Tower Defense games have become a mainstay in mobile gaming, particularly for the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad. Over the past 2 years, with its huge following in the App Store, Tower Defense games have evolved into more innovative strategy games with some even going away from traditional Tower Defense gameplay. There is now a diverse library of Tower Defense games in the App Store, which should pave the way for even more improved gameplay in the future. On a lighter note, this should also keep gamers complaining about the oversaturation of this particular strategy genre at bay, at least for some time. This article is here to review and break down the different popular Tower Defense games down into categories and recommend the best the App Store has to offer for all you strategy fans.

Tower Defense Games: Fixed Path

Best App Store Games: geoDefense, The Creeps!, 7 Cities

This is traditional Tower Defense gameplay. Enemy creeps enter the field through a predetermined track, and your objective is to strategically place towers adjacent to the creeps’ path to keep them from passing through. Some gamers would argue that fixed path Tower Defense are less challenging and offer low replay value as there are only relatively limited tower setups you could use. Popular TD games make up for this by providing several unique, sometimes even dozens of, maps. Moreover, some of these popular games such as geoDefense are known for providing challenging gameplay requiring you to seek out the best strategy.

Games review: geoDefense is best known for its high difficulty and its vector particle effects. The Creeps! is best known for its easy learning curve and accelerometer-based super weapons in childish cartoon graphics. 7 Cities is best known for its branching tower upgrade system that grants special skills to the towers.

The Creeps!

Tower Defense Games: Open Field

Best App Store Games: Fieldrunners, geoDefense Swarm, Zombie Attack! Second Wave XL

The gameplay isn’t so different from the first other than that the enemy creeps no longer follow a fixed path. This gives you the opportunity to set their path using towers according to your own strategy that will act as walls for the enemy creeps. The tower setups are almost limitless; however, the generally accepted best strategy for open field tower defense games has always been to place towers in a typical labyrinth-like setup.

Games review: Fieldrunners is a solid tower defense that has mostly been referred to as an essential Tower Defense and strategy game for the iDevice. geoDefense Swarm is, simply put, geoDefense in an open field gameplay. Zombie Attack is generally different in such a way that your towers will always be scattered due to the proximity rule that prevents you from placing towers adjacent to each other. You also get to control a ‘survivor’ who can get in direct combat with the zombie horde. Strategy isn’t as abundant as with its competitors, but Zombie Attack is a fun take on the genre nevertheless.

Note: One notable TD game in the App Store is Tower Madness which has both fixed path and open field maps allowing for dual experience of gameplay.

Fieldrunners for iPad

Tower Defense Games: Real Time Strategy - TD

Best App Store Games: Space Station: Frontier, BioDefense

Technically, Tower Defense started off as a subgenre of Real Time Strategy. However, Tower Defense, due to its rising popularity, has grown to become a genre on its own. Recently, Tower Defense has evolved, straying away from traditional TD gameplay while incorporating more Real Time Strategy elements. In these games, as with Real Time Strategy games like StarCraft, you start off with a main base somewhere on the map. You then collect resources within reach of your base, which would allow you to build towers connected via link nodes to defend not only your base but all your other structures too. This is very different from traditional Tower Defense gameplay, and forces you to adjust your strategy because you also need to defend your miners, towers, and power generators, which can be attacked and destroyed by the enemy. Only a few games have incorporated this gameplay as of yet, but expect them to increase.

Games review: BioDefense is a zombie themed RTS-TD game and is popular, albeit with its limited choice of weapons, for its addictive and challenging survival mode. Space Station: Frontier is from the same makers who brought the Sentinel franchise, which are also well-known Fixed Path TD games, and has a more RTS feel to it than BioDefense. Strategy mainly focuses on balancing mining with defending your base.

Space Station: Frontier HD

Tower Defense Games: Mix of Fixed Path and RTS-TD

Best App Store Games: Defender Chronicles, Dungeon Defense

This Tower Defense offers a relatively different kind of gameplay. Enemy creeps follow a fixed path, but rather than having static towers that defend your base, you have mobile units that approach and engage enemies within range. The action that ensues is also quite fun to watch. If your defenders die, they respawn after the cool down period. Your defenders can only be placed at predetermined spots across the map which forces you to formulate a strategy of proper tower placements and timely upgrades rather than simply clogging the entry path of the enemies with a barrage of defenders.

Games review: Defender Chronicles is no doubt among the best strategy games in the App Store with its high productions values. It is best known for its interesting story line, long and extensive campaign, and RPG gameplay. Heroes can gain experience points and level up, and also be equipped with various items. Dungeon Defense which is among the first to incorporate this gameplay can be best described as Army of Darkness meets Tower Defense. Strategy gameplay is fairly average, but it boasts very interesting characters.

Defender Chronicles - Legend of the Desert King

As I’ve detailed in my previous article, the Tower Defense genre offers the best strategy games that are best suited for the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad. Despite its immense popularity, this kind of gameplay is actually fairly new in the gaming world. With more and more Tower Defense games entering the App Store that modify the gameplay and evolve the strategy involved, we are sure to expect a continued rise in strategy games that are sure to fill up any gamer’s best list.