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Top 10 · 1996

The 10 best DOS games of 1996

The 10 best DOS games of 1996, as the players of dos.games rate them. Z leads the list, ahead of Worms United and Circle of Blood.

Every game on the list plays in your browser, with nothing to install. The order comes from players' ratings and real play time, so it moves as people play.

Updated How the lists are ranked

  • 89DOS games of 1996 in the archive
  • 10 of 10Play in your browser
  • 3.6Score of #1, out of 5

  1. 1. Z

    1996 · The Bitmap Brothers · Strategy / tactics

    3.61 rating

    Z is a real-time strategy game in which you fight for control of the sectors, some of which contains manufactories that can gain you additional units.

    Play now: ZAbout the game

  8. 8. Quake

    1996 · id Software, Inc. · Action

    3.3No ratings yet

    An enemy with the codename ''Quake'', which is believed to come from another dimension, is using teleporter gates to invade Earth.

    Play now: QuakeAbout the game

  10. 10. Strife

    1996 · Rogue Entertainment · Action

    3.3No ratings yet

    In the distant future, the Earth is ruled by a group of people who call themselves "The Order".

    Play now: StrifeAbout the game
Ranks 11–20

More great DOS games of 1996

  1. Rayman Forever — playable in the browserUbi Soft Entertainment Software · Action · 1996Most played
    3.3
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activity1 player · 7m · capped at +0.50+0.08
    Score3.3

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Rayman Forever
  2. Mutation of J.B. — playable in the browserRiki Computer Games · Adventure · 1996Most played
    3.3
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activity1 player · 5m · capped at +0.50+0.08
    Score3.3

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Mutation of J.B.
  3. The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall — playable in the browserBethesda Softworks LLC · Role-playing (RPG) · 1996Most played
    3.3
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activity1 player · 4m · capped at +0.50+0.08
    Score3.3

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall
  4. Albion — playable in the browserBlue Byte Software, Inc. · Role-playing (RPG) · 1996Most played
    3.3
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activity1 player · 4m · capped at +0.50+0.08
    Score3.3

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Albion
  5. Mutant Penguins — playable in the browserGameTek · Action · 1996Most played
    3.3
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activity1 player · 3m · capped at +0.50+0.08
    Score3.3

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Mutant Penguins
  6. The Need for Speed: Special Edition — playable in the browserElectronic Arts, Inc. · Racing / Driving · 1996Most played
    3.3
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activity1 player · 3m · capped at +0.50+0.08
    Score3.3

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open The Need for Speed: Special Edition
  7. Earthworm Jim 2 — playable in the browserPlaymates Interactive Entertainment, Inc. · Action · 1996Most played
    3.3
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activity1 player · 2m · capped at +0.50+0.08
    Score3.3

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Earthworm Jim 2
  8. Boulder Dash Remake — playable in the browserPetr Simon · Puzzle · 1996Most played
    3.3
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activity1 player · 2m · capped at +0.50+0.08
    Score3.3

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Boulder Dash Remake
  9. Aftershock for Quake — playable in the browserHead Games Publishing, Inc. · Add-on · 1996Most played
    3.3
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activity1 player · 2m · capped at +0.50+0.08
    Score3.3

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Aftershock for Quake
  10. Quarantine II: Road Warrior — playable in the browserMindscape, Inc. · Racing / Driving · 1996Most played
    3.3
    How this score is built
    SignalAdds
    Player ratings0% · no ratings yet0.00
    Archive default3.20 × 100% · never scored by the catalogue · stands in for 8 ratings3.20
    Blended rating3.20
    Play activity1 player · 2m · capped at +0.50+0.08
    Score3.3

    Recomputed from the database as ratings and sessions land. Every title in the archive goes through this same arithmetic — there is no manual adjustment step.

    Open Quarantine II: Road Warrior
Keep exploring

More top lists by year

See them all in the catalogue
Questions

Frequently asked

How Best DOS Games are ranked
What is the best DOS game of 1996?

Z (1996, The Bitmap Brothers) is the best DOS game of 1996 by our players' ratings, ahead of Worms United and Circle of Blood. The ranking follows players' ratings and real play time, so it changes as people play.

Can I play these DOS games of 1996 online?

Yes. 10 of the games on this list play free in your browser on dos.games, with no download and no emulator to set up. Press Play on any of them; your progress can be saved.

How many DOS games of 1996 are there on dos.games?

89. This list ranks the best 10 in full and the next ones below them; the catalogue has every one, with filters for year, studio and more.

How is this list ranked?

With the same score as our Best DOS Games ranking: players' ratings, pulled toward the archive's own rating while a game has few of them, plus a small bonus for the games people actually keep playing. No editor and no sponsor decides a place.