Anyone who grew up playing games on an MS-DOS PC, a Commodore 64 or an 8-bit console knows how challenging it can be to run those old games today. It often involves finding the original files, installing an emulator and correctly configuring the audio and memory settings. Alternatively, you need vintage hardware that is still in good working condition.
OldGame.CZ simplifies this process by providing an archive of classic games that can be launched directly in your browser with a single click, without downloading or installing additional software.
What's in the archive
The catalog includes around twenty platforms: MS-DOS, Commodore Amiga, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Atari 2600, Atari ST, NES, Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Mega Drive, Master System, Nintendo 64, Neo Geo, PC Engine and others. The main section is dedicated to MS-DOS, with over 7,500 titles playable online; for some platforms, such as the Amiga, only download is currently available.
Each game has its own dedicated page, including a description, screenshots, cover art, release year, developer, genre, country of origin, keyboard controls, cheats and, for many titles, a complete longplay video. The website is available in 33 languages, including Italian, and the games are free to play. For titles that are still commercially available, OldGame provides only a demo or a link to the official store, such as GOG or Steam.
How OldGame.CZ technically works
For ValorosoIT readers, the technical aspects are particularly interesting. MS-DOS games run on DOSBox compiled into WebAssembly: the emulator runs directly inside the browser's isolated environment (sandbox), without requiring plugins. Each game is distributed as a bundle containing its files and a preconfigured setup for memory, sound card and CPU speed. Simply click "Play" to launch the game without any additional configuration. Console games use EmulatorJS, based on RetroArch cores also ported to WebAssembly.
Game progress is saved locally in the browser. By creating a free account, players can synchronize their saved games to the cloud and resume playing from another computer or smartphone. On mobile devices, games can be controlled using touch buttons adapted to each type of game.
Among the features of OldGame there is also multiplayer: some MS-DOS classics, including Doom II, can be played online against other users. The site emulates the IPX network of the time and provides dedicated rooms.
Some curiosities
- The interface deliberately takes up the appearance of a site from the late '90s, with the aesthetics of Windows 98. There is also the "Desktop 95" mode, which transforms the site into a desktop with icons and windows. The team avoids the use of modern emojis to keep the retro setting consistent.
- The team is assigning each game its country of origin, to allow you to explore the catalog by country. There is a page dedicated to games developed in Italy and one to the Czech scene of the 90s, with Czech MS-DOS games in full version: a production little known outside the national borders.
- In addition to games, OldGame offers rankings, a quiz, a chat and a magazine with articles, to delve deeper into the history of video games.
Why OldGame exists
OldGame.CZ is a project founded in the Czech Republic out of a passion for video games from the 1990s. Its goal is to preserve titles that risk disappearing along with the floppy disks, CDs and websites that once hosted them. Making these games playable directly in a browser keeps them accessible on compatible computers and mobile devices, without requiring additional software. It's a practical approach to digital preservation: a game that launches in seconds is more likely to be played and rediscovered.
Users looking for an old game that isn't yet available can suggest it to OldGame. Unsuccessful searches are recorded to help the team decide which titles to add next.