Abandonware DOS title

Top-down perspective sorted by release date

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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Demon Stalkers

DOS1989 Micro Forté
This 1989 DOS game has you hunting down demons in a dark, pixelated world. Equip yourself with weapons, explore eerie environments, and face off against otherworldly creatures. It'...
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Demon's Winter

DOS1989protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
In this 1989 DOS game, you survive in a post-apocalyptic world where demons have taken over. Scavenge for resources, fight off demonic creatures, and try to rebuild civilization. I...
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Dragons of Flame

DOS1989protected U.S. Gold
Dragons of Flame (1989) was SSI’s continuation of the Dragonlance saga, following up on Heroes of the Lance. Like its predecessor, it was a side-scrolling action RPG that tes...
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Dungeons of Kairn

DOS1989
If Dungeons of Kairn were a person, it’d be that quiet D&D player who never smiles and always plays lawful evil. Released in 1989, this obscure DOS crawler delivers all t...
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Dungeons of Kroz

DOS1989freeware Apogee Software
Ah, Dungeons of Kroz, the glorious mess of ASCII characters that somehow became addictive. Created by Apogee in 1989, it’s a fast-paced dungeon adventure where every symbol m...
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Dungeons of Kroz 2

DOS1989 Apogee Software
Dungeons of Kroz 2 didn’t reinvent the wheel—it sharpened it and rolled it over your face. Released the same year as the original, it’s tougher, faster, and even ...
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Face Off!

DOS1989 MindSpan
Face Off! (1989) wastes no time telling you exactly what it wants to be: fast, noisy, and slightly unhinged. This DOS arcade sports game throws subtlety out of the window and repla...
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Fast Food Dizzy

DOS1989 Codemasters
Fast Food Dizzy, released in 1989 for DOS, is exactly as chaotic as the title suggests. Starring the famously round egg hero, the game drops Dizzy into a world where food falls fro...
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Fidelity Chessmaster 2100

DOS1989 The Software Toolworks
Fidelity Chessmaster 2100, released in 1989 for DOS, is chess with a very clear mission: beat you, patiently and without mercy. At the time, it was a serious achievement in compute...
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Final Frontier

DOS1989 Bubble Bus Software
Final Frontier is a late-80s slice of space ambition, the kind that assumes you’re perfectly happy staring at menus while imagining epic interstellar conquest. It’s str...
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Gauntlet 2

DOS1989 Atari
Gauntlet 2 is proof that sequels sometimes mean “more of the same, but louder.” The 1989 upgrade takes the chaotic dungeons of the original and adds new enemies, nastie...
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Gengis Khan

DOS1989 KOEI
In Gengis Khan, you’re not just playing history—you’re rewriting it with pixelated armies. This 1989 Koei classic lets you lead the great Mongol conqueror (or oth...
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Gold of the Americas: The Conquest of the New World

DOS1989 SSG Strategic Studies Group
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Gone Fishing

DOS1989 Interstel Corporation
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Grand Monster Slam

DOS1989 Golden Goblins
Grand Monster Slam is an action sports game developed by Golden Goblins and published by Rainbow Arts in 1989. The game was released for a variety of platforms, including the Amiga...
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Heavy Barrel

DOS1989 Data East
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Hillsfar

DOS1989protected Westwood Studios
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House of Cards

DOS1989
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Hoyle Book of Games

DOS1989 Sierra On-Line
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If It Moves, Shoot It!

DOS1989 Emerald Software
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Jackal

DOS1989 Konami
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Joan of Arc

DOS1989 Chip
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John Madden Football

DOS1989 Electronic Arts
John Madden Football was the first of a series of american football sports games sponsored by the coach of the same name. The first John Madden Football is an abandoned game develo...
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Knights of Legend

DOS1989 Origin Systems
Knights of Legend is a tactical role-playing game (RPG) released by Origin Systems in 1989 for MS-DOS, the Apple II, and the Commodore 64. Known for its complex gameplay and strate...
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Legacy of the Ancients

DOS1989 Quest Software
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Legends of Murder: Volume 1 - Stonedale Castle

DOS1989protected Softdisk Publishing
If you wanted a mix of Clue, D&D, and a dash of text-parser frustration, Legends of Murder: Volume 1 – Stonedale Castle (1989) was your game. You play a detective dropped...
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Meteors

DOS1989 Apogee Software