What My Abandonware does

My Abandonware is a privately operated, France-based web platform founded in February 2009 that distributes more than 37,600 discontinued ("abandonware") video games for free, with a catalog spanning 1965 to 2015 across DOS, Windows, Mac, and various console and handheld platforms. The platform presents a browsable, indexable game database with per-title metadata (publisher, developer, year, platform, genre, theme), screenshots sourced primarily from MobyGames, manuals, compatibility notes, and user ratings and comments. Select DOS titles can be played directly in the browser via DOSBox-compatible emulation, lowering the technical barrier to entry; otherwise users download full-rip, ISO, or repack archives with accompanying extras such as NoCD patches, widescreen fixes, and audio packs. The platform is operated by a team of 1-10 and is referenced through the linked entity utopiaweb.fr.

The business is monetized almost entirely through on-site advertising (sidebar and inline visual placements) with a secondary, voluntary donation channel via BuyMeACoffee that promises an ad-free browsing experience. All content is free to download, no registration is required to access downloads or leave ratings or comments, and optional account creation (under one minute, no email confirmation) unlocks favorites and persistent contribution features. Distribution is fully self-serve and global, relying on organic search, a monthly newsletter, and a community presence on Facebook, X/Twitter, and BlueSky.

The go-to-market is product-led growth layered with community-led engagement: SEO-optimized game pages drive top-of-funnel discovery, user-generated screenshots, ratings, and comments create a knowledge layer that compounds over time, and a low-friction download flow maximizes conversion. The platform targets two horizontal consumer segments: retro gaming enthusiasts seeking nostalgia and access to discontinued titles, and casual general consumers (often reached through cultural references such as the Oregon Trail) who want simple access to classic games without configuring emulators themselves. No enterprise customers, B2B contracts, funding events, or management team disclosures are present in the source data.

Name

My Abandonware

Website

https://myabandonware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

My Abandonware is a Paris-based ad-supported web platform, founded in 2009, that lets consumers browse and download more than 37,600 discontinued video games (1965-2015) for free, with optional browser-based play for select DOS titles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retro/Abandonware Game Distribution

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Porting, Remastering & Platform Adaptation Services (PC/Console/Mobile/VR) (MPAFAKAN)

Keywords

• Abandonware game downloads
• Retro game library
• Classic PC games
• Free game downloads
• DOS game archive

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Advertising: The platform displays advertisements throughout the site, including sidebar ads and visual promotional content. This appears to be the primary revenue source enabling free game downloads.
2. Donations and Support: The platform accepts donations through BuyMeACoffee, promoted as supporting ad-free browsing. This provides an additional revenue stream from community support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

My Abandonware is a free, ad-supported web platform that aggregates and distributes more than 37,600 abandonware (discontinued) video games released between 1965 and 2015 across DOS, Windows, Mac, and various console platforms. Each title is presented with metadata, screenshots, manuals, compatibility notes, and direct download options (Full-Rip, ISO, repacks), with no registration required to download.

Product overview

My Abandonware is a single unified platform for downloading and playing abandonware video games. The service offers a comprehensive catalog of over 37,600 classic games spanning from 1965 to 2015, with detailed game information including screenshots, ratings, comments, game manuals, and download links. Users can browse games by name, year, platform, genre, theme, publisher, or developer, and some games feature browser-based play functionality. No registration is required for downloads.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• My Abandonware Platform A free, ad-supported web platform providing access to more than 37,600 abandonware video games from 1965 to 2015 across DOS, Windows, Mac, console, and arcade platforms, with detailed per-game metadata, screenshots, manuals, installation guides, and direct download options. Targeted at individual retro gaming enthusiasts and casual users.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37,600+ games available spanning 1965-2015
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MobyGamescoreOthersMobyGames is acknowledged as the primary source for game screenshots on My Abandonware. The partnership provides comprehensive screenshot galleries for many games, enhancing the user experience and helping users identify the correct game files.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Nightdive Studios: Specialist studio that remaster, re-release, and port classic games (System Shock, Quake, Blade Runner, etc.) under official licenses. Sits on the legitimate side of the same market and is a potential acquirer or competitor as legal retro re-releases expand.
• Ziggurat Interactive: Acquires classic game catalogs from defunct publishers and re-releases them digitally and physically. Overlaps with My Abandonware on retro titles whose rights have changed hands, and represents the legal-retro trend that could erode demand over time.
• Dotemu: Studio focused on faithfully remastering and re-releasing classic arcade and console titles (Streets of Rage 4, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge). Competes for the cultural demand that drives My Abandonware traffic, but on the paid, modern-platform side.
• Piko Interactive: Publisher specializing in acquiring and re-releasing dormant retro game IP on modern platforms. Competes indirectly by legally restoring titles My Abandonware distributes for free, gradually reducing the pool of unobtainable games.

Direct peers

• Internet Archive: Nonprofit digital library that hosts a massive software and game preservation collection, including console and PC titles playable in-browser. Directly comparable mission (free public access to legacy software) and overlapping audience of retro-gaming enthusiasts and researchers.
• Old-Games.com: Long-running Russian-language abandonware site cataloguing classic DOS, Windows, and console games for free download. Closest conceptual peer: identical distribution model, similar curation style, overlapping catalog of pre-2010 titles.
• Vimm's Lair: Long-standing ROM and game preservation site offering free downloads of classic console and PC titles with detailed metadata per game. Comparable catalog scope and target audience of retro-gaming hobbyists seeking out-of-print titles.
• EmuParadise: ROM and game download community focused on classic console and arcade titles, with similar self-serve, no-registration ethos. Competes for the same nostalgic-gamer search traffic and serves an adjacent subset of the retro-gaming demand.
• GOG.com: CD Projekt's digital distribution platform specializing in classic and DRM-free PC games, including many titles overlapping My Abandonware's catalog (Civilization, Need for Speed, Silent Hill, etc.). Direct competitor for retro-game-seeking users, differentiated by official licensing and paid model.

Others

• RetroArch: Open-source frontend unifying multiple game emulators (including DOSBox cores) into a single application. Complementary rather than directly competing, but serves the same DIY retro-gaming use case and could cannibalize browser-based play traffic if it improves ease-of-use.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/myabandonware
• Facebookfacebook.com/myabandonware

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about My Abandonware