Tower Defense games for PC have their base in strategy games where the player’s main goal is to defend their own towers or territories by placing obstructive structures. It’s a unique genre that is capable of getting players hooked for hours, days and weeks if they really enjoy it. There are quite a few good tower defense games for PC and we’ve rounded up the best ones in this list.
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Best Tower Defense Games for PC
If you would like to step into the world of tower defense games or if you are already a big fan of this genre, then these games are for you. Make sure to read until the end to find out more about our number one game on this list.
Mechs v Kaijus
At number 10 is Mechs v Kaijus. Try this out if you would be interested in a game that involves ferocious Mechs and Kaijus (Kaiju is a Japanese word which loosely translates to “giant monster”). Your main goal is to protect and defend your base from a horde of Kaijus with the help of a Mech squadron. Yes, the premise is very Pacific Rum. Plan out your defense strategy and be ready to risk it all to defend your territory. Prioritize which Kaiju to attack first, upgrade your mech, and unlock new abilities. Once you understand how this game works, slaughtering the Kaijus with lasers and other ammunition will make things very interesting. It’s in early access right now on Steam, so you can check it out.
- Developer: Tenacious718
- Publisher: Doble Punch Games
- Release Date: May 4, 2018
Dungeon Defenders
Dungeon Defenders combines TD games with RPG elements. Featuring wizards and warriors, players have to protect Eternia Crystals from being destructed by enemies. Since it’s a fantasy game, your opponents will be ogres, orcs, goblins, and more. There are even boss battles in this tower defense game. Use magic to destroy the enemies or place traps to damage them. You can choose your difficulty level, but if you are feeling confident, try out the Hardcore Mode that will really test your skills. Overall, Dungeon Defenders is a good combination of RPG and Tower Defense games on PC.
- Developer: Trendy Entertainment
- Publisher: Reverb Triple XP
- Release Date: October 19, 2011
Mindustry
Mindustry is an open-ended game where TD and resource management come together. What you need to do in this game is to create supply chains to consistently provide ammunition in order to defend your structures from opponents. Automate your equipment, collect resources, upgrade drones, and make a successful production chain. There are also lots of missions and challenges to complete. The best part is the cross-platform multiplayer is available, so bring your friends and defend what’s yours.
- Developer: AnukenDev
- Publisher: AnukenDev
- Release Date: 27 Sep 2019
Orcs Must Die!
Orcs Must Die is an action-packed tower defense game for PC. At first glance, this might not look like a TD game. That’s because they have deliberately avoided the usual top-down view that is ever so common in this genre of games. Instead, it uses a view that is mostly seen in third-person games. The concept is simple – defend your territory from waves of orcs. Through quick thinking and the right placement of traps, you can kill the orc armies who are hell-bent on destroying you. You play as a War Mage, so you have access to spells to freeze, roast, or even shatter these nasty orcs. No matter what you do, remember that the orcs must die!
- Developer: Robot Entertainment
- Publisher: Robot Entertainment, Mastertronic
- Release Date: October 12, 2011
Gemcraft – Chasing Shadows
Tower defense games get a demonic twist with Gemcraft – Chasing Shadows. In this epic game from the Gemcraft series, you must defend yourself from incoming demonic avatars by using gems. It includes interesting concepts like crafting, combining, and summoning. Protect yourself from The Forgotten, an archdemon out to wipe out the world. With loads of challenges, rewards, and stages, you are bound to become addicted to this game and keep playing it over and over again.
- Developer: Game in a Bottle
- Publisher: Armor Games Studios
- Release Date: April 30, 2015
Defense Grid: The Awakening
Defense Grid: The Awakening is a game that will keep you hooked. Apart from its unique gameplay, it also features awesome visual effects, stunning environments, and an apt soundtrack. Good Tower placement will take you far in this game and so will a good strategy. With multiple challenges, upgrades, enemy, and tower types, you will find yourself completely immersed in this game.
- Developer: Hidden Path Entertainment
- Publisher: Hidden Path Entertainment
- Release Date: December 8, 2008
Creeper World 3: Arc Eternal
Unlike other games, Creeper World 3: Arc Eternal features a purple mass called the Creeper instead of an army. But that doesn’t mean things get any easier. In fact, they get much more difficult because you can only repel it. Your job is to defend Odin city and protect it from being consumed by this vicious mass and save the last bit of humanity left.
- Developer: Knuckle Cracker
- Publisher: Knuckle Cracker
- Release Date: October 4, 2013
Kingdom Rush
Yet another game with an epic medieval fantasy theme is Kingdom Rush. It’s a real-time tower defense game packed with an army of mountain trolls, villainous wizards, and lots more legendary foes. In this game, you get different areas like forests, wastelands and mountains to fight on. It’s up to you to save this kingdom from evil entities. Kingdom Rush includes extra game modes, bonus stages, different legendary heroes and a host of enemies.
- Developer: Ironhide Game Studio
- Publisher: Armor Games
- Release Date: July 28, 2011
Bloons TD 6 – Best Tower Defense Game
Don’t be fooled by its cartoony look, because Bloons is quite a challenging and intense TD game. From the Bloons series, comes another new title named Bloons TD. The gameplay of this 3d game involves defending the end of a track from incoming balloons (hence, the Bloons). The player must strategically place towers and traps to complete the goal. The cartoon graphics and visual effects manage to keep things lighthearted since most other TD games have a serious tone. So if this is up your alley, go on and pop some bloons.
- Developer: Ninja Kiwi
- Publisher: Ninja Kiwi
- Release Date: December 17, 2018
Plants vs Zombies GOTY Edition – Best Tower Defense Game
The number one game on our list is, of course, one of the most popular TD games ever. The name pretty much tells you the entire concept of the game – defend your home from zombies but luckily you’ve got some zombie-killing plants! Indeed, it’s an out of the box idea and that is why it has become so popular. There are multiple lanes on which the zombie horde will walk towards you. As you progress, things will get much trickier. You will face unique obstacles and even a zombie boss called Dr. Zomboss. In conclusion, this game is a total blast and is one of the very best games of all time.
- Developer: PopCap Games
- Publisher: PopCap Games
- Release Date: May 5, 2009
So there you have it. If any of these games have caught your fancy, make sure to get the game and try it out for yourself. For more such lists, head over to our Features on Gamer Tweak!