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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Hexxagon
DOS19934.1/5 Argo Games
CD-Man v2.0
DOS19924.1/5 Creative Dimensions
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.
Battle Isle 2200
DOS1994protected4.1/5 Blue Byte Software
Fields of Glory
DOS1993protected4.1/5 MicroProse Software
Nebulus
DOS19884.1/5 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...
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
DOS1993protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Z
DOS1996protected4.1/5 Bitmap Brothers
Z is a real-time strategy game developed by The Bitmap Brothers and originally released in 1996 for MS-DOS. It's known for its fast-paced gameplay, humorous style, and distinctive art design.In Z, players control a robot army across various battlefields, aiming to conquer territories and defeat enemy forces. The game features a tongue-in-cheek narr...
Conflict
DOS19904.1/5 Mastertronic
The Ancient Art of War at Sea
DOS19874.1/5 Evryware
Gauntlet
DOS19864.1/5 Mindscape
Mageslayer
Windows XP/98/9519974.1/5 Raven Software
Rodent's Revenge
Windows 3.x19914.1/5 Microsoft
Qix
DOS19894.1/5 Taito
DND
DOS19844.1/5
Space Federation
DOS19944.1/5 Interplay Productions
The Perfect General
DOS19914.1/5 White Wolf Productions
The Perfect General is a turn-based strategy military game developed by White Wolf Productions and released in 1991 by Quantun Quality Production. The Perfect General gameplay is quite simple compared to other wargames, but it's based on a solid set of rules and let the players progress at their own pace through missions and scenarios. The Perfect ...
Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle
DOS19934.1/5 Origin Systems
After the well received Ultima 7 The Black Gate, Origin decided that their Ultima engine could be used for one more game. Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle begins right after The Black Gate ends. This time the Avatar travels to a whole new land, far away from the usual Britannia. Serpent Isle brings its own charm to the series; exploring new lands...
Atomix
DOS19904.1/5 Softtouch
Ski or Die
DOS19904.1/5 Electronic Arts
Ski or Die is a winter sports-themed video game that was originally released in 1990 for various platforms, including the Commodore 64, Amiga, and MS-DOS. The game was developed by Electronic Arts and was a follow-up to their earlier title, "California Games". Ski or Die features a collection of winter sports events: downhill blitz, acro aerials, s...
Panzer General 2
Windows XP/98/951997protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Army Men 2
Windows XP/98/951998protected4.1/5 The 3DO Company
Bravo Romeo Delta
DOS19934.1/5
Grand Theft Auto 2
Windows XP/98/9519994.1/5 DMA Design
Grand Theft Auto 2 is the second chapter in the successful Grand Theft Auto series. GTA 2 is an abandoned top-down action-adventure / driving hybrid game developed by DMA Design and released by Rockstar Games in 1999 for various platforms, including PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, and Game Boy Color. GTA2 is set in a fictional city called "Any...
Dark Reign: The Future of War
Windows XP/98/951997protected4.1/5 Auran Games
Times of Lore
DOS19894.1/5 Origin Systems
Times of Lore is an abandoned action RPG designed by Chris Roberts, developed and released by Origin Systems in 1989 for DOS and many more 8 bit and 16 bit platforms. Compared to Ultima (the much more popular franchise also by Origin) Times of Lore is a washed down RPG, more similar to a NES game. In fact, Roberts was inspired by The Legend of Zelda.
Total Annihilation Kingdoms
Windows XP/98/951999protected4.1/5 Cavedog Entertainment
Grand Theft Auto
DOSWindows XP/98/9519974.1/5 DMA Design
In Grand Theft Auto the player takes the role of a criminal who can freely roam around the city (Liberty City) completing tasks for the local mobs: stealing cars, killing pedestrians, all of it while avoiding the police and the army. The freedom of gameplay and the "I'm the bad guy" appeal of the game made the Grand Theft Auto series very popular.
Emperor of the Fading Suns
Windows XP/98/9519964.1/5 Holistic Design
Checkers for Windows
Windows 3.x19974.1/5