Top 10 Tower Defense Games for Mobile
The first tower defense game I can remember playing was a custom map for Warcraft III. After that I spent endless hours playing flash-based games like Desktop Tower Defense. That all changed with the release of the iPhone. Since then I've played countless mobile tower defense games, and I'm always on the hunt for a new one. I'm writing this post hoping readers will suggest a game I haven't played yet.
This list does not include city/base defense games like Clash of Clans or Boom Beach. I might do a post on those games in the future.
Kingdom Rush, Kingdom Rush Frontiers, Kingdom Rush Origins
iOS & Android
Ironhide Game Studio
The Kingdom Rush trilogy of tower defense games is absolute perfection and what I judge all others against. Because they are paid games, they are perfectly paced and balanced experiences that are a reward to replay on higher difficulties. Each installment has unique high powered towers that give each game a distinctive feel. Ironhide occasionally adds new levels for free and gets me addicted to those games all over again.
Plants Vs Zombies
iOS & Android
Pop Cap
Plants Vs. Zombies is the best grid based tower defense game. It is crazy addictive and has balanced level progression. The many inventive plants/towers work together for a nearly endless combination of tactics. Add in level variation like night, pool, roof, fog, graveyard, and mini games, and you've got a game with tons of depth.
Plants Vs. Zombies 2 is a game I truly hate. Lots of the balanced and fun level progression was removed so that they could turn it into a free-to-play, grind-filled hell. I'd gladly pay for a third installment if it went back to the roots that served the first game so well.
iBomber Defense Pacific
iOS & Android
Chillingo
iBomber Defense Pacific is a game with a rewarding level of difficulty. Towers can take damage from incoming attacks, you have a very limited number to tower placements, and the number of units in a wave can be staggering as they come from all directions at once. It really does feel like you are holding a strategic line.
Fieldrunners 2
iOS & Android
Subatomic Studios
Fieldrunners 2 has a lot of variety in level design, and its difficulty is well balanced. The number units in a wave can get crazy high. However, the towers are pretty basic and not as inventive as the games higher on this list.
Royal Revolt II
iOS & Android
Flaregames
Royal Revolt II is a bit of a hybrid that is part tower defense, tower attack, RPG, and city defense. While the game is free-to-play, it's never a tedious, painful grind. There is a lot of potential for the game if they add more towers and unit types. I played this for a month and a half solid before progressing so far that I became bored by the lack of new things to do or unlock.
Star Wars Galactic Defense
iOS & Android
:DeNA
Star Wars Galactic Defense is a free-to-play that ramps up to a nearly impossible difficulty level thats so fun. Siding with the Empire or Rebels is pretty superficial without much variation between the two campaigns in terms of real game mechanics. Star Wars characters act as "heroes," and it's really fun to unlock and upgrade them. There is a bit of grinding — it's free-to-play after all — otherwise this game would be ranked much higher.
Alien Creeps
iOS & Android
Outplay Entertainment
Alien Creeps has great art and story and doesn't feel like a free-to-play game. It has extra heroes that you can pay to unlock, and upgrades that take a couple of hours are the only time barriers, but they are hardly intrusive and don't stop you from playing. The towers are pretty standard fare, and but the "challenge" mission are pretty fun. The only drawback to the game is that it's not much of a challenge.
Prime World: Defenders
iOS & Android
Nival
Prime World: Defenders has gorgeous graphics and levels that can be really challenging. It's free-to-play with obvious grinding. The level layouts are really good and make repeat play not as much of a chore.
Tower Defense: Infinite War
iOS & Android
Com2uS Corp.
Tower Defense: Infinite War is a pretty basic tower defense game that just has an insane amount of levels. I found myself beating most levels with just two type of towers. This game is free-to-play but can be played offline.
geoDefense Swarm
iOS & Windows Phone
Critical Thought Games
geoDefense Swarm would be #2 on this list if it worked on iOS 8. As it currently stands, the game is broken. The simple vector graphics, limiting hexagonal grid, and inventive levels are just pure fun. I really wish the game still worked. It should be noted that geoDefense works with iOS 8, but is not as good as Swarm. I would love for someone to pick up the game's formula, as the developer seems to have little interest in maintaining or updating the game.