10 Must-Play Defense Games — From Rampart to Arknights
Ten classic defense games that shaped and expanded the tower defense genre, in release order, with the new idea each one added, based on verified facts.
Defense games have simple rules. You build defenses along the path enemies swarm through and stop them before they reach the goal. But deciding which tower to place where, and when to spend limited resources, hides more strategy than you might expect. That's why defense games are great both for a quick round and for spending hours pondering the optimal layout.
In this post, we introduce 10 classics, from the genre's beginnings to recent years, that each added a new idea to defense games, in order of release. Rather than a ranking, we chose them based on "how the genre changed after this game." If you're curious about the genre's overall history, it pairs well with the tower defense history post on our blog.
The 10 Games at a Glance
| Year | Game | Developer | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Rampart | Atari Games | The prototype of build, defend, and repair phases |
| 2007 | Desktop Tower Defense | Paul Preece | Maze-building where towers form the path |
| 2007 | Bloons TD series | Ninja Kiwi | Monkey towers, balloons, and upgrade paths |
| 2008 | Defense Grid: The Awakening | Hidden Path Entertainment | Defending power cores at a sci-fi base |
| 2009 | Plants vs. Zombies | PopCap Games | Lane-based play and friendly characters |
| 2010 | Dungeon Defenders | Trendy Entertainment | 4-player co-op mixed with action RPG |
| 2011 | Kingdom Rush | Ironhide Game Studio | The standard for mobile tower defense |
| 2011 | Orcs Must Die! | Robot Entertainment | Third-person action and trap placement |
| 2011 | Anomaly: Warzone Earth | 11 bit studios | "Reverse tower defense" that flips attack and defense |
| 2019 | Arknights | Hypergryph | Tactical RPG using characters as towers |
1. Rampart (1990): The Genre's Prototype
Rampart, released in arcades by Atari Games in 1990, is regarded as the game that established the prototype of tower defense. It alternates between a "build" phase, where you surround your castle with walls, and a "battle" phase, where you fire cannons at enemy ships. After battle, you must patch the broken walls with Tetris-like block pieces.
The structure of players placing defenses themselves and cycling through build, defend, and repair phases became a basic element of later defense games. It was controlled with a trackball and supported multiplayer for several players to compete.
For reference, custom maps for StarCraft: Brood War and Warcraft III in the early 2000s also played a big role in spreading the defense genre. Because they were more of a culture than individual works, we left them off the list.
2–3. Desktop Tower Defense and Bloons TD (2007): The Flash-Era Boom
Desktop Tower Defense
A Flash browser game created by Paul Preece in March 2007. On a map that looks like an office desk, the path enemies ("creeps") take isn't set in advance; instead, the towers the player builds become walls that form the path. The core strategy is building a maze with towers to make enemies wander as long as possible.
It had been played more than 15.7 million times by July 2007 and won an award at the Independent Games Festival. It represents the 2007–2008 tower defense boom.
Bloons TD Series
A series Ninja Kiwi started as a Flash game in 2007. You pop balloons ("bloons") with dart-throwing monkeys and magic and tech towers before they reach the end of the path. The unique twist is that balloons contain other balloons, so popping one releases smaller ones.
The series later expanded to mobile and PC, and Bloons TD 6 came out in June 2018. Its upgrade structure, easy to start yet deep to master, has kept it beloved for years.
4–5. Defense Grid and Plants vs. Zombies (2008–2009)
Defense Grid: The Awakening
Defense Grid, made by Hidden Path Entertainment, is a sci-fi tower defense game about protecting a military base from alien attack. It was introduced during Microsoft's keynote at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in February 2008, released on PC in December 2008, and on Xbox 360 in September 2009.
Players must protect power cores placed in locations like power plants using ten types of towers. Towers can only be built on designated platforms, and enemies can't destroy them. Reviewers praised its high polish despite its low price. If you enjoy classic defense in a sci-fi setting, it's well worth playing.
Plants vs. Zombies
PopCap Games' Plants vs. Zombies is about stopping zombies marching toward your house with plants grown in your yard. It was created by designer George Fan.
- The map is divided into several lanes, so you have to think about defense separately for each lane.
- The resource system of collecting "sun" to plant is intuitive.
- If a zombie reaches the house in even one lane, you lose.
By weaving tutorials naturally throughout the game, it drew in both casual and experienced gamers. At launch it became PopCap's fastest-selling game, and it went on to surpass Bejeweled and Peggle as the company's best seller.
6. Dungeon Defenders (2010): Defending Together with Friends
Trendy Entertainment's Dungeon Defenders mixes tower defense with action RPG. Up to four players (six in some modes) protect the "Eternia Crystal" together, fighting directly with their own characters while also building defenses.
It was one of the early games to bring defense into a third-person view, selling 250,000 copies in its first two weeks and more than 600,000 by the end of 2011. Character progression and gear collection intertwined with defense to create lasting content.
7–9. Three Directions in 2011
In 2011, the defense genre expanded in three directions at once.
Kingdom Rush
A fantasy tower defense made by Uruguay's Ironhide Game Studio. You build and upgrade four types of towers — archers, barracks, mages, and artillery — around fixed paths. It added hands-on fun, such as soldiers from barracks blocking the path and heroes you control directly.
It sold more than 17 million copies on the App Store and Play Store, becoming the definitive mobile tower defense, and led to sequels such as Kingdom Rush: Frontiers.
Orcs Must Die!
Released by Robot Entertainment in October 2011, this game is played from a third-person action view instead of top-down. As a War Mage, you choose and lay down various traps, then fight hordes of orcs with weapons in hand. Chaining traps to sweep away orcs all at once is hugely satisfying, and several sequels followed.
Anomaly: Warzone Earth
Released by 11 bit studios in April 2011, this game turned defense upside down. The player isn't the one building towers but the one breaking through a city guarded by alien towers with an armored convoy. That's why it's called "reverse tower defense" or "tower offense." It brought a fresh perspective to the genre through route planning and support abilities.
10. Arknights (2019): Characters as Towers
Arknights by China's Hypergryph is a mobile tactical RPG released in China in May 2019 and globally in January 2020. Its core is tower defense, but instead of towers you deploy characters called "Operators."
Eight classes, including Vanguard, Guard, Defender, Sniper, Caster, and Medic, each take on different roles, and you have to combine characters that block the path with those that attack from behind. By combining character collection with story, it showed that the defense genre could reach RPG fans too.
Basic Principles for Defense Games and Final Thoughts
Play these 10 games and you'll notice common tips.
- Find the chokepoints. Place area-damage towers where enemies bunch up or turn.
- Lengthen the path. In games where you can build mazes, the longer enemies walk, the better.
- Think in combinations. Pair towers that slow enemies with towers that hit hard.
- Balance upgrades and new towers. Spread out early, then build up your core towers later.
- Review lost runs. Seeing which wave broke you reveals your next layout.
Starting with Rampart's wall-building in 1990, defense games have steadily changed form, through Flash games, mobile, third-person action, and character-collecting RPGs. Yet the core of "stopping swarming enemies through placement" remains the same, which is why we keep reaching for each new defense game that comes out.
If you'd like to enjoy this tradition casually on mobile, Keke Studio's sci-fi tower defense GRID DEFENSE: GRID WAR and the cute toy-themed ToyPang Defense are also worth a look.
