City Defense Z

About

City Defense Z is a single player casual strategy game. It was developed by Good Mood Games and was released on August 25, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

City Defense Z challenges you to build and expand your city by day while preparing defenses against relentless zombie hordes at night. Use strategic placement of buildings, resource management, and tactical use of cards to withstand increasingly dangerous waves. Your ability to adapt and plan determines if your city survives the darkness.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 131 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

City Defense Z offers a unique blend of tower defense, resource management, and roguelite mechanics, creating an engaging gameplay loop that keeps players coming back for more.
The game features a well-implemented card-based construction system that encourages strategic planning and spatial awareness, making each run feel distinct and rewarding.
Active developer support and regular updates enhance the game's experience, addressing bugs and improving gameplay based on community feedback.

The reliance on RNG for card draws can lead to frustrating gameplay moments, where players may feel stuck due to poor luck in obtaining necessary resources or upgrades.
Many players find the game repetitive and lacking depth, with a grindy progression system that can make it feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.
Technical issues, including crashes and bugs, have been reported, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to a frustrating experience for players.

gameplay
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
62%
11%
The gameplay combines strategic base-building with merging mechanics, offering a satisfying and addictive experience that encourages players to think critically about resource management and troop placement. While the game features enjoyable roguelite elements and a solid progression system, some players note repetitiveness and a lack of depth in certain mechanics. Overall, it provides a fun and engaging loop, especially for fans of tower defense and resource management genres, though it could benefit from further development and polish.
- “Players must decide not only which structures to place, but where to place them on a limited grid, as adjacency and merging mechanics allow identical buildings to be combined into stronger versions.”
- “The gameplay is simple but satisfying, with that 'just one more round' vibe that keeps you coming back.”
- “The mix of familiar base defense mechanics with fresh unit-combining strategies gives the gameplay both a nostalgic and innovative feel.”
- “The gameplay is heavily repetitive; you build 4 building types and have 4 or 5 'turrets' to defend.”
- “The biggest problem is that the gameplay is the same for a long time before it changes; there is no active defense, you just wait and wait more.”
- “I don't know how much less damage my troops do with less morale, I don't know how to produce more food, I don't know how much my troops will consume; it's just a mechanic that doesn't seem ironed out.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The graphics of the game are described as modest yet fitting for its strategic gameplay, emphasizing decision-making over visual flair. While some users note a nostalgic resemblance to early 2000s games, others appreciate the cute and fun aesthetics that enhance the overall experience. Overall, the visuals are deemed suitable for the game's style, though not on par with AAA titles.
- “While the art style is modest, it suits the strategic nature of the game and keeps attention focused on decision-making rather than visual distraction.”
- “The graphics are, however, perfect for what this game is.”
- “The game has very cute graphics in terms of aesthetics.”
- “Graphics are like a game from the early 2000...”
- “If you are seeking triple-A graphics, this won't be it.”
- “Looks like a cross between a Borderlands game art style and Last Standing, but different at the same time.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The story is described as casual and shallow, with players feeling that they have experienced everything within the first two hours of gameplay, as the missions are repetitive and lack depth. While the tech tree offers some engaging elements, the overall narrative feels rushed, particularly with a significant jump in difficulty in the final mission, leading to concerns about balance and testing. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the slower pace and find the game solid enough for casual enjoyment.
- “It could do with some other events or systems added, but I think it's solid enough for most people wanting a slower pace of game. The research tree is great, but you can open up every upgrade with a few plays of each mission.”
- “I know I only scratched the surface with mission 1, but I was tired and went to bed.”
- “Casual and shallow, you'll have seen it all in the 2 hours of play; the rest is just beefing up numbers through the tech tree and waiting to finish the 4 'maps' (it's all the same, just a reskin of the 'storyline').”
- “But I will try the final mission again... just knowing it was originally 100 but later changed to 250 feels rushed and maybe not thoroughly tested.”
- “Its perhaps a little too easy starting out; mission 1 was kind of boringly easy.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with constant resource farming and building placements leading to a lack of enjoyment over time. The need to strategize around upgrades rather than engaging in battles diminishes the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than fun. While initial gameplay may be enjoyable, updates have further exacerbated the grind, prompting some users to recommend avoiding the game altogether.
- “Enjoyable but way, way too grindy.”
- “This has to be one of the more tedious games I've tried. Placing three buildings next to each other to upgrade, same goes for troops. It's not fun when you need 100 or more, so you constantly have to strategize where to build rather than focus on the actual battle. With just a few upgrades, you don't even need to bother with the battle at all for the first 20+ waves, as your main wall starts with turrets that can handle it alone.”
- “Was fun the first few days I played it, and then they did an update making it tedious and boring. Avoid!”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, featuring amusing graphics and quirky commentary that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the funny in-game elements, such as a humorous news reader, and find the charm reminiscent of mobile base builders, all while enjoying a lack of microtransactions. Overall, the humor contributes positively to the game's appeal.
- “I love the funny graphics.”
- “There are some funny quirky commentary and the game has all the charm of a mobile base builder like Clash of Clans, but without the microtransactions and phone requirements.”
- “Pros: cool art, nice humor, permanent progression upgrades, promising game if it gets updated.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players have experienced significant improvements and smooth performance, particularly after updates, others have reported initial issues with crashes and poor optimization that hindered their enjoyment. The developers' responsiveness to these concerns has been noted positively, suggesting ongoing efforts to enhance the game's performance.
- “This depth becomes especially satisfying when a well-optimized city survives a particularly devastating night, reinforcing the sense that success comes from understanding systems rather than exploiting gimmicks.”
- “You can ignore the old optimization reviews. I hesitated to buy at first after seeing negative comments about crashes, but after seeing developers being active, I gave it a shot and everything seems to be working fine on my GTX 1650 laptop.”
- “Update - 10/9/25 - the game runs smoothly and I can finally enjoy playing it.”
- “I really like this game, but unfortunately, it seems like it is poorly optimized.”
- “If they ever fix the optimization, I will change this, but for now, it will be a non-recommendation for me.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
Overall, "City Defense Z" is praised for its challenging gameplay and high replayability, with many players enjoying the strategic depth and variety it offers. However, some users feel that the game can become shallow over time, potentially limiting its long-term replay value. Despite this, the game is generally considered a good value for money with plenty of content to explore.
- “Overall, City Defense Z succeeds as a challenging and replayable strategy game that thrives on tension, planning, and gradual mastery.”
- “Tons to see and do here, lots of replay value and great value for money.”
- “It offers fun mechanics, nice visuals, and high replayability.”
- “The game was fun off the bat but quickly became obvious that it was very shallow and does not have much replayability.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, users report mixed experiences with stability; while some praise the game's performance on specific devices like the Asus ROG Ally, others highlight significant bugs that detract from the enjoyment. Despite these issues, some players still find it worth the price during sales.
- “Worth the $6.99 (winter sale) - runs great on Asus ROG Ally - would make a good airplane game.”
- “Runs great.”
- “Pretty buggy and just not fun; too bad I was looking forward to a new wave game.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers suggest that the game could thrive on mobile platforms by incorporating monetization strategies such as optional meta progression purchases and ads with a permanent removal option, positioning it as a successful free-to-play model.
- “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending money.”
- “I find the in-game purchases to be unbalanced, as they give paying players a significant advantage over free players.”
- “The constant prompts to buy in-game currency disrupt the gameplay experience and make it feel more like a cash grab than a fun game.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the thrilling tension during night attacks and the enjoyable day cycle. The well-crafted zombie waves contribute to an overall immersive experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The atmosphere is great, and the tension during night attacks adds an extra thrill.”
- “A fun day cycle, well-crafted zombie waves, and an overall great atmosphere make this a really enjoyable game.”