It’s no secret that I’m a massive Tower Defense fan. The pace of the games is generally… perfect. You start off easy, gradually learning the mechanics of the individual game. You clear wave after wave of enemies, upgrading your defenses. All of a sudden, you’re overwhelmed by mobs, unable to upgrade in time as you desperately drop more and more towers. It’s this style of constant “kill, upgrade, repeat” system that draws me in – probably why I’m such a fan of MMOs.
Tower Defense games pit you in charge of placement of “towers” or other types of defenses, which (generally) automatically attack constant waves of oncoming enemies. They enter one side of the screen and try to make their way to the other side – and it’s your job to stop them. There are two distinct types of Tower Defense games: 1. Open-field where the enemies have nothing in their way, and it’s up to you to “guide” them to the exit by placing towers (non-linear), and 2. Pathed where there is a set course for the enemies to take and you’re given spots along that path to place your defenses (linear). Each game type requires different strategies and while some titles focus on one or the other, there are a few games that give you a little taste of both.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that there is a MONSTER amount of these available on the App Store. It is an incredibly popular genre – which is only cemented by the number of new games popping up.
Don’t confuse these with what I like to coin Castle Defense games. I know, I know, they sound similar right? Castle Defense games are focused on action rather than strategy, generally requiring lightning reflexes to physically drag enemies away or explode them, or set them on fire, or drop them in to a pit, again and again ad nauseum. While the main objective is to stop an onslaught of marauders reaching their destination, Tower Defense games require a bit more forward thinking and strategy in terms of defense placement.
Anyway, here are the 5 best Tower Defense Games!
5: Tower Madness [App Store]
Why I like it: It’s fun as hell.
Aliens VS sheep. What else do you need in a game? In a style that reminds me of Mars Attacks!, wave after wave of bubble headed aliens attempt to make their way across a field in an attempt to make off with your valuable stock. Total chaos ensues of course, but given that you’ve got an arsenal of high tech weaponry at your disposal, it’s not long before you send those aliens a nice warm welcome-to-earth package.
Graphically, Tower Madness is simple. Low-poly models and simple textures aplenty. However, when you learn about the ability to zoom in on the action, the game takes a nice turn to the macabre as you feel like you’re on the battlefield. Generally this zoom function would slow down the game terribly, however it runs fine on iPhone 3G. Tower Madness gives you both open-field and pathed playstyles. You are somewhat limited by the upgrade options for your towers, but meh! Aliens VS sheep!
4: Star Defense [App Store]
Why I like it: Graphically superb.
You might think that a game that only offered “pathed” style gameplay might not be your thing, but when you see this game in action, you’ll be blown away. Instead of playing on a flat field or surface, this game requires that you rotate and zoom in on the planet with standard iPhone gestures and place towers in a fully 3D environment. Those of you with a 3Gs are in for a treat as it is truly a sight to see this in action.
Here we have aliens again, but this time, all they want to do is enter your base. Fortunately, they haven’t figured out how to step out of a ditch and are required to make their way to your Shield Wall in a manner that buys you time to blast them to eternity. Online support provided by Plus+.
3: Geodefense Swarm [App Store]
Why I like it: Challenging yet beautiful.
Both Geodefense Swarm and its predecessor Geodefense require incredibly careful placement of defenses. One poorly spent upgrade or misplaced tower could spell the end of your career as a tower-placer-guy. Upgrades aren’t instantaneous like in some other titles so if you’ve just upgraded from a level 6 laser tower to level 7 at the beginning of a wave, you’ll be kicking yourself as you watch the bad guys zoom right past. Played on a 2D playing field, the game may seem graphically pretty simple, but when you see stuff starting to explode in glorious waves of color, the only other game that springs to mind is Geometry Wars.
Geodefense Swarm provides both pathed and open-field play types (Geodefense was pathed only) and as mentioned, this game is hard as nails. With a twisted game design that rewards you for killing enemies as close to the exit point as possible, it’s not hard to see why this game is a challenge. Online support provided by OpenFeint, however no achievements are available (yet…)
2: Fieldrunners [App Store]
Why I like it: One of the first truly polished games in the genre.
The first iPhone game that made me turn off my auto-sleep function. This is the game that truly got me in to Tower Defense games in a big way. The first game to perfect the open-field style that offers players an almost unlimited number of tower placement combinations, enabling you to build the most fiendish maze you can think of. Beautiful graphics, amazing sound and a polished feel make you want to pick it up again and again.
Fieldrunners introduced me to a term called juggling. A method where you create a maze with two exit points (one of which is closed by the placement of a tower). Once enemies are nearing the exit, you simply remove the tower blocking the closed section and lock off the section they were about to exit – forcing them to re-enter the maze and get shot/zapped/flamed/bombed by your arsenal again… and again… and again if need be! Some frown on this method saying that it’s cheating, but hardcore players will argue that it’s a valid tactic. Buy this game! (Also on PSP)
1: Defender Chronicles [Temporarily Unavailable]
Why I like it, and rate it highest: Perfect blend of standard Tower Defense and RPG.
A great concept, made better. Not only does Defender Chronicles change the structure slightly, by moving from a top-down or isometric view to a 2D side-on view, but it also introduces RPG elements that really do make it less of a casual game. Some refer to Defender Chronicles as quite a time-sink. A complete game from top to bottom with storyline, hand-drawn graphics, unlockable items and abilities, some (pretty horrendous) voice acting, friendly units prone to attack, five game modes with 5 difficulty levels, hundreds of items, shopkeepers… the list goes on!
Your hero character is treated as another obstacle for enemies to attempt to pass, but the heroes are significantly stronger than standard units, each having special abilities and attacks. The General has the ability (amongst others) to earn more money from killing monsters, meaning you can upgrade sooner. He’s also a very competent melee fighter and is one of the only characters able to take down certain larger monsters. Melwen on the other hand has no melee abilities at all, but rather is able to cast powerful magic great distances. Her attack can be augmented by items allowing either lightning or ice attacks. For example, my Melwen has a wand that can shoot up to 18 targets not only damaging them, but slowing them temporarily to 50% of their original speed.
Not only do you play each level to advance, but as you do, your hero also gains levels – making them stronger in certain aspects (eg. higher attack rating, earn even more money for kills, make certain units stronger, etc). In addition, you can acquire weapon, armor and accessory upgrades that allow you to complete harder levels that you may not have been able do before. I’ve easily clocked up over 100 hours playing this game and yet there’s still more to be done. Easily my favorite iPhone game thus far. Online provided by OpenFeint (including achievements).
Worthy Mention: TapDefense [App Store] (Free)
If you’ve not yet tried your hand at Tower Defense titles and are thinking of giving them a go (highly recommended), go ahead and grab TapDefense (image at top of article) from the App Store at no charge (ad supported). A great way to wet your feet and ease in to the genre. I found this one a little easy because of a bonus that gives you interest on unspent coin – meaning if you can hold off on placing that extra tower, you’ll have significantly more money down the line. That minor detail aside, it’s still a wonderful title.
Happy defending!
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