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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A Nightmare on Elm street

DOS1989 Westwood Studios

Forget Freddy’s razor glove for a second - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1989) for DOS is terrifying in its own way. Mostly because of the controls. You play as a teen trying to stay awake and alive while navigating dreamscapes full of death and digitized screams. The gameplay is a mix of exploration and survival, wrapped in graphics that look l...

Acquire

DOS1989 IBM

Acquire (1989, DOS) brings boardroom drama to your DOS screen, turning you into a hotel tycoon in a game where the real enemy is... math. It's a faithful adaptation of the classic board game, complete with mergers, hostile takeovers, and the slow crushing realization that your cousin bought all the good stocks before you. There’s no real anim...

Blood & Magic

DOS1996 Tachyon Studios

From the people who brought you Dungeons & Dragons, here's Blood & Magic (1996), the RTS that nobody remembers but definitely deserves a second glance. You summon golems from magical “blood forges” because apparently swords and fireballs weren’t metal enough. The gameplay is surprisingly chill for something with “Blo...

Daemonsgate

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinuxMac OS1993protected Imagitec Design

Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse

DOS1994protected Cyberlore studios

In Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse (1994), you’re not some grizzled barbarian or pointy-hatted wizard - no, you’re a noble corsair with charm, a sword, and a knack for getting into magical messes. This is Dungeons & Dragons meets Arabian Nights, with sand, spells, and more genies than you can reasonably fit into one bottle. The combat&r...

Ambush at Sorinor

DOS1993 Mindcraft Software

In Ambush at Sorinor, tactics meet fantasy in a land where ambushing people is apparently the national sport. You’re a mercenary commander picking the right team to win missions and not get horribly skewered. Battles play out in real-time, and positioning is everything - unless your units decide they’d rather walk into a tree than follo...

Pinball World

DOS1995 Spidersoft Limited

Spiritual Warfare

DOS1993protected Wisdom Tree

Rings of Medusa

DOS1990 Starbyte Software

Rings of Medusa is a strategy / RPG developed by the German studio Starbyte Software. It was released in 1989 for various platforms including the Commodore 64, Amiga, and MS-DOS. In Rings of Medusa, players assume the role of a hero tasked with defeating the evil sorceress Medusa who has taken control of the city of Olympus. The game world is ...

Billy The Kid

DOS1990 Level 9 Computing

Saddle up, pardner. Billy The Kid puts you in the dusty boots of the infamous outlaw himself. This is the Wild West, DOS-style — pixel pistols, wanted posters, and dialogue that might make a cactus wince. Whether you’re shootin’ varmints or causin’ a ruckus, justice is whatever you can code in QBasic.

Full Metal Planete

DOSMac OS1990 Hitech Productions

Legions

Windows 3.xMac OS1994 Mindscape

Trivial Pursuit

DOS1989

Trivial Pursuit is a popular trivia board game that was adapted into a computer game for various platforms, including DOS. In the game, players answer trivia questions from various categories in order to collect pie pieces that correspond to those categories. The goal is to collect all the pie pieces and complete a full pie before your opponents.

Risk: the World Conquest Game

DOS1989 Mastertronic

Avalon

DOS1998freeware MiG Outpost

In Avalon (1998, DOS), you are a wizard, possibly a hero, definitely confused. This fantasy RPG drops you into a world of magic, mayhem, and menu navigation straight out of a Tolkien-themed tax return. The graphics aim for epic and land somewhere near "vague," but the ambition is undeniable. There's a real sense of wonder here — once you figu...

Styx

DOS1984 Windmill Software

Dragons of Flame

DOS1989protected U.S. Gold

Loopz

DOS1990 Audiogenic

Phantasie 1

DOS1987protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

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...

Aleshar World of Ice

DOS1997

Aleshar: World of Ice is what happens when someone says, “Let’s make an RPG, but crank the realism to 11.” Set in a cold, brutal land where your sword arm is only as strong as your calorie intake, this 1997 DOS curiosity turns survival into an art form. Want to swing that axe? Better not be hungry. Want to walk across town? Hope y...

Entomorph: Plague Of The Darkfall

Windows XP/98/95Windows 3.xMac OS1995protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Azalta: Cult of the Raven

DOS1996

Azalta: Cult of the Raven is what happens when a lone developer says, “I can make an RPG better than Ultima!” and sort of does. Released in 1996, this DOS dungeon crawler features deep customization, open-ended quests, and graphics that scream “programmed at 2 a.m.” The story is delightfully dark: evil cults, bird-themed may...

Empire II: The Art of War

DOSWindows XP/98/951995 White Wolf Productions

Bandit Kings of Ancient China

DOS1989 KOEI

Based on a classic Chinese novel, Bandit Kings of Ancient China combines strategy, RPG elements, and about 800 names you’ll never remember. You play one of 108 outlaws trying to overthrow a corrupt regime — think Romance of the Three Kingdoms but with more mustaches and less actual romance. A fascinating historical deep dive, if you can...

Blasteroids

DOS1989 Atari

Blasteroids is a video game developed and released by Atari, Inc. in 1987. It's a sequel to the classic arcade game Asteroids, which was released in 1979. In Blasteroids, players control a spaceship tasked with destroying asteroids and enemy ships while avoiding collisions and enemy fire. The game features updated graphics and gameplay mechanics co...