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Deathtrap

Veterans of both PvZ and Diablo are going to find that Deathtrap handles both genres in a substantial way.
Deathtrap Game Cover
79%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
grinding, stability
82% User Score Based on 1,252 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 12 reviews

Platforms

PCMac OSPlaystation 4Xbox OneXboxWindowsPlayStation
Deathtrap Game Cover

About

Deathtrap is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by NeocoreGames and was released on February 4, 2015. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"Deathtrap is a role-playing Tower Defense game with action-RPG elements, known for its unique mixture of both genres. Play solo or in co-op mode to defend strongholds and defeat hordes of monsters using deadly traps and spells. Despite some optimization issues and bugs, Deathtrap offers a good story, delightful mechanics, wonderful visuals, excellent music, and high replayability."

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82%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,252 reviews
gameplay76 positive mentions
grinding53 negative mentions

  • Deathtrap is a unique blend of tower defense and action RPG mechanics, providing a fresh gameplay experience.
  • The game features a variety of traps and character classes, allowing for diverse strategies and playstyles.
  • The graphics and atmosphere are well-designed, creating an engaging dark fantasy environment.
  • The game suffers from bugs and performance issues, particularly with AMD graphics cards, leading to crashes and freezing.
  • Tower placement is restricted to predetermined spots, limiting strategic options and creativity in gameplay.
  • The game lacks a compelling story and can become repetitive after completing the campaign, with limited content for replayability.
  • gameplay
    227 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Deathtrap" is a unique blend of tower defense and action RPG mechanics, offering a deep and engaging experience that is both mechanically satisfying and highly replayable. Players appreciate the variety of traps and character customization, although some criticize the limited strategic choices and repetitive nature of gameplay over time. Overall, while the game has its flaws, it provides a fun and challenging experience, especially for fans of both genres.

    • “It blends tower defense and action RPG mechanics into a hybrid that is surprisingly deep, mechanically satisfying, and highly replayable.”
    • “The gameplay is so satisfying, the music slaps, and the progression is smooth.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it reminds me a lot of 'Orcs Must Die!' and offers a fun mix of ARPG with tower defense, introducing new content and features regularly to keep interest high.”
    • “You cannot choose tower placement and shape monsters' path; there is no RNG element in the campaign, and mechanics are very limited, as well as character building.”
    • “The game is so shallow that the gameplay itself isn't enough to keep it afloat.”
    • “If it weren't for the constant crashes and bugs, this would probably be my favorite tower defense game to date, but unfortunately, it's become unplayable due to the game constantly bugging out.”
  • graphics
    179 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally considered dated, with many reviewers noting that they resemble styles from the 90s or early 2000s, yet they still maintain a certain charm and appeal, particularly for fans of the tower defense genre. While some players appreciate the unique dark fantasy aesthetic and detailed spell effects, others express frustration with performance issues and graphical glitches, especially on lower-end systems. Overall, the visuals are described as decent but in need of optimization, with a mix of positive and negative feedback regarding their quality and impact on gameplay.

    • “Dozens of maps, co-op support, leaderboard chasing, and a surprisingly effective dark fantasy aesthetic make this feel more substantial than its price suggests.”
    • “Even if its visuals aged with the passing of time, Deathtrap still looks pretty good.”
    • “The graphics are great; once I got my 970 and turned everything to max, it looked even better, and the game runs well - alt-tabbing and stuff is no problem.”
    • “The only way to fix this framerate issue is to uncheck high textures (which for some reason gives you a much needed 15% to 35% frame boost when disabled but makes the game look really ugly once you disable high textures) but once you do that, it introduces a graphical software-based artifacting issue.”
    • “Kind of forgot what 2010s games look like, feels like the graphics belong in the 90s or early 2000s - but in a charming way.”
    • “Ugly outdated graphics, bad controls... couldn't go beyond the tutorial.”
  • story
    155 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Deathtrap" is largely considered minimal and underwhelming, with many reviewers noting a lack of a cohesive narrative to connect the gameplay elements. While there are some brief introductions and flavor text for missions, the overall plot is described as shallow, serving primarily as a backdrop for the action-oriented gameplay rather than a compelling storyline. Players seeking a rich narrative experience may find the game lacking, as it focuses more on tower defense mechanics and replayability than on storytelling.

    • “A surprisingly good game, Deathtrap's story isn't going to rock your world, but the gritty environments, wretched creatures, and explosions definitely will.”
    • “What I like: the steampunk/fantasy/eastern European mythology elements of the storyline are absolutely unique and engrossing.”
    • “There's 13 'campaign' maps that form the core storyline, with three difficulty levels, most of them also containing a side-quest to go for during the chaos, then four 'tiers' that unlock as you complete the story.”
    • “The story is still subpar though.”
    • “Given the grim setting, it's shocking there is almost no story in here; our character might say something here and there, but it just feels like doing the same few levels for an arcade vibe with only implied stakes, making everything feel shallow and fails to captivate.”
    • “There's really no story.”
  • replayability
    64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts exceptionally high replayability, thanks to its blend of tower defense and action RPG mechanics, multiple character classes, various difficulty tiers, and diverse gameplay modes including endless and scenario options. Players appreciate the depth of customization, community-created content, and the challenge of unlocking new traps and skills, making it a game that encourages repeated playthroughs. Overall, it offers a rich and engaging experience that keeps players coming back for more.

    • “Deathtrap is an amazing and diverse game with a lot of replayability and is most fun with 2 friends.”
    • “Very replayable: after you've finished all levels on either difficulty, you can start with other tiers, that will randomize the playthrough of each level, creating a whole new way to play it.”
    • “The loot and leveling up system is rewarding enough and having played through the solo campaign once, I am pleasantly surprised to find myself wanting to keep playing the new challenges, so this replay value is something not all tower defense games have.”
    • “Predefined tower spots are hindering the replayability, and hero skills are pretty boring.”
    • “Overall though it's a fun game to play through with some friends, it doesn't have much replayability so I'd recommend picking it up on a sale.”
    • “Don't buy if you want to play co-op - and apparently people are getting crashing on endless mode in single player - so don't hope for replayability either.”
  • grinding
    55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews indicate that grinding is a prominent aspect of the game, with many players noting it can feel tedious and repetitive at times, particularly in the later stages. However, some appreciate the grinding as a means of progression and entertainment, especially with the variety of game modes and customization options available. Overall, while the grinding may deter some players, others find it rewarding and integral to the gameplay experience.

    • “In order to make it not tedious, you can speed up time in increments, making enemies walk faster, slower, or pause.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I do feel the game is a bit grindy at times and would benefit from a faster XP system.”
    • “The main problem with this is that even at max level there is no consistent way of gaining materials quickly, so you have quite a bit of grinding to do.”
    • “All the good gear you would want to use is like 20 hours worth of grinding.”
  • music
    52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising its thematic fit and memorable tracks, particularly the battle symphony. However, some users noted that the soundtrack can become repetitive, with limited variety in tracks, especially during gameplay. Overall, while the music enhances the atmosphere and complements the game's aesthetic, players expressed a desire for a broader selection of tracks to maintain engagement.

    • “The music is outstanding, the game mechanics (play as a sorceress!) are fantastic.”
    • “The soundtrack is the best I've heard this year; I really love the opening song at the main menu and stage selection screens.”
    • “The voiceovers have emotion, the music is catchy and really presents a feeling of urgency to the battle ahead, and the battlefields feel like blighted woods, ancient ruins, and hidden machinations of lost technology.”
    • “The music gets pretty repetitive.”
    • “The main fighting music, which plays on every map continuously, becomes annoying really fast.”
    • “The soundtrack is very limited, but also very excellent; the voice acting is mostly good; the monsters range from mythological beasts to disgusting creations of flesh and metal.”
  • stability
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs that hinder gameplay, particularly in co-op mode. While some players have experienced minimal issues, the overall consensus indicates that the game suffers from poor optimization and unresolved glitches, making it difficult to recommend for those sensitive to technical problems. Despite a few positive experiences, the prevalence of stability issues has soured the experience for many, leading to frustration and lost progress.

    • “There has been no glitches, lag, or any issues of locking or crashing of any kind in over 16 hours of gameplay.”
    • “I am currently loving it and finding it wonderfully bug-free.”
    • “The game runs smoothly, with no glitches, no bugs, and no crashes on my Windows 7 system.”
    • “If it weren't for the constant crashes and bugs, this would probably be my favorite tower defense game to date, but unfortunately it's become unplayable due to the game constantly bugging out. You click on the mini map and the game stops responding to inputs, but is still running. It constantly freezes or crashes during loading or just straight up crashes during gameplay, or worse, after a level has been painstakingly completed on hard, resulting in quite a bit of time lost on later levels.”
    • “The game constantly crashes, fails to start, or freezes every chance it gets.”
    • “There are occasional freezes and crashes (about once every 5 hours) and some bugs, such as non-working borderless window mode, remain unfixed for years.”
  • optimization
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe frame rate drops, stuttering, and crashes, particularly in high-density areas. While some users experienced smooth performance, the overall consensus indicates that the game is poorly optimized, with issues persisting even on capable hardware. Many reviewers express frustration over the lack of ongoing optimization efforts from the developers, leading to a recommendation against the title for those concerned about performance.

    • “And wow, the performance gain had been 173% higher!”
    • “It doesn't have any performance issues, running smoothly all the time, no matter how many units are on the field.”
    • “Pretty well optimized and great graphics.”
    • “Unoptimized game with unplayable frame rate drops.”
    • “The game itself is actually pretty good, but oh my god... it's so badly optimized, so make sure your PC is up for the task.”
    • “I like the concept but the interface is really rough, performance is terrible on my reasonably specc'd PC (I can run Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and Doom fine but not this?) it hangs and crashes worse than anything I've played in years.”
  • atmosphere
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, immersive qualities, blending elements of steampunk, gothic, and cyberpunk aesthetics. Players appreciate the variety of traps and enemies, as well as the engaging music and art that enhance the overall experience. However, there are mixed opinions on the graphical quality, with some noting inconsistencies in visual presentation.

    • “But this game has its own spirit and addictive atmosphere, and I really love it!”
    • “The dark and gloomy atmosphere fits well in the Hellsing universe, and meshes well with the monsters and maps.”
    • “Great atmosphere, music, and art.”
    • “I think the biggest confusion is the sense of atmosphere.”
    • “The campaign fits with what backstory there is and the overall atmosphere does have an appeal.”
    • “If you were to mash up tower defense with Diablo atmosphere and ARPG mechanics, this is what you would get.”
  • humor
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying its comedic elements, such as quirky character dialogue and amusing gameplay scenarios. Many reviews note that the humor enhances the overall experience, making it suitable for team play and bonding, despite some frustrations with game mechanics. Overall, the game's humor is described as engaging and entertaining, contributing positively to the players' enjoyment.

    • “This game is really funny and very suitable for team playing or bonding activities.”
    • “This game makes my stomach hurt; every time I get to the final wave and lose and gain 0 XP for the last 30 minutes of play, I can feel the devs laughing at me.”
    • “Some levels have special traps that are only available on a specific map; they are often pretty funny and enjoyable, but not available all the time.”
  • character development
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development in this game is notably more in-depth compared to similar titles, featuring talent trees for both traps and characters, alongside crafting and equipping options. While some reviews mention a lack of plot, the balance of skills and character progression is praised, offering a satisfying blend of action RPG elements within a tower defense framework. Overall, players appreciate the depth and balance of character development, enhancing the gameplay experience.

    • “Similar to games like Sanctum, but with a more in-depth character development aspect that includes talent trees for both traps and your character, crafting, equipping, shopping, co-op, and more.”
    • “It's a mixture of an action RPG with classes, monsters, character development, equipment, and all the usual traits of one, fused together with a tower defense game that doesn't even have 'towers' as its most noticeable feature.”
    • “Not much character development or plot, but that is not important in this game.”
    • “The character development is fairly similar to Van Helsing; you get three skill points per level to spend on class skills.”
    • “It's a mixture of an action RPG with classes, monsters, character development, equipment and all the usual traits of one, fused together with a tower defense game that doesn't even have 'towers' as its most noticeable feature.”
  • monetization
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game is generally viewed positively, as it features no microtransactions, which some players appreciate as a refreshing change from typical mobile tower defense games that often rely on aggressive in-game purchases. However, a few users interpret the absence of monetization options as a missed opportunity or a sign of laziness. Overall, the lack of microtransactions is seen as a strength by many players.

    • “Oh, and absolutely zero microtransactions.”
    • “+ If this game has microtransactions, I haven't seen any yet.”
    • “So I've played a lot of tower defense games, and some of the ones on mobile devices start off really fun and then start trying to steal your money with stupid microtransactions.”
    • “This game is basically one of those games, without the microtransactions.”
    • “Based on my many years of playing various tower defense games, here's my judgment: the monetization strategies can often feel exploitative.”
  • emotional
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is described as impactful, with users expressing a mix of strong feelings, ranging from distaste to heartfelt appreciation. Overall, it resonates well with players, earning a positive recommendation despite some contrasting imagery.

    • “Heartfelt 8/10. Grab this on the Humble Bundle staff picks; you definitely won't regret it.”
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16h Median play time
21h Average play time
6-40h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 26 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Deathtrap is a role playing game.

Deathtrap is available on PC, Mac OS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and others.

On average players spend around 21 hours playing Deathtrap.

Deathtrap was released on February 4, 2015.

Deathtrap was developed by NeocoreGames.

Deathtrap has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Deathtrap is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Warstone TD, Fight The Dragon, Victor Vran, Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing and others.