Nordhold

About

Nordhold is a single player strategy game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by StunForge and was released on March 25, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

Build a city and defend it in this Tower Defense game blending Roguelite mechanics with turn-based building Strategy. Choose your hero, utilize synergistic tower upgrades, and face epic battles in procedurally generated landscapes. Nordhold is a tower defense game for strategy enthusiasts who crave high replayability through endless combinations. Build and manage a cozy medieval Nordic village wh…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,325 reviews

gameplay60 positive mentions

grinding41 negative mentions

Nordhold combines tower defense with city-building and roguelite elements, creating a unique and engaging gameplay experience.
The game offers a high level of replayability with diverse strategies, tower combinations, and a rewarding meta-progression system.
Players appreciate the lack of a timer, allowing for thoughtful planning and strategy during the economy and defense phases.

The game can experience significant performance issues and lag in later waves, particularly after wave 30.
Some players find the difficulty spikes, especially around wave 38, to be frustrating and feel that the game punishes them for not following specific strategies.
The reliance on RNG for banners and relics can lead to runs feeling unfairly determined by luck rather than skill.

gameplay
183 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
63%
4%
The gameplay of Nordhold has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its innovative blend of tower defense and city-building mechanics, as well as its strategic depth and replayability. However, some users expressed frustration with the slow introduction of new mechanics, repetitive gameplay after extended hours, and a steep difficulty curve that can hinder enjoyment. Overall, while the core gameplay loop is engaging and addictive, it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of variety in strategies as players progress.
- “Nordhold is a refreshingly inventive take on the tower defense genre, combining traditional mechanics with village-building elements and roguelite progression to deliver a deeply engaging and strategic experience.”
- “The blend of strategic planning, resource management, and tactical defense creates a satisfying gameplay loop that invites both quick sessions and long-haul experimentation.”
- “This game strikes an amazing balance of economy, defense, and tech upgrades mixed with rogue-like RNG mechanics that makes every run feel interesting and challenging!”
- “After 10 hours of gameplay, I was getting bored by the same gameplay loop.”
- “The introduction of new buildings and mechanics takes too long.”
- “The gameplay is overall extremely repetitive; it doesn't create enough options for synergies and not that many interacting mechanics.”
replayability
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
48%
5%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its high replay value due to randomization, diverse strategies, and unlockable content, making each run feel unique. However, some critics argue that certain fixed elements and a lack of depth can diminish the overall replayability experience. Overall, while many find it addictive and enjoyable with significant replay potential, others feel it may not sustain long-term interest.
- “Lots of replay value, randomization of relics/banners/heroes/fusions make each game different enough.”
- “The roguelite aspect of it gives plenty of replayability while forcing you to think outside the box every time depending on the cards you're dealt.”
- “A sophisticated economy, large tower variety, enormous number and combinations of modifiers within and between games, random map generation, and solid graphics give it huge replayability.”
- “Replayability is weak.”
- “This is not really a tower defense game, it's a puzzle game, since basically everything is already pre-determined - and once you've solved the puzzle, the game loses all replay value and any interest.”
- “The game is solid and has a lot of potential, but right now it severely lacks replayability for a roguelite.”
graphics
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
45%
6%
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players appreciating the art style, atmospheric visuals, and attention to detail. However, some users noted issues such as lag in later stages, reliance on stock art, and a desire for more aesthetic variety. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging visuals that complement its gameplay, though there are suggestions for improvement in certain areas.
- “The visuals and music hit a great atmospheric vibe.”
- “The graphics of this one are slicker.”
- “The visuals are clean (you can actually tell what’s happening for once), and the sound gives off nice chill viking vibes.”
- “The only negative point is that it lags like hell after wave 55, doesn't matter what I do, playing on potato graphics, and it does not improve.”
- “1.) Visuals are blurry (with and without AA, playing on macOS).”
- “Another thing worth mentioning is that it uses free low poly asset packs that are sometimes incredibly clashing, ruining any semblance of an art style, hero portraits especially.”
grinding
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a significant point of contention, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, especially in the early stages. While some appreciate the metaprogression and the potential for deeper gameplay, others feel that the grind for upgrades and resources detracts from the overall experience, making it less enjoyable for those who dislike repetitive tasks. Overall, the game may appeal to fans of grinding mechanics, but it risks alienating players who prefer a more dynamic and engaging progression system.
- “Complex, but not too taxing; it's not grindy... I can see myself playing this quite a bit.”
- “With the huge variability imposed by RNG events, it's just tedious.”
- “Tons of potential, but for new players, the curve for unlocking and getting anywhere close to a strategic game is tedious and grindy.”
- “Update: my review is kind of a warning to new players - this game is good once you've unlocked everything, but until then, it's really tedious grinding.”
optimization
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
52%
32%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting significant performance issues, especially in later waves, leading to stuttering and lag even on powerful hardware. While some users note that gameplay performance can be solid at lower speeds, many agree that the game requires substantial optimization to enhance the overall experience. Upcoming patches are anticipated to address these concerns, but current performance remains a major drawback.
- “But with the next patch they announced performance improvements, will try that next.”
- “Gameplay performance even in later waves on highest speed is solid.”
- “Then you throw the relics and banners in the mix, every single run is unique and different; it's also optimized fully, as I've had no frame drops and stuttering that can happen in these types of games when the screen gets full and hectic in the later waves.”
- “An unstable and badly optimized build of a good game.”
- “The problem is that even with every single option that impacts performance turned off or at minimums, the game keeps locking up.”
- “Performance is also horrible once you get to the later waves.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
31%
14%
The music in the game is generally praised for its atmospheric fit with the medieval fantasy theme, particularly the Nordic-inspired tracks that enhance the overall experience. While some players find the soundtrack relaxing and suitable for gameplay, others note a lack of variety and suggest it may become repetitive over time. Overall, the sound design, including ambient music and sound effects, effectively complements the visuals and gameplay, creating a cohesive aesthetic.
- “The music provides good atmosphere, along with the medieval fantasy theme.”
- “The visuals and music hit a great atmospheric vibe.”
- “Excellent spin on the genre - great music and art style.”
- “Also - the game has 1 or 2 tracks of borderline royalty-free 'Nordic war drums' music.”
- “The graphics and music are decent, nothing to blow you away.”
- “While the music isn't anything special, the sound effects on the other hand are top-notch and enhance the experience a lot.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
46%
31%
The game lacks a traditional story, with players noting that it primarily focuses on gameplay mechanics rather than narrative elements. While some appreciate the absence of a convoluted plot, many express disappointment that the game's Nordic theme is not reflected in its content, suggesting that even a minimal story could enhance the experience. Overall, the absence of a cohesive narrative leaves a void that some players feel could be filled to improve engagement.
- “I am familiar with the mechanics of tower defense games and was able to complete the main storyline with 30 hours of casual gameplay, but I am attracted enough to continue and 100% the game.”
- “This game being a roguelite means there's no campaign with a set of missions, but each run has some (sometimes lots of) randomness built into it, which works really well.”
- “Oh add some story even if super light.”
- “No story exists and the meta upgrades start to run out at the 20 hour mark.”
- “There is no story, no dialogue, just pure grind to unlock new mechanics. This is an indie game, so I understand to an extent, but there is just nothing going on to keep me going back.”
- “My primary criticism is that the name suggests a Nordic theme (Nord Hold) and the marketing also leaned heavily into Viking culture, but there is nothing in the actual gameplay that makes you feel that you are in a Nordic story.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its impressive visuals and music, which effectively create an engaging medieval fantasy vibe. Players appreciate the chill pacing that keeps them immersed, often leading to extended play sessions, while the audio enhances the experience, particularly with its dynamic shifts during gameplay.
- “The visuals and music hit a great atmospheric vibe.”
- “The music provides good atmosphere, along with the medieval fantasy theme.”
- “The atmosphere is awesome, the pacing is chill but still keeps you engaged, and I keep telling myself 'just one more day' and suddenly it’s 2am.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted as funny, particularly in the combination of various tower elements, but some players feel that the enjoyment diminishes with extended play, as seen in comparisons to Diablo III.
- “It's funny, but it's hard.”
- “It's funny to combine many towers.”
- “It's amusing that the more I played Diablo III, the less fun it got.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report significant stability issues, including frequent game freezes lasting 1-2 seconds during critical moments such as tower placement and wave transitions. Despite troubleshooting efforts, many players have found no resolution to these problems, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- “And if that's not enough, how about the game freezing and then you are dead?”
- “I did troubleshooting and found no resolution.”
- “In the end-game, it freezes for 1-2 seconds whenever you place or upgrade a tower, or when the wave ends.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is seen as lacking, with heroes being enjoyable but not having distinct identities, leading players to choose based on gameplay mechanics like spell strength rather than character design.
- “Heroes, while fun, still lack distinct identities— I often pick based on spell strength rather than character design.”
- “The character development feels shallow; I don't feel a connection to the heroes as they all blend together.”
- “There is little to no growth for the characters throughout the game, making it hard to invest in their stories.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization model is praised for being superior to that of similar games, with users appreciating the absence of ads, which enhances the overall experience.
- “It's so much better than Kingshot, and it also has no ads.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional engagement of the game appears to be lacking, as one player expressed a sense of boredom even after a long break from playing, indicating that it failed to evoke any strong feelings or interest.