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).

Most popular top down applications

Dune 2000
strategyWindows XP/98/95
Grand Theft Auto
action-adventureDOS, Windows XP/98/95

Top down applications

  • star-trek-combat-arena-04
    DOS19893.7/5
  • star-wars-2-04
    DOS19894.1/5
  • starflight2-5
  • sword-of-aragon-05
    DOS1989protected4.2/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
  • sword-of-samurai-06
    DOS1989protected4/5 MicroProse Software
  • tangled-tales-03
    DOS19893.5/5 Origin Systems
  • teenagemutant-2
    DOS19893.6/5 Konami
  • scrabble-1
    DOS19893.2/5 Leisure Genius
  • magiccandle-1
    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...

  • thunderblade-05
    DOS19893.4/5 Sega
  • time-bandit-08
    DOS19894.2/5 MichTron

    Time Bandit is a classic top-down arcade-style video game that was released in 1982 for various home computer systems, such as the Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, and others. It was developed by MichTron. In Time Bandit, players control a character who must navigate through a series of maze-like levels, battling various enemies and collecting treasure a...

  • timesoflore-4
    DOS19894/5 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.

  • titan-03
    DOS19893.5/5 Titus Interactive
  • toobin-2
    DOS19894.2/5 Domark Software

    Toobin is an abandoned action game developed by Domark Software and released in 1989. Toobin runs on DOS but was also published for Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Boy Color, MSX, NES, ZX Spectrum. It's a conversion from a popular arcade game (at the time).

  • tracon1-02
    DOS19893.5/5 Wesson International
  • trivial-pursuit-03
    DOS19893.4/5

    Trivial Pursuit is a popular trivia board game that was adapted into a computer game for various platforms, including DOS. In the game, players answer trivia questions from various categories in order to collect pie pieces that correspond to those categories. The goal is to collect all the pie pieces and complete a full pie before your opponents.

  • vampyr-04
  • wayne-gretzky-hockey-1
    DOS19894.1/5 Bethesda Softworks
  • windwalker-1
    DOS19892.8/5 Origin Systems
  • ancient-land-of-ys-03
    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.

  • accordion-2
    DOS19902.7/5 Softdisk Publishing
  • ante-up-02
  • atomix-1
    DOS19904.1/5 Softtouch
  • bad-blood-03
    DOS19904.2/5 Origin Systems
  • battle-for-atlantis-02
    DOS19903.8/5
  • battletechcrescent-8
    DOS19904.1/5 Westwood Studios
  • blitzardennes-2
    DOS19903.6/5 Command Simulations
  • buckcountdown-04
    DOS1990protected4.2/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
  • centurion-7
    DOS19904.2/5 Bits of magic

    Centurion: Defender of Rome is a turn-based strategy game set in ancient Rome times. As a centurion of the Roman Empire, you will fight against the enemies of Rome in real time battles in every corner of Italy and Europe, you'll be a gladiator, race chariots, fight naval battles and more.

  • cloud-kingdoms-05
    DOS19903.6/5 Logotron