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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Lost Adventures of Kroz

DOS1990freeware3.3/5 Apogee Software
Settlers of Catan

DOS19984.2/5
Infiltrator

DOS19874.2/5 Chris Gray Enterprises
Knightmare

DOS19863.5/5 Konami
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.
TV Sports: Basketball

DOS1990freeware4.1/5 Cinemaware
Aspar GP Master

DOS19893.8/5 Dinamic Multimedia
Knights of the Desert

DOS1983protected3.8/5 Tactical Design Group
Bass Duel

DOS19933.6/5
Slicks 'n' Slide

DOS19934.1/5
Legacy of the Ancients

DOS19893.9/5 Quest Software
Death by Backgammon

DOS19903.3/5
Temple of Apshai Trilogy

DOS19853.3/5 Epyx

Temple of Apshai Trilogy is a compilation of three remade abandoned (very) old school RPGs. Temple of Apshai Trilogy was developed by Epyx and released in 1985 for DOS, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari ST, Atari 8-bit, C64. All the games included in Temple of Apshai Trilogy are part of the Dunjonquest game series.
Donkey BAS

DOS19813.6/5 Microsoft
The Battle of the Bulge: Tigers in the Snow

DOS1982protected3.8/5 Tactical Design Group
Astro Fire

DOS1994freewareremake3.9/5 ORT Software
War of the Lance

DOS1990protected4.2/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show

DOS19893/5 Tynesoft Computer Software
Dragonfly

DOS19863.2/5
Caesars Palace

DOS19894/5 Virgin Interactive
No Greater Glory

DOSMac1991protected4.1/5
Galaxy

DOS19814/5 Microcomputer Games Inc.
Cap Man

Windows XP/98/9519993.2/5
Blood & Magic

DOS19963.9/5 Tachyon Studios
Feud

DOS19884/5 Binary Design
Dark Legions

DOS1994protected4/5 Silicon Knights
Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire

DOS1990freeware4/5 Origin Systems

After the success of Ultima 6: The False Prophet, Origin decided to "create worlds" not part of the popular Ultima series (strictly speaking) using the same engine of Ultima 6. They came up with two games: The Savage Empire and Martian Dreams. The Savage Empire is set in a stone age-like world and features prehistoric tribes, dinosaurs, insectoid a...
Fleet Sweep

DOS19833.2/5 Mirror Images Software
Sword of Aragon

DOS1989protected4.2/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Xonix

DOS1984remake4/5