Play CD-MAN Online

CD-MAN came out in 1989 as part of the MS-DOS Classic Games collection, developed by Jaakko Iisalo. It was one of those simple, clever games that made the most of the PC's limited graphics and sound capabilities at the time. You could tell it was made by someone who understood how to build tension and reward within a very constrained environment.

You control a small character, moving screen by screen through a maze filled with glitchy-looking enemies. Your main goal is to collect all the CDs scattered around each level while avoiding the bugs that chase you. The signature mechanics involve picking up CDs, which not only act as points but also briefly reverse enemy movement, sending them into a temporary chaotic state. The pacing is methodical, almost tense; you have to plan routes and time your movements carefully. It feels like a tight, strategic puzzle where every mistake costs you.

Each game uses different controls, most DOS games use the keyboard arrows. Some will use the mouse , "Alt" ,"Enter" and "Space bar".