Abandonware DOS title

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).

Most popular top down games

Civilization
strategyDOS, Windows 3.x
Civilization 2
strategyWindows XP/98/95
Grand Theft Auto
action-adventureDOS, Windows XP/98/95

Top down games

  • megalomania-1
    DOS19924.2/5 Sensible Software
  • hannibal-01
    DOS19933.3/5 Starbyte Software
  • dark-reign-1-05
    Windows XP/98/951997protected4.1/5 Auran Games
  • galpanix-07
    Windows XP/98/952000freewareNSFW4.1/5

    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.

  • simlife-2
    DOSMacWindows 3.x19924/5 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 Macintosh, Amiga, Windows 3.x and Amiga.

  • extremepinball-5
    DOS19954.2/5 Epic MegaGames
  • magiccandle3-5
    DOS19924/5 Mindcraft Software
  • dune2-7
    DOS19924.2/5 Westwood Studios

    Dune II, released in 1992, is a pioneering real-time strategy game developed by Westwood Studios. Set in the world of Frank Herbert's Dune, players command noble houses in a battle for control over the planet Arrakis. With base-building, resource management, and tactical combat, the game introduced key elements of the genre and influenced future RT...

  • bloodstone-3
    DOS19934/5 Mindcraft Software
  • ultima6-3
    DOS1990protected4.3/5 Origin Systems
  • free-enterprise-07
    Windows XP/98/9519964.2/5 Tsunami Media

    Dehumanizing offices? Check. Depressing environment? Check. No windows in the whole place? Check. Good, I'm ready to exploit my workers and become great entrepreneur. All of this thanks to Free Enterprise, a simulation for Windows by Tsunami Media, published in 1996.

  • it-came-from-the-desert-06
    DOS1990freeware4.1/5 Cinemaware

    It Came from the Desert is an abandonware action-adventure game developed by Cinemaware and released in 1990 for PC (DOS) and Amiga. It Came From the Desert is an action-adventure game with a peculiar flavor: it's set in the 50s, in the USA, and it's based on those old monster movies like Them! (also involving killer ants).

  • kaiser-03
    DOS19923.9/5
  • beyond-castle-wolfenstein-04
    DOS19854.1/5 Muse Software
  • planetsedge-8
    DOS1991protected4/5 New World Computing
  • unchartedwaters-1
    DOS19904.1/5 KOEI
  • sokoban-1
    DOS19844.1/5 ASCII Corporation
  • space-1889-06
    DOS19904/5 Paragon Software

    Space 1889 is an abandoned top down RPG developed by Paragon Software and released in 1990 for DOS, Atari ST and Amiga. Space 1889 setting is classic science fiction, but is set in the Victorian. It's worth noting that Space 1889 is loosely based on the tabletop game of the same name.

  • battle-isle-2-01
    DOS1994protected4.1/5 Blue Byte Software
  • battletechcrescent-8
    DOS19904.1/5 Westwood Studios
  • trafficdepartment-4
    DOS1994freeware3.8/5 P Squared
  • lotr2b-02
    DOS19923.9/5 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...

  • darksun1-4
    DOS1993protected4.1/5 SSI Strategic Simulations Inc.
  • alienbreed-1
    DOS1993protected3.7/5 Team 17
  • princessmaker2-3
    DOS19934.2/5 Gainax

    Princess Maker 2 is a life simulation anime-style game developed by Gainax in 1993. In Princess Maker 2, the player is the father of a young princess and must tutor and raise her to the age of 18 by scheduling jobs, school classes and programming other activities. The princess is defined by attributes (strength, cooking, etc.) that will change depe...

  • heroesmightmagic1-6
    DOSWindows XP/98/951995protected4.2/5 New World Computing
  • warmiddleearth-1
    DOS19884/5 Synergistic Software
  • colonization-6
    DOSWindows 3.xLinuxMac1994protected4.3/5 MicroProse Software

    Colonization is a turn-based strategy 4x game developed and published by MicroProse in 1994 for DOS, Windows 3.1, Linux and Mac. The setting is the European Colonization of the New World. Colonization gameplay and interface are similar to Civilization, another Sid Meier game. However, there are some differences between Civilization and Colonization...

  • magiccandle-1
    DOS19894.1/5 Mindcraft Software

    The Magic Candle: Volume 1 is the first chapter of a series of fantasy old school RPGs. The Magic Candle was developed and released by Mindcraft Software in 1989 for DOS but was also published for Apple II and Commodore 64. The whole Magic Candle series is very similar to some of the early Ultima games in every aspect: turn-based combat, top-down v...

  • guerrilla-war-01
    DOS19873.6/5 SNK Corporation