Best Tower Defense Games On Steam

Tower defense games often provide the perfect balance for all kinds of players. One minute, they could be relaxing with their backs to their chair and casually pressing buttons, and then the next, their whole base is burning down and enemies are pouring out of several breaches. Those two situational extremes are the Yin and Yang of tower defense games. It’s a roller coaster ride; a unique ebb and flow that makes for some thrilling combat.

Related

10 Best RPGs With Tower Defense Mechanics

Tower defense isn’t a typical part of some of gaming’s biggest RPGs, but these games are an exception, making great use of the mechanic.

That very well explains why they are as popular as ever. Since they offer a simple style of gameplay, they often don’t cost much — some are even free to play on Steam. That doesn’t mean those free games are of low quality or aren’t worth one’s time investment. The opposite is often true as these free tower defense games are the best way to learn how to manage a chaotic situation.

Updated January 7, 2025, by Mehrdad Khayyat: Tower Defense games use simple logic, yet they can be quite challenging and satisfying to play. The golden rule in any Tower Defense game is to set defense towers in an order that prevents the enemies from reaching the end of the path.

This simple premise, however, can turn into many different forms with a wide variety of enemies and towers. Sometimes the developers also go creative with the path, and sometimes they introduce new mechanics to push the boundaries.

20

Ninja Kiwi Archive

A Massive Pack Of Tower Defense Games

• Release year: 2020
• Developer: Ninja Kiwi

This is, in fact, not some kind of off-brand Fruit Ninja TD hybrid, but rather a collection of classic games, hence the “archive” in the name. Moreover, these games are all from the highlight reel of the Adobe Flash era where tons of browser-based games were being made left and right.

Among these are some ingenious tower defense titles, though frankly, there are too many to mention. In any case, players will find something for everyone in this large and generous collection. Some of them even hold up well for today’s standard, which is a tall order for a cheap game from a bygone era.

19

Zombie Defense

Combining RTS Gameplay Elements With The Tower Defense Rules

• Release year: 2016
• Developer: Home Net Games

If there was anything indie game companies have taught the industry of late, it’s that venturing into hybrid territory genre-wise produces good results. Zombie Defense is among those examples — as it’s part RTS and part tower defense; though the two genres don’t exactly stray off far from each other.

In any case, Zombie Defense lets players live out their dreams (or nightmares) of being a zombie apocalypse survivalist but from a top-down perspective. They’ll have to push back waves of zombies in thrilling fashion, while also managing their base resources. There’s also a mobile version for those who want a more relaxed experience.

18

Sang-Froid – Tales Of Werewolves

Story-Driven Tower Defense With Stunning Art Design

• Release year: 2013
• Developer: Artifice Studio

Sang-Froid – Tales of Werewolves certainly deserves a look, especially for fans of games like Left 4 Dead or the Warhammer Vermintide series. It’s a combination of action and tower defense where players are tasked with defending a farmstead from an onslaught of rabid wolves and werewolves.

It has some interesting Van Helsing aesthetics with a modifiable crossbow included. Players not only get to rely on their skills but also their strategic management where they have to set up chokepoints and defensible areas to survive rabies waves.

17

The Defender: Farm And Castle

Simple But Addictive 2D Tower Defense

• Release year: 2019
• Developer: Kobsoft Kitti

The Defender: Farm and Castle is a simpler — but no less exciting — callback to the days of browser-based games. The graphics are basic enough, which means they can run on almost all PC setups. The game is also easy to understand. Monsters are out to pillage the player’s castle and they must shore up the fortress’ defenses.

Players mainly assume the role of a lone archer who can upgrade their tools to be more effective. The Defender: Farm and Castle only runs on a 2D perspective and gameplay, meaning those who are familiar with side scrollers should find plenty to like here.

16

FrankenStorm TD

Inspired From The Frankenstein Universe

• Release year: 2021
• Developer: Doodad Games

FrankenStorm TD will surely attract fans of old horror literature and film as this game is all about being Dr. Frankenstein and defending Frankenstein castle from pesky villagers. As Dr. Frankenstein, players will have to craft clever mazes and lay traps on them to thwart the interlopers.

During their downtimes, they can then focus on their research of bringing Frankenstein’s monster back to life. The cute and comedic art style along with the evolving gameplay ensures that there’s plenty to do and love in FrankenStorm TD.

15

The Riftbreaker

A Well-Executed Combination Of Tower Defense And Action-RPG

Gamers ought to stop for a moment and open up Steam on a new tab to download this gem right away — as it’s a surefire must-play. The Riftbreaker is the best tower defense the industry has had in years. That’s largely because it doesn’t confine itself to one genre.

It’s a mix of ARPG, strategy, and tower defense as players fight off hordes of aliens while mining some valuable resources. Coupled with the intense action allowed by the impressively jaw-dropping graphics, The Riftbreaker is a complete package with the hardest price tag to beat.

14

Prime World: Defenders 2

Defending Earth In A Hero-Based Tower Defense

• Release year: 2018
• Developer: Nival

Prime World: Defenders 2 is a worthy sequel to the original that does things even better — a rare feat for a tower defense game. Prime World: Defenders 2 pits players against an endless wave of creeps along with their tough bosses.

Like The Riftbreaker, Prime World also incorporates a hybrid tower defense gameplay. It’s also a CCG game where players have to grind for the cards they want in order to be more efficient at defending their base. It does come with its own caveat, being a deep, free-to-play game as the monetization scheme can be quite aggressive.

13

Bloons Adventure Time TD

A Charming Adventure In The Bloons Universe

• Release year: 2019
• Developer: Ninja Kiwi

Any Adventure Time game is bound to be good thanks to its colorful style and locale that’s low-hanging fruit for a game world. In any case, a tower defense franchise called Bloons made a game out of it in their own tradition.

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Related

Bloons TD 6: Every Hero, Ranked

The right strategy for any tower defense game means selecting the right units. In Bloons TD 6, the most important of these choices is the hero tower.

Players get to control Finn, Jake, and friends as they shore up the Candy Kingdom’s defenses so that evil balloons don’t get through. The best part is that they managed to bring in the cartoon’s original voice actors, making everything feel authentic and not forced.

12

Vectorio

If Factorio Was Supposed To Be A Tower Defense…

• Release year: 2023
• Developer: BN Games

The tower defense is such a deceptively simple yet engaging genre that even something with basic vector graphics is a highly-rated game. That would be the aptly-named Vectorio which is still in early access right now but is free for everyone to try.

At first glance, it looks like Vectorio looks only a bit better than something like Tetris or Dwarf Fortress but it quickly turns players obsessed with its fluid and hypnotic base-building and defense mechanics. Late-game, players might even build something that resembles a circuit board.

11

Dungeon Defenders 2

Defend The Base, Loot Enemies, And Upgrade The Towers

Dungeon Defenders 2‘s premise is pretty self-explanatory though a little too ironic as players usually raid dungeons in video games. In any case, it’s a chaotic hero-based game where players pick their team of defenders against waves of enemies.

There’s also a multiplayer component here, meaning players get to show off their lineup as they stop the land of Etheria from an invasion. The visuals are also cute enough to draw in the most casual crowds, which works in tandem with the tower defense gameplay.

10

Bloons TD Battles

A Competitive Approach To The Bloons Series

• Release year: 2016
• Developer: Ninja Kiwi

While there is an Adventure Time version of Bloons, the original Bloons TD Battles is still the best equivalent to modern Tetris battles. It also has a split-game mode where players can see the other’s progress as the two of them compete on who does better at defending their base against evil balloons.

If that’s not the game mode players want, then they can test their mettle solo against the balloons. The gameplay and graphics are nearly identical to the Adventure Time variant but this has its own inherent lore to add more context to the balloon genocide.

9

Infinitode 2

Chaotic Battles Built Upon Shapes!

• Release year: 2021
• Developer: Prineside

While this game of geometrical warfare shines most on mobile, it’s certainly no slouch when it comes to Steam. It’s a great fit and a terrific way to ring in one’s brand new Steam Deck, being free-to-play and thriving on touchscreen controls.

Players must protect their ambiguous base by filling build points with increasingly-strong shape-like weapon systems. These range from scattered shots to anti-air blasters and sharp snipers. While seemingly simple at first glance, this colorful romp can get intense and involved rather quickly. It boasts a whopping fifty stages and a surprisingly large upgrade tree to experiment with and build one’s defenses.

8

Defense Grid: The Awakening

A Sci-Fi Tower Defense With 3D Visuals

Tower Defense

Real-Time Strategy

Indie

Strategy

Systems

Platform(s)

Microsoft Windows
, Xbox 360
, macOS

Released

December 8, 2008

Often overlooked on account of the typical art style and themes, Defense Grid is nonetheless a solid and rewarding tower defense romp. Hidden Path Entertainment’s title has withstood the test of time with its seamless 3D gameplay, and diverse elements that aren’t too intimidating to learn.

Players build fortification towers scattered about their base, fending off a slew of different alien types in the process. While somewhat straightforward, the ten tower types will need updates, strategic placement, and must hit optimal targets in order to excel. These details bring plenty of tactical gameplay to the fold.

7

Gemcraft – Frostborn Wrath

A Challenging Experience With Dark Fantasy Setting

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Systems

Released

January 10, 2020

Developer(s)

Game In A Bottle

Obvious puns aside, this hidden “gem” has developed a cult following since its early 2020 release. The game excels in the subtle amount of detail and variety packed into its flat scenes. As a scorned wizard freed from frozen confinement, players will wreak havoc and stave off winding pathways of pursuing monsters.

Crafting defenses in this case is more unorthodox, as players must create and merge different gems, using them to enhance buildings and turn them into weapons. Being a wizard, various skills and spells can also be utilized. This fusion of RTS, puzzle, and tower defense gameplay offers a fun fantasy twist on the standard formula.

6

Thronefall

A Brief Tower Defense Adventure With Minimalistic Visuals

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Released

October 11, 2024

Developer(s)

GrizzlyGames

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Thronefall is one of the most impressive indie tower defense projects in recent years. This game just manages to nail it in almost every aspect. The only downside that someone can think of is probably the short campaign experience.

The minimalistic visuals give Thronefall a lovely look, and when it comes to the core gameplay, it is nothing short of a masterpiece. The players will need to challenge themselves in different maps with unique designs, and each time, the goal is to secure the base and keep the enemies at bay.

5

Plants Vs. Zombies (GOTY Edition)

Simplified But Extremely Fun Gameplay Loop

PopCap Games managed to grow a flourishing success with this delightful tower defense. This is largely thanks to its zany zombie themes, vibrant visuals, and accessible yet gripping gameplay. Players must protect their suburban property by placing weaponized plants, protective walnuts, and other items on their grid-like lawn, as they stave off the sauntering undead. Both plants and zombies vary in traits, strength, and abilities — bringing some light strategy to the newbie-friendly gameplay.

Related

Every Plants Vs. Zombies Game, Ranked

The Plant Vs. Zombies franchise has been around for a while, giving players amazing tower defense-style games, but which are the best out of them all?

The game is made all the more sharp and intuitive when played on gadgets with touch controls, but Plants Vs. Zombies is solid — and simple to wrap one’s head around — on any device. And while the series has since gone on a tangent, starting with the microtransaction-heavy sequel, the original remains a hallmark of the genre that never withers.

4

Orcs Must Die!

A Classic Tower Defense With Third-Person Perspective

As fantasy hits like Lord of the Rings established, Orcs prove to be great fodder for enemy targets ripe for mowing down, and this game from Robot Entertainment doesn’t disappoint on this front. Assuming the role of a versatile, potent war mage with much at their disposal, players can take out Orcs in a number of fun and amusing ways.

Throughout the story-based campaign, gamers can play around with different spells, weapons, and Orc-stopping traps within two-dozen fortresses. Weapons and obstacles range from freezing moves to spinning blades and firey brimstone.

3

Legion TD 2

A Competitive Tower Defense Game With A Long Learning Curve

• Release year: 2021
• Developer: AutoAttack Games

Tower Defense Games can also enter the competitive scene and take a dominant position in that. This was proven by Legion TD 2, a superb tower defense experience that puts players in head-to-head matches and challenges them to prove their skills.

Legion TD 2 features numerous amount of troops and that’s what makes this game a hard one to master. However, once the player gets the hang of the troops, the real grind for ranking up begins, and it is indeed as addictive as some of the greatest competitive hits in other genres.

2

Minion Masters

A Head-To-Head, PvP Tower Defense Competition

Minion Masters is one of the best tower defense and competitive games at the moment that will surely draw in players from all kinds of genres. Think of it like Rocket League fused with MOBA games and CCGs. The arena is small enough to feel almost claustrophobic for the two players as they try to knock out each other’s nearby bases.

The graphics are also quite familiar as it almost resembles MOBA staples like League of Legends and other low-polygon tower defense games around. As an added bonus, the CCG mechanic will keep the players occupied and yearning for more matches.

1

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess

A Unique Japanese Take On Tower Defense With Hack-And-Slash Elements

It’s probably one of the most underrated games by Capcom in recent years, but it probably didn’t receive the attention it deserved. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is a unique experience like no other. Players can barely find a game that combines Tower Defense with Hack-and-Slash, but this game does it successfully.

While the player takes control of the protagonist during the battle and slays numerous enemies, the villagers also come to help, and that’s when the strategy part comes into play. It is the player who needs to decide where to place the villagers and how to benefit from their skills.

Related

Best Tower Defense Co-Op Games, Ranked

Tower defense games can be fun but are even better with friends. These are some of the best titles available.