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).

Most popular top down games

Civilization

strategyDOS, Windows 3.x

Civilization 2

strategyWindows XP/98/95

Railroad Tycoon

simulationDOS, Mac

Top down games

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Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed

DOS1992protected4/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed is a CRPG developed by SSI Strategic Simulations Inc. and released in 1992 for DOS only. Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed is the sequel to Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday and it's based on a campaign setting created by TSR in the late 80s. The game uses the Gold Box engine, common to much of the RPGs developed by SSI.
Robotron 2084

DOS19833.8/5 Williams Entertainment
John Madden Football

DOS19893.9/5 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...
Renegade Legion Interceptor

DOS1990protected4.3/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Oubliette

DOS19833.3/5
Hack

DOS1984freeware3.8/5
Rings of Medusa

DOS19903.9/5 Starbyte Software
Mech War

DOS19924/5
Yacht Racing Simulator

DOS19863.4/5
Marble Cooking

DOS1994NSFW3.4/5 Negative
X-Fighter

DOS19873.1/5 Wordworks Software
Advanced Civilization

DOS19953.9/5 Avalon Hill
Decisive Battles of the American Civil War: Vol. 2

DOS19893.9/5 SSG Strategic Studies Group
Meteors

DOS19893.6/5 Apogee Software
Legends of Murder: Volume 1 - Stonedale Castle

DOS1989protected3.5/5 Softdisk Publishing
Gone Fishing

DOS19893.7/5 Interstel Corporation
Conquest of Japan

DOS19924.1/5 Impressions Games
Mission: Mainframe

DOS19873.8/5
Blues Brothers RPG

Windows XP/98/952004freeware4/5
Settlers of Catan

DOS19984.2/5
Total Annihilation Kingdoms

Windows XP/98/951999protected4.1/5 Cavedog Entertainment
Visions of the Aftermath: The Boomtown

DOS19883.8/5 Mindscape

Visions of the Aftermath: The Boomtown is an abandoned simulation game with role-playing elements developed by Mindscape and released in 1988 exclusively for DOS. Visions of the Aftermath is one of the few early examples of games involving survival in a post-apocalyptic environment.
Infiltrator

DOS19874.2/5 Chris Gray Enterprises
Evets

DOS1988freeware3.5/5 SAck Enterprizes
Logo

DOS1990NSFW3.8/5 Starbyte Software
Legacy of the Ancients

DOS19893.9/5 Quest Software
Lost Adventures of Kroz

DOS1990freeware3.3/5 Apogee Software
Death by Backgammon

DOS19903.3/5
Fantasy General

DOS1996protected4.2/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Fantasy General is a hex-based turn-based strategy fantasy wargame. The player can duel either against a computer or a human opponent or even take part in a longer campaign. There are two sides to chose from, one good and one evil, each with unique and colorful units.
Bass Duel

DOS19933.6/5