Welcome to Games That Weren't 64

Games That Weren't 64 is a dedicated archive of cancelled and unreleased Commodore 64 games, prototypes and lost C64 titles. Since 1999, we have been preserving rare development history, unseen builds and developer insights from the Commodore 64 scene.

Explore a growing collection of unreleased C64 games, cancelled projects and recovered prototypes, alongside developer stories, assets and preservation work. Our non-profit archive aims to document and save Commodore 64 games that were never released, before they disappear completely.

Browse the Commodore 64 archive and discover thousands of lost and unreleased C64 titles.

Latest News and Posts

Commodore 64 games preserved

Posted: by Frank Gasking

Thanks to the generosity of Mat Allen and Håvar Bruvold Hojem, Games That Weren’t has preserved two pieces of unpreserved software in the form of Co Pro Football by Tepe Enterprises in 1984, and also an earlier prototype of IFR (Flight Simulator) by Ron Wanttaja in 1983.

3

The IFR prototype is particularly interesting, as it has some variations in the title screen and main game panel, and there could be other differences too compared to the final release version of the game. As well as the games themselves, we’re adding scans and the RAW Kryoflux files for posterity. Continue reading →

Posted in Commodore 64 (C64), GTW64 news, Preservation, Prototype | Tagged | 1 Comment

Bad Max

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1985 Transoft

Platforms: Commodore 64, Thomson MO5, Thomson TO7

Bad Max was a rather unusual French graphic adventure by Transoft, released in 1985 for the Amstrad CPC. Inspired heavily by the Mad Max universe, the game attempted something quite ambitious for its time by presenting its world using a 3D effect, requiring players to wear red and blue 3D glasses included in the box.

Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, players took on the role of “Bad Max”, struggling to survive amongst violent gangs, heavily armed police forces and many hazards. The game combined illustrated scenes with traditional text adventure commands, whilst offering two different paths to victory depending on whether the player chose to act fairly or embrace corruption. Continue reading →

Posted in Commodore 64 (C64), Reviews, Thomson MO5, Thomson TO7 | Tagged | 3 Comments

Lost C64 games and protos – May 2026 (GTW64)

Posted: by Frank Gasking

Almost half way through the year already, and we have more Commodore 64 goodness for you, with 4 brand-new entries added to the site, and 22 existing entries updated. Some new recoveries coming very soon, so watch this space! Little bit late with May due to a holiday, so we’ll be back again in less than a month with June’s update. Enjoy!

4 new entries added

Dungeons and Magic, The Sanctuary, Thunder Light, Trap Mission

22 updates added

4 Soccer Sims V1, 7 Minutes To Midnight, Ala Software, Barbarian 3, Car Game, Chess, Dark Sceptre, Escape From Colditz, Games Compendium, Motorcross Mania, Murder!, Orbyte Software titles, Paddle Mania, Quest for Cyrus, Rebelstar 2, Super Thief, Titan Find, Tour De Force, Turbo Cup Challenge, Turner Software Games, Two On Two Sports, Tycoon Tex

Posted in GTW64 news, News | Leave a comment

Danger – High Surf

Posted: by Frank Gasking

1984 Hang Ten International

Platforms: Apple 2, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64 and IBM PC

A short entry for a title called Danger – High Surf, which was mentioned in Electronic Games in December 1984 and was to be released on the Apple 2, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64 and IBM PC platforms. The game was in 3D, with waves, mermaids, sharks and also land-lubbers. Continue reading →

Posted in Apple II, Atari 400/800/XL, Commodore 64 (C64), PC, Reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

Stuntman (Unreleased, 1986) – A lost Palace Software game brought back to light

Posted: by Frank Gasking

A lost Palace Software title from 1986 is not something you hear about every day. Stuntman appears to have been an ambitious project for its time, likely targeting emerging 16-bit platforms, but ultimately never seeing the light of day.

Gaming historian Kate Willært has done a fantastic job researching and documenting the story behind the game, pulling together a detailed and insightful look at what might have been. We highly recommend giving the article a read here:

A huge thanks to Kate for sharing!

Posted in Atari ST, Commodore 64 (C64), Commodore Amiga, News | Leave a comment

Feature: My Collection Of – Unreleased Video Games with Games That Weren’t

Posted: by Frank Gasking

I was very kindly asked to take part on a new “My Collection Of” website, where they interview people about the things they collect. Of course, most of what we do is a digital archive – but creator Adam Starr was still keen do ask some questions, so here we are. Many thanks to Adam for the invite!

https://mycollectionof.substack.com/p/my-collection-of-unreleased-video

Posted in GTW64 news, News, Press | 1 Comment

Lost C64 games and prototypes – April 2026 (GTW64)

Posted: by Frank Gasking

Another busy month for the Commodore 64 archive, with a large number of updates (21 to be precise!) and a few bits of preservation which we also posted about separately. Should have some new entries for you soon, including more discoveries!

The search for lost Startech software

A multiformat entry where Bertrand / AtariMania helps to highlight a set of missing titles not only for the Commodore 64, but also VIC-20, Atari, BBC Micro and ZX Spectrum.

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2026/03/startech-lost-hardware-software/

Tora Tora Tora C64 game recovered

A lost Italian SEUCK effort was preserved thanks to Videogame endings database for sharing and to Minotautus for preserving:

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2026/03/tora-tora-tora-c64-game-recovered/

Long lost video titles utility by Gary J Foreman recovered

One of Gary J Foreman’s first paid pieces of work has been saved, which was done for a nightclub called L’Aristos (which apparently closed in 2001). Gary had lost this work and was very happy to see it again:

https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2026/04/special-fx-tool-recoveries-c64/

21 updates added

A-Team, The, Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes, Bubbles, Chess, Davka Software, Donald Duck’s Bakery, Escape From Colditz, Evil Garden, Final Eclipse, Grand Slam Tennis, I-spy For Children, It’s Rory!, Miss Mouse, Oriental Games, Outrun Europe, Rhyme Land, Sewer Sam, Star Force Seven, Talvisota, Twice Shy, Zambeezi

Posted in GTW64 news, News | Leave a comment

Special FX tool recoveries (C64)

Posted: by Frank Gasking

Something a bit different today, with the recovery of two Special FX tools that were produced by Gary J Foreman, who has worked on many different Grand Theft Auto games over the years, but also created the Commodore 64 conversion of Rainbow Islands.

special large

In a recent interview with FREEZE magazine, Gary revealed that when he first got started on the C64 – he produced a stock control system, but also some video title utilities for a local nightclub that he was too young to attend at the time. Continue reading →

Posted in Commodore 64 (C64), GTW64 news, Preservation | Tagged | 2 Comments

One Night in Bangkok

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1988 Superior Software

Platforms: Commodore 64, BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum

This particular entry is closely tied to the Commodore 64 edition of the game, which first helped highlight the project and its unusual origins. For some time, there had been confusion over this title, especially given that Superior Software had already released a Chess game back in 1984. However, this later project was something entirely different, and not simply an update or reworking of the earlier release. Continue reading →

Posted in BBC Micro / Electron, Commodore 64 (C64), Reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment