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).
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Nuclear War
DOS1989 New World Computing
Nuclear War is an abandoned turn-based strategy game designed by Eric Hyman and Jon Van Caneghem. Nuclear War was developed and released by New World Computing in 1989 for Amiga and, later, for DOS, and it's loosely based on a card game of the same name. Nuclear War took a satirical approach to the grim possibility of a global nuclear war and succe...
God of Thunder
DOSWindows XP/98/951993freeware Adept Software
God of Thunder is a classic computer game developed by Adept Software and released in 1993. It's a puzzle platformer with a fantasy theme. In the game, you control Thor, the Norse god of thunder, on a quest to save Midgard (Earth) from the evil god Loki and his minions.The gameplay involves navigating through various levels filled with obstacles, e...
Nobunaga's Ambition 2
DOS1989 KOEI
NHL Hockey
DOS1993 Electronic Arts
Minesweeper
Windows 3.x1992 Microsoft
Microsoft Minesweeper is an iconic puzzle game that has been included with Microsoft Windows operating systems since Windows 3.1. The game's objective is to clear a rectangular board containing hidden mines without detonating any of them. The player clicks on a square to reveal what's underneath, and numbers are displayed to indicate how many mines...
Chessmaster 9000
Windows XP/98/95Mac OS2002 UBI Soft
Chessmaster 9000 is a chess game developed by Ubisoft and released in 2002. It's part of the Chessmaster series, which has been around since the 1980s. Chessmaster 9000 was known for its strong chess engine and comprehensive tutorial features, making it popular among both beginners and advanced players. The software also included annotated gam...
Bolo Ball
DOS1992 Soleau Software
Bolo Ball is a DOS game from the mid-1990s. It features a physics-based gameplay where the objective is to knock opponent balls out of an arena. When you start the game, you find yourself in a 2D arena set against a starry, space-like background. You control a colorful ball, which, despite being a 2D sprite, appears somewhat three-dimensional due t...
Nectaris
DOS1995 Hudson soft
Grand Slam Bridge
DOS1986 Cybron corporation
Day of the Pharaoh
DOS1989 Chip
Ragnarok
DOS1993freeware Gray Design Associates
Mad Paradox
DOS1994NSFW Queen Soft
OverKill
DOS1992freeware Tech-Noir
Railroad Tycoon Deluxe
DOS1993 MicroProse Software
Clash of Steel
DOS1993protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Pizza Tycoon
Windows XP/98/95DOSLinuxMac OS1994protected Software 2000
Kasparov's Gambit
DOS1993 Heuristic software
Crossfire
DOS1982 Sierra On-Line
Chess
DOS1981 International PC Owners
Dark Sun 2: Wake of the Ravager
DOS1994protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Merchant Prince
DOS1993 Holistic Design
V for victory: Velikiye Luki
DOS1992protected Atomic Games
Autoduel
DOS1985 Origin Systems
Autoduel is an abandoned top-down open world post apocalyptic RPG/driving game hybrid designed by Chuck Bueche and Richard Garriott of Ultima fame. Autoduel was developed by Origin Systems and was released in 1985 for DOS, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, C64, Apple II, Macintosh, Amiga. Autoduel is based on a board game designed by Steve Jackson himself.
Heroes of Might and Magic II
DOSWindows XP/98/951996protected New World Computing
Pinball Illusions
DOS1995 Digital Illusions
Speedball
DOS1988 Bitmap Brothers
Space Crusade
DOS1992 Gremlin Graphics / Gremlin Interactive
Aleshar World of Ice
DOS1997
Sid Meier's Pirates!
DOS1987protected MicroProse Software
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawks' Revenge
DOS1990 Westwood Studios
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawks' Revenge is a turn-based strategy game developed by Westwood Associates and published by Infocom in 1990. It is the sequel to "Crescent Hawk's Inception" and is set in the BattleTech universe, a fictional universe where noble houses and mercenary groups vie for power using giant robotic vehicles known as BattleMe...