Strategy games have always catered to a broad spectrum of gamers, with long-running series like Civilization and Age of Empires offering what many consider to be the crème de la crème of the genre. Those games might be a little too involved for the more casual players though, being focused on medium-to-large-scale battles and base building as they are.

This is where tower defense games come in, a strategy subgenre that tasks players with defending their designated base as opposed to trying to expand their base-building efforts. Enemies typically attack through specific paths, making it easier to mount a defense against them. That streamlined focus brings with it its own set of thrills and challenges, of course, and much like the larger strategy game genre, the tower defense genre is home to quite a number of gems. Here is our ranking of some of the very best ones.

Updated on April 10, 2024, by Marco Vito Oddo: Given that Tower Defenses are so popular, it's hard to choose only a handful for a list of the best examples in the genre. That's why we decided to add a few more Tower Defense recommendations, lest we neglect some great games in the genre.

17 Bardbarian

Bardbarian stretches the concept of a Tower Defense by mixing elements of survival games and auto-battlers. In Bardbarian, you are tasked with defending your village from a horde of vicious creatures. The issue is you are only a bard, incapable of attacking the enemies directly. Instead, you must enlist warriors who'll act independently while you use magic songs to grant buffs, debuffs, and magical powers to your army.

Instead of fixed towers, Bardbarian shakes things up by allowing you to move around with your band of warriors. Despite that, the game remains a classic tower defense, with waves of enemies moving towards your village while you hold the line to prevent your base's destruction.

16 SteamWorld Tower Defense

Image & Form might be best known for the other more popular games in its SteamWorld series (namely SteamWorld Dig 1 & 2), but the whole thing actually began in 2010 with this quaint little tower defense game released on DSiWare.

The game had players stepping into the shoes of a sheriff who must protect the gold mines of his town from an onslaught of invaders. They do so by placing various robot turrets along the paths leading to the mines, using the touch controls on the bottom screen of the Nintendo DS, as well as other items such as bombs and full-blown nukes.

15 Sanctum 2

Sanctum 2 is a first-person shooter with tower defense elements developed by Coffee Stain Studios. Released on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in 2013, the game centers upon a group of individuals known as Core Guardians in a futuristic sci-fi setting.

The action takes place on an alien planet, where players must defend their oxygen-producing Cores from the indigenous species trying to take them out. After setting up towers and other defense mechanisms, players can switch to a first-person view to actively take part in the defense of their base.

14 OTTTD (Over The Top Tower Defense)

OTTTD, or Over The Top Tower Defense, is another tower defense game worth checking out by fans of the genre. Developed by SMG Studios of Death Squared fame, the game takes place in the year 2317 after a rift is inadvertently opened, paving the way for a full-scale alien invasion. Aside from placing turrets around your base, you'll also get to control individual party members with specific skills, like an engineer that helps to buff your defenses.

As the title suggests, things can get a bit over-the-top, especially during the later stages when the difficulty ramps up considerably. Thankfully, you have the ability to replay earlier stages until you earn enough points to level up your party members, which helps make the challenge a bit more manageable.

13 Defense Grid: The Awakening

Defense Grid: The Awakening is a very solid tower defense game. Despite its age, the game still looks very good and plays exceptionally well. Each map requires a different strategy, with the gameplay focusing on tower placement and resource management to defend your core against waves of aliens.

Speaking of maps, there are tons of them, and each has difficulty modifiers to make subsequent runs more interesting. If you invest in the various DLC packs, there are hundreds of hours worth of content in Defense Grid: The Awakening.

12 Dungeon Defenders

Originally released on mobile phones in 2010, Dungeon Defenders is a tower defense game that mixes in action RPG elements. The game has up to four players trying to defend against waves of orcs, goblins, and other enemies, using melee and ranged attacks as well as structures like towers and traps.

Versions for the PC, Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network were released in 2011, and the game has since received several sequels, but the original is still widely considered to be the best.

11 Creeper World 4

Creeper World 4 is a unique take on tower defense games that tasks you with fighting off the ever-approaching Creeper flood. Using a variety of towers, you will push back the liquid as it moves toward your base, threatening to flood the entire map.

Creeper World 4 combines tower defense, real-time strategy, base building, and physics-based systems into a single game, with tons of story maps, a map editor, and nearly infinite replayability.

10 Deathtrap

Deathtrap mixes tower defense mechanics with classic RPG character progression to offer a unique experience. In Deathtrap, you have the mission to rebuild fortresses that were used to destroy monsters coming out of the void a long time ago. The fortresses have deteriorated with time, and now the monsters are back. It's up to you to choose the best defenses to destroy the waves of creatures ready to engulf the world in chaos.

In addition to strategically building towers, Deathtrap has a level-up system that allows your selected character to unlock new skills. You directly participate in combat, using your skills to kill creatures aided by the fortresses' towers. So, instead of just watching the action unfold at each wave, Deathtrap also allows you to battle enemies in real time.

9 PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate

Don't let its casual-looking design fool you because PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate tests your multitasking skills. You control a Tiki character that can build towers to fight off hordes of creatures. The main currency used is coins dropped by defeated enemies, which means the deadlier your towers become, the more resources you have to build even better traps. However, you must actually collect the coins dropped in the level, turning the game into a fast-paced experience.

In addition to collecting drops, you must position your character in the place where you want to raise new towers. Finally, to evolve towers, your character needs enough time to work on them. So, despite the cute visuals, PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate forces you to constantly strategize and anticipate the enemy waves in order to achieve victory.

8 Orcs Must Die! 3

The third entry in the Orcs Must Die! series is actually the fourth overall entry, serving as a direct sequel to Orcs Must Die! 2, with its events taking place 20 years after the ones depicted in that game.

Players once again control one of two war mages (with the option for two players to play together cooperatively) who must help defend their castle by fighting off an onslaught of invading orc armies using various weapons, traps, and special abilities. The new game introduces a War Scenario game mode that features larger-scale battles (with up to 1,000 orcs) and the use of oversized traps called War Machines.

7 GemCraft - Chasing Shadows

GemCraft - Chasing Shadows is a deep and satisfying tower defense game in which you use gems to create and customize your own unique towers. Battles require planning, skill, and concentration, as there's always something to do or manage with each new wave of enemies.

With tons of content and an emphasis on replayability, GemCraft can be played for hundreds of hours, perfect for tower defense fans who want to get immersed in a new game.

6 Mindustry

Mindustry is a cross between tower defense and resource management games like Factorio. By collecting a variety of resources from the surface of the planet, you can construct facilities to automate your tower defense production.

Mindustry has tons of levels to play in its campaign, as well as a dedicated level editor for players to make their own maps and scenarios. If you're a fan of base-building and resource management games, Mindustry offers a perfect blend of these genres.

5 The Riftbreaker

The Riftbreaker is a combination of base-building, strategy, action, and tower defense elements. Using dimensional rifts to travel to new planets, you'll need to start from scratch in a dangerous new place, with only your AI mecha companion to aid you.

Similar to Mindustry, you'll need to harvest resources from the planet, then build up your base to defend against waves of aliens. The core gameplay loop of The Riftbreaker is extremely satisfying, and the beautiful graphics make it easy to get immersed in the world.

4 Kingdom Rush

The Kingdom Rush series is one of the most popular in the tower defense genre, spanning a number of great games. Despite its simple aesthetic, Kingdom Rush requires strategic planning to clear its more difficult maps.

There are tons of heroes to unlock as well that can change up your playstyle, offering new ways to defend your kingdom. There are several games to choose from in the series, but you can't really go wrong with any of them.

3 Plants Vs. Zombies

Plants vs. Zombies may have a ridiculous premise, but the wacky characters and gameplay ooze charm at every moment. Much of that charm has to do with its bright and colorful aesthetic, but don't let those kid-friendly visuals fool you into thinking the game doesn't pose any kind of challenge.

The battle between its titular combatants takes place on the front lawn of your house, with the zombies shambling down one of five lanes. Each new round introduces a new type of zombie into the mix, as well as rewards you with a new plant to use in subsequent rounds. The gameplay loop might be simple, but the overall package still manages to offer hours upon hours of fun for veteran tower defense strategists and casual gamers alike.

2 Legion TD 2

Legion TD 2 is a multiplayer-focused tower defense game that promises infinite replayability Originally a mod for Warcraft 3, Legion TD has become its own deeply strategic and customizable tower defense game, and one of the best in the genre. With over 100 towers to choose from spread across eight different Legions, you'll need to adapt to every situation as it arises to seize victory from your opponent.

Legion TD 2 is primarily a multiplayer game, with battles taking place in 2v2 or 4v4 formats, With each wave, you can send minions to the opponent's side, creating parts of the waves that they must take down or risk losing their king. If you're looking for a competitive tower defense game with tons of depth, Legion TD 2 is a great choice.

1 Bloons TD 6

The sixth entry in the Bloons Tower Defense series is the best yet, with more monkeys, new heroes, and dozens of maps and challenges to complete. Bloons TD 6 is the definitive Bloons experience, offering the most content of any game in the series, and new content is always in development.

The game once again finds players trying to prevent a number of balloons from making their way to the end of a designated pathway. In order to do so, they must make use of a number of different turrets as well as weapon-wielding monkeys.