Although there were a number of games written or adapted to work natively in Windows 3.1, the operating system had a very gradual impact on gaming, mainly due to the hardware limitations of the time and the fact that Windows was essentially a DOS application. DOS was still the main operating system for most games, but it was becoming clear that its days were numbered. There was an increasing demand for a user-friendly interface that would offer a better way to organize and run games. As computer hardware improved with more affordable memory and faster processors, gaming within Windows became a more viable option, so eventually there were a number of games that ran through DOS but could be installed through Windows. At the same time, Windows helped to overcome DOS's many limitations. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 was generally a minor step up from 3.1 and was designed with business use in mind, but its built-in networking options made it perfect for setting up LAN-based multiplayer games, further paving the way for Windows gaming to take off.

Notable Games: Sid Meier's Civilization II, Myst, The Journeyman Project: Turbo!, You Don't Know Jack! and more.

Trivia: Don't underestimate the power of built-in games like Solitaire and Mine Sweeper. Both continue to be included in current versions of Windows. In 2005, a North Carolina Senator sponsored a bill to ban both games from state owned computers, since employees were gaming the whole day away on the taxpayer's dime. Similar stories have been surfacing since Windows became the mainstream operating system, so now you know why the line at the DMV is so long.