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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J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I
DOS1990 Interplay Productions
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is an abandoned fantasy top-down DOS RPG game set in the The Lord of the Rings universe. The Lord of the Rings I was developed and released by Interplay Productions in 1990. The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is based on the popular The Lord Of The Rings book by J.R.R. Tolkien and it's focused on the f...
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
DOS1996freeware Westwood Studios
Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Virgin Interactive in 1996. It is part of the Command & Conquer series and is set in an alternate history where World War II never occurred, leading to a different global conflict.The success of Red Alert led to several seque...
CD-Man v2.0
DOS1992 Creative Dimensions
Z
DOS1996protected 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...
Battle Isle 2200
DOS1994protected Blue Byte Software
Cap Man
Windows XP/98/951999
Cannon Fodder
DOS1994protected Sensible Software
Cannon Fodder, released by Sensible Software in 1993, is a military-themed action game that cleverly blends strategy with real-time tactics. Players control a small squad of soldiers through various missions, facing enemies and obstacles in a top-down perspective. The game's distinctive style is marked by its dark humor and satirical take on war, m...
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.
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...
Panzer General 2
Windows XP/98/951997protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Knights of Xentar
DOS1994NSFW MegaTech Software
Sid Meier's Pirates!
DOS1987protected MicroProse Software
Death Rally
DOS1996freeware Remedy Entertainment Ltd.
The Great War: 1914 - 1918
DOS1993protected Blue Byte Software
Star Goose!
DOS1988 Logotron
Star Goose is a classic video game developed by Logotron and released in 1988 for various home computer systems of that era, including the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. It is a top-down, vertically scrolling shooter that combines elements of shoot 'em up gameplay with exploration and power-up mechanics.
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
DOS1993protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
The Ancient Art of War at Sea
DOS1987 Evryware
DND
DOS1984
ZZT
DOS1991freeware Epic MegaGames
Space Federation
DOS1994 Interplay Productions
Grand Theft Auto
DOSWindows XP/98/951997 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.
Bravo Romeo Delta
DOS1993
Gauntlet
DOS1986 Mindscape
Mageslayer
Windows XP/98/951997 Raven Software
Mageslayer is an action game developed by Raven Software and published by GT Interactive in 1997 for MS-DOS. It stands out as a top-down, hack-and-slash dungeon crawler inspired by games like Gauntlet, but with an original fantasy setting and a darker, more intense tone. The game uses the same engine as Take No Prisoners, another Raven Software tit...
Siege
DOS1992 Mindcraft Software
Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire
DOS1990freeware Origin Systems
After the success of Ultima 6: The False Prophet, Origin decided to "create worlds" not part of the popular Ultima series (strictly speaking) using the same engine of Ultima 6. They came up with two games: The Savage Empire and Martian Dreams. The Savage Empire is set in a stone age-like world and features prehistoric tribes, dinosaurs, insectoid a...
Grand Theft Auto 2
Windows XP/98/951999 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...
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...
Galaxy
DOS1981 Microcomputer Games Inc.
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...