I enjoy Tower Defense Games and did play every new game I discovered. The basic goal is always the same. The player has to place towers on a map that shoot at spawning creatures that try to cross the map from one or more map entrances to the exits. If a creature reaches the exit the player looses one of his lives, if all lives are gone the game is over.
Tower Defense Games have been developed quite heavily over time and I would like to sort the games into three stages beginning with stage 1, the stage where it all began.
I would also like to point out that there are two different versions of Tower Defense Games. The first lets the player place the towers anywhere on the map while the second offers distinct areas on the map where towers can be placed.
The first Tower Defense games introduced all basic elements into the game that build the core of every Tower Defense Game. I’m talking about creature and tower characteristics mainly.
Tower Characteristics:
Each game consisted of several towers each with its own strength and weakness.
- Fast Shooting Tower with great range and low damage that would hit ground and air units
- Slow Shooting Tower with lower range and high damage that would only hit ground units
- Air Tower that was deadly to air creatures but did no damage to ground creatures
- Splash Tower that would do area damage but had a low range
- Slow Tower that would slow down creatures
Every single Tower Defense game uses at least those five towers. Tower upgrades were available that would add to their damage and range.
Creature Characteristics:
Several creatures were introduced in the early Tower Defense Games that are making an appearance in every Tower Defense Game. Creatures did gain more hitpoints with each passing wave as well.
- Normal Creatures. Nothing spectacular about them
- Fast Creatures. They were faster than any other creature in the game
- Sturdy Creatures: Slow creatures with many hitpoints
- Flying Creatures: Would fly over towers heading directly to the exit
- Swarm Creatures: Massive amounts of creatures.
- Boss Creatures: Single or few creatures with immense hitpoints
Game Links:
The second generation of Tower Defense games would add variety to the mix. Games with different maps were introduced, new settings, additional towers and experience for killed creatures for towers.
This generation added more variety to the genre.
Game Links:
Third Generation:
The third generation added even more features. Those features were roleplaying elements and different levels that had to be finished one after the other to beat the game. Those elements were highly motivating. Instead of just playing one map over and over the game now demanded more attention and rewarded the user with another map when he beat the current one.
One major game that I really enjoyed was Protector. It had all the elements of a third generation game: A huge map, multiple choices and abilities that could be increased after each level. Protector felt much more like a real game than a flash game.
Game Links:
There is still one element that is missing from most, if not all, of the Tower Defense Games. One element that should be essential for every game. I’m talking about storytelling of course. That’s most likely the next step in the Tower Defense Genre.
If you cannot get enough I suggest you visit the tower defense list which offers a list with more than a hundred different Tower Defense games.
