Welcome to Games That Weren't!

We are an Cancelled & Unreleased Video games archive with prototypes, developer history and assets for many computers and consoles of all ages. A non-profit large archive dedicated to preserving lost games that were never released to the public. Sharing history and stories from the developers, assets and more before it is too late. GTW has been preserving lost video game history since 1999.

Please Browse our archive and discover the many entries that we host for many different platforms.

Latest News and Posts

Eager Edna

1985 Cable Software

Platform: Dragon 32

Our next Dragon 32 entry into the archives was a strange sounding game where you must encounter nine different screens of action with revolving doors and a mad woman called Edna. Welcome to ‘Eager Edna’.

The game was written in machine language around late 1984 and was a multi-screen arcade title which full colour animation according to a news article snippet in Dragon User magazine in December 1984. Continue reading

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AcePak Software Titles

198? AcePak Software

Platform: Dragon 32

This is a short entry to extend our Dragon 32 entries into the Games That Weren’t archive, though for two titles which may have actually been published according to Dragon 32 historian Simon Hardy.

The titles in question were:

  • Drawcaster Australian Pools
  • Drawcaster British Pools

Both titles may have been published eventually by a different company, but more research is needed and proof to be found. Are you able to help track these long lost titles down for preservation? If so, please do get in touch.

With thanks to Simon Hardy for highlighting.

Posted in: Dragon 32, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

GTW64 October 2023 updates

With Autumn well and truly under way and the nights drawing in, there is less time outside and more time trying to update the archive as best as we can. This month we have the following for you:

5 new entries added

Details about an earlier build of Chain Reaction, a possible sequel to Special Agent, an April Fools and more.

zak1

Chain Reaction V1Daniel Shutters gamesSpecial Agent 2TJZak McKracken 2

16 updates added

Plenty more updates to the archive too, including some rare screenshots of Curse of the Mushroom People added, more scans added to Bomb and a lot more.

mush1

AmokBombCurse of the Mushroom PeopleNedime – The Caliph’s DaughterOperation Mindcrime Xertyn-XOperation Thunderbolt V1Orbyte Software titlesPhantomasPlan 9 Outer SpaceSuper CThe Critters CompanyThe Western GameTwilight BeyondUnicorn Software titlesUnnamed Andrew Braybrook gameWild Women Of Wonga

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Moon Patrol clone

1985 Oliver Ridler

Platform: Commodore VIC-20

If you consider that the Commodore 64 essentially put an end to the VIC-20’s commercial life perhaps a bit prematurely, there are likely many titles out there which never saw the light of day as a result. Our next entry certainly came a bit late in the day, and was also the first work by a young 12 year old Oliver Ridler in the form of a Moon Patrol clone.

moon2

“Back in 1984, my father gave me a VIC-20 computer at the age of 11.” began Oliver. “It was a portal to the digital universe, and I soon discovered the Moon Patrol game. Determined to recreate it, I had a go at coding it in BASIC but found it too sluggish for a decent frame rate.” Continue reading

Posted in: Reviews, Vic 20 | Tagged: | 4 Comments

Truxz

1996 Reverse Logic

Platform: Commodore Amiga

Following on from our recent addition to the archives of Fatal Mission, we add yet another title that was being worked on by Ola Zandelin.

truxz3

This time, instead of a 2D platformer, Ola decided to jump into the challenge of trying to write a texture mapped 3D game for the Commodore Amiga. One of the attempts was a 3D driving game called Truxz, which would be created by both Ola and Rodrigo Perez on both code and graphics. Continue reading

Posted in: Amiga, Reviews | Tagged: | 1 Comment

Time Lord

1986 Incentive Software

Platform: Dragon 32

In our very first Dragon 32 entry into the archives, we take a look at what seems to be a game based on the famous Doctor Who series, at least in places when you read the story below.

timelord shot

Previewed in Dragon User magazine in June 1986 (with a brief mention in May’s editorial), the game had a story as follows (listed in Dragon User, June 1986, page 6): Continue reading

Posted in: Dragon 32, Reviews | Tagged: | 5 Comments

Games That Weren’t in the press

Games That Weren’t features in the press this month in various forms, with an Amiga CD32 Games That Weren’t piece in the latest Amiga Addict magazine (CD32 special to celebrate 30 years), and also an interview with Amstrad Addict (an Amstrad special) where we give tips on trying to hunt down unreleased games.

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If you haven’t seen the magazines already, then the series (including titles such as Pixel Addict) are well worth checking out: shop.amiga-addict.com

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Husaria

2000 Sland Media

Platforms: Commodore Amiga, PC

Following on from the release of Exodus: The Last War, there was to be yet another potentially great strategy game from the same creators, for both Amiga and PC. The game was teased in the manual and also had screenshots on the CD.

Screen 02

The game was to take you into dark times full of bloody and heroic battles, with exploits of the warriors of that time. You would be in control of one of four armies overall, where you will try to gain control over foreign lands. Continue reading

Posted in: Amiga, PC | Tagged: | Leave a comment

GTW64 September 2023 updates

Well, seems like summer doesn’t want to end and if anything it feels hotter than August! Whilst we melt away, the updates continue within the GTW64 archives with the following additions and updates:

7 new entries added

As well as a strange (early?) version of Poltergeist, we have a number of previously unpreserved Hungarian games thanks to Csaba Virag and also some new titles highlighted by Baracuda:

Poltergeist V1RacedaySakkozo ElefantStrike BackSzigethy QuestThe Stock ExchangeTime Quest

19 updates added

As well as the usual updates, tucked away is the recovery of Monkeybuilder and Bible Baseball and joining the dots for Ash and Dave’s car game – Switchblade (nothing to do with the Gremlin game!):

Anty Up, Bible BaseballBombBrain DeathCombat ChessDeadheadDiskovery titlesDonkey Kong JrEastEndersMatterhornMoney MinefieldMonkeybuilderMurder!Pharaoh’s PyramidPhoenix LairSwitchbladeTypo AttackVanguardVapour

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Survivor Run

1983 Creative Software

Platform: Commodore VIC-20

Survivor Run is an original game that Creative Software were due to release back in 1983 – an original creation by Steven Yaeger that he had sold to the company.

survivor1 fix

The aim of the game was to travel down several screens to beam up a survivor trapped at the bottom of a crater on a remote planet. To do so, you would have to carefully burn through the floor using your thrusters, or use one of your limited bombs. Continue reading

Posted in: Reviews, Vic 20 | Tagged: | 12 Comments