Top-down perspective sorted by release date

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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Antix

DOS1985remake

Autoduel

DOS1985 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.

Battle of Antietam

DOS1985protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Beyond Castle Wolfenstein

DOS1985 Muse Software

Cavequest

DOS1985

Crusade in Europe

DOS1985 MicroProse Software

Cyrus

DOS1985

Decision in the Desert

DOS1985 MicroProse Software

Monopoly

DOS1985

Monopoly

DOS1985

Operation Market Garden

DOS1985protected SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.

Psion Chess

DOSMac OS1985 Psion Software

Robot Odissey

DOS1985 The Learning Company

Silly Master Blaster

DOS1985

Spacewar

DOS1985

Spacewar is one of the earliest digital computer games and is often considered the first interactive video game. It was created in 1962 by Steve Russell, Martin Graetz, and Wayne Wiitanen at the MIT. The game was developed on the PDP-1 minicomputer; this is a DOS port, released in 1985.Spacewar! features two spaceships, controlled by players, that ...

Telengard

DOS1985freeware Avalon Hill

Temple of Apshai Trilogy

DOS1985 Epyx

The Temple of Apshai Trilogy is a series of classic role-playing games developed by Automated Simulations (later known as Epyx) in the late 1970s and early 1980s. These games were among the earliest examples of computer-based RPGs and were influential in shaping the genre.The "Temple of Apshai Trilogy" was notable for its depth of gameplay and intr...

Turbo Gomoku

DOS1985

Ultima 3: Exodus

DOSMac OS1985 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 ...

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 the Ultima series and marked a significant shift in the genre of RPGs at the time. Unlike previous RPGs which revolve...