Computer Games

The public view of Doctor Who fans has always shared many similarities with that of computer programmers: spotty, geeky, friendless youths rapidly going short-sighted from staring at too many screens. Throw a scarf in, and it’s hard to tell the difference.

Whether or not this perception is correct, when the computer hardware industry boomed in the 1980s, Who fans saw this as a damn good excuse to attempt to create their own interactive episodes, with far superior effects than the series could ever manage.

Here we present a more-or-less complete guide to these bundles of machine code produced over the years, across a variety of formats and in a surprising amount of styles. Some are entire games given over to the Time Lord, others just feature nods of the head which show just how many fans had managed to infiltrate the top-level positions at software companies.

Unlike anywhere else on the site, we have chosen to include amateur games here. Not only is there, in several cases, a blurred line between “amateur” and “professional”, but a lot of the “amateur” ones are far superior to the official ones!

In order to draw some sort of line, we’re not including variants of the Daleks game (see below for more info) or online games that purely take the form of a quiz/puzzle to test your knowledge of Doctor Who (the official website, then part of BBCi, included three of these in the late 90s, and dozens upon dozens of fans have created simple tests online, which would take far too long to catalogue here! Try Googling if you’re interested).

Notes on downloads

All downloads are available by arrangement with the original authors – beware sites that offer downloadable copyrighted items without permission.

TME takes no responsibility for software or hardware damage caused by the downloads it provides.

If you’re having trouble with emulators, TME is working on a “how to” page, available here.

The games

Games that take place in (or spoof) the Doctor Who universe
Games that feature references to Doctor Who
Game download available
Related download available
   1980s 
1983Dr Who AdventureComputer & Video Games
1983 Doctor Who: The First AdventureBBC Soft
1983 Escape From Moonbase AlphaMicropower Ltd
1983 Lords of TimeLevel 9/Mandarin
1984 The Key to TimeLumpsoft
1984 Roland in the CavesAmsoft
1984 Roland in TimeAmsoft
1985 Roland in SpaceAmsoft
1985 Doctor Who and the WarlordBBC Software
1985Brian BloodaxeThe Edge
1985? Time LordsRed Shift
1985 StrandedSuperior Software
1985ParadroidHewson
1985Doctor Who and the Mines of TerrorMicro Power Ltd
1985 Mind MazeKevin o’Shea
1986 The Five DoctorsKevin o’Shea
1986 Odd Job EddieStrobe
1986 Doctor What!CRL Group PLC
1986Herbert’s Dummy RunMike-Gen Ltd
1987 ImaginationPrism Leisure
1988 Doctor Goo and the SamaroonsGlobal/SAEC
    
   1990s 
1991 Doctor Who: Deadly AllianceMike Snyder
1991Hugo II: Whodunnit?Gray Design Associates
1991 Brides of DraculaGonzo Games
1991 The Bod SquadZeppelin Games
1992 Dalek AttackAlternative
1992 The Key to TimeJon Drukman
1992 OverkillEpic Megagames
1993Beneath a Steel SkyVirgin Interactive
1993 Doctor Who and the DaleksSystema
1994 Pyramids of MarsPatrick Wigfull
1994 Whovial PursuitBrian Copeland
1995 Cannon Fodder IIVirgin
1995BritTriviaMick Spencer
1996 Return to KarnPatrick Wigfull
1997The Doctor Who Platform GameArgolis Productions
1997 The Seven DoctorsDavid Burke
1997Jet Set Willy in SpaceRichard Hallas
1997 FalloutInterplay
1997Mick’s TARDIS ScreensaverMick Spencer
1997Doctor Who: Destiny of the DoctorsBBC Multimedia
1998 Dr GooJosh Bender
1998 Exterminate!Beeb
1998Jigsaw PuzzlesTime Vortex
1998Daleks!Argolis Productions
1998 Manic Miner: Buddha of SuburbiaBroadsoft
1999 Dr Goo II: The PlagueJosh Bender
1999Doctor Who: TARDIS HuntArgolis Productions
1999?Dalek BlasterThe Production Centre
    
   2000s 
2000 Dr Goo III: The Rubblewum WarJosh Bender
2000Doctor Who: The Hidden Menace – Escape from Southbank CavesArgolis Productions
2000Doctor Who: TimewarpArgolis Productions
2000Doctor Who: The Jeffrey Coburn Series QuizArgolis Productions
2000TARDIS AdventureGreg Smith
2000Dalek Soccer 2000Cheeky Monkey Games
2000Atlantean Soccer 2000Cheeky Monkey Games
2001Macra CadabraCheeky Monkey Games
2001 Dalek Soccer 2002Cheeky Monkey Games
2001 Return to GallifreyFamily Fun and Games
2001 Asheron’s CallEB Games and Turbine, Inc
2002 Evade the DaleksPaul Aslin
2002Dalek Dissolution EarthPixel Pie
2002 Doctor Who and the Vortex of LustChris Cole
2003 Whack-a-Dalekdaleks.fanspace.com
2003 Doctor Who ConcentrationKevin Wilson
2003 Destroy the Dalek SpacecraftsKevin Wilson
2003 Doctor Who Slot MachineKevin Wilson
2003 Doctor Who HangmanKevin Wilson
2003 Metebelis III Spider RaceKevin Wilson
2003 Doctor Who SnakeKevin Wilson
2003 K9 vs the Daleks!SCSoft
2003 Doctor Who TrumpsBBCi
2003 TARDIS TennisBBC Sport
2003 XGRA: Extreme-G Racing AssociationAcclaim Entertainment
2004 Doctor Who: The Tides of TimeToast Prophet Games
2004 Doctor Who: Dawn of the OrinthToast Prophet Games
2005 The Last DalekNewMediaCollective
2005 Dr Who: Invasion of the DaleksSmila
2005 The Quest of the Golden BananaEric Eve
2005Doctor Who: Dalek HunterCharacter Options
2005 TelosPeter Crossley
2005 DalektronAndy & James Bower
2005 Launch GuinevereBBC Online
2005 Project: Gallifrey / Doctor WhoVarious
2005 Lost in the TARDISMurray Ewing
2006 DalekBrent Silby
2005The Five DoctorsPaul Somers & Wil Roysdon
2005 Attack of the GraskeBBC Wales
2006 Slitheen SurferBBC Online
2006 SuDocWhoBBC Online
2006 Dizzy Who: Into the TARDISTheo’s Grotto
2006The BeginningPaul Somers & Wil Roysdon
2006 The Dalek GameApathy Sketchpad
2006 Old RopeSequence
2006 Torchwood HouseSequence
2006 Are You Smart Enough?Sequence
2006 Clockwork Robot GameSequence
2006 Cybus Spy!Sequence
2006 Save Cyber Paris!Sequence
2006 Defeat The Wire!Sequence
2006 Flight SimulatorSequence
2006 Escape the Ood!Sequence
2006 Defend The Earth!Sequence
2006 Chloe’s WorldSequence
2006 GhostwatchSequence
2006 Daleks vs CybermenSequence
2006 K.9: Deja WhoSequence
2006 Doctor Who: Cyber AssaultFish in a Bottle
2006 BBCi Advent CalenderBBCi
2006 Escape from SkaroAltered Vistas
2006 Sonic Who: The First TimeHogSCSoft
2007Another Five DoctorsPaul Somers & Wil Roysdon
2007Smith and Jones Video GamePaul Somers
2007Sonic De-cloakerBBCi
2007 Judoon LanderDWOMedia
2007 Witch HuntDWOMedia
2007 GridlockDWOMedia
2007 Sec’s in the CityDWOMedia
2007 Dalek InvadersDWOMedia
2007 Escape VelocityDWOMedia
2007 ScarecrowDWOMedia
2007 BloodlineDWOMedia
2007 Haunted HouseDWOMedia
2007 Spaced OutDWOMedia
2007 FireballDWOMedia
2007 Eye of the TARDISBBCi
2007Dr Who: RobotPaul Somers & Wil Roysdon
2007 Mr Smith QuizBBCi
2007 Z-WingersBBCi
2007 Doctor in a DashBBCi
     
   Appendix One: Unfinished 
  K9 RacerThe Production Centre
  Doctor Who AdventureWayne Peters
 Doctor Who: The Dark TimesAndrew Brockhouse
 TimelordCheeky Monkey Games
  Dalek ChessCorey Hollingsworth
  Doctor Who: The Morningstar HauntingArgolis Productions
  Doctor Who: Caverns of BloodCheeky Monkey Games
  Doctor Who (Adventure Game)Duckbutcher
  Dawn of the DaleksCirius
  Isometric WhoChristian Tate
  Top Trumps AdventuresEidos
     
   Appendix Two: Unofficial Game Mods 
1996 Doctor Who Quake LevelChristian Darkin
1997 Movie Daleks QuakeSCSoft
1997 Doctor Who QuakeSCSoft
1997 Dr Who WAD for Doom IIUnknown
1998Doctor Who Doom IIAndrew Brockhouse
1998 Doctor Who Quake IISCSoft
1999Crows Nest Models For Quake IIWayne Peters
1999Quake WhoConrad Feinson
1999 Doctor Who: The UNIT Years [for Quake III]SCSoft
2000 Timequake [for Quake]Giles Williams
2000 Wild Universe [for Homeworld]Various
2000 The Sims modelsVarious
2001Worms patchesVarious
2003 Dalek War 2087 [for Wolfenstein 3D]Paul Stone
2004 Dalek: Unbidden [for Half-Life]Pixel-Pie
2005 Dr. Who: Dalek Invasion [Berzerk Hack]Jamcat
2005 Dalek Mk IV [for Elite Force 2]Andrew of Borg
2005 Doctor Who 2005 Dalek For SanRhys Salcombe and [DRuG]NiKt
2005 The Only Dalek (etc) [for Escape]Henri Kareinen
     
   Appendix Three: Myths, Rumours and Others… 
1983  Attack of the Timelord!Philips
1983  CybermenJ Morrison Micros
1983  ZalagaAardvark
1984  Attack of the CybermenIJK Software
1984  Travels with the TrashmanNew Generation Software
1985  TimelordOmega
1986  Head Over HeelsOcean Software
1986  Highway Encounter / Alien Highway: Encounter 2Vortex
1989  Time LordMilton Bradley
1990  Zygon WarriorMal Harvey
1993  Cyber ManFabio Bizzetti
1995  Secret of EvermoreSquaresoft
1998  Doctor Who ThemeChris Saloman
1998  Star Wars: DroidworksLucasLearning
2000  Sonic Who (Now a Myth no longer!)TMEGames
2004  Cyber ManHardCover Entertainment Software
2004  Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith LordsLucasArts Entertainment
2005  Second LifeLinden Labs

Calling all games creators…

If you’ve written, or are writing, a Doctor Who game and need somewhere to put it, we’d love to hear from you to discuss partnering with us at TME – contact us at editors@millenniumeffect.co.uk.

If you already have somewhere to put it, but it’s not listed here, please contact us anyway so we can help promote your work!

Daleks

In 1982, working for Williams Electronics, Eugene Jarvis created one of the most popular and enduring arcade machines for the early 80s: Robotron 2084. Like other classics of its time, the gameplay was simple but addictive: as a robot, the player must save humans from an unfeasibly large amount of killer robots. This game has spawned many conversions from a DOS version, to the Nintendo N64’s Robotron64. It also inspired a spate of Who-based games from the mid 80s to the present day: Daleks.

As the Doctor, the player must destroy as many Daleks as possible (either with his screwdriver or by making them bash into each other as they move towards him), in a turn-taking puzzle-type affair. It is never possible to “win”, as every time the Daleks are wiped out, a larger attack force appears. This differs distinctly from Robotron, in which the player can shoot the enemies.
Many versions of this Daleks game have appeared over the years, on the DOS, Windows, Atari, Amiga and Mac platforms at the very least. Ethan Koehler has programmed a Java version of it which is available to play online, and a highly advanced version was created in 2005, under the name Dalektron – with the exception of this latest incarnation (simply because it’s very different), we haven’t attempted to catalogue the myriad other versions. Life’s too short.

There is, however, a great version here: http://www.isaacsukin.com/sites/daleks/index.html

Photography by Jane Walker