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).
arrakis-05

Arrakis

DOS20003.9/5
z-03

Z

DOS1996protected4.1/5 Bitmap Brothers
Z is a real-time strategy game developed by The Bitmap Brothers and originally released in 1996 for MS-DOS. It's known for its fast-paced gameplay, humorous style, and distinctive art design.In Z, players control a robot army across various battlefields, aiming to conquer territories and defeat enemy forces. The game features a tongue-in-cheek narr...
if-it-moves-shoot-02

If It Moves, Shoot It!

DOS19893.3/5 Emerald Software
akalabeth-4

Akalabeth: World of Doom

DOS1981freeware3.6/5 California Pacific Computer
Akalabeth is a RPG game allegedly developed in just one summer by the Ultima franchise creator Richard Garriott. It's a dungeon crawler with wire-frame black and white graphics. Akalabeth is played in both first person 3d and top down view points.
aethra_game_006

The Aethra Chronicles

DOS19943.9/5
The Aethra Chronicles is not a well know fantasy RPG, but it deserves some praise. It was developed by only one person (Micheal Lawrence) and, as the title implies, was intended to be the first volume of a saga. Unfortunately, volume two and three were never made. For a shareware game, Aethra was pretty solid and is still loved by the ones who play...
stargoose-1

Star Goose!

DOS19884/5 Logotron
Star Goose is a classic video game developed by Logotron and released in 1988 for various home computer systems of that era, including the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. It is a top-down, vertically scrolling shooter that combines elements of shoot 'em up gameplay with exploration and power-up mechanics.
rings-of-medusa-01

Rings of Medusa

DOS19904/5 Starbyte Software
Rings of Medusa is a strategy / RPG developed by the German studio Starbyte Software. It was released in 1989 for various platforms including the Commodore 64, Amiga, and MS-DOS. In Rings of Medusa, players assume the role of a hero tasked with defeating the evil sorceress Medusa who has taken control of the city of Olympus. The game world is ...
joensfastlane-1

Jones in the Fast Lane

DOS19914/5 Sierra On-Line
Jones in the Fast Lane is the kind of game that you don't see often these days. It's a mix between a digital board game and a modern day life simulation. The goal of the game is to live the life of Jones, making choices about school, work, your home, etc. Graphics is a mix of cartonish and digitized characters, very reminishent of some of the best ...
nectaris-5

Nectaris

DOS19954/5 Hudson soft
bad-blood-03

Bad Blood

DOS19904.2/5 Origin Systems
jurassic-park-04

Jurassic Park

DOS19934.2/5 Ocean Software
traintown-deluxe-04

3D Ultra Lionel Traintown

Windows XP/98/9520004/5 Dynamix
solar-winds-2-02

Solar Winds 2: Galaxy

DOS19933.9/5 Stone Interactive Media
dreamweb-hotel1

Dreamweb

DOS1994freeware4.1/5 Creative reality
Dreamweb is a top-down point and click adventure set in a dark, cyberpunk city. You play as Ryan who has strange, violent, dreams. A top down perspective and the sheer number of items your character can pick up are just two of the peculiarities of this game. Dreamweb was developed by Creative Reality and published by Empire Interactive for DOS in 1...
magiccandle-1

The Magic Candle

DOS19894/5 Mindcraft Software
The Magic Candle: Volume 1 is the first chapter of a series of fantasy old school RPGs. The Magic Candle was developed and released by Mindcraft Software in 1989 for DOS but was also published for Apple II and Commodore 64. The whole Magic Candle series is very similar to some of the early Ultima games in every aspect: turn-based combat, top-down v...
colorlines-3

Color Lines

DOS19923.8/5 Gamos
timesoflore-4

Times of Lore

DOS19894.1/5 Origin Systems
Times of Lore is an abandoned action RPG designed by Chris Roberts, developed and released by Origin Systems in 1989 for DOS and many more 8 bit and 16 bit platforms. Compared to Ultima (the much more popular franchise also by Origin) Times of Lore is a washed down RPG, more similar to a NES game. In fact, Roberts was inspired by The Legend of Zelda.
gauntlet2-1

Gauntlet 2

DOS19894.1/5 Atari
scavengersmutant-1

Scavengers of the Mutant World

DOS19883.9/5 Interstel Corporation
bostonbomb-1

Boston Bomb Club

DOS19913.9/5 Silmarils
alien-syndrome-07

Alien Syndrome

DOS19894.3/5 Sega
sherlock-1

Sherlock: The Game of Logic

DOS1991protected4.1/5 Everett Kaser Software
ironmanoffroad-6

Ivan 'Iron Man' Stewart's Super Off Road

DOS19904.2/5 Leland
Ivan 'Iron Man' Stewart's Super Off Road is an abandoned diagonal-down off-road racing game developed by Leland and released by Virgin Interactive in 1990 for DOS, but also published for Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, C64, ZX Spectrum and a lot of 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. Super Off Road is a classic fixed-screen track-racing similar to S...
pizza-tycoon-5

Pizza Tycoon

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinuxMac1994protected4/5 Software 2000
telengard-2

Telengard

DOS1985freeware3.4/5 Avalon Hill
sim-earth-3

SimEarth

DOSWindows 3.x19904.2/5 Maxis
SimEarth is a simulation in which you can shape and mold a planet in almost every way you can imagine. In SimEarth our planet is simulated as a whole: life, climate, atmosphere are all aspects of a single Gaia-like Earth. SimEarth can be played in two modes: game and experimental. In game mode, you have to to develop (and preserve) Earth with limit...
rambo3-1

Rambo 3

DOS19883.6/5 Ocean Software
ascii-sector-02

Ascii Sector

WindowsLinuxDOS2007freeware3.8/5
annalsofrome-1

Annals of Rome

DOS19883.8/5 Personal Software Services
alphaman-02

AlphaMan

DOS19953.6/5