Do you remember shareware?

In the pre-internet days it became a popular way to spread software, in particular games.

For many Wolfenstein and Doom are likely the examples they’ll be able to recall. In these cases the entire first episode of each game was given away for free. With further episodes containing more levels, monsters and weapons only available in the registered copy.

However there is a lot more to the story than that exact model and just a handful of standout games.

Creating this book has been a labour of love for Richard Moss with the crowd funding for it originally starting back in 2018 on Unbound.

I was very excited when I discovered the topic for this book and quickly put my money where my mouth is by supporting the project. For a few years I wasn’t sure if it would ever see the light of day, but thankfully in mid 2022 I received my copy.

Reading about the history of shareware really took me back to my youth and the feeling of discovering new games on a compilation disk or from a friend.

Learning the story behind Capture the Flag was a real joy, as it was a very memorable title I remembered encountering. Richard does a great job attaching a human story to this and all of the games mentioned.

It was also very interesting to discover various new titles I’d not heard of at the time, such as Snood. Apparently a very popular game, but not one I ever recall hearing about back then.

If you’re unsure about whether it would be of interest, I’d recommend listening to Richard on The Retro Hour talking extensively about the book and the shareware era.

Alternatively just buy it! It’s a fantastic cosy read for any child of the shareware gaming era.