The best 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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Total Annihilation Kingdoms
Windows XP/98/951999protected Cavedog Entertainment
Lords of the Realm
DOSWindows XP/98/951994protected Impressions Games
Lords of the Realm is top-down kingdom simulation game set in medieval Europe (England and Germany), designed by Christopher J. Foster and David Lester, developed by Impressions Games and released 1994 for DOS, Windows and Amiga.
Nectaris
DOS1995 Hudson soft
5th Fleet
DOS1994
Austerlitz 1805
DOS1989 Cornerstone Software
Dark Reign 2
Windows XP/98/952000protected Pandemic Studios
The Ancient Art of War
DOS1984 Evryware
The Ancient Art of War is a classic video game that was released in the late 1980s. Developed by Evryware and published by Broderbund, it was available on various platforms, including Apple II, Atari ST, Amiga, and MS-DOS. The Ancient Art of War is a strategy game that takes place in various historical settings, such as ancient China, Greece, and t...
Ultima 2: Revenge of the Enchantress
DOS1983 Origin Systems
The second chapter of the Ultima saga is much similar to the first one (same top down visual, same dungeon 3d visual, same gameplay), although there are many small improvements. The series begins to take the shape of the detailed, deep, rpg saga that gamers will always remember.
Star Command
DOS1988protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
The Magic Candle 3
DOS1992 Mindcraft Software
Sexy Droids
DOS1992NSFW Eleven Software
Oxyd
DOS1992 Dongleware
Roadwar 2000
DOS1987protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Castle Wolfenstein
DOS1984 Muse Software
Unnatural Selection
DOS1993 Maxis
Highway Fighter
DOS1995 Safari Software
Fast Food Dizzy
DOS1989 Codemasters
Star Control
DOS1990protected Toys for Bob
Blades of Exile
Windows 3.xMac OSWindows XP/98/951997freeware Spiderweb Software
Blades of Exile is a classic role-playing video game developed by Spiderweb Software. It's the third installment in the "Exile" series. The game was released in 1997 for Mac OS, and later for Windows in 1998.In Blades of Exile, players control a party of adventurers who explore the underground world of Exile/Avernum, a vast network of caves and dun...
Bloodstone: an Epic Dwarven Tale
DOS1993 Mindcraft Software
Darklands
DOSLinuxWindows XP/98/95Mac OS1992protected MicroProse Software
Darklands was a unique historical isometric RPG that mixed real historical data from medieval Germany during the 15th century with a touch of folklore and fantasy. Unfortunately it was also the only Microprose RPG of that kind and beauty. The original game box contained a huge manual with info on european folklore (including the live...
CHAMP Ms. Pac-man
DOS1994remake ChamProgramming corp.
Major Stryker
DOSWindows XP/98/951993freeware Apogee Software
Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol
Windows 3.x1995protected
Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol is fantasy RPG game released in 1995 for Windows 3.x, but it runs flawlessy even Windows XP (see this faq if you want to play Mordor in a virtual machine). Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol is a mix of first-person and top-down perspective dungeon crawler; the game shows the dungeon in by both perspectives at onc...
Clash of Steel
DOS1993protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2
DOS1990 KOEI
Romance of the Three Kingdoms II is a turn-based strategy game developed and published by Koei. It was released in 1989 for various platforms, including the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), MS-DOS.In Romance of the Three Kingdoms II, players take on the role of a ruler during this period, and their objective is to unify China under their rule. ...
OverKill
DOS1992freeware Tech-Noir
Wayne Gretzky Hockey
DOS1989 Bethesda Softworks
Keys to Maramon
DOS1990 Mindcraft Software
Keys to Maramon is a role-playing game developed by Mindcraft Software and released in 1990 for the Amiga, MS-DOS, and Commodore 64 platforms. The game is set in the same universe as the "Magic Candle" series, another popular RPG series by Mindcraft. The game is set in the fantasy town of Maramon, where the player must protect the town from waves o...
Dark Legions
DOS1994protected Silicon Knights