Abandonware DOS title

The most popular top down games

Top down games were very popular in the 80s and the 90s, when graphic cards were not capable of supporting 3D, and even when 3D started to become popular, 2D games continued to be easier to develop, at least in the infancy of 3D gaming. 2D game offered the player a viewpoint that helped keeping things easily under control (think about top down party-based RPGs or hex-based strategy games).

Most popular top down games

Dune 2000
strategyWindows XP/98/95
Grand Theft Auto
action-adventureDOS, Windows XP/98/95
dune2000-splash

Dune 2000

Windows XP/98/9519984.2/5 Westwood Studios
Dune 2000 is an abandoned science fiction classic real-time strategy game based on the popular Dune franchise. The Dune "universe" took form in the books of science fiction writer Frank Herbert and went on to include movies, TV series, comics, and of course video games. Dune 2000 is one of the finest RTS of its era; it was developed by We...
red-alert-6

Command & Conquer: Red Alert

DOS1996freeware4/5 Westwood Studios
Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Virgin Interactive in 1996. It is part of the Command & Conquer series and is set in an alternate history where World War II never occurred, leading to a different global conflict.The success of Red Alert led to several seque...
gta1-6

Grand Theft Auto

DOSWindows XP/98/9519974/5 DMA Design
In Grand Theft Auto the player takes the role of a criminal who can freely roam around the city (Liberty City) completing tasks for the local mobs: stealing cars, killing pedestrians, all of it while avoiding the police and the army. The freedom of gameplay and the "I'm the bad guy" appeal of the game made the Grand Theft Auto series very popular.
ultima7-2

Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate

DOS19924.3/5 Origin Systems
Ultima VII: The Black Gate is a top-down RPG where you, the Avatar, have to find out what's happening in Britannia by solving quests, meeting interesting NPCs and fight hordes of headleass monsters. The land of Britannia is shaken by mysterious earthquakes, a new religion (the Fellowship) is spreading and is replacing the old virtues, and who is th...
princessmaker2-3

Princess Maker 2

DOS19934.1/5 Gainax
Princess Maker 2 is a life simulation anime-style game developed by Gainax in 1993. In Princess Maker 2, the player is the father of a young princess and must tutor and raise her to the age of 18 by scheduling jobs, school classes and programming other activities. The princess is defined by attributes (strength, cooking, etc.) that will change depe...
pcman-1

PC-Man

DOS1982remake4.2/5 Orion Software
PC-Man is an abandoned top-down Pac-Man clone in every regard: from the shape of the protagonist, to the cute ghosts. PC-Man was designed by Greg Kuperberg, developed by Orion Software and released in 1982 for DOS. As PC-Man, you have to move through a one screen maze to collect dots (pills? wafers?) and avoid being touched by one of the usual Pac-...
templeapshai-4

Temple of Apshai Trilogy

DOS19853.5/5 Epyx
The Temple of Apshai Trilogy is a series of classic role-playing games developed by Automated Simulations (later known as Epyx) in the late 1970s and early 1980s. These games were among the earliest examples of computer-based RPGs and were influential in shaping the genre.The "Temple of Apshai Trilogy" was notable for its depth of gameplay and intr...
civilization2-4

Civilization 2

Windows XP/98/9519964.2/5 MicroProse Software
Civilization II is a turn-based strategy game developed by MicroProse and released in 1996. It's the second installment in the "Civilization" series, created by Sid Meier. The game builds upon the concept of its predecessor, Civilization, and expands on its gameplay mechanics, graphics, and depth.In Civilization II, players take on the role of a le...
civ1-7

Civilization

DOSWindows 3.xMac OS19914.2/5 MicroProse Software
Civilization is the critically acclaimed strategy game designed by Sid Meier and Bruce Campbell Shelley that became a staple in 4X turn-based strategy. Civilization was developed by MicroProse Software and released in 1991 for DOS, Windows 3.x, Amiga, Atari ST, Mac, etc. Civilization was followed by sequels, the last one being published recently. T...
command-and-conquer-06

Command & Conquer

DOS1995freeware4.1/5 Westwood Studios
chips-challenge-win3-01

Chip's Challenge

DOSWindows 3.x19914.2/5 Epyx
Chip's Challenge is an abandoned top-down puzzle game designed by Chuck Sommerville, developed and released by Epyx in 1991. Chip's Challenge was released on DOS, Windows 3.x and many other home computers such as Atari ST, Amiga, C64, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC.
lotr2b-02

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers

DOS19923.9/5 Interplay Productions
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers is an abandoned fantasy top-down DOS RPG game set in the The Lord of the Rings universe. The Lord of the Rings II was developed and released by Interplay Productions in 1992. The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers is based on the popular The Lord Of The Rings book by J.R.R. Tol...
dune2-7

Dune II: The building of a dynasty

DOS19924.2/5 Westwood Studios
Dune II, released in 1992, is a pioneering real-time strategy game developed by Westwood Studios. Set in the world of Frank Herbert's Dune, players command noble houses in a battle for control over the planet Arrakis. With base-building, resource management, and tactical combat, the game introduced key elements of the genre and influenced future RT...
albion-4

Albion

DOSWindows XP/98/9519954.2/5 Blue Byte Software
Albion is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) developed and published by German studio Blue Byte Software. It was released in 1995 for MS-DOS and later for Amiga. Albion is notable for its blend of traditional RPG elements with a unique setting and storyline.The game takes place on the planet Albion, a world with a rich history and diver...
blasteroids-3

Blasteroids

DOS19893.8/5 Atari
Blasteroids is a video game developed and released by Atari, Inc. in 1987. It's a sequel to the classic arcade game Asteroids, which was released in 1979. In Blasteroids, players control a spaceship tasked with destroying asteroids and enemy ships while avoiding collisions and enemy fire. The game features updated graphics and gameplay mechanics co...
dynablaster-01

Bomberman

DOS19924.1/5 Hudson soft
gta2-06

Grand Theft Auto 2

Windows XP/98/9519994.1/5 DMA Design
Grand Theft Auto 2 is the second chapter in the successful Grand Theft Auto series. GTA 2 is an abandoned top-down action-adventure / driving hybrid game developed by DMA Design and released by Rockstar Games in 1999 for various platforms, including PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, and Game Boy Color. GTA2 is set in a fictional city called "Any...
enterpreneur-04

Entrepreneur

Windows XP/98/9519974.1/5 Stardock Entertainment
atomic-bomberman-03

Atomic Bomberman

Windows XP/98/9519974.2/5 Interplay Productions
pipedreams-2

Pipe Dream

DOSWindows 3.x19894.3/5 The Assembly Line
Pipe Mania (also known as Pipe Dream is a tile-matching (sort of) puzzle game about flowing liquids developed by The Assembly Line in 1989. You must build a path made of pipe pieces to let a green liquid (sewer goo?) flow. It's simple, original and addicting, that's why Pipe Mania was cloned a number of times.
ultima1-3

Ultima 1: The First Age of Darkness

DOS19874/5 Origin Systems
This is the first of the very popular RPG saga Ultima. The setting is the land of Sosaria, the enemy to defeat is Mondain. It's a classic cRPG. The wilderness and cities are represented from a top down perspective, while dungeons can be explored in a first person 3d view.
yoda-stories-03

Star Wars: Yoda Stories

Windows XP/98/9519974.1/5 LucasArts
homm3-11

Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia

Windows XP/98/951999protected4.2/5 New World Computing
ultima3-2

Ultima 3: Exodus

DOSMac OS19854.2/5 Origin Systems
Ultima III: Exodus is a role-playing video game developed by Richard Garriott and published by Origin Systems. It was released in 1983 for the Apple II and later ported to various other platforms such as the Commodore 64, MS-DOS, and NES.The game is set in the fantasy world of Sosaria, where the player controls a party of adventurers on a quest to ...
railroadtycoon1-6

Railroad Tycoon

DOSMac OS1990freeware4.1/5 MicroProse Software
pinball-fantasies-03

Pinball Fantasies

DOS19944.2/5 Digital Illusions
simcity-6

SimCity

DOSWindows 3.xWindows XP/98/951989protected4.1/5 Maxis
SimCity (or SimCity Classic) is a popular city building simulation in which you, the mayor of a city, have to build a metropolis from the ground up. You can build police and fire departments, assign industrial, residential or commercial areas, manage power distribution, build ports and airports. Grow your city from village to metropolis and try to ...
rogue-1

Rogue

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinuxMac OS19844.2/5 Artificial Intelligence Design
Rogue is one of the first RPGs in the history of video gaming. It's a text-based dungeon crawler in which you have to fight your way in the dungeon to recover the Amulet of Yendor. Rogue became popular around 1980 on mainframes and later ported to various platforms, including DOS in 1984. Rogue is simply the father of all the roguelike games that c...
lordrings1-2

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I

DOS19904/5 Interplay Productions
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is an abandoned fantasy top-down DOS RPG game set in the The Lord of the Rings universe. The Lord of the Rings I was developed and released by Interplay Productions in 1990. The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is based on the popular The Lord Of The Rings book by J.R.R. Tolkien and it's focused on the f...