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).
adventure-construction-set-1

Adventure Construction Set

DOS19873.9/5 Electronic Arts
Adventure Construction Set is an abandoned application developed by Stuart Smith and published for DOS, Amiga, Apple II and Commodore 64 by Electronic Arts in 1987. As the name suggests, ACS is a game-building system (we're talking about adventure RPGs) that lets you edit maps, items, creatures, etc. Included with ACS is a complete game called...
moraff-world-03

Moraff's World

DOS19913.5/5 Moraffware
conflictvietnam-4

Conflict in Vietnam

DOS19864.2/5 MicroProse Software
railroad-tycoon-deluxe-07

Railroad Tycoon Deluxe

DOS19934.1/5 MicroProse Software
chessmaster-9000-01

Chessmaster 9000

Windows XP/98/95Mac2002protected4.2/5 UBI Soft
gary-grisby-war-in-russia-08

Gary Grigsby's War in Russia

DOS1993protected3.7/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
angband-03

Angband

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinux1992freeware4/5
spacerogue-2

Space Rogue

DOS19894/5 Origin Systems
Space Rogue is a science fiction RPG developed by Richard Garriott's Origin and desined by Paul Neurath. Space Rogue combines a 3D space simulation with a top down view RPG gameplay. As a space pilot you can hunt bounties, buy and sell goods, land on starbases or outposts and talk to NPCs, do quests, etc.
unchartedwaters-1

Uncharted Waters

DOS19904.1/5 KOEI
seek-and-destroy-06

Seek and Destroy

DOS19964.2/5 Safari Software
Seek and Destroy was a shoot'em up published by the well known Epic Megagames in 1996 that tried to change the usual shoot'em up gameplay for the better. Instead of wave after wave of enemies to shoot down, you are given short missions to accomplish with your helicopter or your tank (yes, you can choose). At first, missions could seem a bit repetit...
raptor-1

Raptor: Call of the Shadows

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac1994protecteddemo4.1/5 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...
emperor-fading-suns-04

Emperor of the Fading Suns

Windows XP/98/9519964.1/5 Holistic Design
chess2100-1

Fidelity Chessmaster 2100

DOS19893.8/5 The Software Toolworks
uridium-2

Uridium

DOS19883.9/5 Graftgold
Uridium is a classic shoot 'em up video game that was originally developed by Andrew Braybrook and published by Hewson Consultants in 1986 for various home computer platforms (including MS-DOS). In Uridium, players control a spaceship known as the Manta, and the objective is to destroy a series of enemy spacecraft, as well as ground-based inst...
galaxy-4

Galaxy

DOS19814.1/5 Microcomputer Games Inc.
escapefromhell-1

Escape from Hell

DOS19904/5 Electronic Arts
lost-patrol-03

The Lost Patrol

DOS19913.7/5 Astros Productions
The Lost Patrol is an abandoned multi-type action game set in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. The Lost Patrol was developed by Astros Productions (DOS version) and released by Ocean Software in 1991 for DOS, Amiga and Atari ST.
dungeon-crawl-dos-03

Dungeon Crawl

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinux1997freeware4/5
Dungeon Crawl (also known as Linley's Dungeon Crawl from the name of the original programmer: Linley Henzell) is a classic roguelike: an RPG with permadeath, procedural generation and high replayability. Dungeon Crawl was released on 1997 but it's not maintained anymore. The spiritual successr of Crawl is DCCS (Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup).
pinball-illusions-02

Pinball Illusions

DOS19953.7/5 Digital Illusions
windwalker-1

Windwalker (Moebius 2)

DOS19892.8/5 Origin Systems
fastfooddizzy-2

Fast Food Dizzy

DOS19894/5 Codemasters
keen5-4

Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine

DOS1991protected4/5 id software
Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine is a science fiction action oriented platform game designed by Tom Hall, developed by id Software and released by Apogee Software in 1991 for DOS only. Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine is part of the Commander Keen game series, specifically it's the second episode of Commander Keen in Goodbye, Galaxy.
oubliette-3

Oubliette

DOS19833.3/5
psychopinball-1

Psycho Pinball

DOS19954.2/5 Codemasters
keen4-1

Commander Keen 4: Secret of the Oracle

DOS1991protected4/5 id software
nobungasambition-3

Nobunaga's Ambition

DOS19883.7/5 KOEI
dark-reign-2-06

Dark Reign 2

Windows XP/98/952000protected3.9/5 Pandemic Studios
cdman2-1

CD-Man v2.0

DOS19924.1/5 Creative Dimensions
grandest-fleet-03

The Grandest Fleet

DOS19944.1/5 Quantum quality productions
peoples-general-06

People's General

Windows XP/98/951998protected4.2/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.