The Shareware Motherlode
A downloadable game
Take a trip down to the origin of PC gaming! Here are 43 handpicked shareware and freeware games in a nice, ready-to-play package. Each game has a short description and can be played right from the box without installation!
Included games:
Bouncing Babies • Doom • 1Pinball • SneeSnoo Snake • BlueBalls • XQuest II • Catchem • Astrofire • Epic Pinball • Overkill • 3-Demon • Blake Stone • Nitemare-3D • Depth Dwellers • Heretic • Shadow Caster • Megawolf • CodeMaster • Bounty Hunter Game • Big Rig • Advanced Robot War • Cyberbox II • Arena • Minefield for Everybody • Sleuth - A Murder Mystery • Captain Comic • Abuse • Bionic Menace • Secret Agent • Jetpack • Arcade Volleyball • One Must Fall 2097 • Scorched Earth • Gravity Wars II • BananaTron • Wacky Wheels • Redhook’s Revenge • Catacomb • Kaptajn Kaper i Kattegat • Chopper Commando • Wolfenstein 3-D • Quatris Pro • Boxmov
Download
Install instructions
Just download, unzip, and run Shareware Motherlode.exe
Microsoft Smartscreen may complain that it's an "unrecognized app". Don't worry, the software is fine. It's Microsoft Smartscreen that has a problem. The .exe is just a renamed version of the DOS emulator DosBox Staging.
Development log
- SHAREWARE MOTHERLODE is hereby released! (finally!)Mar 19, 2021
Comments
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I know it's been three years, but I *still* love this collection you made!
I hope you don't mind, but I made some unofficial patches and addons for it with new games HERE.
Stellar work, pretty much the best news I've had this year! Noticed you included Neopaint. Quite some time since I saw that one. For some reason, that one really hit me in the nostalgia.
If you want, you're welcome to add the whole updated collection to your itch.io page, call it Shareware Motherlode II or something? Although I really like the build-in update prompt, a single download might be easier.
Hi!
So glad you like it and approve! I was a bit nervous sharing it; made it for myself and didn't want to step on your toes.
Thank you SO much for your inspiring work on the original package; it really was fun to revisit and I adored the menu interface you designed (part of why I did the update prompt thing was just to play with it more, LOL!). I actually also started on my own similar package from scratch but I liked yours so much I wanted to upgrade that first.
Regardless, I might take you up and put a "complete update" version on Itch (with full credit to you of course). I have a few more games to add first though. Are there any in particular you'd personally like me to try and get working?
I really liked the idea of throwing in stuff like Neopaint and Screamtracker as they were as much a part of that "era" for me as the shareware games were. :)
Again thanks for your work and inspiration! Cheers!
This is really a fantastic idea; reminds me of a modern version of those shareware CDs I used to buy in newsagents as a kid!
The main games I felt were "missing" were Commander Keen, Duke Nukem and Crystal Caves. I feel they are among the most iconic shareware games, after Doom and Wolf3D.
I would also love to see added (shareware versions):Descent
Vinyl Goddess From Mars
Jill of the Jungle
Jazz Jackrabbit
Xargon
Traffic Department 2192
Highway Hunter
Solar Winds
Is there a reason any of those could not be added besides personal preference? Just checking because I'll make a private patch that adds them for me if not! :)
Thanks, good selection! Will see if I can get them added in the next update. This is still pretty much an in-dev project, so lots of classics are missing.
Had a bit of trouble with Jill of the Jungle though. It didn't return to the batch file it was run from (the menu) so I ended up just removing it. Might try it again!
Hi! Thanks for the reply (I forgot RADIX too, I think that had a shareware version?).
I just tried "inserting" Jill into your collection and got it working to return to the batch/platformers menu. If you need a hand with anything. please drop me a message or email; I'm an old DOS vet and grew up with these games as well as being pretty adept with DOSBox, and I would be happy to help. :)
You got Jill to work? Splendid! Please tell me how. My mail is kasperhviid over at gmail
What a nice idea! I feel like being thrown back into the mid-90ies, exploring one of these 9 bucks-shareware cds. Thank you for this experience! :)