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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Fountain of Dreams

DOS1990 Electronic Arts

Nebulus

DOS1988 Hewson Consultants

Nebulus, also known as Tower Toppler in some regions, is a classic video game released in the 1980s. It was developed by John M. Phillips and published by Hewson Consultants. The game was initially released for various home computer systems, including the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, and others. It later saw ports to different platforms. Neb...

NHL 96

DOS1995 Electronic Arts

Pac PC

DOS1995freewareremake

Phantasie 3: The Wrath of Nikademus

DOS1987 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Star Wars 2

DOS1989

Slash'Em

Windows XP/98/95Linux1997freeware

Raptor: Call of the Shadows

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1994protecteddemo Cygnus Studios

Raptor: Call of the Shadows is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up video game developed by Cygnus Studios and published by Apogee Software. The game was first released in 1994 for MS-DOS and later ported to other platforms. In Raptor, players control a fighter jet through various levels filled with enemy aircraft, ground targets, power-ups and boss...

Mech Brigade

DOS1987protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Toobin

DOS1989 Domark Software

Toobin is an abandoned action game developed by Domark Software and released in 1989. Toobin runs on DOS but was also published for Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Boy Color, MSX, NES, ZX Spectrum. It's a conversion from a popular arcade game (at the time).

Ys: The Vanished Omens

DOS1989 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.

Machiavelli the Prince

DOS1995protected Holistic Design

Atomix

DOS1990 Softtouch

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.

Mine Shaft

DOS1983 Sierra On-Line

Monday Night Football

DOS1989 Park Place Productions

UnReal World v. 3.20

Windows XP/98/95Mac OS1992freeware

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 format. Players control a spaceship known as the R-9C "Red-Ray" and navigate vertically scrolling levels filled with wave...

Cobra Mission

DOS1992NSFW MegaTech Software

Pinball Dreams

DOS1993protected Digital Illusions

Railroad Tycoon

DOSMac OS1990freeware MicroProse 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.

J.R.R. Tolkien's Riders of Rohan

DOS1997 Papyrus Design Group

King's Table: The Legend of Ragnarok

DOS1993protected Imagitec Design

Lords of the Realm 2

DOSWindows XP/98/95Windows 10/11Mac OS1996protected Impressions Games

Lords of the Realm II is a medieval-themed real-time strategy (RTS) and turn-based strategy game developed by Impressions Games and published by Sierra On-Line. Released in 1996, it is the second game in the "Lords of the Realm" series. Players manage their kingdom by balancing resources such as food, weapons, and gold, engaging in diplomacy w...

Star General

Windows XP/98/95DOS1996protected Catware, Inc.

Star General is a turn-based strategy game developed by Catware and published by SSI (Strategic Simulations, Inc.). It was released in 1996 for MS-DOS and later for Windows. The game is set in a science fiction universe where players take command of one of five different factions, each vying for control of the galaxy.In Star General, players comman...