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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Pac-girl

DOS19823.6/5 Magicom Multimedia
Pacific General

Windows XP/98/951997protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Pack-Man

DOS1983remake3.4/5 Magicom Multimedia
Pango

DOS1983remake4/5
Panzer Battles

DOS19902.8/5 SSG Strategic Studies Group
Panzer General

DOS1994protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Panger General is a turn based strategy wargame developed by SSI set in World War 2. The player can choose Axis or Allies and fight against the AI or another human player in more than 30 scenarios on a classic hex based map.
Panzer General 2

Windows XP/98/951997protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Patton vs. Rommel

DOS19874/5 Electronic Arts
PC-Man

DOS1982remake4.2/5 Orion Software

PC-Man is an abandoned top-down Pac-Man clone in every regard: from the shape of the protagonist, to the cute ghosts. PC-Man was designed by Greg Kuperberg, developed by Orion Software and released in 1982 for DOS. As PC-Man, you have to move through a one screen maze to collect dots (pills? wafers?) and avoid being touched by one of the usual Pac-...
People's General

Windows XP/98/951998protected4.3/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Phantasie 1

DOS1987protected3.9/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Phantasie 3: The Wrath of Nikademus

DOS19874.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Pictionary: The Game of Quick Draw

DOS19893/5 Oxford Mobius
Pinball Dreams

DOS1993protected4.2/5 Digital Illusions
Pinball Dreams 2

DOS1994protected3.1/5 21st Century Entertainment
Pinball Fantasies

DOS19944.2/5 Digital Illusions
Pinball Illusions

DOS19953.9/5 Digital Illusions
Pinball Magic

DOS19903.7/5 Loriciels
Pinball World

DOS19953.5/5 Spidersoft Limited
Pipe Dream

DOSWindows 3.x19894.3/5 The Assembly Line

Pipe Mania (also known as Pipe Dream is a tile-matching (sort of) puzzle game about flowing liquids developed by The Assembly Line in 1989. You must build a path made of pipe pieces to let a green liquid (sewer goo?) flow. It's simple, original and addicting, that's why Pipe Mania was cloned a number of times.
Pirates! Gold

DOSWindows 3.xMac1993protectedremake3.9/5 MicroProse Software

Pirates! Gold is an open world game designed by Paul Murphy, developed and released by MicroProse Software in 1993 for DOS, Windows 3.x, Mac and also Sega Genesis and Amiga CD32. Pirates! Gold is a remake of the game Pirates, created by Sid Meier in 1987. Pirates! Gold gameplay is a unique mix of action, strategy, pirate life simulation, ...
Pizza Tycoon

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinuxMac1994protected4/5 Software 2000
Planet's Edge

DOS1991protected4/5 New World Computing
Poko Memorial: 18 Hole Miniature Golf

DOS19872.3/5 Gold Hill Software
Populous: The Beginning

Windows XP/98/951998protected4.2/5 Bullfrog
Power Dolls

DOS19943.7/5 Kogado Software Products
Power Drive

DOS19944/5 Rage Games
Princess Maker 2

DOS19934.2/5 Gainax

Princess Maker 2 is a life simulation anime-style game developed by Gainax in 1993. In Princess Maker 2, the player is the father of a young princess and must tutor and raise her to the age of 18 by scheduling jobs, school classes and programming other activities. The princess is defined by attributes (strength, cooking, etc.) that will change depe...
Prophecy of the Shadow

DOS1992protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Prophecy: the Fall of Trinadon

DOS19893.4/5 Activision