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).

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Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) v1.1

Windows XP/98/95DOSLinux1996freeware3.9/5

Heroes of Might and Magic

DOSWindows XP/98/951995protected4.2/5 New World Computing

Color Lines

DOS19923.8/5 Gamos

Ultima 6: The False Prophet

DOS1990protected4.2/5 Origin Systems

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.

Autoduel

DOS19853.9/5 Origin Systems

Autoduel is an abandoned top-down open world post apocalyptic RPG/driving game hybrid designed by Chuck Bueche and Richard Garriott of Ultima fame. Autoduel was developed by Origin Systems and was released in 1985 for DOS, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, C64, Apple II, Macintosh, Amiga. Autoduel is based on a board game designed by Steve Jackson himself.

Al-Qadim: The Genie's Curse

DOS1994protected3.8/5 Cyberlore studios

Ultima 5: Warriors of Destiny

DOS19884.1/5 Origin Systems

Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny is a role-playing video game developed and published by Origin Systems in 1988. It is the fifth installment in the highly influential Ultima series, created by Richard Garriott. Initially released for the Apple II and Commodore 64, it was later ported to DOS, Atari ST, Amiga, and other platforms. The story pi...

Warcraft: Orcs and Humans

DOS1994protecteddemo4.2/5 Blizzard Entertainment

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is the first real-time fantasy strategy game from Blizzard Entertainment. Two separate story lines (Orcs and Humans) evolve with 12 scenarios per side telling the tale of the battle for the Kingdom of Azeroth. Players must mine gold and chop wood in order to construct buildings and create units. Each side tries to destro...

101: The Airborne Invasion of Normandy

Windows XP/98/9519984.2/5 Empire Interactive

Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire

DOS1990freeware4/5 Origin Systems

After the success of Ultima 6: The False Prophet, Origin decided to "create worlds" not part of the popular Ultima series (strictly speaking) using the same engine of Ultima 6. They came up with two games: The Savage Empire and Martian Dreams. The Savage Empire is set in a stone age-like world and features prehistoric tribes, dinosaurs, insectoid a...

Ms. Pac-Man

DOS19833.9/5 Midway Manufacturing Company

Skate or Die

DOS19884.3/5 Electronic Arts

Skate or Die is an abandoned sports game, developed and released by Electronic Arts in 1988 for DOS and a number of other platforms. Skate or Die is a multi-sport kind of game, including every kind of unconventional "sport" done on skateboard. A sequel, Ski or Die, was released an year later.

Heroes of Might and Magic II

DOSWindows XP/98/951996protected4.2/5 New World Computing

Starflight

DOS19864.1/5 Binary Systems

Starflight is a classic space exploration and role-playing video game released in 1986 by Binary Systems and published by Electronic Arts. It is known for its innovative gameplay, as well as its open-ended approach to space exploration and storytelling.The game is set in a massive, procedurally generated universe with thousands of star systems to e...

Conan: the Cimmerian

DOS19914.2/5 Synergistic Software

Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness

DOS1995protected4.2/5 Blizzard Entertainment

Total Annihilation

Windows XP/98/951997protected4.1/5 Cavedog Entertainment

Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol

Windows 3.x1995protected4/5

Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol is fantasy RPG game released in 1995 for Windows 3.x, but it runs flawlessy even Windows XP (see this faq if you want to play Mordor in a virtual machine). Mordor: The Depths of Dejenol is a mix of first-person and top-down perspective dungeon crawler; the game shows the dungeon in by both perspectives at onc...

Solar Winds 2: Galaxy

DOS19933.9/5 Stone Interactive Media

Ultima 3: Exodus

DOSMac OS19854.2/5 Origin Systems

Ultima III: Exodus is a role-playing video game developed by Richard Garriott and published by Origin Systems. It was released in 1983 for the Apple II and later ported to various other platforms such as the Commodore 64, MS-DOS, and NES.The game is set in the fantasy world of Sosaria, where the player controls a party of adventurers on a quest to ...

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers

DOS19924/5 Interplay Productions

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers is an abandoned fantasy top-down DOS RPG game set in the The Lord of the Rings universe. The Lord of the Rings II was developed and released by Interplay Productions in 1992. The Lord of the Rings, Vol. II: The Two Towers is based on the popular The Lord Of The Rings book by J.R.R. Tol...

Mad Paradox

DOS1994NSFW3.9/5 Queen Soft

SimFarm

DOSWindows XP/98/95Mac OS19934.1/5 Maxis

SimFarm is a simulation video game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts in 1993. In SimFarm, players take on the role of a farmer and manage various aspects of running a farm, including planting crops, raising livestock, and dealing with natural disasters.Players start with a basic farm and a limited amount of resources, and they mus...

BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception

DOS19884/5 Westwood Studios

Ultima 2: Revenge of the Enchantress

DOS19834/5 Origin Systems

The second chapter of the Ultima saga is much similar to the first one (same top down visual, same dungeon 3d visual, same gameplay), although there are many small improvements. The series begins to take the shape of the detailed, deep, rpg saga that gamers will always remember.