Play Commander Keen: Marooned on Mars online — free shareware episode Works — shareware Episode 1 runs via DOSBox in your browser
Guide updated July 2026 · Runs via DOSBox + WebAssembly
Commander Keen: Marooned on Mars — id Software's 1990 platforming classic, the game whose smooth EGA scrolling helped launch the studio that would later make DOOM. The complete shareware Episode 1 (all 16 Mars levels) is hosted right here: click Play and the original KEEN1.EXE boots in your browser via DOSBox + WebAssembly. Eight-year-old genius Billy Blaze has to recover the four stolen parts of his Bean-with-Bacon Megarocket before the Vorticons blow up Earth.
D-pad: move · JUMP: Ctrl · POGO: Alt · ENTER/ESC: menus
⌨ Keyboard — for menus & name entry
Controls — what does what
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse |
|---|---|---|
| Move / duck | Arrow keys | — |
| Jump | Ctrl | Left-click |
| Pogo stick | Alt | Right-click |
| Fire raygun | Space | — |
| Menu / back | Esc | — |
| Sound | — | Use the Sound button under the screen to mute |
Runs in your browser tab with DOSBox + WebAssembly — nothing is uploaded. Click the screen to capture input; press Ctrl+F10 to release mouse.
Episode 1 "Marooned on Mars" is officially freely-redistributable shareware (id Software / Apogee, 1990). Episodes 2–3 are commercial and not hosted here. Provenance: /apps/commander-keen/NOTICE.md.
Get the whole trilogy
Play Episode 1 here free — it's the complete shareware episode. Want Episodes 2 and 3, or Keen 4–6?
Commander Keen Complete Pack on Steam →
For a modern native experience with the same data files, the open-source Commander Genius engine plays all the Keen episodes.
How it works & what to expect
This is the original 1990 DOS shareware release (v1.31 data, real KEEN1.EXE) running inside a WebAssembly build of DOSBox — not a remake or source port. The package is tiny (~150 KB), so it boots in a couple of seconds. The title loop cycles through the story and high scores on its own; press Enter to bring up the menu and choose New Game.
Playing tips
The pogo stick is the whole game once you find it — hold Ctrl while bouncing to reach ledges a normal jump can't. Yorps are harmless if you walk past them; the Garg is not. On the Mars overworld, walk onto a level entrance to enter it.
Shareware episode — and the rest of the trilogy
Marooned on Mars is Episode 1 of the Invasion of the Vorticons trilogy, released free under Apogee's shareware model — sharing it was literally the marketing plan. Episodes 2 and 3 (The Earth Explodes, Keen Must Die!) are still commercial and are not hosted here; the whole series is sold cheaply on Steam as the Commander Keen Complete Pack.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to play Commander Keen here?
Yes. Episode 1 was released by id Software and Apogee as freely-redistributable shareware in 1990, and that license still stands. Episodes 2 and 3 are commercial and not included — buy the Complete Pack on Steam for those.
Is this the original game or a remake?
The original — the real 1990 KEEN1.EXE and game data (v1.31) running in DOSBox compiled to WebAssembly, right in your browser tab. Nothing is uploaded or installed.
How do I use the pogo stick?
Press Alt to toggle the pogo once you've collected it in a level (one early level hides it). Hold jump (Ctrl) while bouncing to bounce higher. Half the game's secrets need pogo bounces to reach.
Does my progress save?
Yes — progress now persists. Saved games and high scores are kept in your browser and restored automatically next time you open this page. It's per-browser and best-effort: clearing site data, or a long gap on iOS, can drop it. Use the “reset saved progress” link under the game to start over deliberately.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes — a touch pad with a d-pad, JUMP, and POGO buttons appears under the game on touch devices, though a keyboard is the classic way to play.
Play another one — free, no download
More you can run in your browser
- Cosmo's Cosmic AdventureApogee platformer with suction-cup climbing — plays instantly.
- Commander Keen 4Secret of the Oracle — the shareware episode of Goodbye Galaxy.
- Bio MenaceApogee run-and-gun on the same engine — freeware.
- DOOMid Software's 1993 shooter — free shareware episode, in your browser.
- Wolfenstein 3Did's other shareware classic — see how it fares here.
- Prince of PersiaThe 1989 cinematic platformer — another DOS-era legend.
- FreecivOpen-source Civilization-style strategy that runs cleanly.
- 3D Pinball Space CadetThe classic XP table — open-source build, instant play.
- Compatibility guideWhat runs, what doesn't, and why DOS games are tricky.