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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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
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/98/952004freewareremake
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. According to the Freeware Database, among the many Pengo remakes, Push Push Penguin stands out as the best, offering minor...
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 ruthlessness to make you question your life choices. The graphics are basic, the pacing slow, but when you finally flank that enemy...
Rescue Rover
DOS1991protected id software
Traffic department 2192
DOS1994freeware P Squared
Legacy of the Ancients
DOS1989 Quest Software
Spy Hunter
DOS1984 Midway Manufacturing Company
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 to find the right verb in a text parser. You’ll interrogate shady characters, sift through Cold War paranoia, and...
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 catch. It’s weirdly intense for a game about sitting in a boat. Pro tip: your rival might be a better fisherman, bu...
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 and mouse clicks. The AI here doesn’t mess around; it’s like your grandpa’s spirit entered the comput...
Caesars Palace
DOS1989 Virgin Interactive
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 described as angry seafood. It’s tense, claustrophobic, and gleefully gory for the time. Bring a map, a friend, and...
Gengis Khan 2: Clan of the Gray Wolf
DOS1992 KOEI
Iron Lord
DOS1990 UBI Soft
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 2 is set in the expansive Traveller universe.In MegaTraveller 2, players continue their journey in the Third Imperium, ...
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
DOS1989 KOEI
Epic Pinball
DOSMac OS1993protected Digital Extremes