10 Best Top Down Games That You Should Know Update 04/2024

It can be hard to put a video game in a certain genre. For example, RPGs used to be pretty clear and easy to categorise, but now that more games have RPG-like elements, that genre is getting a little bigger. Putting a shooter, RPG, racer, and so on into a category can be hard, but there’s another wrench to throw in the works: perspective

Destiny and Tom Clancy’s The Division, for example, are both RPG shooters that work in a way that is similar to an MMO. You might think that people who like this type of game would like both, but Destiny’s first-person view might not be for everyone, and this is a big reason why people choose one game over another. Even though there are so many different kinds of top-down games, many gamers think that the best ones are a must-play.

Littlewood

Littlewood

Littlewood is the perfect example of how beautiful simple can be. This top-down farming life simulation game is full of character, charm, and life. Most importantly, it’s a really fun game that makes it easy to farm, build a village, fish, make things, and do many other fun things.

In Littlewood, you play as a customizable character who has already saved the world from a big bad Dark Wizard and must now start over in the home village. This home village can be anything you want it to be. This top-down farming life-sim game is so much fun because you don’t have to mess with your inventory or worry about which tool to use. Instead, the game gives you the right tool at the right time.

Victor Vran

If you like isometric action RPGs with a touch of dark fantasy, you owe it to yourself to give Victor Vran a try. This very underrated game has a lot of gothic atmosphere, scary set pieces, and loot for you to use to make your demon hunter look cool.

You play as Victor Vran, who is a demon hunter who has to go all over a dark Victorian world. This top-down game has a lot of fun things to do, like giving you swords, crossbows, magic, and a lot of other powerful “macguffins” to use. Plus, the gothic story will give you plenty of haunting beauty.

Suikoden 2

Suikoden 2

When the first two Suikoden games came out on the original PlayStation, they didn’t get much attention. However, they went on to become two of the most popular cult JRPGs of all time. Now, Suikoden 2 costs more than a pretty penny, but it is one of the few top-down games that can compete with JRPG giants like Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest 5.

Because it was made in 2D, Suikoden 2 has aged well. The battles move at the speed of light, and the story is about politics, friendship, betrayal, and more. If you take out some of the bad translation work, you have a nearly perfect JRPG with castle building, 108 characters to find, and strong ties to the first game. It is one of the best top-down games ever, and it’s a shame that more people haven’t tried it.

Final Fantasy 6

Many people think that Final Fantasy 6 is the best of the 2D Final Fantasy games, and they’re right. This game had a large cast, including one of the craziest villains ever made, a huge world, and a story that went much deeper than any of the other Final Fantasy games. Even now, many people still think it’s the best Final Fantasy game.

Even though it’s 2D and takes almost no time to load, FF6 is still surprisingly fun to play. Each character has their own unique fighting skills, and there is so much to find and learn. FF6 is one of the best top-down RPGs, and you have to play it as part of a JRPG 101 course.

Frogger

Frogger

Frogger is so easy to play that it doesn’t get old like other games do. Get the frog back to his home by getting him across a road and a river while avoiding cars and logs that are sinking. Frogs can’t swim in this universe for some reason, so you’ll have to help him get back home.

Frogger came out in 1981, and it has been ported many times since then. A lot of younger gamers might laugh at first, but anyone who picks up a controller and gives it a chance will be hooked.

Divinity Original Sin 2

Divinity: Original Sin 2 is considered by many to be the best top-down role-playing game on modern platforms. It might look like a typical cRPG to someone who hasn’t played one before, but it’s actually a huge game with its own style that pays tribute to classics like Planescape: Torment.

The fights are easy to learn, but they can be hard to figure out until the very end of the game. The character builder is fun, and the world is so big that it’s hard to believe. This game does a great job of combining creativity and problem-solving with classic sRPG gameplay. It also manages to challenge experienced players while still being easy for newcomers to pick up, which is no small feat.

Fire Emblem Awakening

Fire Emblem Awakening

Fire Emblem Awakening saved the Fire Emblem series from ending, and it’s still one of the best 3DS games. It’s a classic Fire Emblem game, but the story is more important, and the ability to combine units and make them work better together through extra dialogue gives characters backstories they didn’t have before.

Fire Emblem: Awakening has a lot to do, like grinding battles, DLC, and paralogues that you can choose to do or not. Never before or since has the series had such a good mix of story and gameplay.

Crypt Of The Necrodancer

Cadence of Hyrule, a top-down rhythm and action game that takes the Legend of Zelda series in a completely new direction, is well-known. Even though it’s a great game and a big step in a well-known series, it’s hard not to compare it to Crypt of the Necrodancer, the spectacular roguelike that this Zelda spinoff is based on.

Roguelikes can be scary for people who don’t like to die a lot or who like to play shorter games. Crypt of the Necrodancer defies that for anyone who wants to dip their toes into this deep and popular top-down genre of games. It does this by keeping combat simple and tying movement to the beat of a great soundtrack.

Garden Story

Garden Story

Garden Story puts players in a world where a garden is a living town. The grove was full of different fruits and vegetables. Here, you’re given the job of being a guardian. Every day, you’ll have to do different things to protect and fix the garden grove from different kinds of damage. You’ll clear out thickets, fix fences, and slowly figure out what the gardeners before you were up to. Since the ESRB gave it an E rating, it’s a game that can be played by people of all ages. In the same way, the people who made Garden Story made it so that anyone can join in and play for as long as they want. This game has so much to do that you can play for a few minutes or for a few hours.

Rustler

Rustler is a strange game that is easy to explain. It’s like Grand Theft Auto, but it takes place in the Middle Ages. Here, you can cause chaos, go on a killing spree, fight off knights, hide from the law, compete in tournaments, hunt witches, and do other strange things. It’s a game that’s meant to make people laugh because the way it’s played is so silly. Set up like an old-school top-down game, players can roam the world and start their own unique adventures. As you might expect, this is a Mature-rated game, but if you want something different and strange, you might want to try Rustler. It’s a good thing that it’s already out and can be bought on both PC and console platforms.