Gaming Challenges

From Retro Windows wiki
  • Steam has discontinued support as of January 2019. There are workarounds to get it to work partially on Windows XP but are unofficial.
  • EA's Origin client only supports XP in legacy versions.
  • GOG Galaxy doesn't support XP.
  • Uplay supports XP only in legacy versions.
  • Discord chat doesn't support XP.
  • GeForce Now doesn't install at all.
  • Epic Game Store/Launcher doesn't install at all.
  • Nexon Launcher doesn't support XP.
  • Rockstar Games Launcher has discontinued support for XP as of September 2018.
  • Roblox doesn't support XP.

List of Compatible Games[edit]

Game Windows 98/ME Windows 2000 Windows XP
Unreal Engine Up to Unreal Engine 2.5 Up to Unreal Engine 3 (DX9 renderer)
Rune Classic No (built against Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 toolchain) Yes
POSTAL 2 (5100) No Yes
Duke Nukem Forever (2010) No Yes
BioShock No Yes
CryEngine Up to CryEngine 1 (Far Cry) Up to CryEngine 3.4 (DX9 renderer)
Dunia Engine No Up to Dunia Engine 2 (Up to Far Cry 3 + Blood Dragon)
PhyreEngine No Yes
Diesel Engine Yes
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series No Up to Advanced Warfighter 2
Bionic Soldiers series No Yes
Payday series No Payday: The Heist
Chocolate Doom Up to version 2.3.0 (Crispy Doom 3.2) Up to build 20220428
Strife Veteran Edition Using official Chocolate/Crispy Strife
ZDoom Yes
GZDoom Up to version 1.8.00 Up to version 1.8.02 Up to version 4.1.2b
eDuke32 (Duke Nukem 3D) Up to build 20100101-1576 Up to build 20100425-1623 Up to build 20211006-9631 (supports Duke Nukem 3D World Tour, Ion Fury and Electric Highways)
Quake Engine (WinQuake, GLQuake, Hexen II, QuakeWorld, HexenWorld) Yes
Quake Enhanced Edition (2021) No Using QuakeSpasm
DarkPlaces Up to version 20110328beta2 Yes
Xonotic Up to preview version 0.1 Yes
id Tech 2 (Quake II, Daikatana, Heretic II, Soldier of Fortune, SiN, KingPin) Yes
Alien Arena (CRX Gaming Engine) Up to 2011
id Tech 3 Yes
Quake Live No Up to version 0.1.0.967 (2015)
Infinity Ward engine Up to IW2.0 (Call of Duty 2) Up to IW4.0 (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)
id Tech 4 Theoretically compatible Yes
DOOM 3 Can be run without KernelEx with an unofficial patch Yes
The Dark Mod 1.xx (DOOM 3 mod) Up to version 2.07
Enemy Territory Quake Wars No Can be run with an unofficial patch Yes
Wolfenstein (2009) No Yes
DOOM 3 BFG Edition No Yes (on x64 Edition)
GoldSrc Up to 2009 releases Up to 2022 releases (before 25th Anniversary update)
Source Engine Up to 2007 releases Up to build 7227 (2019 release)
Counter-Strike Source Up to v34
Portal series Up to Portal 1 Up to Portal 2
Left 4 Dead series No Yes
Source Engine 2 No Up to 2019 releases (matches older versions of Dota 2 Reborn that are no longer supported)
Serious Engine Up to Serious Engine 1 Up to Serious Engine 2 Up to Serious Engine 3.5
LithTech Up to LithTech Jupiter Yes
FEAR series No Up to FEAR 1 Up to FEAR 2
Cube Engine Yes
AssaultCube Up to version 1.2 Up to version 1.3
Cube Engine 2 Yes
Red Eclipse No Up to version 1.6.0
Tesseract No Yes
Gamebryo Yes
The Elder Scrolls series Up to Morrowind Up to Oblivion Yes
Fallout series No (tied to XInput) Yes
Prism3D Yes
Hunting Unlimited series Up to Hunting Unlimited 4 Up to Hunting Unlimited 2009 Yes
Euro Truck Simulator series No 2008 version
18 Wheels of Steel series No Up to Extreme Trucker
Infinity Engine (BG, BG2, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment etc.) Yes
Aurora Engine Yes
Jefferson Engine (Van Buren "Fallout 3" and BG3: The Black Hound) Yes
RenderWare Up to version 3.x Yes
Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (Grand Theft Auto IV, Max Payne 3) No Yes
Crystal Engine No Yes
Refractor 2 (classic Battlefield series) Up to Battlefield Vietnam Up to Battlefield 2 Yes
Frostbite No Up to Frostbite 1.5
Unity No Up to version 3.4 Up to version 5.3
Plague Inc No Yes
Cocos No Yes
Microsoft XNA Framework No Yes
Terraria No Up to version 1.2
Phoenix Engine (Fallout Tactics, Hot Wheels Bash Arena) Yes
X-Ray Engine (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series) No Up to version 1.0 (Shadow of Chernobyl) Up to version 1.6 (Call of Pripyat)
Retro Engine No Yes
RealLive Yes
SiglusEngine No Yes
M.U.G.E.N Up to version 1.0 Yes
Ren'Py Officially up to version 6.7.0 Officially up to version 6.11.1 Officially up to version 7.3.5
Macromedia/Adobe Flash Up to Player 9.0 r289 Up to Player 10.3 Yes
Macromedia/Adobe Shockwave Up to version 10.3 Yes
ScummVM Up to version 1.8.1 Yes
Java Up to Java 6 (J2 series) Up to Java 8 (J2 series)
Minecraft Java Edition Up to version 1.11.2 Up to version 1.16.5
Other/unknown engines (Real-time strategy)
Age of Empires series Up to AOE 2 (no remasters) Up to AOE 3 (no remasters) Up to AOE 3 (no remasters)
Age of Mythology Yes
Command and Conquer series Up to Generals Up to Tiberium Twilight (no remasters)
Dune 2000 Yes
Total War series Up to Rome Up to Rome 2
Populous Yes
The Settlers Up to The Settlers V: Heritage of Kings Up to The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom
Starcraft Up to Starcraft I with expansion (no remasters)
World in Conflict No Yes
Europa Universalis series Up to EU 2 Up to EU 3 Up to EU: Rome
Anno series Up to Anno 1602 Up to Anno 1701 Up to Anno 2070
Sengoku Yes
Crusader Kings series Up to CK 2
Company of Heroes series No Company of Heroes 1
Wargame No Yes
Hearts of Iron series Up to HOI 2 Up to HOI 3
Spellforce series The Order of Dawn Up to Spellforce 2
Empire Earth series Up to EE 2 Yes
Imperial Glory Yes
Warhammer 40,000 series Up to Dawn of War Up to Dawn of War II – Retribution
Stronghold series Up to Crusader Up to Legends Up to Crusader 2
Star Wars series Galactic Battlegrounds and Force Commander Up to Empire at War
Lord of the Rings series Up to War of the Ring Up to The Battle for Middle-earth II
American Conquest Yes
Hegemony series No Up to The Rise of Caesar
Warcraft series Yes (no remasters)
Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun Yes
Castle Strike Yes
Other/unknown engines (Turn-based strategy)
Sid Meier's Civilization series Up to Civilization IV Up to Civilization IV Up to Civilization V
FreeCiv Up to version 2.2 Up to version 2.2 Up to version 2.3
Worms series Up to Worms 4: Mayhem Up to Worms Clan Wars
Master of Orion III Yes
Might and Magic series Up to Heroes of Might and Magic IV Up to Heroes of Might and Magic V Up to Might & Magic Heroes VI
Warhammer Rites of War Yes
Romance of the Three Kingdoms Up to Romance of the Three Kingdoms X Yes
X-COM: Enemy Unknown No Yes
Galactic Civilizations series Up to Galactic Civilizations II
Battle for Wesnoth No Up to major version 1.14
Disciples series Up to Disciples 2 with expansion packs
Chessmaster series Up to 10th Edition Up to Grandmaster Edition
Other/unknown engines (First/third-person shooter/sandbox)
Turok series Up to Turok 2: Seeds of Evil Up to Turok (2008)
Necrodome Yes
Take No Prisoners Yes
Soldier of Fortune: Payback Yes
Medal of Honor series Up to Allied Assault Yes
Alien vs Predator [2010] No Yes
Gore (Ultimate Soldier and Special Edition) Yes
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series 1998 version Up to Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series Yes
Delta Force series Yes
Brothers in Arms series Up to Road to Hill 30 Up to Earned in Blood Yes
The Punisher Yes
Dead Space series No Yes (no remasters)
S.W.A.T series Yes
Red Faction series Up to Red Faction 2 Up to Armageddon
Hitman series Up to Contracts Up to Blood Money
Arma series No Arma: Armed Assault Up to Arma 2
Operation Flashpoint series Up to GOTY Yes
Star Wars Battlefront series Up to 2005 version of Battlefront 2
Star Wars Republic Commando Yes
Star Wars Jedi Knight series Yes
Star Trek (Voyager) Elite Force series Yes
Metro Last Light No Yes
Singularity No Yes
Call of Juarez series No 2006 version of Call of Juarez Yes
Borderlands series No Up to Borderlands 1 Up to Borderlands 2
Sniper Elite series No Sniper Elite 1
Sniper Ghost Warrior series No Up to SGW 2
F.3.A.R No Yes
Biohazard / Resident Evil series Up to Resident Evil 3 (no remasters) Up to Resident Evil 4 (no remasters) Up to Resident Evil 6 (no remasters)
Commandos: Strike Force No Yes
Descent series Up to Descent 3 and FreeSpace 2
Ace of Spades (2012) Yes
Minetest Up to version 0.2.20110406_0 Up to version 0.3.1
ClassiCube Yes
HROT No Yes
Other/unknown engines (Topdown, fighting, platformers and other action games)
Mortal Kombat Up to Mortal Kombat 4
Alien Breed series No Yes
Spider-Man series Up to Spider-Man 2 Up to Spider-Man 3 Up to Shattered Dimensions
Prototype series No Yes
Assassin's Creed series Up to Assassin's Creed II Up to Assassin's Creed III
Transformers series No Up to War for Cybertron
Rockman / Mega Man series Up to Mega Man X8
Rockman DASH / Mega Man Legends series Yes
C-Dogs SDL Yes
Genocide Yes (excluding Remixed) Yes
Return Fire series Yes Yes
Crimsonland 2003 version
Alien Shooter series Original series Up to Alien Shooter 2 series
Zombie Shooter series Original series Yes
Super Mario 64 EX Yes
Neverball Up to version 1.5 series, theoretically up to 1.6.0 Yes
Other/unknown engines (Role playing)
Dragon Age series No Up to DA2
(MMORPG) Old School RuneScape Using the standard client
(MMORPG) Ultima Online Yes
Fallout and Fallout 2 Yes
Mount and Blade series No Up to Warband 1.132 with "With fire and Sword" expansion Up to Warband with "With fire and Sword" and "Napoleonic Wars" expansions
E.Y.E Divine Cybermancy No Yes
System Shock 2 Yes (excluding Reborn) Yes
The Witcher series No Up to The Witcher 2
Diablo series Up to Diablo 2 (no remasters)
Gothic series Up to Gothic 2 Up to Gothic 3
Titan Quest No Up to Gold Edition
Might and Magic series Up to M&M 9
Nox Yes
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series Up to KOTOR 1 Up to KOTOR 2
Vampire the Masquerade Redemption and Bloodlines
Darkest Dungeon No Yes
Chinese Paladin series Up to Chinese Paladin 3 Up to Chinese Paladin 4
Other/unknown engines (Adventure and visual novel)
Myst series Up to Myst IV (no remasters) Up to Myst V (no remasters)
McPixel No Yes
McPixel 3 itch.io version
Other/unknown engines (Racing)
Need for Speed series Up to Underground 2 Up to ProStreet Up to Hot Pursuit (2010)
Test Drive series Up to Test Drive 6 and Off Road 3 Up to Test Drive Unlimited Up to Test Drive Unlimited 2
Colin McRae series Up to Rally 2005
DiRT series No Up to DiRT 3
GRID series No Up to GRID 2
Juiced series Juiced (2005) Up to Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
Trackmania Up to United Forever
FlatOut series Up to FlatOut Up to FlatOut 2 Up to FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage
F1 series Up to F1 Pro 2004 Up to F1 2011
Death Rally 1996 version 1996 and 2012 versions
Crazy Frog Racer series Yes
Big Red Racing Yes No
Game Stock Car series No Yes
Stunt Rally No Up to version 2.2.1
Speed Dreams No Up to version 2.2.3
Other/unknown engines (Simulation)
SimCity series Up to SimCity 4 Up to the 2013 version of SimCity
A-Train series Up to A-Train 7 Up to A-Train 9 V4.0 (excluding A-Train 8) Up to A-Train 9 V4.0
Cities series No Up to City Life 2008 Edition Up to Cities in Motion
Football Manager Up to Football Manager 2006 Up to Football Manager 2013
OpenTTD (Transport Tycoon Deluxe) Up to version 1.8.0 Up to version 1.10.3
Latest versions can be source-compiled to run
Rollercoaster Tycoon series Up to Rollercoaster Tycoon 3
Industry Giant series Yes
Democracy series Up to Democracy 1 Up to Democracy 3
Kudos series Up to Kudos 1 Yes
Tropico series Up to Tropico 2 Up to Tropico 3
Microsoft Flight Simulator Up to Flight Simulator 2004 Up to Flight Simulator X
Microsoft Train Simulator Yes
X-Plane Up to X-Plane 8 Up to X-Plane 10
DEFCON Yes
The Sims series Up to The Sims 2 Up to 2014 "Legacy Edition" of The Sims 4
CivCity: Rome No Yes


Playing Multiplayer

Given the fact that about 99% of all of these games above have no online support or active servers,there are certain tweaks,patches and mods that allow custom servers to be unlocked. Specifically an easy way to play multiplayer is by using either Game Ranger or another app called Voobly which also have support for XP.