Top-down perspective

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

Dune 2000

strategyWindows XP/98/95

PC-Man

actionDOS

Ultima 7 Part 1: The Black Gate

rpgDOS

Top down games

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Alien Breed: Tower Assault

DOS1994protected4.1/5 Team 17
Alien Syndrome

DOS19894.1/5 Sega
Allan Border's Cricket

DOS19933.8/5 Audiogenic
AlphaMan

DOS19953.7/5
Amazing Maze

DOS19833/5
Amberstar

DOS19923.9/5 Thalion

Amberstar is a fantasy old school RPG very similar to Ultima 6 that uses a top-down view for interiors and small locations and a first person pseudo 3D view for everything else. Unfortunately, the sequel (called Ambermoon) was available for Amiga only and no version existed for DOS or Windows. Amberstar was developed and published by Thalion for DO...
Ambush at Sorinor

DOS19933.7/5 Mindcraft Software
Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) v1.1

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinux1996freeware4/5
Angband

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinux1992freeware4/5
Annals of Rome

DOS19883.8/5 Personal Software Services
Ant Attack!

DOS1994freeware3.8/5 Dataware
Ante-Up at The Friday Night Poker Club

DOS19903.9/5
Antix

DOS1985remake4.1/5
APB

DOS19894/5 Atari
Archon: the Light and the Dark

DOS19844.1/5 Free Fall Associates

Archon: The Light and the Dark is an abandoned DOS fantasy blend of strategy and action game, developed by Free Fall Associates and published for DOS by Electronic Arts in 1984. Archon and its sequels are a unique mix of chess-like turn-based strategy and arcade action games. Take chess and add the fact that every time two pieces land on the same s...
Army Men

Windows XP/98/9519984.2/5 The 3DO Company
Army Men 2

Windows XP/98/951998protected4.1/5 The 3DO Company
Arrakis

DOS20003.9/5
Ascii Sector

Windows XP/98/95LinuxDOS2007freeware4/5
Aspar GP Master

DOS19893.7/5 Dinamic Multimedia
Astro Dodge

DOS19823.6/5 Digital Marketing Corporation
Astro Fire

DOS1994freewareremake3.8/5 ORT Software
Atomic Bomberman

Windows XP/98/9519974.2/5 Interplay Productions
Atomino

DOS19913.9/5 Play Byte
Atomix

DOS19904.1/5 Softtouch
Austerlitz 1805

DOS19893.9/5 Cornerstone Software
Autobots

DOS19893.1/5
Autoduel

DOS19853.9/5 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.
Avalon

DOS1998freeware4/5 MiG Outpost
Axis and Allies

Windows XP/98/9519984.2/5 Wargaming West