Welcome to Games That Weren't!

We are a 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 online since 1999, and long before that offline.

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

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Pussyfootin’

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1983 Synapse Software

Platform: Commodore Vic-20

For our next entry, even though the game was fully advertised at the time. It seems to be completely missing, with nothing online about the title apart from being on missing lists.

The game was developed by Raymond C. Hogue back in 1983 and was his very first commercial product and seemingly for the unexpanded machine too. Raymond suggests on his old portfolio page that the game was released. Perhaps it is just obscure and is yet to be preserved?

Well, Raymond got back to us and confirmed that it was definately released, but he no longer has a copy himself. The search is now on to see if it can be found and properly preserved. Can you help us find a copy?

With thanks to Fabrizio Bartoloni for the heads up.

Gallery
Posted in: Commodore VIC-20, Reviews | Tagged: | 2 Comments

Moonsweeper

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1983 Imagic

Platform: Commodore Vic-20

A neat space shooter that was released by Imagic on the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision platforms. However, the game was also seemingly due for release on the Commodore Vic-20 too.

moon large

In 2019, an AtariAge forum poster called “gorfulator” posted that he had come across a Vic-20 cartridge from a friend who worked at Imagic. His friend mentioned he had worked on a Moonsweeper game for the Commodore. By the looks of things, it was actually completed too. There was talk of backing up and preserving the game, but nothing further happened.

Then something quite fantastic happened, archivist Ken Van Mersbergen responded on the AtariAge thread with a link to a post titled “Summer Project” in May 2025. Where an amazing recovery of the game was about to begin. I’ll hand over to Ken at this point who tells the story: Continue reading →

Posted in: Commodore VIC-20, Reviews | Tagged: | 3 Comments

The Chaos Engine early screens (Amiga)

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

One of my favourite Amiga games of all time, The Chaos Engine was released by The Bitmap Brothers in 1993 for the Amiga and various other platforms over the years. The game was closely followed across its development, so it was clearly going to result in screenshots showing many different assets and features that would not make the final cut. Grzegorz Antosiewicz delivers once again by providing a series of screens highlighting features that didn’t make it.

Clipboard02 1

Firstly, various screenshots from Amiga Format, Games-X, Joystick and Zero all show up to three simultaneous players was once possible. But as you know in the final release, you can only play up to two players. So, just why the 3rd player was dropped is a mystery at the moment. We guess it was simply down to restoring some speed to the game. Continue reading →

Posted in: Commodore Amiga, Prototype, Unused materials | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Chuck’s World

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1993 Fission Software

Platform: Commodore Amiga

Chuck’s World by Fission Software was an unreleased Amiga platform game that was based on various animations about a character named Chuck, created by Steve Packer and released in Public Domain. The main character Chuck looked slightly like something out of South Park, and would dress up as various popular icons.

Clipboard06

Continue reading →

Posted in: Commodore Amiga, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Stargate

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1983 Atarisoft

Platform: Commodore Vic 20

A short entry which we will try and flesh out soon. Stargate was listed as being due for release for the Commodore Vic 20 over at https://www.digitpress.com/faq/atarisoft.htm – though was cancelled either due to the dying Vic 20 market or the collapse of Atarisoft.

If you know anything more about it – please do get in touch with us.

Posted in: Commodore VIC-20, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Track and Field

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1983 Atarisoft

Platform: Commodore Vic 20

A short entry which we will try and flesh out soon. Track and Field was listed as being due for release for the Commodore Vic 20 over at https://www.digitpress.com/faq/atarisoft.htm – though was cancelled either due to the dying Vic 20 market or the collapse of Atarisoft.

If you know anything more about it – please do get in touch with us.

Posted in: Commodore VIC-20, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Donkey Kong Jr.

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1983 Atarisoft

Platform: Commodore Vic 20

A short entry which we will try and flesh out soon. Donkey Kong Jr. was listed as being due for release for the Commodore Vic 20 over at https://www.digitpress.com/faq/atarisoft.htm – though was cancelled either due to the dying Vic 20 market or the collapse of Atarisoft.

If you know anything more about it – please do get in touch with us.

With thanks to Fabrizio Bartoloni for the heads up.

Posted in: Commodore VIC-20, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Vanguard

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1983 Atarisoft

Platform: Commodore Vic 20

A short entry which we will try and flesh out soon. Vanguard was listed as being due for release for the Commodore Vic 20 over at https://www.digitpress.com/faq/atarisoft.htm – though was cancelled either due to the dying Vic 20 market or the collapse of Atarisoft.

If you know anything more about it – please do get in touch with us.

Posted in: Commodore VIC-20, Reviews | Tagged: | 2 Comments

Joust

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1983 Atarisoft

Platform: Commodore Vic 20

A short entry which we will try and flesh out soon. Joust was listed as being due for release for the Commodore Vic 20 over at https://www.digitpress.com/faq/atarisoft.htm – though was cancelled either due to the dying Vic 20 market or the collapse of Atarisoft.

The Commodore 64 edition was recently recovered.

If you know anything more about it – please do get in touch with us.

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Mario Bros

Posted: , last updated: by Frank Gasking

1983 Atarisoft

Platform: Commodore Vic 20

A short entry which we will try and flesh out soon. Mario Bros was listed as being due for release for the Commodore Vic 20 over at https://www.digitpress.com/faq/atarisoft.htm – though was cancelled either due to the dying Vic 20 market or the collapse of Atarisoft.

On the site, it has a note from Jim Huey to say that it was in development.

If you know anything more about it – please do get in touch with us.

With thanks to Fabrizio Bartoloni for the heads up.

Posted in: Commodore VIC-20, Reviews | Tagged: | Leave a comment