diff --git a/source/blood/src/blood.h b/source/blood/src/blood.h
index e7300f64d..cf59adac2 100644
--- a/source/blood/src/blood.h
+++ b/source/blood/src/blood.h
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ struct GameInterface : ::GameInterface
 	void MenuOpened() override;
 	void MenuClosed() override;
 	bool CanSave() override;
-	void StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs) override;
+	bool StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs) override;
 	void DrawNativeMenuText(int fontnum, int state, double xpos, double ypos, float fontscale, const char* text, int flags) override;
 	void DrawMenuCaption(const DVector2& origin, const char* text) override;
 	bool SaveGame(FSaveGameNode*) override;
diff --git a/source/blood/src/d_menu.cpp b/source/blood/src/d_menu.cpp
index 3f6448f0d..c2ee4cc57 100644
--- a/source/blood/src/d_menu.cpp
+++ b/source/blood/src/d_menu.cpp
@@ -239,11 +239,21 @@ bool GameInterface::CanSave()
 	return (gamestate == GS_LEVEL && gPlayer[myconnectindex].pXSprite->health != 0);
 }
 
-void GameInterface::StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs)
+bool GameInterface::StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs)
 {
+	if (gs.Episode >= 1)
+	{
+		if (g_gameType & GAMEFLAG_SHAREWARE)
+		{
+			M_StartMessage(GStrings("BUYBLOOD"), 1, -1); // unreachable because we do not support Blood SW versions yet.
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
 	sfxKillAllSounds();
 	auto map = FindMapByLevelNum(levelnum(gs.Episode, gs.Level));
 	DeferedStartGame(map, gs.Skill);
+	return true;
 }
 
 FSavegameInfo GameInterface::GetSaveSig()
diff --git a/source/core/gamestruct.h b/source/core/gamestruct.h
index 62edcee70..f4c029f60 100644
--- a/source/core/gamestruct.h
+++ b/source/core/gamestruct.h
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ struct GameInterface
 	virtual void MenuSound(EMenuSounds snd) {}
 	virtual bool CanSave() { return true; }
 	virtual void CustomMenuSelection(int menu, int item) {}
-	virtual void StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs) {}
+	virtual bool StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs) { return false; }
 	virtual FSavegameInfo GetSaveSig() { return { "", 0, 0}; }
 	virtual bool DrawSpecialScreen(const DVector2 &origin, int tilenum) { return false; }
 	virtual void DrawCenteredTextScreen(const DVector2& origin, const char* text, int position, bool withbg = true);
diff --git a/source/core/mainloop.cpp b/source/core/mainloop.cpp
index e50ac27de..63d554745 100644
--- a/source/core/mainloop.cpp
+++ b/source/core/mainloop.cpp
@@ -645,6 +645,7 @@ void MainLoop ()
 			}
 			gi->ErrorCleanup();
 			C_FullConsole();
+			gameaction = ga_nothing;
 		}
 		catch (CVMAbortException &error)
 		{
diff --git a/source/core/menu/menu.cpp b/source/core/menu/menu.cpp
index 0e971049f..79618ff10 100644
--- a/source/core/menu/menu.cpp
+++ b/source/core/menu/menu.cpp
@@ -463,12 +463,14 @@ bool M_SetMenu(FName menu, int param, FName caller)
 	switch (menu.GetIndex())
 	{
 	case NAME_Startgame:
-		M_ClearMenus();	// must be done before starting the level.
 		if (caller == NAME_Mainmenu || caller == NAME_IngameMenu) NewGameStartupInfo.Episode = param;
-		STAT_StartNewGame(gVolumeNames[NewGameStartupInfo.Episode], NewGameStartupInfo.Skill);
-		inputState.ClearAllInput();
+		if (gi->StartGame(NewGameStartupInfo))
+		{
+			M_ClearMenus();
+			STAT_StartNewGame(gVolumeNames[NewGameStartupInfo.Episode], NewGameStartupInfo.Skill);
+			inputState.ClearAllInput();
+		}
 
-		gi->StartGame(NewGameStartupInfo);
 		return false;
 
 	case NAME_CustomSubMenu1:
diff --git a/source/exhumed/src/d_menu.cpp b/source/exhumed/src/d_menu.cpp
index 87059e203..52eebf57a 100644
--- a/source/exhumed/src/d_menu.cpp
+++ b/source/exhumed/src/d_menu.cpp
@@ -162,10 +162,11 @@ void GameInterface::MenuClosed()
 }
 
 
-void GameInterface::StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs)
+bool GameInterface::StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs)
 {
 	auto map = FindMapByLevelNum(gs.Episode);
 	DeferedStartGame(map, 0);	// 0 is training, 1 is the regular game - the game does not have skill levels.
+	return true;
 }
 
 FSavegameInfo GameInterface::GetSaveSig()
diff --git a/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.h b/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.h
index c4d669ba4..bcfaac9f4 100644
--- a/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.h
+++ b/source/exhumed/src/exhumed.h
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ struct GameInterface : ::GameInterface
     void MenuOpened() override;
     void MenuSound(EMenuSounds snd) override;
     void MenuClosed() override;
-    void StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs) override;
+    bool StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs) override;
     FSavegameInfo GetSaveSig() override;
     void DrawMenuCaption(const DVector2& origin, const char* text) override;
     bool LoadGame(FSaveGameNode* sv) override;
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/d_menu.cpp b/source/games/duke/src/d_menu.cpp
index 598054433..89ddc99b3 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/d_menu.cpp
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/d_menu.cpp
@@ -263,8 +263,17 @@ bool GameInterface::CanSave()
 	return (sprite[myplayer.i].extra > 0);
 }
 
-void GameInterface::StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs)
+bool GameInterface::StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs)
 {
+	if (gs.Episode >= 1)
+	{
+		if (g_gameType & GAMEFLAG_SHAREWARE)
+		{
+			M_StartMessage(GStrings("BUYDUKE"), 1, -1);
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
 	int32_t skillsound = PISTOL_BODYHIT;
 
 	soundEngine->StopAllChannels();
@@ -289,7 +298,9 @@ void GameInterface::StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs)
 	if (map)
 	{
 		DeferedStartGame(map, gs.Skill);
+		return true;
 	}
+	return false;
 
 }
 
diff --git a/source/games/duke/src/duke3d.h b/source/games/duke/src/duke3d.h
index d5b079606..ccee45dbc 100644
--- a/source/games/duke/src/duke3d.h
+++ b/source/games/duke/src/duke3d.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ struct GameInterface : public ::GameInterface
 	void MenuSound(EMenuSounds snd) override;
 	void MenuClosed() override;
 	bool CanSave() override;
-	void StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs) override;
+	bool StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs) override;
 	FSavegameInfo GetSaveSig() override;
 	void DrawCenteredTextScreen(const DVector2& origin, const char* text, int position, bool bg) override;
 	double SmallFontScale() override { return isRR() ? 0.5 : 1.; }
diff --git a/source/sw/src/d_menu.cpp b/source/sw/src/d_menu.cpp
index 8f1d31039..cacf40f9a 100644
--- a/source/sw/src/d_menu.cpp
+++ b/source/sw/src/d_menu.cpp
@@ -189,19 +189,26 @@ bool GameInterface::CanSave()
     return (gamestate == GS_LEVEL && !CommEnabled && numplayers ==1 && /*!DemoMode &&*/ !TEST(Player[myconnectindex].Flags, PF_DEAD));
 }
 
-void GameInterface::StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs)
+bool GameInterface::StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs)
 {
     PLAYERp pp = Player + screenpeek;
     int handle = 0;
     int zero = 0;
 	
 	MapRecord* map;
-    if (gs.Episode >= 1)
+	if (gs.Episode >= 1)
+	{
+		if (g_gameType & GAMEFLAG_SHAREWARE)
+		{
+			M_StartMessage(GStrings("BUYSW"), 1, -1);
+			return false;
+		}
 		map = FindMapByLevelNum(5);
+	}
     else
 		map = FindMapByLevelNum(1);
 
-	if (!map) return;
+	if (!map) return false;
     CameraTestMode = false;
 	StopFX();
 
@@ -227,6 +234,7 @@ void GameInterface::StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs)
 		Net_ClearFifo();
 	}
 	DeferedStartGame(map, gs.Skill);
+	return true;
 }
 
 FSavegameInfo GameInterface::GetSaveSig()
diff --git a/source/sw/src/game.h b/source/sw/src/game.h
index e5197eb3e..7638daa19 100644
--- a/source/sw/src/game.h
+++ b/source/sw/src/game.h
@@ -2191,7 +2191,7 @@ struct GameInterface : ::GameInterface
 	void MenuSound(EMenuSounds snd) override;
 	void MenuClosed() override;
 	bool CanSave() override;
-	void StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs) override;
+	bool StartGame(FNewGameStartup& gs) override;
 	FSavegameInfo GetSaveSig() override;
 	void DrawMenuCaption(const DVector2& origin, const char* text) override;
     bool LoadGame(FSaveGameNode* sv) override;
diff --git a/wadsrc/static/language.csv b/wadsrc/static/language.csv
index 8c89e0e12..454186ee1 100644
--- a/wadsrc/static/language.csv
+++ b/wadsrc/static/language.csv
@@ -777,6 +777,13 @@ the final three episodes.",BUYDUKE,not used,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Joci versiunea gr
 "Buy the complete version of
 Blood for three new episodes
 plus eight BloodBath-only levels!",BUYBLOOD,not used,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Cumpără versiunea completă a jocului Blood pentru încă trei episoade și încă opt hărți pentru modul BloodBath!,,
+"Be sure to call 800-3DREALMS today
+and order the game.
+You are only playing the first 
+four levels, and are missing most
+of the game, weapons and monsters.
+See the ordering information.
+",BUYSW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 "Loading and saving games
 not supported
 in this demo version of Blood.","BLOOD_SW_BLOCK