Play Protostar - War on the Frontier Online

Protostar: War on the Frontier came out in 1993 as part of the MS-DOS Classic Games series, developed by Binary Systems and published by Merit Software. It was one of those space trading and combat sims that felt right at home in the era of Wing Commander and Elite, though it never reached the same level of fame. You start with a basic ship and a thin wallet, and the game wastes no time throwing you into a gritty, resource-starved corner of the galaxy.

You pilot a spacecraft, managing fuel, weapons, and cargo while taking on missions that range from simple trade runs to tense escort duties. The main goal is to earn enough credits to upgrade your ship and survive increasingly dangerous encounters with pirates and hostile factions. Key mechanics include real-time, top-down space combat where positioning and quick aiming matter, and an economic system where buying low and selling high between star systems is essential. The pacing is deliberate, sometimes slow, but hostile zones keep you alert. It feels like a constant struggle against empty fuel tanks and ambushes, where every jump could mean a fight or a lucky payday.

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