10 Best Tower Defense Games Like Orcs Must Die

Tower defense games are best suited for strategy, action, and halting waves of enemies. Among the popular games in this genre is Orcs Must Die, which is known for fast combat and clever trap-setting. However, if you are looking for similar games, there are many great options that add their own twists to tower defense. We have picked the 10 best games like Orcs Must Die. Some will let you control powerful heroes, others add strategy, shooting or RPG elements to the games.

10. Sanctum 2

Sanctum 2 is a game that combines first-person shooting and tower defense with an aggressive twist, as an alien-infested world forces players to defend critical structures from wave after wave of hostile creatures. Players can opt between building defensive structures and firing away at the aliens head on. The game focuses much on cooperation because it allows up to four players to team and strategize together. Here, the player can decide to use any of the other characters available, each carrying a unique ability, and hence creates a mix of tactics in each session.

9. Alien Shooter TD

Alien Shooter TD is the amalgamation of elements of the tower defense classic but with the horror of science fiction thrown into the mix. This one is just one of those games that puts a gamer in the grim post-apocalyptic world in which players must protect their own race from the alien invader that does not come but in a wave instead. Instead of the common play of a tower defense, the player will take orders to command his soldiers, whom he shall strategically position to kill invading aliens by the wave loads. Every soldier in the game has its very own set of weapons and abilities. Also, she soldier can be upgraded, along with equipping different sorts of weapons, from rifles to heavy machine guns.

8. CastleStorm II

CastleStorm II is a tower defense, strategy game mixed into a medieval fantasy world. Players will be building their own castles and placing different rooms that will help defend against enemy attacks. Simultaneously, they lead armies to attack enemy strongholds, ensuring a balance between defense and offense. In battle, players will control formidable siege weapons, attacking enemy constructions and troops. They can also summon warriors to assist in combating or defending strategic places. Every action matters because time and strategy really decide who wins the battle.

7. Guns Up!

Guns Up! is another tower defense game where players create and defend a military base. The objective is to protect your base from attacks by the enemy while preparing to attack other players’ bases. In defense, structures such as bunkers and sniper towers are placed strategically around the base to deter invaders. In an attack, the player can release troops with different abilities and strengths, creating varied strategies to outsmart opponents.

6. Beach Invasion 1945 – Pacific

In Beach Invasion 1945 – Pacific, the player takes the role of a military commander defending the beaches of the Pacific during World War II. The game is a setup of various defensive units, including machine guns and artillery cannons, against waves of enemy soldiers. All of these unit types have some particular objective. Some units excel in long-range killings against enemies, while some will be good at striking larger numbers with powerful blasts. So players need to be strategic for covering all parts of the beach and picking the right defenses against multiple types of enemy.

5. Iron Brigade

Iron Brigade is basically an action combat tower defense. This is where you control incredibly powerful mechs referred to as Trenches. Players have to set up various defensive turrets so the enemies cannot take routes on them, while getting to jump into direct battle action with the mech weapons. The player has to balance effective defenses placed with the ability to move around to target threats that get too close. The enemies come in waves, growing tougher with each round, which keeps the action intense. To succeed, players need to adapt to different enemy types and switch tactics quickly.

4. Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is an action game where the plants and zombies fight for control. Players can decide to play either as defensive plants or as zombies taking over. Teamwork is the name of the game, where players strive to complete objectives and protect their faction from the opposite faction. Each character comes with a unique set of abilities and weapons. Players go through the different regions, fighting and strategizing with their fellow comrades. Typically, it is a matter of defending a particular location or killing an endless horde of monsters.

3. Hero Defense

Hero Defense is a game in which the player is controlling a team of heroes to fight waves of monsters. The players place heroes along enemy paths to block and defeat them. Each hero has special skills, so the right spot for them is important. It is a combination of tower defense with action, so the players manage their heroes during battles. Heroes attack enemies directly and can use special moves for extra impact. With increasing waves, the hero selection and strategies also change according to it.

2. Fortified

Fortified is basically a real-time tower defense game mixed with third-person shooter mechanics in a retro-futuristic world where one plays as heroes trying to prevent alien robots from invading Earth. The gameplay revolves around directly fighting waves of robotic invaders while building various defensive structures like turrets, traps, and barriers, according to the abilities granted for each specific hero. These players can also alternate between defense and attacking for a really interesting mixture of action and strategy.

1. Dungeon Defenders 2

The final game in our list of tower defense games is Dungeon Defenders 2. The game requires defenders of a base to place towers and traps along waves of monsters that try to reach the base. Every hero has special defenses that can damage or slow down the enemies, which are always useful for controlling the battlefield. Players jump in to confront the monsters head-on and make the game more engaging besides building defensive structures.

So, which of these games will you try first? Got a favorite tower defense game we missed? Let us know on our socials here!