Abandonware DOS title

The most popular 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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Ultima 1: The First Age of Darkness

DOS19874/5 Origin Systems
This is the first of the very popular RPG saga Ultima. The setting is the land of Sosaria, the enemy to defeat is Mondain. It's a classic cRPG. The wilderness and cities are represented from a top down perspective, while dungeons can be explored in a first person 3d view.
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Soko-Ban

DOS19844.1/5 ASCII Corporation
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Star Wars: Yoda Stories

Windows XP/98/9519974.1/5 LucasArts
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Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar

DOS1985freeware4.1/5 Origin Systems
Ultima IV is remembered as one of the best Ultima games ever released, designed as usual by Richard Garriott. Garriott took the Ultima series to a whole new level by introducing the eight virtues: honesty, compassion, valor, justice, sacrifice, honor, spirituality, humility. Ultima IV started the trilogy known as "Age of Enlightenment".
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Cobra Mission

DOS1992NSFW4.1/5 MegaTech Software
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Pinball Fantasies

DOS19944.2/5 Digital Illusions
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Lego Loco

Windows XP/98/9519984.1/5 Intelligent Games
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Ultima 5: Warriors of Destiny

DOS19884.2/5 Origin Systems
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Entrepreneur

Windows XP/98/9519974.1/5 Stardock Entertainment
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Death Rally

DOS1996freeware4.1/5 Remedy Entertainment Ltd.
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J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I

DOS19904/5 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...
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Warlords 3: Reign of Heroes

Windows XP/98/9519974.3/5 SSG Strategic Studies Group
Warlords 3: Reign of Heroes is an abandoned turn-based fantasy strategy game designed by Steve Fawkner, developed by SSG Strategic Studies Group and released by Red Orb Entertainment in 1997 for Windows. Warlords 3: Reign of Heroes is part of the Warlords game series and features quite a few multiplayer modes: from LAN to PBEM.
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Tyrian 2000

DOS1999freeware4.1/5 Eclipse Software
Tyrian 2000 is an old DOS science fiction classic shoot'em up, developed by Eclipse Software and designed by Alexander Brandon, Jason Emery, Daniel Cook. Tyrian 2000 is one of the most popular shoot'em ups ever published for DOS and it's still remembered by retro gaming fans to this day.
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Warcraft: Orcs and Humans

DOS1994protecteddemo4.2/5 Blizzard Entertainment
Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is the first real-time fantasy strategy game from Blizzard Entertainment. Two separate story lines (Orcs and Humans) evolve with 12 scenarios per side telling the tale of the battle for the Kingdom of Azeroth. Players must mine gold and chop wood in order to construct buildings and create units. Each side tries to destro...
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Axis and Allies

Windows XP/98/9519984.2/5 Wargaming West
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Warlords

DOS19904.2/5 SSG Strategic Studies Group
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Indiana Jones and his Desktop Adventures

Windows 3.xMac1996demo4.1/5 LucasArts
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Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons

DOS19954.2/5 KOEI
Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons is an abandoned simulation game, sequel of Uncharted Waters, developed and released by KOEI in 1995. The Uncharted Waters series is set in the Age of Discovery and gives the player the freedom to set sail with their ship and go wherever you want exploring, fighting, trading, privateering, etc.
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WinRisk

Windows 3.x19924.1/5
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101: The Airborne Invasion of Normandy

Windows XP/98/9519984.2/5 Empire Interactive
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Ultima 6: The False Prophet

DOS1990protected4.2/5 Origin Systems
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Bloodstone: an Epic Dwarven Tale

DOS19934/5 Mindcraft Software
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Colonization

DOSWindows 3.xLinuxMac1994protected4.2/5 MicroProse Software
Colonization is a turn-based strategy 4x game developed and published by MicroProse in 1994 for DOS, Windows 3.1, Linux and Mac. The setting is the European Colonization of the New World. Colonization gameplay and interface are similar to Civilization, another Sid Meier game. However, there are some differences between Civilization and Colonization...
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Spacewar

DOS19854.1/5
Spacewar is one of the earliest digital computer games and is often considered the first interactive video game. It was created in 1962 by Steve Russell, Martin Graetz, and Wayne Wiitanen at the MIT. The game was developed on the PDP-1 minicomputer; this is a DOS port, released in 1985.Spacewar! features two spaceships, controlled by players, that ...
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Romance of the Three Kingdoms

DOS19893.9/5 KOEI
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Autoduel

DOS19853.8/5 Origin Systems
Autoduel is an abandoned top-down open world post apocalyptic RPG/driving game hybrid designed by Chuck Bueche and Richard Garriott of Ultima fame. Autoduel was developed by Origin Systems and was released in 1985 for DOS, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, C64, Apple II, Macintosh, Amiga. Autoduel is based on a board game designed by Steve Jackson himself.
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Power Dolls

DOS19943.9/5 Kogado Software Products
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Xenon 2: Megablast

DOS19904.2/5 Bitmap Brothers
Xenon 2: Megablast is a classic shoot'em up developed by Bitmap Brothers and released by Image Works in 1990 for DOS and for a plethora of other systems. Xenon was good, Xenon 2 was far better. Compared to today standards Xenon 2 is perhaps a mediocre shoot 'em up, but at the time every shooter fan loved it. Plus, it was developed by Bitmap Brother...
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Laser Squad

DOS19923.9/5 Target Games Limited
Laser Squad is an abandoned turn-based strategy/tactical game designed by Julian Gollop (the mind behind the X-COM series). Laser Squad was developed by Target Games Limited and released by MicroLeague Multimedia in 1992 for DOS and other 8-bit systems. Laser Squad is considered as a precursor of X-COM: Ufo Defense.
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Army Men

Windows XP/98/9519984.1/5 The 3DO Company