The best 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

Civilization 2

strategyWindows XP/98/95

Grand Theft Auto 2

action-adventureWindows XP/98/95

Top down games

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Tyrian 2000

DOS1999freeware4.1/5 Eclipse Software

Tyrian 2000 is an old DOS science fiction classic shoot'em up, developed by Eclipse Software and designed by Alexander Brandon, Jason Emery, Daniel Cook. Tyrian 2000 is one of the most popular shoot'em ups ever published for DOS and it's still remembered by retro gaming fans to this day.
Pacific General

Windows XP/98/951997protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
A-Maze

DOS19894.1/5 New Era Software
Antix

DOS1985remake4.1/5
Black Moon Chronicles

DOS1999protected4.1/5 Cryo Interactive Entertainment
Champion of the Raj

DOS19914.1/5 Personal Software Services
Commander Keen 3: Keen Must Die!

DOS1990protected4.1/5 id software
Epidemic!

DOS1983protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Fountain of Dreams

DOS19904.1/5 Electronic Arts
Global Effect

DOS19924.1/5 Millennium Interactive
Gulf Strike

DOS19864.1/5 Microcomputer Games Inc.
NHL Hockey

DOS19934.1/5 Electronic Arts
Othello

DOS19864.1/5
Space Federation

DOS19944.1/5 Interplay Productions
Sid Meier's Pirates!

DOS1987protected4.1/5 MicroProse Software
SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony

DOS19914.1/5 Maxis
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 ...
Prophecy of the Shadow

DOS1992protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Ys: The Vanished Omens

DOS19894.1/5 Nihon Falcom

Ys: The Vanished Omens (also known as The Ancient Land of Ys) is an abandoned top-down open-world action RPG designed by Masaya Hashimoto, developed by Nihon Falcom and released by Kyodai Software Marketing for DOS in 1989. Ys: The Vanished Omens was published (earlier) for quite a few other home computers and console.
Conflict in Vietnam

DOS19864.1/5 MicroProse Software
DND

DOS19844.1/5
Knights of Xentar

DOS1994NSFW4.1/5 MegaTech Software
Death Rally

DOS1996freeware4.1/5 Remedy Entertainment Ltd.
The Chessmaster 2000

DOS19864.1/5 Software Toolworks
Air Traffic Controller

DOS19854.1/5 Cascoly Software
Beneath Apple Manor

DOS1983freeware4.1/5
Lego Loco

Windows XP/98/9519984.1/5 Intelligent Games
Mageslayer

Windows XP/98/9519974.1/5 Raven Software
Mech Brigade

DOS1987protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Rodent's Revenge

Windows 3.x19914.1/5 Microsoft