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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Bloodstone: an Epic Dwarven Tale
DOS1993 Mindcraft Software
If you’ve ever dreamed of being a grumpy bearded guy swinging an axe and saving the world before second breakfast, Bloodstone: an Epic Dwarven Tale is your jam. Released in 1993 for DOS, this RPG tosses you into a world wher...
Tyrian 2000
DOS1999freeware Eclipse Software
Tyrian 2000 is an old DOS science fiction classic shoot'em up, developed by Eclipse Software and designed by Alexander Brandon, Jason Emery, Daniel Cook. Tyrian 2000 is one of the most popular shoot'em ups ever published for ...
Mega lo Mania
DOS1992 Sensible Software
Mega lo Mania, also known as Mega-Lo-Mania: The Battle for Elysium in some regions, is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game developed by Sensible Software and published by Image Works. It was originally released in 1991 for vario...
Star Goose!
DOS1988 Logotron
Star Goose is a classic video game developed by Logotron and released in 1988 for various home computer systems of that era, including the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. It is a top-down, vertically scrolling shoo...
Dreamweb
DOS1994freeware Creative reality
Dreamweb is a top-down point and click adventure set in a dark, cyberpunk city. You play as Ryan who has strange, violent, dreams. A top down perspective and the sheer number of items your character can pick up are just two of the...
SimLife
DOSMac OSWindows 3.x1992 Maxis
SimLife is an abandoned simulation game focused on managing a ecosystems and experimenting with genetics. SimLife was designed by Ken Karakotsios, developed and released by Maxis in 1992 for DOS and later also published for Macint...
Warcraft: Orcs and Humans
DOS1994protecteddemo 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 A...
Skate or Die
DOS1988 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 o...
Phantasie 3: The Wrath of Nikademus
DOS1987 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar
DOS1985freeware Origin Systems
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar is one of the most influential and innovative role-playing games (RPGs) in video game history. Released in 1985 by Richard Garriott under the Origin Systems banner, it is the fourth installment of th...
Jones in the Fast Lane
DOS1991 Sierra On-Line
Jones in the Fast Lane is the kind of game that you don't see often these days. It's a mix between a digital board game and a modern day life simulation. The goal of the game is to live the life of Jones, making choices about scho...
Railroad Tycoon
DOSMac OS1990freeware MicroProse Software
Spirit of Excalibur
DOS1990 Synergistic Software
Worlds of Ultima: The Savage Empire
DOS1990freeware 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 Ma...
Gal Pani X
Windows XP/98/952000freewareNSFW
Gal Pani X is an action-puzzle game reminiscent of the classic arcade Qix, developed by D2 and released in 2000 for Windows. Gal Pani X is an adult-themed Doujin game: it was made by fans and wasn't for profit.
SimCity
DOSWindows 3.xWindows XP/98/951989protected Maxis
SimCity (or SimCity Classic) is a popular city building simulation in which you, the mayor of a city, have to build a metropolis from the ground up. You can build police and fire departments, assign industrial, residential or comm...
Xenon 2: Megablast
DOS1990 Bitmap Brothers
Xenon 2: Megablast is a classic shoot'em up developed by Bitmap Brothers and released by Image Works in 1990 for DOS and for a plethora of other systems. Xenon was good, Xenon 2 was far better. Compared to today standards Xenon 2 ...
Ms. Pac-Man
DOS1984 Atarisoft
Ms. Pac-Man is a classic arcade game released by Midway in 1982 (1984 for DOS) as a follow-up to the original Pac-Man (1980), developed by Namco. While its core gameplay is similar - navigating a maze, eating dots, and a...
Uncharted Waters
DOS1990 KOEI
Heroes of Might and Magic
DOSWindows XP/98/951995protected New World Computing
Steel Panthers 3: Brigade Command - 1939-1999
DOS1997protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
Ascii Sector
Windows 10/11LinuxDOS2007freeware
Ascii Sector is what happens when someone takes Privateer, removes the graphics, and replaces them with pure ASCII and sheer willpower. It’s open-world space sim meets roguelike: you trade, fight, explore, get stabbed in sha...
Psycho Pinball
DOS1995 Codemasters
Micro Machines
DOS1994 Codemasters
Micro Machines is an abandoned racing game developed and released by Codemasters in 1994 based on the Micro Machines toy line. Micro Machines was published for DOS, but also for Amiga, Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, NES, SEGA Maste...
Z
DOS1996protected Bitmap Brothers
Welcome to Z, the real-time strategy game where psychotic robots with British accents duke it out over territory in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Think Command & Conquer if the developers had a few too many pints and a twisted...
Astro Fire
DOS1994freewareremake ORT Software
Astro Fire (1994) is the illegitimate love child of Asteroids and a particularly angry fireworks show. You pilot a tiny ship with a death wish through an endless barrage of asteroids, enemies, and power-ups that may or may not be ...
Castle of the Winds
Windows 3.x1993freeware SaadaSoft
Castle of the Winds is a fantasy roguelike role-playing game developed by SaadaSoft in the early 1990s. It was designed for Windows 3.x and is notable for being one of the earliest graphical RPGs for that platform. The game featur...
Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Restoration of Erathia
Windows XP/98/951999protected New World Computing
King's Bounty
DOSMac OS1990 New World Computing
King’s Bounty is a turn-based strategy game with RPG elements, originally released in 1990 by New World Computing. It was created by Jon Van Caneghem, also known for the Might and Magic series. This game is often regarded as...
Extreme Pinball
DOS1995 Epic MegaGames