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).

Sort by:

Dawn Raider

DOS1990 Softstar Entertainment

Exile III: Ruined World

Windows XP/98/95Mac OSWindows 3.x1997freeware Spiderweb Software

Gnome Alone

DOS1991

Gold of the Americas: The Conquest of the New World

DOS1989 SSG Strategic Studies Group

Hole in One

DOS1995 Really Interesting Software Company

Iron Lord

DOS1990 UBI Soft

Ishido: The Way of the Stones

DOSMac OS1990 Publishing International

Mirror Magic

Windows XP/98/95Linux1995freeware

Nanotank

Windows 3.x1993

PHM Pegasus

DOS1987 LucasArts

Push-Push Penguin

Windows XP/98/95Windows 10/112004freewareremake

Push-Push Penguin is an expanded version of the classic Sega's 1982 arcade game Pengo, incorporating features like power-ups, a combo system, and a more diverse array of enemies, breathing new life into Sega's original concept. Ac...

Rock 'n Roll

DOS1989 Rainbow Arts

Scrabble

DOS1989

Search and Destroy

DOS1988 Broderbund

Super Pac-Man

DOS1982 Namco

Battle Isle

DOS1991protected Blue Byte Software

Turns out war is a lot tidier when it’s turn-based. Battle Isle (1991) gives you neat little hexagons to move your units on, like a very angry board game. It’s got strategy, sci-fi flair, and just enough AI ruthlessnes...

Rescue Rover

DOS1991protected id software

Traffic department 2192

DOS1994freeware P Squared

Legacy of the Ancients

DOS1989 Quest Software

Nobunaga's Ambition

DOS1988 KOEI

Berlin 1948

DOS1989 Time Warp Software

Berlin 1948 throws you into post-war Germany as a secret agent on a noir-flavored mission through a city drenched in trench coats and suspicion. It’s one part spy thriller, one part historical fiction, and three parts trying...

Bass Duel

DOS1993

Fish or be fished could be the motto of Bass Duel (1993), a competitive angling game that pits you against a friend or an AI in a fight to the last splash. Strategy is key: where to cast, how to reel, and when to brag about your c...

Blitz Draughts

DOS1992 PC Solutions

Don’t let the title fool you — Blitz Draughts isn’t a military simulation but rather a gloriously intense checkers game from 1992. This DOS brain-bender turns the classic board game into a high-speed duel of wits...

Caesars Palace

DOS1989 Virgin Interactive

More smoke-filled backrooms than a noir film and enough slot machines to trigger déjà vu—Caesars Palace is your low-res Vegas getaway. You're given a pile of chips and left to your vices: blackjack, poker, roul...

Exile II: Crystal Souls

Windows XP/98/95Mac OSWindows 3.x1996freeware Spiderweb Software

Alien Breed

DOS1993protected Team 17

If Doom and Gauntlet had a lovechild, Alien Breed would be the weird kid who hangs out in dark corridors with a shotgun. Released in 1993 for DOS, this top-down shooter throws you into a space station overrun by what can only be d...

Gengis Khan 2: Clan of the Gray Wolf

DOS1992 KOEI

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,...

MegaTraveller 2: Quest for the Ancients

DOS1991 Paragon Software

MegaTraveller 2: Quest for the Ancients is the sequel to MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracy. It is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) released in 1991, developed by Paragon Software. Like its predecessor, MegaTraveller...