tower-defense
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Cyberpunk roguelike real-time strategy game C-Wars hits Kickstarter
Chinese indie developer Onipunks Studio kicked off its Kickstarter campaign for C-Wars last week. C-Wars is a roguelike real-time strategy and tower defense-styled game that is currently in its alpha stage of development. The game has players investigating infected areas of a post-apocalyptic world, taking on enemies in Mega Man Battle Network-style RTS combat along the way. The game's site notes that battles are much faster paced with non-stop action being a focal point, as seen in the developer's Kickstarter video above.Onipunks is offering a free demo of the alpha build of the game on its website. C-Wars is currently sitting at $19,943 in funding, and is seeking $32,000 by May 11 to complete its Kickstarter campaign. The game is coming to PC, Mac, Linux and Android tablets in fall 2013, with the developer considering Wii U and 3DS support, providing enough money is pledged to make that happen.
Apple pulls sweatshop game from App Store
Apple has a strict set of rules governing its iOS App Store. Run afoul of them and you may be kicked out of the playground. One of the latest apps to feel the wrath of Apple's banhammer is Sweatshop HD, a tower defense game in which players run a factory sweatshop. According to PocketGamer, Apple booted the game because the Cupertino company was "uncomfortable selling a game based around the theme of running a sweatshop." The game was released in November 2012 and stayed under Apple's radar until earlier this year. Littlecloud, the game development company behind Sweatshop HD, changed the game's description to add that players are not forced to run the factory as a sweatshop. It also made it clear that the game is less a game and more "a sympathetic examination of the pressures that all participants in the sweatshop system endure." It's a compelling sell, but Apple didn't buy it and kept the ban in place. If you want to play Sweatshop, the game is available online as a Flash-based title.
Fieldrunners 2 makes a mad dash for Steam today
Since its emergence on the App store in June, Fieldrunners 2 has been quite the success for developer Subatomic Studios, surpassing $1 million in sales back in September. Today, the lauded tower-defense game jogs onto Steam.For the big Steam debut today, Subatomic Studios has knocked a buck off the asking price for Fieldrunners 2, bringing it down to $9. The original Fieldrunners launched back in 2008 and quickly established itself atop the iOS App store, eventually being ported to a whole bunch of other platforms. It would seem Fieldrunners 2 is destined to repeat that walk on the road to success.
Daily iPhone App: Bad Hotel combines hotel building with music
Bad Hotel is a great game that you may have missed on the App Store earlier this year. I certainly missed it, though since it arrived (back around August), I believe, it's come up a few times in various game design and game reviewer circles. It's a weird mix of music and gameplay that is definitely easy to recommend, but hard to actually describe. The best way for you to see how the game works is just to go play it, so throw 99 cents down and go grab this one for yourself. Still here because you don't want to spend a buck without knowing what it's for? Fine then. Bad Hotel is probably best described as a weird sort of tower defense game, where you drag and drop various sacrificial additions onto a hotel tower, trying to defend it from incoming attackers (mostly birds, though I hear things get mixed up later on). But that core mechanic isn't the only thing happening. Bad Hotel is also a sort of musical instrument. Each room you drag onto the hotel pulses with a musical noise, and as you put more and more rooms out (and more rooms get destroyed by attackers), the music changes and warps as you play. It's really fascinating -- it's hard to explain just why this mechanic is attached to the music so strongly (you don't get points for matching up with the music or hitting anything in time, as in a normal music game), but again, the best way to see how well it all works is just to play it and explore for yourself. A recent update for the game opened up all of the levels completely, so now anyone jumping in to play has more options than ever for what they want to see. Bad Hotel is definitely a weird title, but a great one. If, like me, you missed it during the release, don't make the same mistake now.
Daily iPad App: Fieldrunners 2 HD arrives on iPad
I've been a fan of Fieldrunners 2 for a while now -- it's my opinion that this is the best tower defense game ever made. With rock solid gameplay, plenty of content, and lots of little upgrades and tweaks to make, Fieldrunners 2 sits at the top of the huge pile of games that this genre has created. But the biggest drawback to Fieldrunners 2 at launch was that it wasn't natively compatible with the iPad, and this release, Fieldrunners 2 HD, that problem has been solved. Unfortunately, the two versions for iOS are completely separate -- the app's not universal, so you'll have to rebuy the game if you want it on iPad, and there's not even iCloud integration, so your progress won't transfer over, either. That's kind of disappointing. It makes sense that Subatomic wants to make the title as profitable as it can, but it's too bad that the decision can hurt the company's most loyal customers. Otherwise, the game is great, and the HD graphics show off just how terrific all of the action looks. I don't believe there's any new content since the original iPhone release (though a new update since then has added a map and some other fixes), but there's so much here already that's not really a concern. Fieldrunners 2 HD is available right now for $7.99. That may seem pricey when compared to other iOS releases (especially if you already purchased the iPhone version), but really, when you look at the quality and amount of content on offer here, especially if you're a tower defense fan with an iPad, picking this one up is a no-brainer.
Daily iPhone App: Fieldrunners 2
I already sang the praises of Fieldrunners 2 when it hit the App Store last week, but it's worth one more spotlight. Tower defense is one of the most well-traveled genres on the App Store, but Fieldrunners 2 really does bring a lot of innovation to it, and it does so in such a well-polished and perfectly crafted package that this game really is something special. As mentioned before, there are many new stages and towers. My favorite advancements are little things like the painted paths and the subtle tweaks in AI that Subatomic Studios has put together. The new modes put lots of new angles on this old genre, and even things like the Puzzle mode aren't always super successful, but at least they show that Subatomic is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to thinking up interesting and fun ways to play this kind of game. The current app is iPhone only, but an iPad version is due out as soon as it's ready. Meanwhile, if you like tower defense at all, or simply want to see the best the genre has to offer, Fieldrunners 2 is available for US$2.99 right now. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Fieldrunners 2 available now
The sequel to one of the iPhone's first big hits, Fieldrunners, is now available on the App Store. Fieldrunners 2 is a really impressive update to the genre of tower defense. You'll find brand-new Retina Display graphics, over 20 different towers (some completely new to the genre), twenty new levels and different modes like Sudden Death, Time Trial, and Puzzle levels, and lots and lots of great new features. Levels can now have bridges and tunnels for some interesting strategic choices, and Subatomic has kindly now painted out the path of the Fieldrunners, so you can focus in on killing them, and much less on worrying about that sneaky little bit of pathfinding you missed. Fieldrunners was a great game, and Fieldrunners 2 is even more amazing -- it's a high quality sequel that fans of the first game should download without a second thought. The app is $2.99 for the iPhone right now. Unfortunately, there's no iPad version out yet, but it should be coming soon.
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault on PSN includes Captain Qwark, tower defense
The official PlayStation blog has some new info on the upcoming Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault. While the game is returning to more core R&C gameplay, Captain Qwark will still be available as a playable character throughout. The PSN game will contain five different levels across three planets, along with an online mode to be announced later, and lots of unlockable content including character skins and weapon upgrades.There's also a new feature in the gameplay that Insomniac describes as "tower defense," which "will have you building and defending a base against invasions using your ultimate Ratchet & Clank arsenal." That's all we've got for now, but presumably you'll be building or placing towers as you play, defending against invading waves of enemies. We'll hear more about Full Frontal Assault before the end of the year.
Doodle Defense game uses Kinect to turn white boards into displays, dry-erase markers into weapons
Tower defense games have been done in damn near every way possible: on consoles, mobile apps, and online flash-based games. However, there's a new Kickstarter project, called Doodle Defense, that's putting a new spin on that simple gaming idea using some open source algorithms, a whiteboard, computer, Kinect and a projector. The game works by projecting the battlefield and bad guys on the whiteboard, while users can draw in obstacles using a black marker and towers of varied attack abilities in red, green, and blue. Kinect tracks where your drawings are onscreen, and reroutes the invaders accordingly, while also keeping track of how much ink you have left to use. Check out the video after the break to see the game in action, and if you want to pitch in to the inventor port Doodle Defense to the iPad, hit the source link below.
Daily iPhone App: Spice Invaders
If you're tired of tower defense games, I don't blame you. Feel free to skip this post, but let me say this before you go: I wouldn't spotlight yet another tower defense game if it wasn't special. That's why Spice Invaders has made the cut. The standard tower defense tropes are in place. Build and upgrade towers with spells and abilities to repel invaders while carrying on a map-wide campaign. But Spice Invaders by On5 Games (published by Chillingo) goes a step further. First of all, the game is super polished. It runs great and looks terrific, and everything from the characters to the UI shines with color and fun. There's a huge upgrade system with lots of ways to develop your towers and abilities, and there's even (gasp) multiplayer support. You can play co-operatively or even competitively in a tower defense game! Each stage has multiple modes and can be played through multiple times, so there's lots and lots of content here, all of it quite fun. Spice Invaders is also a freemium title, which has both a pro and a con. The pro, of course, is that the game is free. Tower defense fans should waste no time in downloading it. Those of you who've soured on tower defense should also consider it. Bewarned, however, that Chillingo isn't gentle with the prodding. You'll get reminders in the middle of your game (and elsewhere) that you can buy spice and upgrades via in-app purchases. They can be removed with an in-app purchase, of course, but they're still annoying to see. That issue hits right at the core of the freemium argument, however. Yes it's annoying to be "pitched" in the middle of chaotic game play, but the game's a free download, so that's your tradeoff. At any rate, Spice Invaders is an amazing title, and even though I feel like I've said a few times now that tower defense has been worn out on iOS, Spice Invaders goes ahead and resets the bar all over again.
Daily iPad App: Kingdom Rush
I first played Kingdom Rush as a Flash game online, and it's very good in that context as well. It's pretty straightforward tower defense, in that you face a series of invading monsters, and need to build up towers to defend against them. But Kingdom Rush outgrows its simple tower defense roots with a number of intriguing innovations. Instead of just building towers, some towers provide you with actual units to control, and you can set rally points for them and line up your attack a little more carefully than just placing and forgetting. Kingdom Rush also makes heavy use of spells to mix the action up, and there's such a solid balance between spells and towers that more often than not, it's your spells that win the day. An actual talent upgrade tree helps hit that note a little harder: As you play, you earn talent points that can strengthen a certain part of your game, such as beefing up your ranged towers, or allowing your spells to be stronger or earn more gold. By tweaking that talent tree, you can play Kingdom Rush very differently from someone using different talents, and the excellent polish and production on the game (I would argue the iPad version looks even better than the Flash game) means it's lots of fun throughout the many various levels. Kingdom Rush is highly recommended, both as a tower defense title, and even as a strategy title for someone who might not have found a TD game they enjoy. The game is $2.99 on the App Store right now, and updates are planned, to add both Game Center integration (for the game's many achievements) and new content and enemies. Excellent title, definitely pick it up for the iPad if you haven't yet.
Anomaly: Warzone Earth marches to XBLA in Spring 2012
Anomaly: Warzone Earth, the reverse tower-defense game from 11 Bit Studios, is coming to Xbox Live Arcade in Spring 2012. This version of the strategy game, which sees you assembling convoys of destructive vehicles and plotting their path through hostile cityscapes, is exclusively outfitted with six puzzle-ish "Tactical Trials." Anomaly: Warzone Earth originally launched for the PC and Mac back in April, followed by a widely praised iOS version. You can get a sneak peek of the new XBLA outing -- now "designed to be played with a gamepad" -- in the gallery below. %Gallery-141838%
Daily iPad App: Defenders of Ardania
Tower defense is a genre that's almost run its course, if you ask me. But Defenders of Ardania is still a really solid tower defense title for the iPad that does find some innovation left in the process of setting up towers and letting them take out the incoming bad guys. The twist here is that while you're building towers for defense, you're also purchasing your own invading forces, which are then sent to wander out towards your enemy's castle. In other words, it's a kind of reverse tower defense, where you both attack and defend against an enemy doing the same. Unfortunately, that makes things a little complicated -- you still have a gold pool which you refresh by killing bad guys (as usual), but you need to use that pool to summon both towers and invading forces. And as if that's not enough, you also have various spells to buff up your troops, and you can also lay down traps on incoming troops to stop them in their tracks, all while trying to bring down the enemy base's health and keeping yours up. Like I said, it's complicated. That may appeal to some players -- the graphics are 2D but very well-designed and functional, and while there's lots to do, the UI itself is pretty well designed. Fans of more straightforward tower defense will probably want to look elsewhere (I'll recommend the great Gem Keeper yet again here), and those on the fence can check out Defenders of Ardania's free version. Those up for a challenge who want something a little different from the tower defense genre should definitely give this one a look. There's a full campaign mode, multiplayer battles with Game Center integration, and lots of complex tower defense/attack gameplay to be had for just $4.99.
Orcs Must Die's 'Lost Adventures' DLC coming to XBLA in December
Have you already fulfilled the titular imperative delivered unto the player in Robot Entertainment's XBLA strategy-action title, Orcs Must Die? The joke's on you: There are always more Orcs. This time, they come in the form of the "Lost Adventures" DLC pack -- an expansion which came to PC last month, and will bring its five new fortresses, two enemies and additional collectible skulls to the XBLA version of the game sometime in December. Of course, the 400 Microsoft Points ($5) you drop on this bad boy will also net you a handful of new tools, like the energy-restoring Mana Well, the health-draining Vampiric Gauntlets and the Shock Zapper, which both shocks and zaps. We know, we always assumed those two were synonyms as well. We guess we'll have to see the thing in action before we understand the subtle differences.
Daily iPhone App: Gem Keeper
Gem Keeper is a relatively new game from developer NCSoft, which usually makes Korean MMO titles for the PC. The company has released a couple of apps for iOS, but this is the first full game made for North American audiences -- and it's a good one. It's a pretty basic tower defense title, but the polish and complexity on this one really makes it shine, even among the many offerings in the genre. As you can see from the screenshot, the look is great -- it's bright and colorful, and very easy to tell just what's happening on screen and where you need to step up your defenses. The game's balance is very good as well. I would say that it's a little tougher than a lot of tower defense games, but only because not only do foes have to reach your stash of gems and steal them, but they have to wander back out as well, which means that the stakes are upped twice as high as games where you're just trying to prevent an invasion. Gem Keeper also offers multiple places for waves to come through, which adds a little more strategy to how you set things up, and extra units like moveable towers and bombs mix things up even more. The game's currency flows fast and easy, especially in the lower levels of difficulty, so you always feel powerful, even when you're being flooded by invaders. There is plenty of content to play through -- there are over 30 levels with three difficulty variants each, and a recent update added an endless mode which you can compete in on Game Center leaderboards as well. Gem Keeper is a great game -- it's on the App Store as a universal version right now for $2.99. Here's hoping we see some more quality titles like this from NCSoft in the future.
Download the Dungeon Defenders demo and fight off foes with friends
Combining action RPG elements with tower defense, Dungeon Defenders lets players use spells, abilities and structures to keep creatures from destroying their crystal. But you don't have to take our word for it to find out if it's fun. The playable PC demo is now available for you to download and enjoy. Up to four players can team up online to fend off the invading hordes while collecting loot, but the demo limits players to a single map and caps characters at level 8. Download the Dungeon Defenders demo (1.2 GB) Continue reading after the jump for system requirements and other information. %Gallery-137147%
Daily iPhone App: Magic Defenders
Magic Defenders isn't new, but it has claimed a lot of my iPhone gaming time lately. It's a tower defense game, so if you like that genre, odds are that you'll like this one. Instead of building towers, you play the game as a mage that's casting spells against waves of attackers. The game cycle has you casting spells using mana, killing attackers to earn XP, and then using that XP to upgrade your spells to kill attackers more quickly, earning more XP, and so on. It's a lot of fun and considering that the game has a few different heroes to play through and level up across three invasion episodes, there's plenty of content to explore. Blazing down enemies is very rewarding, as is learning how the various spells work together. You can slow enemies down with one spell, for example, freeze them in place with a second, and then nuke them all down with a third. The game's great on the iPad, too, but the drag-and-drop spell interface makes it easy on any iOS device. And at 99 cents on the App Store for a universal version, Magic Defenders is one of the best bargains out there that you might have missed the first time around. If you like tower defense games or ridiculously addictive game cycles, it's definitely worth the buck.
Dungeon Defenders trailer shows off the Monk
The latest trailer for Dungeon Defenders takes a look at the Monk, the last class available in the tower defense/hack-and-slash mashup title. The Monk is the game's healer, and can not only use projectiles and combat directly, but can also lay down auras to help friends and hurt foes, providing a little more positional strategy to the proceedings. He can also pop two boost abilities, one for heroes and one for built defenses. So if you're the support type, he'll probably be the character you'll look for when the game goes live on XBLA and PC on October 19.
Daily iPhone App: Tiny Heroes
Tiny Heroes is a fun one from David Whatley, the mind behind the popular GeoDefense titles for the App Store (who's also, incidentally, speaking later on this week at the 360iDev conference going on here in Denver). This one is tower defense as well, but it's got a nice Dungeon Keeper-esque twist on the genre. Instead of defending from the invading hordes, you must shut down heroes, attempting to invade your dungeon for loot. The look and feel is a lot of fun, and the interface is smooth and well-done, very reminiscent of Plants vs. Zombies (always a good thing). As you move through the game's levels, you get more and more tools to stop the little heroes, including fun things like mimic chests and spike traps. There are over 50 levels in the game right now, with more coming later, and of course Game Center and OpenFeint integration extend replayability as well. Tiny Heroes is a lot of fun -- it's only available on the iPhone (right now) for US$2.99.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Two Worlds II Castle Defense
Two Worlds is an RPG series for consoles that's had a few releases already, but this game for iOS only uses the same setting and assets as those titles. As you can tell from the title itself, it plays very differently from the third-person RPG. It's a castle defense game of a sort, but rather than building towers, you build out your army and forces, tasking your little soldiers with fighting incoming waves of bad guys. The game plays sort of like the very popular Battleheart, though instead of directly controlling your troops, you're only placing them on the field in various spots available. You might put two melee fighters up front, for example, a priest behind them, and then two archers in the back to pump out ranged damage. As you fight, you win gold, and then can spend that gold to build more troops, upgrade the ones you've got, or even cast spells to heal your troops or attack the enemies. The game is simple but really fun, and the polish is actually really impressive. Controls are not explained well, but the icons are clear enough that after a few rounds with the title, you will know what does what. And pitting two powered up soldiers and a hardcore fire mage against a wave of incoming baddies is very rewarding, once you've gotten to that point. A recent upgrade added a few much needed tweaks, including Game Center integration and some various difficulty levels, and it also dropped the price of the game to just US $4.99. And that's not a bad price at all -- it's a little more expensive than most iOS games, but this is a quality experience. There is a lite version, though, if you doubt the price, but for castle defense fans, those who enjoy the Two Worlds series, or just anyone who enjoys a good fantasy-based tower defense game, this one's definitely worth checking out.
