My Top 10 for Turret Defense Games

TURRET DEFENSE GAMES!!!

Long, long ago, when I was a young child....actually I have no clue when my love for turret defense games began. Thinking back, I feel like I have always played them. It's literally my kryptonite. I could play turret defense games for hours and hours. So it is safe to say that I feel like a bit of an expert when it comes to them. And that I have played quite a few over the years, so I thought why shouldn't I share with the world my top ten favorite ones!

These are not listed by my most favorite to least or vice versa. I just split them up into beginner/novice and advanced categories. So if you are hardcore about turret defense check out advanced and obviously if you are just learning turret defense strategies check out the beginner/novice section.

Beginner/Novice

1. Ninja VS Pirates TD

Reason I like this TD:
It has ninjas and pirates!
The six turret options are funny!
Three different maps with three difficulty options (easy, hard, & unlimited).
There are predetermined paths.
Reasons I don't like this TD:
Having to scroll around the map.
Doesn't have a zoom button.

Overall, it is a fun little cheesy game that I find myself wanting to play every now and again. Normally it doesn't manage to steal my entire day from me though.




2. Cake Pirate
Reasons I like this TD:
Predetermined paths.
Random cakes that you can sell for money!
Upgradeable skills.
Three tower options which can have cake ingredients added to them to make them different.
Monsters have different weaknesses.
You have to play to unlock harder maps.
Reasons I don't like this TD:
Scrolling is need to look around entire map.
Has flying and sea monsters.
Three different towers (one for air, one for sea, and one for both (which of course is more expensive than both of the other two...lame!)).

Overall, I enjoyed this game the first time I played it but I don't find myself going back for more. It is a good starter for learning, because it is a fairly simple game. The ability to sell cakes (that act as your lives) does help out a lot.

3. Monster Castle
Reasons I like this TD:
Predetermined path.
Not the typical style of TD.
Love the randomness of the turret options.
Has hot keys!
The queen eats any baddies that make it through the defenses!
There are magic spells to attack the enemy. 
Defeat levels to unlock harder levels.

Reasons I don't like this TD: 
The upgrades for the towers are cool because they gain exp to level up but you have to click to have them upgrade.

Overall, I quite like this game. It is a simple play. This is one that I can play for a few and then walk away from and not lose my entire day... It is also good if you want to play a turret defense like game or just want a different version. I have yet to have found one that has similar game play. This is a game I have revisited a few times.






4. Bloom Defense
Reasons I like this TD:
Predetermined paths.
Magic power spells.
Cutesy art!
Complete levels to unlock more maps.
There are two difficulty settings (normal & hard).

Reasons I don't like this TD: 

Tower options are predetermined.
Can't upgrade during waves; only in the pause between them.

Overall, I suggest this to get your kids hooked on TD games! I've played it (and beat it!) just once. It isn't a game that I would play multiple times. It serves as a really good between games kind of game...(that's right, I take a break from one game by playing another game...)


 
5. Mushroom Tower Defense
Reasons I like this TD:
There are predetermined paths.
Generic turret that you add gems to and make it awesomer!
They give you a combination list to look at specials that you have already discovered (or show you ones you haven't yet tried).
Killing a boss gives you an accessory that you can give to a tower for added bonuses.
Upgradeable skills as you pass levels.
You can speed up the game with a fast forward button (3 speed options).
Reasons I don't like this TD: 
Another map that requires scrolling to see the whole thing.

Overall, I have revisited this game a few times (which is odd because I do rather dislike games that don't show you the whole map). The difficulty curve does feel rather steep with this game. For example, the first map is actually rather easy but then by map three, it's like it becomes a new impossible game! It is nice though, because I thought it was going to be a super easy game. It'd probably be easier if I didn't have to get a gold rating on each level... 
  

Advanced

6. GemCraft
Reasons I like this TD:
There are predetermined paths.
You have a save option to come back later!
There is a speed up option (but only two settings).
Calling next wave is super easy.
There are upgradeable skills.
After getting so many levels to have a glowing frame (because you got enough points), you can unlock secret levels! (Takes six to unlock the first one.)
There is also a lot of info given about everything! (enemy's health, armor, cost to banish; points needed for glowing frame; current waves enemy's life)
Reasons I don't like this TD:
The hot keys would be okay (if I hadn't played the newer version). 
Can't combine gems while one of them are in a tower or trap.

Overall, I probably played this game far too much. There is also a storyline to the game, but I can't remember what it is about... It takes quite some time to unlock all the levels, and each level gets a little harder than the last. There are also boss levels that you have to pass to progress farther (so spend your upgrade points wisely!). I have revisited this game a few times.

7. GemCraft Chapter 0
Reasons I like this TD:
There are predetermined paths.
Amazing hot keys! (My favorite of any TD game.)
There is a speed toggle.
So much more upgrade skill choices and they are so much better!
Each level has bunch of playing options (like endurance, normal, swarms, time siege, and many, many more).
Just as much feedback as the old version.
Capable of combining gems while they are in a tower or trap.
Reasons I don't like this TD: 
The fact that it can eat away an entire day without me realizing it.

Overall, I love this game. It truly builds to be a rather difficult game. Of course I love being able to beat a game easily, but there is something about fighting to earn a victory from a game (especially after you have failed over and over again...). I highly suggest playing this game if you enjoy turret defense games and want one that is a challenge. This is a game I revisit often (...and then remember it takes forever to beat and usually walk away from it). 

8. Creeper World: Evermore
Reasons I like this TD:
Different style of turret defense game.
New map (or repeats of old maps) appear each day.
Simple turrets (only four of them (and one only shots spores out of the sky)).
Reasons I don't like this TD: 
First round of playing is rather confusing (think it took me three tries before I completely felt comfortable with strategy plans).

There are no predetermined paths.

Overall, I like that this isn't a game that I'll spend all day playing. With the new maps each day, I can't spend all day trying to unlock more levels. It is more about keeping the blue stuff (which seems like water) at bay as you make your way to the green bits (that look kinda like flowers). Even better there are orange circles (on some of the maps) that give you bonuses to your stats. So the basic idea of the game is to build a network that gives you more energy and moves grey orbs to build new objects, orange orbs to reload turrets, and green orbs to power up the three points needed to teleport out of the map.
 
9. Bubble Tanks Tower Defense
Reasons I like this TD:
More play unlocks further levels that get more difficult.
Multiple tower path upgrades (and a convenient map of the different upgrade options).

There are hot keys (which take some getting us to). 
Some of the maps have different ways to beat it (like unlimited waves and building up a defense with no later upgrades allowed).
There is an option for hard mode and a cheat mode (perfect thing for both hardcore players and newcomers).
Reasons I don't like this TD: 
There isn't a hot key to call out the next wave. 
Doesn't have predetermined paths.
There is no speed up option.

Overall, this has been my current TD obsession. It is great fun, but I do find that I get a little obsessed with making patterns with the turrets. This is the only one on this list that I haven't beaten all the way through, so I will be working on winning everything over the next few weeks. I'm usually not a fan of TDs that don't have predetermined paths, but this one doesn't bother me like much of the other ones. (There are also super turrets that take up the space that four regular turrets do!)



10. Vector TD
Reasons I like this TD:
There are predetermined paths.
Four sets of turrets that have a few different levels of strength (also shows the damage and range very nicely (most TDs I don't even know that info about the turrets)).
Three categories of map difficulty.
The enemies in the waves have health bars above their heads.
Reasons I don't like this TD: 
There are no hot keys!
No speed up button.

Overall, this is probably my most play turret defense game ever! I've probably been playing this game for seven years now....that feels rather sad to say. I've manage to do so, because each time that I play I try to make different patterns with the turrets each time. It is also the only turret defense game that I can play while doing other things. 

So this is my list of my favorite turret defense games. Let me know if I missed out on a great TD game or if any of these are in your list of top ten games. Hope you have a sunshine filled day!