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 2

strategyWindows XP/98/95

Civilization

strategyDOS, Windows 3.x

Grand Theft Auto

action-adventureDOS, Windows XP/98/95

Top down games

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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.
King's Table: The Legend of Ragnarok

DOS1993protected4.4/5 Imagitec Design
Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine

DOS1991protected4/5 id software

Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine is a science fiction action oriented platform game designed by Tom Hall, developed by id Software and released by Apogee Software in 1991 for DOS only. Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine is part of the Commander Keen game series, specifically it's the second episode of Commander Keen in Goodbye, Galaxy.
Robbo

DOS1993freeware3.8/5 xLand Games
Kingdom of Kroz 2

DOS19903.2/5 Apogee Software
Space Rogue

DOS19894/5 Origin Systems

Space Rogue is a science fiction RPG developed by Richard Garriott's Origin and desined by Paul Neurath. Space Rogue combines a 3D space simulation with a top down view RPG gameplay. As a space pilot you can hunt bounties, buy and sell goods, land on starbases or outposts and talk to NPCs, do quests, etc.
Full Metal Planete

DOSMac19903.8/5 Hitech Productions
Spy Hunter

DOS19843.6/5 Midway Manufacturing Company
Monopoly

DOS19854/5
Final Frontier

DOS19893/5 Bubble Bus Software
Commander Keen 2: The Earth Explodes

DOS1990protected4/5 id software
OverKill

DOS1992freeware3.9/5 Tech-Noir
Command Adventures: Starship

DOS19953.5/5 Future Vision
Minesweeper

Windows 3.x19924.1/5 Microsoft
Antix

DOS1985remake4.1/5
Vampyr: Talisman of Invocation

DOS19893.4/5
Traders

DOS19923.8/5 Linel
Warriors of Legend

DOS19934/5 Synergistic Software
Steel Panthers 3: Brigade Command - 1939-1999

DOS1997protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Decisive Battles of the American Civil War: Vol. 1

DOS19884/5 SSG Strategic Studies Group
Panzer General 2

Windows XP/98/951997protected4/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Pyramids of Egypt

DOS19894/5 Ideas From the Deep
Cavequest

DOS19853.3/5
Rescue Rover

DOS1991protected3.8/5 id software
Kasparov's Gambit

DOS19933.9/5 Heuristic software
Fidelity Chessmaster 2100

DOS19893.9/5 Software Toolworks
Raiden

DOS19944.2/5 Seibu Kaihatsu Inc.
Pizza Tycoon

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinuxMac1994protected4.1/5 Software 2000
Fantasy Empires

DOS1993protected4/5 Silicon Knights
Spirit of Excalibur

DOS19903.8/5 Synergistic Software