this game.
Everett Kaser Software still sells the registered version of this game for $15 by download or CD-ROM.
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| Solitile for Windows 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Everett Kaser's mahjongg tiles game updated for Windows 3.1. The default layout isn't the one most people will be familiar with, and the default tileset uses English letters and numbers instead of Chinese symbols. The color depth increased to 256 colors at resolutions up to 1024×768. There are 131 072 puzzles for each of over 400 layouts in this game, with only 10 puzzles for each of 4 layouts playable in the shareware version.
Everett Kaser Software still sells v5.1, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
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| Tile Match 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Arcanum Computing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Arcanum Computing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The traditional memory game with many customizable options. Tiles can be arranged in three sizes, with one or two pairs of each tile, played by one to four humans or against a computer of three different difficulty levels. Tiles can be imported from Mahjong games. The registered version includes more tile sets and more background pictures.
Arcanum Computing still sells the registered version of this game for $15 on floppy disk only.
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| Tribolo 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 10 | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Soleau Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Soleau Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Based on Doubolo, Tribolo is a Reversi game played with three players on a 16×11 grid, and there are unplayable squares scattered across the board which block capturing and create additional opportunities for groups of pieces to become uncapturable. As in Reversi, players take turns placing a piece on the board, which must sandwich opponent's pieces between another of their own pieces, causing all of the pieces in between to switch to the capturing player's color. Players earn one point for each piece they have on the board. When capturing in Tribolo, all of the pieces in the middle must belong to a single opponent. That means that blue must sandwich pieces belonging to red or green, but not both. There are 7 board setups in this game, with only 1 available in the shareware version. Complete version history:
Soleau Software no longer sells this game.
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| VGA Concentrate 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Alive Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Alive Software | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Originally known as VGA Concentration, this is the traditional memory concentration game we all played as kids. Difficulty can be adjusted to determine how many cards you have to match. Some of the sets are interesting, like the European flags set. The registered version comes with additional sets.
Alivesoft still sells the registered version of this game for $20 on floppy disk or CD-ROM, or $10 as a registered download.
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| Wari: The Ancient Game of Africa 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Traditional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by ImagiSOFT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by ImagiSOFT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics: EGA 640×350×16c | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wari is a "sowing game" known by names such as Oware and Ouri, and a variant of game known in the West as Mancala or Kalah. Played throughout Africa, Asia and the Caribbean for at least 1000 years, it is less known in the rest of the world than other great games of pure skill such as Chess, Checkers and Go. The board consists of a row of six pits for each player, and usually includes a larger pit called a "store" for each player to place their captured seeds. Gameplay is simple, with each player taking turns removing all of the seeds from one of his pits and distributing one seed at a time, counter-clockwise around the board, except for the pit that he drew from. If this causes two or three stones to be left in any of his opponent's pits, he captures them. Unlike Mancala, he does not sow seeds into his store, which eliminates strategic attempts to have one's turn end in his store to get an extra turn, and it prolongs the game because seeds are only removed from play when captured. The game is incredibly easy to learn, but can be played at a master level. Wari can be played by two humans, one player against the computer, or by two computers to watch and learn. Features very nice music. There are four difficulty levels in this game, with only the first three playable in the shareware version. The full version is now freeware, but it can't be distributed without permission, so you'll need to go to ImagiSOFT's website to download it.
ImagiSOFT has generously released this game as freeware, which can be downloaded from their website.
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