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).
dungshalan-2

Dungeon of Shalan

DOS1988
Dungeon of Shalan is one of those games that greets you with the words “You awaken in a dark room” and then proceeds to make that darkness your entire reality. Released...
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Feud

DOS1988 Binary Design
Released in 1988 for DOS, Feud is a wonderfully weird strategy game about two rival wizards who absolutely refuse to get along. Each turn, you gather resources, cast spells, and tr...
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Search and Destroy

DOS1988 Broderbund
In Search and Destroy (1988), you’re a helicopter pilot with one job: blow things up. It’s as straightforward as the title suggests, yet endlessly satisfying. With top-...
homey-d-clown-01

Homey D. Clown

DOS1993 Synergistic Software
Homey D. Clown is as bizarre as its premise suggests, blending platforming with a sense of humor that does not always land but certainly tries. Released in 1993, it throws you into...
thunderblade-05

Thunderblade

DOS1989 Sega
legions-05

Legions

Windows 3.xMac OS1994 Mindscape
hillstreetblues-2

Hill Street Blues

DOS1991 Krisalis
Hill Street Blues translates the atmosphere of its source material into a game that emphasizes management and decision-making. It places you in a role where every choice matters, o...
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The Taking of Beverly Hills

DOS1991 Off The Wall Productions
lawnmover-splash

Lawn Mower

DOS1987
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Backgammon

DOS1986
eightball-deluxe-02

Eight Ball Deluxe

DOSMac OS1993 Littlewing
Eight Ball Deluxe is digital pinball with a swagger, the kind that wears mirrored sunglasses indoors and dares you to beat its high score. Based on the famous Bally table, this 199...
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Poko Memorial: 18 Hole Miniature Golf

DOS1987 Gold Hill Software
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Sito Pons 500cc Grand Prix

DOS1990 Zigurat Software
In Sito Pons 500cc Grand Prix, you’re tossed straight onto the track with the grace of a rookie who definitely didn’t read the manual. The game tries hard to recreate t...
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Mirror Magic

Windows XP/98/95Linux1995freeware
opong-splash

O-Pong

DOS1996
solidarnosc-01

Solidarnosc

DOS1991 P. Z. Karen Co. Development Group
yatch-racing-simulator-02

Yacht Racing Simulator

DOS1986
Yacht Racing Simulator proves that even in the '80s, developers were brave enough to turn the thrilling world of rich people boating slowly into a video game. With graphics that co...
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Germ Nation

Windows XP/98/952000freeware
tunneler-02

Tunneler

DOS1991freeware
flixmix-02

FlixMix

DOS1993 Celeris
FlixMix feels like someone took a film editor’s desk, scattered it across a computer screen, and invited you to tidy up at speed. The premise is deceptively simple: assemble ...
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Royal Flush Pinball

DOS1994 Amtex
sarge-02

Sarge

DOS1989
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Knight Exchange

DOS1988 Softdisk Publishing
Ever dreamed of a medieval Wall Street where knights swap swords instead of stocks? Knight Exchange turns that fever dream into pixels. Released in 1988 for DOS, this quirky strate...
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Sorcerer Lord

DOS1987 Personal Software Services
Sorcerer Lord (1987, DOS) drops you into a fantasy world at war, with strategy rather than sorcery as your weapon. You command the forces of good against the evil Shadowlord’...
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Monopoly

DOS1985
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Postman Pat 3: To the Rescue

DOS1992 Alternative Software
Postman Pat 3 is a retro video game based on the popular British children's television series Postman Pat. Released in 1992 by Alternative Software, it was available for platforms ...
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Knights of the Desert

DOS1983protected Tactical Design Group
Before WWII games flooded the market, Knights of the Desert (1983, DOS) was already reenacting the North African campaign in pixels. You command Rommel’s Afrika Korps—o...
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Liverpool: the Computer Game

DOS1992 Arc Developments
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La Colmena

DOS1992NSFW Opera Soft
Released in 1992, La Colmena is a curious adaptation of Camilo José Cela’s novel, and it wears its literary roots proudly. Rather than focusing on traditional gameplay...
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Navy Seal

DOS1989 Cosmi Corporation