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).
Sort by:
Reunion
DOS1994 Dinamic Multimedia
Super Pac-Man
DOS1982 Namco
Lords of the Realm 2
DOSWindows XP/98/95Windows 10/11Mac OS1996protected Impressions Games
Lords of the Realm II is a medieval-themed real-time strategy (RTS) and turn-based strategy game developed by Impressions Games and published by Sierra On-Line. Released in 1996, it is the second game in the "Lords of the Realm" series. Players manage their kingdom by balancing resources such as food, weapons, and gold, engaging in diplomacy w...
The Blue & the Gray
DOS1993 Impressions Games
SimEarth
DOSWindows 3.x1990 Maxis
SimEarth is a simulation in which you can shape and mold a planet in almost every way you can imagine. In SimEarth our planet is simulated as a whole: life, climate, atmosphere are all aspects of a single Gaia-like Earth. SimEarth can be played in two modes: game and experimental. In game mode, you have to to develop (and preserve) Earth with limit...
Robot Rascals
DOS1987 Ozark Softscape
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception
DOS1988 Westwood Studios
Ski or Die
DOS1990 Electronic Arts
Ski or Die is a winter sports-themed video game that was originally released in 1990 for various platforms, including the Commodore 64, Amiga, and MS-DOS. The game was developed by Electronic Arts and was a follow-up to their earlier title, "California Games". Ski or Die features a collection of winter sports events: downhill blitz, acro aerials, s...
MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracy
DOS1990 Paragon Software
MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracy is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) released in 1990. The Zhodani Conspiracy is the first installment in the MegaTraveller series and was developed by Paragon Software.MegaTraveller 1 takes place in the Traveller universe's Third Imperium, a vast interstellar empire. The plot revolves around a c...
Frogger Jr.
DOS1984
Rollo and the Brush Brothers
DOS1983 Windmill Software
Bombuzal
DOS1989 Image Works
Solidarnosc
DOS1991 P. Z. Karen Co. Development Group
The Battle of the Bulge: Tigers in the Snow
DOS1982protected Tactical Design Group
Questron 2
DOS1988protected Westwood Studios
Questron II is a role-playing game (RPG) developed by Westwood Associates and published by Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) in 1988. It serves as the sequel to the original Questron (1984) and builds upon its predecessor’s formula, offering more expansive gameplay, refined mechanics, and a richer world to explore. The player embarks on a...
Block O Mania
DOS1989 Crystal Shard
Cannon Fodder
DOS1994protected Sensible Software
Cannon Fodder, released by Sensible Software in 1993, is a military-themed action game that cleverly blends strategy with real-time tactics. Players control a small squad of soldiers through various missions, facing enemies and obstacles in a top-down perspective. The game's distinctive style is marked by its dark humor and satirical take on war, m...
Alien Breed
DOS1993protected Team 17
Cyrus
DOS1985
Autobots
DOS1989
Traffic department 2192
DOS1994freeware P Squared
Commander Keen 5: The Armageddon Machine
DOS1991protected 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.
M.U.D.S. - Mean Ugly Dirty Sport
DOS1990 Golden Goblins
Astro Fire
DOS1994freewareremake ORT Software
Lost Adventures of Kroz
DOS1990freeware Apogee Software
Dungeon Crawl
Windows XP/98/95DOSLinux1997freeware
Dungeon Crawl (also known as Linley's Dungeon Crawl from the name of the original programmer: Linley Henzell) is a classic roguelike: an RPG with permadeath, procedural generation and high replayability. Dungeon Crawl was released on 1997 but it's not maintained anymore. The spiritual successr of Crawl is DCCS (Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup).
Legacy of the Ancients
DOS1989 Quest Software
Amberstar
DOS1992 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...
Crusade in Europe
DOS1985 MicroProse Software
Beast
DOS1984