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

Civilization 2

strategyWindows XP/98/95

Civilization

strategyDOS, Windows 3.x

Grand Theft Auto

action-adventureDOS, Windows XP/98/95

Top down games

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MacArthur's War

DOS19903.9/5 SSG Strategic Studies Group
Wizard's Crown

DOS1987protected4/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Solar Winds 2: Galaxy

DOS19933.9/5 Stone Interactive Media
Flying Tigers

DOS19944.3/5
Mah Jongg Solitaire

DOS19874.3/5 Arcanum Computing
Legend of the Silver Talisman

DOS1996freeware3.9/5 Inter-Active Arts
Vengeance of Excalibur

DOS19914.1/5 Synergistic Software
L'Empereur

DOS19914.2/5 KOEI
Arrakis

DOS20003.9/5
Dogs of War

Windows XP/98/9519964.3/5 Software Engineering
Iron Lord

DOS19903.4/5 UBI Soft
Global Effect

DOS19924.1/5 Millennium Interactive
Rambo 3

DOS19883.5/5 Ocean Software
Starflight 2: Trade routes of the Cloud Nebula

DOS19894.2/5 Binary Systems
Warcraft: Orcs and Humans

DOS1994protected4.2/5 Blizzard Entertainment

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is the first real-time fantasy strategy game from Blizzard Entertainment. Two separate story lines (Orcs and Humans) evolve with 12 scenarios per side telling the tale of the battle for the Kingdom of Azeroth. Players must mine gold and chop wood in order to construct buildings and create units. Each side tries to destro...
Indenture

DOS1995remake4/5
X-Men 2: The Fall of the Mutants

DOS19914.3/5 Paragon Software
Starflight

DOS19864.2/5 Binary Systems
Clue Master Detective

DOS19894.2/5 Dalali Software

Clue Master Detective is an abandoned strategy game developed by Dalali Software and released by Leisure Genius in 1989 for DOS, Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, C64. Clue Master Detective is based on the well known board game Clue (also known as Cluedo). Clue can be played in single player, but the best gaming experience come from the multi-player mode.
World tour golf

DOS19853.7/5 Electronic Arts
Ant Attack!

DOS1994freeware3.7/5 Dataware
Castle Adventure

DOS1984freeware4.2/5
Mad Mix

DOS19884.2/5 Topo Soft
Moebius

DOS19873.4/5 Origin Systems
A Line in the Sand

DOS1992protected3.9/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Gemfire

DOS19923.9/5 KOEI
Sensible Soccer

DOS19924.2/5 Sensible Software
Rockford: The Arcade Game

DOS1987protected4.1/5 Arcadia Systems
Mines of Titan

DOS19893.5/5 Westwood Studios

Mines of Titan (also known as Mars Saga for other platforms) is an abandoned single-player RPG with a sci-fi setting (you're going to Mars!). Mines of Titan was developed by Westwood Studios and released by Infocom in 1989 for DOS, Apple II and Commodore 64.
Dark Sun 2: Wake of the Ravager

DOS1994protected4/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.