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).
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Railroad Tycoon
DOSMac OS1990freeware MicroProse Software
Dominium
DOS1992 Microids
Epidemic!
DOS1983protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Flying Tigers
DOS1994 Ticsoft
Flying Tigers is an abandoned vertical-scrolling sci-fi themed shoot 'em up game developed and released by Ticsoft in 1994 for MS-DOS only. Flying Tigers is the first chapter of the two parts Flying Tigers video game series.
Fountain of Dreams
DOS1990 Electronic Arts
Monday Night Football
DOS1989 Park Place Productions
Slash'Em
Windows XP/98/95LinuxMac OS1997freewareremake
SLASH'EM (Super Lotsa Added Stuff Hack - Extended Magic) is a roguelike game based on NetHack, one of the most famous dungeon-crawling games of all time. It expands upon NetHack 3.4.3, adding new monsters, items, spells, roles, an...
Xenon 2000: Project PCF
Windows XP/98/952000remake Bitmap Brothers
Xenon 2000: Project PCF is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up video game and originally released in 2000. It is a sequel to the earlier game "Xenon 2: Megablast," which was developed by The Bitmap Brothers and released in 1989.In X...
ZAngband
Windows 10/11Mac OSDOSLinux1999freeware
Zangband is a variant of the popular roguelike game Angband. Zangband, short for Zelazny Angband, was developed by Chris Weisiger and first released in 1994. The game features a fantasy world with diverse races, classes, and ...
Raiden
DOS1994 Seibu Kaihatsu Inc.
Raiden is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up game developed by Seibu Kaihatsu and first released in arcades in 1990 and later for many home computers and consoles. Raiden follows the classic vertical scrolling shoot 'em up f...
Pinball Dreams
DOS1993protected Digital Illusions
J.R.R. Tolkien's Riders of Rohan
DOS1997 Papyrus Design Group
King's Table: The Legend of Ragnarok
DOS1993protected Imagitec Design
Mine Shaft
DOS1983 Sierra On-Line
Warriors of Legend
DOS1993 Synergistic Software
Xonix
DOS1984remake
Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle
DOS1993 Origin Systems
After the well-received Ultima VII: The Black Gate, Origin decided to reuse their impressive Ultima engine for one more game. Ultima VII: Part Two - Serpent Isle picks up right where The Black Gate leaves off. This time, the Avata...
Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament
DOS1995 Supersonic Software
Speedball 2
DOS1992 Bitmap Brothers
Death Rally
DOS1996freeware Remedy Entertainment Ltd.
Goal!
DOS1993 Dini & Dini Productions
Gulf Strike
DOS1986 Microcomputer Games Inc.
Legend of the Sword
DOS1988 Silicon Software
Qix
DOS1989 Taito
Sleuth: A Murder Mystery
DOS1983freeware Norland Software
Gal Pani X
Windows XP/98/952000freewareNSFW
Gal Pani X is an action-puzzle game reminiscent of the classic arcade Qix, developed by D2 and released in 2000 for Windows. Gal Pani X is an adult-themed Doujin game: it was made by fans and wasn't for profit.
CD-Man v2.0
DOS1992 Creative Dimensions
Merchant Prince
DOS1993 Holistic Design
Hexxagon 2
DOS1993 Argo Games
Z
DOS1996protected Bitmap Brothers
Welcome to Z, the real-time strategy game where psychotic robots with British accents duke it out over territory in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Think Command & Conquer if the developers had a few too many pints and a twisted...