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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Windows XP/98/9519974.1/5 Stardock Entertainment
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawks' Revenge
DOS19904.1/5 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...
The Magic Candle
DOS19894.1/5 Mindcraft Software
The Magic Candle: Volume 1 is the first chapter of a series of fantasy old school RPGs. The Magic Candle was developed and released by Mindcraft Software in 1989 for DOS but was also published for Apple II and Commodore 64. The whole Magic Candle series is very similar to some of the early Ultima games in every aspect: turn-based combat, top-down v...
Sid Meier's Pirates!
DOS1987protected4.1/5 MicroProse Software
The Great War: 1914 - 1918
DOS1993protected4.1/5 Blue Byte Software
The Hunt for Red October
DOSMac OS19874.1/5 Oxford Digital Enterprises
Nuclear War
DOS19894/5 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...
Planet's Edge
DOS1991protected4/5 New World Computing
Pyramids of Egypt
DOS19894/5 Ideas From the Deep
Hexxagon 2
DOS19934/5 Argo Games
Sword of the Samurai
DOS1989protected4/5 MicroProse Software
Tristan Pinball
DOS19914/5 Littlewing
Patton vs. Rommel
DOS19874/5 Electronic Arts
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
DOS1996freeware4/5 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...
Xonix
DOS1984remake4/5
Star Goose!
DOS19884/5 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.
Mah Jongg Solitaire
DOS19874/5 Arcanum Computing
Empire Deluxe
DOSWindows 3.x19934/5 White Wolf Productions
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.
Monopoly Deluxe
DOSWindows 3.x19924/5 Parker Brothers
Monopoly Deluxe is an abandoned turn-based top-down Monopoly adaptation of the classic board game, developed by Parker Brothers and released by Virgin Interactive in 1992. Monopoly Deluxe was published for DOS, Windows 3.1, and Macintosh.
Bobby Fisher teaches chess
DOS19944/5 Mission Studios
John Madden Football
DOS19894/5 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 developed and released by Electronic Arts in 1988 for Apple II and Commodore 64 and later released for DOS (in 1989). The Madden series became extremely popular and the sequels...
Merchant Prince
DOS19934/5 Holistic Design
God of Thunder
DOSWindows XP/98/951993freeware4/5 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...
Wild West World
DOS19914/5 Software 2000
Ultima 1: The First Age of Darkness
DOS19874/5 Origin Systems
Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness is a seminal role-playing video game developed by Richard Garriott and released by California Pacific Computer Company in 1981. It is the first game in the long-running and influential Ultima series. Initially released for the Apple II, it was later ported to various platforms including DOS, Commodore 64, At...
Minesweeper
Windows 3.x19924/5 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...
Jones in the Fast Lane
DOS19914/5 Sierra On-Line
Jones in the Fast Lane is the kind of game that you don't see often these days. It's a mix between a digital board game and a modern day life simulation. The goal of the game is to live the life of Jones, making choices about school, work, your home, etc. Graphics is a mix of cartonish and digitized characters, very reminishent of some of the best ...
Ground Control
Windows XP/98/952000protected4/5 Massive Entertainment
Ground Control is a strategy game developed by Massive Entertainment and released by Sierra On-Line in 2000. More precisely Ground Control is a real time tactical game with a sci-fi setting.
Steel Panthers 3: Brigade Command - 1939-1999
DOS1997protected4/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.