Putting a video game into a specific genre can be tricky. RPGs, for example, used to be pretty clear-cut and easy to organize, but now that more games include RPG-like elements, well, that specific genre gets a little vaster. Categorizing a shooter, RPG, racer, and so forth can get complicated, but there is another wrench in the system to consider: perspective

Related: The Best Top-Down/Isometric Games of All Time, Ranked

For example, Destiny and Tom Clancy’s The Division are both RPG shooters that operate within an MMO-like experience. You might think fans of this type may be into both, but some people may not like Destiny for its first-person perspective and this plays a big part in gamer choice. Despite it being such a massive style of games, some of the best top-down games are something many gamers will consider a must-play.

Updated on March 11th, 2023, by Gabrielle Huston: We've updated this article with some new favorite games for you to try out!

24 Littlewood

A town and residents standing by a farm in Littlewood

Littlewood is the epitome of gorgeous simplicity. This top-down farming life-sim game oozes personality, charm, and vibrancy. Most importantly, it's a darn fun game, one that eases you into its farming, village-building, fishing, crafting, and many other enjoyable tasks.

In Littlewood, you play as a customizable character who has already saved the world from a big bad Dark Wizard and must now start life anew back at the home village. This home village can become anything and everything you want it to be. What makes this top-down farming life-sim game so fun is that instead of tinkering with inventory and worrying about which item to equip, the game dynamically gives you the right tool at the exact right time.

23 Victor Vran

victor vran battle against demons

If you consider yourself a fan of isometric action RPGs with a dark fantasy flair then you owe it to yourself to try out Victor Vran. This highly underrated game is brimming with gothic ambiance, spooky set pieces, and an abundance of loot to deck out your demon hunter with.

You, of course, play as Victor Vran, a demon hunter who is tasked with venturing all across a moody Victorian world. This top-down game features some really enjoyable activities where you get to equip yourself with swords, crossbows, magic, and plenty of other powerful macguffins. Plus, the gothic story ensures you will get a healthy dose of haunting beauty.

22 Suikoden 2

Suikoden 2 meeting inside castle

The first two Suikoden games were released to little fanfare on the original PlayStation, and then became two of the most popular cult JRPGs of all time. Now Suikoden 2 costs more than a pretty penny to acquire, but it is one of the few top-down games that can compete with JRPG juggernauts like Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest 5.

Suikoden 2 has aged gracefully thanks to its 2D aesthetics. The battles are lightning-fast, and the plot tells a deep tale involving politics, friendship, betrayal, and more. Add castle building, 108 characters to find, and deep ties to the original game, and you have a near-flawless JRPG—minus some of the awful translation work. It is truly one of the greatest top-down games of all time, and it’s a shame more people have not played it.

21 Dorfromantik

Dorfromantik - map with several quests

Dorfromantik is a top-down puzzle game, to give you a break from the combat-themed titles on this list! You spend your time placing down hexagonal tiles that contain farms, cities, trains, rivers, and forests. Over time, you'll build up a significant little map of your own!

The goal is just to see how long you can last. The tiles will run out, you see, unless you complete quests on your map or score perfect placements. The more tiles you have, the higher score you can get! It's great for playing a round over your morning cup of coffee.

20 Final Fantasy 6

FF6 gameplay SNES on airship

Final Fantasy 6 is often considered the pinnacle of the 2D Final Fantasy games, and it’s well-deserved. This game featured a robust cast—with one of the most maniacal villains ever created—a huge world, and it told a much deeper story to tell than the previous Final Fantasy games. Many people still consider it the best FF game to this day.

FF6 remains surprisingly playable since it is 2D and has almost no loading time. Each character has unique skills in combat, and there is so much to explore and discover. FF6 is one of the best top-down RPGs and playing it is mandatory for completing a course in JRPG 101.

19 Frogger

Frogger gameplay screenshot

Frogger is so simple it defies the aging process that renders many games obsolete. Get the frog back to his home by crossing a road and a river while avoiding obstacles like cars and sinking logs—because frogs cannot swim in this universe for some reason.

Frogger was originally released in 1981, and it's been ported countless times. A lot of younger gamers might scoff at first sight, but anyone who picks up a controller and gives it a chance is guaranteed to get hooked.

18 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Divinity Original Sin 2 combat in the city

To many, Divinity Original Sin 2 is the very best top-down RPG on modern platforms. While it might look a lot like a standard cRPG to the uninitiated, it is a giant game with its own identity that pays homage to classics like Planescape: Torment.

RELATED: Divinity Original Sin 2: Every Playable Character, Ranked

The combat is simple to grasp but filled with complexities that can elude the player until the end of the game. The character creator is fun, and the world is staggeringly big. This is a game that beautifully meshes creativity and problem solving with classic sRPG gameplay, and it somehow manages to challenge old players while being accessible for newcomers—no easy feat.

17 Fire Emblem Awakening

Fire Emblem Awakening Gameplay Combat

Fire Emblem Awakening saved the Fire Emblem series from potential demise, and it remains one of the very best 3DS games. It is classic Fire Emblem, but the story is more front and center, and the ability to combine units and increase their compatibility via supplemental dialogue fleshes out characters who would have had no real backstory in past entries.

Fire Emblem Awakening has tons of content including optional grinding battles, DLC, and paralogues. The series has never before or since achieved this perfect blend of story-gameplay ratio.

16 Crypt Of The Necrodancer

Fighting a jazz band boss in Crypt of the Necrodancer

Many people are familiar with Cadence of Hyrule, the top-down rhythm and action hybrid that takes the Legend of Zelda series in an utterly unique direction. While it’s a great game and a huge step in a famous series, it’s hard not to compare it to Crypt of the Necrodancer, the spectacular roguelike this Zelda spinoff is based on.

Roguelikes can often be intimidating for players who don’t enjoy dying frequently, or prefer to play shorter experiences. By keeping combat simple and tying movement to the rhythm of a spectacular soundtrack, Crypt of the Necrodancer defies that for anyone who wants to dip their toes into this deep and popular top-down genre of games.

15 Ape Out

Ape Out Gameplay, showing a man shooting at an ape from a top down view

As violent as Ape Out can be, it’s a great example of a modern arcade classic. This game is fast and fluid, using simple controls to toss around guards and mess with the environment while you sprint around as a bright orange gorilla sprinting its way to freedom.

It’s an extremely simple game, and those who aren’t fans of gore might be put off by the vivid blood splatter, but those able to handle the cartoonish violence are sure to get a ton of value out of this game. It’s fairly short, but still an exciting top-down game with stunning visuals that you’re sure to replay and try getting better at.

14 Hades

Zagreus overlooking the underworld in Tartarus in Hades

Crypt of the Necrodancer is hardly the only approachable roguelike game out there, as one of the greatest games of 2020 is just as welcoming for those wishing to try this type of adventure. In Hades, you play as Zagreus, son of the Greek god of the underworld, escaping his home to find his mother in the surface world, only to be pulled right back down.

This game has something for nearly any kind of gamer. Fans of narrative experiences are sure to appreciate the breadth of dialogue, all of which consists of a lot of story and background as you get closer with various gods and deities. RPG and action fans, meanwhile, will enjoy trying new builds and perfecting your character as you reach the end of each run.

Chickens Attack Link in Link to the Past

Of the classic Zelda games, which is to say the non-3D ones, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is often regarded as the best of the bunch. Not only that but it is also considered one of, if not the best, Super Nintendo games.

Zelda 2 was a bit of an oddball of a sequel and this title then perfected what the original game did on the NES. A Link to the Past became the template for everything that came after, including Ocarina of Time. For action/puzzle games, there is nothing sweeter than this top-down masterpiece.

12 Don't Starve Together

Willow in the Desert Oasis in Summer with Chester Wearing Strawhat and Walking Cane Don't Starve Together

Don't Starve Together is the sequel to Don't Starve; it updated the game in lots of ways and added a multiplayer option (though you can still play by yourself as always). This survival action-adventure title is bound to keep you coming back.

Your goal is right in the title: don't starve! You'll be thrown into a harsh and unforgiving world to survive for as long as humanly possible. You'll struggle to find resources and, at night, have to fend off an onslaught by monstrous creatures! All the while, it's essential to keep your sanity as well-maintained as your hunger and fatigue.

As mentioned earlier, Zelda games are important for anyone wanting to know what a great top-down adventure game is like, but there are tons to choose from. Link to the Past is a magnificent example for those who haven’t enjoyed a Zelda game before, but an aesthetic deviation many could get into is the Switch remake of The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.

RELATED: Classic Games Vs. Their Remakes: What's Different About Them?

Originally for the Game Boy, this classic game was given a huge facelift for the new era, replacing the simplistic sprites in the form of a round and doughy new look. It’s a gorgeous game, but behind its great visuals is also a wonderful adventure that’s never been prettier.

10 Path Of Exile

Path of Exile archer shooting two enemies blood and candles on ground ahead

There are plenty of looter RPGs to play, but they can vary in quality for various reasons. Some older games can be hard to obtain or get running properly while showing their age. However, newer games can be expensive and lack a large enough player base.

This is where Path of Exile succeeds, as it’s an incredibly popular and free-to-play version with an immense skill tree as you build your character however you want. If you’ve wanted to get deep into this genre with some friends, Path of Exile is undoubtedly the easiest way to enjoy a new top-down RPG.

9 Metal Gear Solid (1987)

Metal Gear Solid (1987) gameplay

There are debatably better Metal Gear Solid games, but this is the one that started it all. Plus, this is the only one except for the original two Metal Gear games that utilized a top-down perspective.

Except for the graphics and perhaps a few control issues, this is still an incredible game for fans. In some regards it was ahead of its time with the stealth mechanics involving radars, footprints, knocking on walls, controller readings, and so on. It is one of the PS1’s finest showpieces.

8 Lara Croft And The Guardian of Light

Lara Croft Guardian Of Light Dead Dragon

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a two-player co-op spin-off. Even though the game is told from a top-down perspective, players will still be doing typical tomb raiding.

You'll go through various rooms solving puzzles and fighting enemies. It is as simple as that. And for those that want to add more friends, the sequel, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, has a four-player co-op. The best top-down games rarely offer this much multiplayer goodness, and this is a spin-off game that gets it right.

7 Hotline Miami

Hotline Miami Top Down Gameplay Gunfight

hHotline Miami definitely started a genre. Indie twin-stick shooters were a thing before this, but this game brought edginess, style, and a visual flair that the genre lacked.

Players die in one hit, meaning they had to perfect a run with expert precision just like they would have to do if they were actually a hitman. Other games that followed include Katana Zero, My Friend Pedro, and perhaps even Super Hot. They all owe some gratitude to Hotline Miami.

6 Geometry Wars

Wavy dark grid background and a ship flying around shooting colourful shapes

Geometry Wars was one of the original stick shooters to blow up and attract a large audience. It not only made the genre a "thing," but it also made the XBLA service on the Xbox 360 popular.

It's one of many games that paved the way for the indie scene to explode over the past decade. The simple arcade nature of it makes it easy for any gamer of all ages to pick up and have a good time with. It might have a lot of imitators, but most of them fall short of the fast-paced explosive gameplay found in Geometry Wars, making it one of the most important and fun top-down games of all time.

5 Children Of Morta

All eight members of the Bergson family sitting around the dinner table in Children of Morta

The enjoyable Children of Morta remains a staple in the roguelike genre. Luckily, it is still available on most modern platforms, so gamers can get their fix.

RELATED: Ranked: The Best Roguelikes On PS4

Unlike most roguelikes, it features a co-op mode, which makes the die/repeat motion more tolerable. The overall difficulty is very inviting for those new to the genre. There is not a better roguelike out there to bridge the gap and introduce players to this budding genre of games.