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 | ||||
| 1983 |  | | Dr Who Adventure | Computer & Video Games |
| 1983 | | Doctor Who: The First Adventure | BBC Soft | |
| 1983 |  | Escape From Moonbase Alpha | Micropower Ltd | |
| 1983 | | Lords of Time | Level 9/Mandarin | |
| 1984 | | The Key to Time | Lumpsoft | |
| 1984 | | Roland in the Caves | Amsoft | |
| 1984 | | Roland in Time | Amsoft | |
| 1985 | | Roland in Space | Amsoft | |
| 1985 | | Doctor Who and the Warlord | BBC Software | |
| 1985 | | | Brian Bloodaxe | The Edge |
| 1985? | | Time Lords | Red Shift | |
| 1985 | | Stranded | Superior Software | |
| 1985 | | | Paradroid | Hewson |
| 1985 | | | Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror | Micro Power Ltd |
| 1985 | | Mind Maze | Kevin o’Shea | |
| 1986 |  | The Five Doctors | Kevin o’Shea | |
| 1986 | | Odd Job Eddie | Strobe | |
| 1986 | | Doctor What! | CRL Group PLC | |
| 1986 | | | Herbert’s Dummy Run | Mike-Gen Ltd |
| 1987 | | Imagination | Prism Leisure | |
| 1988 | | Doctor Goo and the Samaroons | Global/SAEC | |
| 1990s | ||||
| 1991 | | Doctor Who: Deadly Alliance | Mike Snyder | |
| 1991 |  | | Hugo II: Whodunnit? | Gray Design Associates |
| 1991 | | Brides of Dracula | Gonzo Games | |
| 1991 | | The Bod Squad | Zeppelin Games | |
| 1992 | | Dalek Attack | Alternative | |
| 1992 | | The Key to Time | Jon Drukman | |
| 1992 | | Overkill | Epic Megagames | |
| 1993 | | | Beneath a Steel Sky | Virgin Interactive |
| 1993 | | Doctor Who and the Daleks | Systema | |
| 1994 | | Pyramids of Mars | Patrick Wigfull | |
| 1994 | | Whovial Pursuit | Brian Copeland | |
| 1995 | | Cannon Fodder II | Virgin | |
| 1995 | | | BritTrivia | Mick Spencer |
| 1996 | | Return to Karn | Patrick Wigfull | |
| 1997 | | | The Doctor Who Platform Game | Argolis Productions |
| 1997 | | The Seven Doctors | David Burke | |
| 1997 | | | Jet Set Willy in Space | Richard Hallas |
| 1997 | | Fallout | Interplay | |
| 1997 | | | Mick’s TARDIS Screensaver | Mick Spencer |
| 1997 | | | Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors | BBC Multimedia |
| 1998 | | Dr Goo | Josh Bender | |
| 1998 | | Exterminate! | Beeb | |
| 1998 | | | Jigsaw Puzzles | Time Vortex |
| 1998 | | | Daleks! | Argolis Productions |
| 1998 | | Manic Miner: Buddha of Suburbia | Broadsoft | |
| 1999 | | Dr Goo II: The Plague | Josh Bender | |
| 1999 | | | Doctor Who: TARDIS Hunt | Argolis Productions |
| 1999? | | | Dalek Blaster | The Production Centre |
| 2000s | ||||
| 2000 | | Dr Goo III: The Rubblewum War | Josh Bender | |
| 2000 | | | Doctor Who: The Hidden Menace – Escape from Southbank Caves | Argolis Productions |
| 2000 | | | Doctor Who: Timewarp | Argolis Productions |
| 2000 | | | Doctor Who: The Jeffrey Coburn Series Quiz | Argolis Productions |
| 2000 | | | TARDIS Adventure | Greg Smith |
| 2000 | | | Dalek Soccer 2000 | Cheeky Monkey Games |
| 2000 | | | Atlantean Soccer 2000 | Cheeky Monkey Games |
| 2001 | | | Macra Cadabra | Cheeky Monkey Games |
| 2001 | | Dalek Soccer 2002 | Cheeky Monkey Games | |
| 2001 | | Return to Gallifrey | Family Fun and Games | |
| 2001 | | Asheron’s Call | EB Games and Turbine, Inc | |
| 2002 | | Evade the Daleks | Paul Aslin | |
| 2002 | | | Dalek Dissolution Earth | Pixel Pie |
| 2002 | | Doctor Who and the Vortex of Lust | Chris Cole | |
| 2003 | | Whack-a-Dalek | daleks.fanspace.com | |
| 2003 | | Doctor Who Concentration | Kevin Wilson | |
| 2003 | | Destroy the Dalek Spacecrafts | Kevin Wilson | |
| 2003 | | Doctor Who Slot Machine | Kevin Wilson | |
| 2003 | | Doctor Who Hangman | Kevin Wilson | |
| 2003 | | Metebelis III Spider Race | Kevin Wilson | |
| 2003 | | Doctor Who Snake | Kevin Wilson | |
| 2003 | | K9 vs the Daleks! | SCSoft | |
| 2003 | | Doctor Who Trumps | BBCi | |
| 2003 | | TARDIS Tennis | BBC Sport | |
| 2003 | | XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association | Acclaim Entertainment | |
| 2004 | | Doctor Who: The Tides of Time | Toast Prophet Games | |
| 2004 | | Doctor Who: Dawn of the Orinth | Toast Prophet Games | |
| 2005 | | The Last Dalek | NewMediaCollective | |
| 2005 | | Dr Who: Invasion of the Daleks | Smila | |
| 2005 | | The Quest of the Golden Banana | Eric Eve | |
| 2005 | | | Doctor Who: Dalek Hunter | Character Options |
| 2005 | | Telos | Peter Crossley | |
| 2005 | | Dalektron | Andy & James Bower | |
| 2005 | | Launch Guinevere | BBC Online | |
| 2005 | | Project: Gallifrey / Doctor Who | Various | |
| 2005 | | Lost in the TARDIS | Murray Ewing | |
| 2006 | | Dalek | Brent Silby | |
| 2005 | | | The Five Doctors | Paul Somers & Wil Roysdon |
| 2005 | | Attack of the Graske | BBC Wales | |
| 2006 | | Slitheen Surfer | BBC Online | |
| 2006 | | SuDocWho | BBC Online | |
| 2006 | | Dizzy Who: Into the TARDIS | Theo’s Grotto | |
| 2006 | | | The Beginning | Paul Somers & Wil Roysdon |
| 2006 | | The Dalek Game | Apathy Sketchpad | |
| 2006 | | Old Rope | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Torchwood House | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Are You Smart Enough? | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Clockwork Robot Game | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Cybus Spy! | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Save Cyber Paris! | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Defeat The Wire! | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Flight Simulator | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Escape the Ood! | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Defend The Earth! | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Chloe’s World | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Ghostwatch | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Daleks vs Cybermen | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | K.9: Deja Who | Sequence | |
| 2006 | | Doctor Who: Cyber Assault | Fish in a Bottle | |
| 2006 | | BBCi Advent Calender | BBCi | |
| 2006 | | Escape from Skaro | Altered Vistas | |
| 2006 | | Sonic Who: The First TimeHog | SCSoft | |
| 2007 | | | Another Five Doctors | Paul Somers & Wil Roysdon |
| 2007 | | | Smith and Jones Video Game | Paul Somers |
| 2007 | | | Sonic De-cloaker | BBCi |
| 2007 | | Judoon Lander | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Witch Hunt | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Gridlock | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Sec’s in the City | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Dalek Invaders | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Escape Velocity | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Scarecrow | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Bloodline | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Haunted House | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Spaced Out | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Fireball | DWOMedia | |
| 2007 | | Eye of the TARDIS | BBCi | |
| 2007 | | | Dr Who: Robot | Paul Somers & Wil Roysdon |
| 2007 | | Mr Smith Quiz | BBCi | |
| 2007 | | Z-Wingers | BBCi | |
| 2007 | | Doctor in a Dash | BBCi | |
| Appendix One: Unfinished | ||||
| K9 Racer | The Production Centre | ||
| Doctor Who Adventure | Wayne Peters | ||
| | Doctor Who: The Dark Times | Andrew Brockhouse | |
| | Timelord | Cheeky Monkey Games | |
| Dalek Chess | Corey Hollingsworth | ||
| Doctor Who: The Morningstar Haunting | Argolis Productions | ||
| Doctor Who: Caverns of Blood | Cheeky Monkey Games | ||
| Doctor Who (Adventure Game) | Duckbutcher | ||
| Dawn of the Daleks | Cirius | ||
| Isometric Who | Christian Tate | ||
| Top Trumps Adventures | Eidos | ||
| Appendix Two: Unofficial Game Mods | ||||
| 1996 | | Doctor Who Quake Level | Christian Darkin | |
| 1997 | | Movie Daleks Quake | SCSoft | |
| 1997 | | Doctor Who Quake | SCSoft | |
| 1997 | | Dr Who WAD for Doom II | Unknown | |
| 1998 | | | Doctor Who Doom II | Andrew Brockhouse |
| 1998 | | Doctor Who Quake II | SCSoft | |
| 1999 | | | Crows Nest Models For Quake II | Wayne Peters |
| 1999 | | | Quake Who | Conrad 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 models | Various | |
| 2001 | | | Worms patches | Various |
| 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 San | Rhys 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 | Cybermen | J Morrison Micros | ||
| 1983 | Zalaga | Aardvark | ||
| 1984 | Attack of the Cybermen | IJK Software | ||
| 1984 | Travels with the Trashman | New Generation Software | ||
| 1985 | Timelord | Omega | ||
| 1986 | Head Over Heels | Ocean Software | ||
| 1986 | Highway Encounter / Alien Highway: Encounter 2 | Vortex | ||
| 1989 | Time Lord | Milton Bradley | ||
| 1990 | Zygon Warrior | Mal Harvey | ||
| 1993 | Cyber Man | Fabio Bizzetti | ||
| 1995 | Secret of Evermore | Squaresoft | ||
| 1998 | Doctor Who Theme | Chris Saloman | ||
| 1998 | Star Wars: Droidworks | LucasLearning | ||
| 2000 | Sonic Who (Now a Myth no longer!) | TMEGames | ||
| 2004 | Cyber Man | HardCover Entertainment Software | ||
| 2004 | Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords | LucasArts Entertainment | ||
| 2005 | Second Life | Linden 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
