Clearly, if the sport, property, and many others. don’t belong to you (ie. you didn’t create them your self with out copying from one other supply, or pay to acquire a licence to these property), you do not need permission to redistribute them. Not even totally free. Not even when you conclude the sport is “outdated” or “deserted” – if it was made within the final 70 years (which covers all video video games), it is nonetheless protected by US copyright legal guidelines and certain by related legal guidelines in different jurisdictions.
With regard to doing so “privately” – effectively, when you maintain it personal, how would a rights-holder or legislation enforcement know to chase you down? That does not essentially make it authorized or moral – simply from a sensible standpoint, you may have the ability to evade penalties so long as what you supposed to be personal stays so. If the sport have been to leak exterior of your personal circle, that might once more open you as much as authorized dangers.
If you wish to considerably recreate an outdated sport for enjoyment or studying functions, a safer method to take action is to create an homage. Use the unique sport as inspiration, however change issues to make them your personal. Make or supply your personal artwork and sound property that you’ve got licence to make use of. Experiment with tweaks to the mechanics. Write your personal story, and many others. Make it your personal inventive work, even when it borrows closely from the conceptual construction of the unique. This places you on significantly better authorized footing to share the sport, present it off as a portfolio piece, or presumably even promote it.
