Tower Defense, I love it. It is such a horrible time sink for me it’s ridiculous. I love setting up defenses and having computer controlled drones helplessly march to their demise. It’s something that started a few years back, I think the first one I ever played was a browser based game(can’t remember the name). From there it’s just been a growing addiction, something I try to play on every system, including my phone. I already have Robo Defense on my Galaxy Nexus, but it’s time to try something different. I heard a bunch of good things about DroidHen’s Defender, so I gave it a try.
Calling this game Tower Defense is a bit of a stretch. It’s the same basic concept, with one big difference: you just have one tower, and you control it. You have control over a stationary crossbow set on the roof of a castle, and it’s your job to shoot the incoming waves of enemies who are trying to destroy your dwelling. You tap on the screen wherever you want the arrows to go, it’s that simple. You also have access to several spells, which use MP. These can be game changers at any point, as they are screen filling calamities.
At the end of each level, you are given money and crystals to use on upgrades. These can range from more power to your arrows, increasing the speed at which you can shoot, and making your castle a hardier structure. You also upgrade your spells, taking your starting fireball to a meteor shower for instance. It’s these upgrades that motivate you to keep playing, just to see how much more powerful you can become. As you progress, the monsters get tougher, more varied, and every ten levels or so, you fight a boss. The whole experience stays fresh.
I’ve personally sank at least three hours total into this game, currently at level 76. I haven’t found anything saying the game ends, so it must be infinite. This is a “freemium” game, meaning the game itself is free, but there are ads on a few screens(non-obstrusive), and you can outright buy upgrades. I haven’t spent a cent on this, and I don’t intend to. I’ve been having a great time with it, each level lasts about a minute or less, so it’s easy to pick up and let go quickly. I fully recommend you give it a shot if you have an Android phone. Go skewer some minions š