Old school

8 best retro games you can play for free online

A blast from the past.

by Robin Bea

Between remakes and remasters, plenty of classic games have been given a new life on modern hardware, but others remain hard to play in any form.

Enter the non-profit Internet Archive, which hosts a library of MS-DOS and arcade games that are easily playable online and free from sketchy pop-ups and redirects.

Here are the 8 best retro games you can play for free online via the Internet Archive.

8. Rogue

Though it’s more of a history lesson than a genuinely fun game these days, the randomly generated dungeons of Rogue gave the roguelike genre its name.

7. Galaga ‘88

An update of the original arcade classic, Galaga ‘88 is pure shoot ‘em up fun with (for the time) improved graphics.

6. SimAnt

While the more influential SimCity lets you manage the complexities of running a city, SimAnt lets you manage the complexities of foraging and getting eaten by spiders. It’s a weird one, but worth checking out.

5. Prince of Persia

Before the series’ more recent action revival, Prince of Persia began as a tough-as-nails platformer famous for its fluid rotoscoped animation.

4. The Lost Vikings

Diablo and Overwatch developer Blizzard’s puzzle-platformer The Lost Vikings puts players in the boots of three Vikings, each with their own unique abilities, trying to escape after being abducted by aliens.

3. Out Run

The driving in Out Run is simplistic, but its synthy soundtrack and colorful graphics still make it an absolute vibe.

2. The Simpsons

One of the most beloved arcade games of the ‘90s, The Simpsons lets players control the titular family as they rough up the citizens of Springfield using bowling balls, vacuum cleaners, and skateboards.

1. X-Men

X-Men basically takes The Simpsons arcade game and substitutes the X-Men as playable characters. This four-player game was an arcade staple for many years.