Modern versions of Microsoft Windows are, in general, considered to be the de-fact kind of computer gaming. If a PC game comes out, it runs on Windows. Sure, many may run on Linux and macOS... but Windows? Always.
But this wasn't always the case.
During the Windows 3.1 era, MS-DOS was the king of computer games... with people typically exiting Windows entirely, returning to DOS, in order to enjoy the most demanding games of the day.
In fact, when most people think of "Windows 3.1 gaming" the first thing that springs to mind are the likes of Solitaire and Minesweeper.
But I'm here to tell you that Windows 3.1 had some truly fantastic games. And is, without a doubt, an exceptionally good gaming system in it's own right.
What follows is a list of, what I consider to be, the best games released for Windows 3.1. In order, from "worst of the best" to "best of the best".
Presenting them here, without commentary. Simply a visual list comprising some of the best of Windows 3.1 gaming. And, yes, I missed your favorite. I did that on purpose. Just to annoy you.
10) Castle of the Winds
9) Indiana Jones and his Desktop Adventures
8) SimTower
7) Incredible Machine 2
6) Quest for Glory 4
5) Colonization
4) Myst
3) SimCity 2000
2) Space Quest 4
1) Civilization II
Take a gander of that list of games. Soak it all in. Some of the best adventure, strategy, and puzzle games ever created.
Any operating system that can boast all of these is one heck of a solid gaming platform in my book.
BONUS PICK: The Microsoft Entertainment Pack
While none of the games included in "The Microsoft Entertainment Pack" are, individually, worthy of being included in this list... it would be a travesty to not not talk about this weird set of releases from Microsoft.
Back in 1990, people did not tend to think of Windows (then at version 3.0) as a true "home operating system" -- it was viewed more as a business system. For obvious reasons, Microsoft wanted to change this.
As such, the project (which the Entertainment Pack was a part of) was launched: to show that Windows was "fun".
Unfortunately there was almost no budget for this small endeavor. And Microsoft was having difficutly in convincing the major game developers and publisher to bring their titles over to Windows 3.0.
So. What to do... what to do...
Their solution was to create the "Windows Entertainment Pack" -- a collection of 8 games, developed by Microsoft employees as (mostly) hobby projects, polished up and bundled together as one release. With each employee, who contributed a game, compensated with 10 shares of MSFT stock (because, again, they had almost no budget for this work at all).
Over the following two years, Microsoft would release a total of 4 Entertainment Packs, with some games that are now considered classic Windows games. Including Minesweeper, SkiFree, FreeCell, and a ton of others.
Fun fact: The Windows Entertainment Packs were, intentionally, shipped with no copy protection scheme of any kind. This made it easy for people to make copies of the games for friends. The whole point was to encourage the public to accept Windows as a gaming platform, right? So the more copies in circulation, the better!
Just the same, these Entertainment Packs would sell over half a million copies by 1992.
