Welcome to Games That Weren't!

We are an Unreleased and Cancelled 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 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 video game history since 1999.

Latest news and posts

Secret of the 7th Labyrinth

Posted: , last updated: by fgasking

1993 MicroProse

Platform: PC

PC Review magazine in August 1993 described Secret of the 7th Labyrinth as requiring you to “Zoom around killing things and make sure you do it fast”. There were also comparisons to Wolfenstein, which the whole segment (see gallery) was highlighting overall across a number of upcoming titles.

seventh2

Extras however within the game would include stairs, angled walls built into the scenery – which apparently you would be able to build up or dismantle in a map editor and create your own labyrinths. Continue reading →

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

Linkword German (C64) preserved

Posted: , last updated: by fgasking

Just a quick post to share some preservation work by our friend Allan Pinkerton, with Linkword German by Artworx on the Commodore 64.

As it was released, it doesn’t warrant creating a GTW64 entry, so we’ve done a post with it instead for people to grab.

With thanks to Allan Pinkerton for preserving and passing on.

Download
Posted in: Commodore 64, GTW64 news | Tagged: | Leave a comment

Metal-On-Metal

Posted: , last updated: by fgasking

1987 Quickbeam

Platform: Dragon 32

A late title for the Dragon 32 now, with one which was apparently similar to Uridium on the Commodore 64. A Uridium clone on the Dragon 32? This I would love to see!

The game was announced in a Quickbeam catalogue in March 1987, and Simon Hardy suggests that the game was reportedly seen working at a 6809 event in 1988. Continue reading →

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

Eager Edna

Posted: , last updated: by fgasking

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

Posted: , last updated: by fgasking

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

Posted: by fgasking

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 V1, Daniel Shutters games, Special Agent 2, TJ, Zak 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

Amok, Bomb, Curse of the Mushroom People, Nedime – The Caliph’s Daughter, Operation Mindcrime Xertyn-X, Operation Thunderbolt V1, Orbyte Software titles, Phantomas, Plan 9 Outer Space, Super C, The Critters Company, The Western Game, Twilight Beyond, Unicorn Software titles, Unnamed Andrew Braybrook game, Wild Women Of Wonga

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Moon Patrol clone

Posted: by fgasking

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

Posted: by fgasking

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

Posted: , last updated: by fgasking

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