Defense Derby

About

Defense Derby is a Real Time Strategy game that combines exciting multi-player and single-player modes. Experience stunning gameplay and masterful visuals in this epic battle of wits, where you must scout units to defend your castle and progress in your Guardian's Journey. With various modes including PvP, Boss Dungeon, Blitz PvE, and Friendly Derby, Defense Derby offers endless challenges and thrills for every type of player.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

61%

Audience ScoreBased on 718 reviews

gameplay27 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

The game has a fun and unique premise that combines tower defense with competitive elements.
Graphics and character design are well done, contributing to an enjoyable visual experience.
The gameplay is engaging and addictive, with a good mix of strategy and quick decision-making.

The game suffers from severe lag and connectivity issues, making it frustrating and often unplayable.
There are significant pay-to-win elements that hinder progression for free-to-play users.
Many players report losing progress due to bugs and server problems, leading to a lack of trust in the game's stability.

gameplay
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
38%
6%
The gameplay is generally described as engaging and enjoyable, featuring unique mechanics and vibrant graphics, though it suffers from issues like micromanagement stress, lag, and a pay-to-win model that can hinder progression. While many players appreciate the strategic elements and fun core loop, concerns about server stability and repetitive tasks detract from the overall experience. Additionally, some users report frustrating bugs and account lockouts that impact casual playability.
- “The gameplay itself is quite straightforward yet entertaining, the graphics are cartoony, high fantasy inspired.”
- “Innovative gameplay and fun PvP-based matches.”
- “The mechanics are so unique and it's very strategic.”
- “So the gameplay itself seems fine at the start but the amount of micromanagement that you start to do within a short timeframe makes it quite stressful.”
- “The core gameplay loop is just not accessible to fiddling around with, because so much of it is just grinding.”
- “Unfortunately this game loses a star with lack of server communication; most of the games I have lag that's disruptive to the gameplay.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
79%
8%
13%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their vibrant, colorful design and high-quality art style, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience. However, many users report significant performance issues, including lag and graphical glitches, particularly on lower-end devices, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. Despite these drawbacks, the graphics are often described as stylish and well-executed, with a strong fantasy influence.
- “I liked this game because of its vivid, colorful graphics, environment, themes, and attractive gameplay.”
- “The graphics are cartoony, high fantasy inspired.”
- “Great graphics, animation, and gameplay.”
- “I can play far more graphically intensive games and never get this issue.”
- “However, I do suffer severely from graphical lagging, which may cause slowdowns in phone performance, tends to overheat, and drains more battery. This occurs during not only the online player-versus-player (4v4) derby match but in all modes.”
- “Just the fact that graphics stutter a bit during matches makes it a 4-star.”
optimization
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
61%
22%
Overall, players express significant frustration with the game's optimization, citing severe performance issues, graphical lag, overheating devices, and excessive battery drain. While some users note improvements after updates, many still feel that the game requires substantial optimization to enhance playability and overall enjoyment.
- “Server and optimization issues are mostly fixed, the game is much more enjoyable now.”
- “With the performance issues fixed as well as good quality of life updates, the game is genuinely a good game now.”
- “The game is perfect, it only needs a performance upgrade; the game is making my phone (Poco X3 Pro) get hot like a nuclear reactor.”
- “However, I do suffer severely from graphical lagging (may cause slow down the phone performance & tends to overheat and drain more battery) and internet connection issues (whether it is mobile cellular or Wi-Fi) during not only the online player-versus-player (4v4) derby match, but all modes.”
- “I've never had a game drain this much battery before; it desperately requires optimization.”
- “It's so laggy; the optimization sucks, it's very slow, and it overheats my phone.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The story aspect of the game is criticized for lacking depth and engaging lore, leaving players feeling disconnected from the narrative. Additionally, the daily quests and missions are seen as time-consuming and frustrating, often leading to boredom and dissatisfaction due to technical issues and perceived unfairness in mission design. Overall, players express a desire for a more immersive storyline to enhance their gaming experience.
- “But, people need to know, the story in the Defense Derby universe.”
- “Yep, Defense Derby needs lore and storyline presentation, so players feel and enjoy taking part when playing the games.”
- “And to get the full daily reward, you need to play lots of matches because you can only clear one mission at a time.”
- “Won all PvP games by lining up types, eventually placed 2nd due to lag, then all queue, no matches... quests were stuck on waiting to kill a certain enemy type, bored, quit.”
- “Yep, the game needs lore and storyline presentation, so players feel and enjoy taking part when playing.”
monetization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
14%
57%
The monetization aspect of the game is mixed; while it is advertisement-free and offers in-app purchases (IAPs) that are not essential for enjoyment, many players criticize the high cost of microtransactions and label the game as "pay to win." Some users express frustration over perceived cash grab tactics, leading to negative experiences and uninstalls. Overall, the game is seen as fun and free to play, but the monetization strategy has drawn significant criticism.
- “No ads, some in-app purchases but not necessary to enjoy the game.”
- “I really love the game, but it is completely pay-to-win, which is unfortunate. No ads so far.”
- “The microtransactions are absurdly expensive!”
- “Do not install this game - this is just a cash grab for the devs. I was doing very well, then they sent me a resource error and now I have to start all over after being a top player. Nope, uninstalled you crooks!”
- “Ads.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes and significant lag, regardless of their device specifications or internet speed. Many players experience game-breaking bugs that hinder gameplay, leading to frustration and even uninstallation. Overall, the game's performance issues detract significantly from the user experience.
- “A fun idea, but poorly executed. The game is way too buggy; it freezes 90% of the time. When it finally catches up, you've already missed like 2 waves and are dead.”
- “I can't vote for characters, change my formation, or even use my ability skill if I'm doing badly because it just freezes the screen completely.”
- “Uninstalled because it freezes and I had to force close it. I'm on a Samsung Note 20 Ultra 5G.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express frustration with the music feature, noting that it disrupts their existing audio, such as music or podcasts. They suggest the need for volume settings to allow for the option to mute the game's music and sounds.
- “In addition, it annoyingly interrupts the music or podcast I have playing.”
- “It needs, at the very least, volume settings to turn music and sounds off.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with many users finding it exceptionally funny, though some note that it can be time-consuming to fully appreciate.
- “Funny but takes a lot of time.”
- “Super funny.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
While the game excels in graphics and character design, user reviews do not specifically address character development, suggesting it may not be a focal point of the experience. Instead, players seem to appreciate the overall gameplay and reward system more than the depth of character growth.
- “The character development is incredibly engaging, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making each decision feel impactful and meaningful.”
- “The depth of character backstories and their growth arcs really enhance the overall experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant barrier to enjoyment, as it makes the core gameplay loop feel inaccessible and tedious.
- “The core gameplay loop is just not accessible to fiddle around with, because so much of it is just grinding.”
- “Grinding feels like a chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay invested in the game.”