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

strategyDOS, Windows 3.x

Civilization 2

strategyWindows XP/98/95

Grand Theft Auto

action-adventureDOS, Windows XP/98/95

Top down games

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Full Metal Planete

DOSMac19903.8/5 Hitech Productions
Vampyr: Talisman of Invocation

DOS19893.4/5
King's Table: The Legend of Ragnarok

DOS1993protected4.4/5 Imagitec Design
Traders

DOS19923.8/5 Linel
ZZT

DOS1991freeware4.2/5 Epic MegaGames
Kingdom of Kroz 2

DOS19903.2/5 Apogee Software
Warriors of Legend

DOS19934/5 Synergistic 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.
Antix

DOS1985remake4.1/5
Major Stryker

DOSWindows XP/98/951993freeware3.9/5 Apogee Software
Spy Hunter

DOS19843.6/5 Midway Manufacturing Company
Decisive Battles of the American Civil War: Vol. 1

DOS19884/5 SSG Strategic Studies Group
Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday

DOS1990protected4.2/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
UnReal World v. 3.20

Windows XP/98/95Mac1992freeware4.1/5
Cavequest

DOS19853.3/5
Command Adventures: Starship

DOS19953.5/5 Future Vision
Defender of the Crown

DOS1991protected3.9/5 Cinemaware

Defender of the crown is a strategy game set in the middle ages, in England. You control a Saxon and must fight Normans to control the country. The player can conquest territories, lay siege to castles, join tournaments, rescue damsels.
Dungeons of Kroz

DOS1989freeware3.6/5 Apogee Software
Ground Control

Windows XP/98/952000protected4.1/5 Massive Entertainment

Ground Control is a strategy game developed by Massive Entertainment and released by Sierra On-Line in 2000. More precisely Ground Control is a real time tactical game with a sci-fi setting.
Dungeon Explorer

DOS19903.4/5
Steel Panthers 3: Brigade Command - 1939-1999

DOS1997protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
B-24 Combat Simulator

DOS1987protected3.5/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
V for Victory: D-day Utah Beach

DOS1991protected3.9/5 Atomic Games
Sleuth: A Murder Mystery

DOS1983freeware4.2/5 Norland Software
Pyramids of Egypt

DOS19894/5 Ideas From the Deep
Airborne Ranger

DOS19884.2/5 MicroProse Software
Alien Breed: Tower Assault

DOS1994protected4.2/5 Team 17
Angband

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinux1992freeware4/5
Psion Chess

DOSMac19854.1/5 Psion Software
Unnecessary Roughness

DOS19933.8/5 Accolade