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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Lawn Mower
DOS19873.8/5
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...
Xonix
DOS1984remake4.1/5
Mad Paradox
DOS1994NSFW3.9/5 Queen Soft
Dreamweb
DOS1994freeware4.1/5 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 peculiarities of this game. Dreamweb was developed by Creative Reality and published by Empire Interactive for DOS in 1...
Pinball Fantasies
DOS19944.2/5 Digital Illusions
The Aethra Chronicles
DOS19943.9/5
The Aethra Chronicles is not a well know fantasy RPG, but it deserves some praise. It was developed by only one person (Micheal Lawrence) and, as the title implies, was intended to be the first volume of a saga. Unfortunately, volume two and three were never made. For a shareware game, Aethra was pretty solid and is still loved by the ones who play...
Nobunaga's Ambition 6
DOS19943.9/5 KOEI
Bloodstone: an Epic Dwarven Tale
DOS19934/5 Mindcraft Software
Heroes of Might and Magic
DOSWindows XP/98/951995protected4.2/5 New World Computing
Iron Cross
DOS19943.8/5 New World Computing
Laser Squad
DOS19923.9/5 Target Games Limited
Laser Squad is an abandoned turn-based strategy/tactical game designed by Julian Gollop (the mind behind the X-COM series). Laser Squad was developed by Target Games Limited and released by MicroLeague Multimedia in 1992 for DOS and other 8-bit systems. Laser Squad is considered as a precursor of X-COM: Ufo Defense.
Chessmaster 9000
Windows XP/98/95Mac OS20024.2/5 UBI Soft
Chessmaster 9000 is a chess game developed by Ubisoft and released in 2002. It's part of the Chessmaster series, which has been around since the 1980s. Chessmaster 9000 was known for its strong chess engine and comprehensive tutorial features, making it popular among both beginners and advanced players. The software also included annotated gam...
NHL Hockey
DOS19934.1/5 Electronic Arts
Star Control 2
DOS1992protected4.2/5 Toys for Bob
MegaTraveller 2: Quest for the Ancients
DOS19913.7/5 Paragon Software
MegaTraveller 2: Quest for the Ancients is the sequel to MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracy. It is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) released in 1991, developed by Paragon Software. Like its predecessor, MegaTraveller 2 is set in the expansive Traveller universe.In MegaTraveller 2, players continue their journey in the Third Imperium, ...
Beverly Hills Cop
DOS19903.2/5 Tynesoft Computer Software
The Beverly Hills Cop video game by Tynesoft is an action-adventure game based on the popular film franchise starring Eddie Murphy. It was released in 1990 for various home computer platforms, including the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC.In the game, players take on the role of Axel Foley, the wise-cracking detective played by Murphy in...
Amberstar
DOS19924/5 Thalion
Amberstar is a fantasy old school RPG very similar to Ultima 6 that uses a top-down view for interiors and small locations and a first person pseudo 3D view for everything else. Unfortunately, the sequel (called Ambermoon) was available for Amiga only and no version existed for DOS or Windows. Amberstar was developed and published by Thalion for DO...
Pirates! Gold
DOSWindows 3.xMac OS1993protectedremakedemo4/5 MicroProse Software
Pirates! Gold is an open world game designed by Paul Murphy, developed and released by MicroProse Software in 1993 for DOS, Windows 3.x, Mac and also Sega Genesis and Amiga CD32. Pirates! Gold is a remake of the game Pirates, created by Sid Meier in 1987. Pirates! Gold gameplay is a unique mix of action, strategy, pirate life simulation, ...
007: License to Kill
DOS19894/5 Quixel
Nobunaga's Ambition 2
DOS19893.8/5 KOEI
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.
Conan: the Cimmerian
DOS19914.2/5 Synergistic Software
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...
Marble Cooking
DOS1994NSFW3.5/5 Negative
Castle Wolfenstein
DOS19844/5 Muse Software
Sensible Soccer
DOS19924.2/5 Sensible Software
Rogue
Windows XP/98/95DOSLinuxMac OS19844.2/5 Artificial Intelligence Design
Rogue is one of the first RPGs in the history of video gaming. It's a text-based dungeon crawler in which you have to fight your way in the dungeon to recover the Amulet of Yendor. Rogue became popular around 1980 on mainframes and later ported to various platforms, including DOS in 1984. Rogue is simply the father of all the roguelike games that c...
NHL 96
DOS19954.2/5 Electronic Arts
Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle
DOS19934.1/5 Origin Systems
After the well received Ultima 7 The Black Gate, Origin decided that their Ultima engine could be used for one more game. Ultima 7 Part 2: Serpent Isle begins right after The Black Gate ends. This time the Avatar travels to a whole new land, far away from the usual Britannia. Serpent Isle brings its own charm to the series; exploring new lands...