Rogue Tower

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,943 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • graphics
Rogue Tower Game Cover
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"Rogue Tower" is a rogue-lite tower defense game where players must build and defend their tower against enemy waves, with each playthrough offering unique challenges and permanent upgrades. Use a variety of tower types and special abilities to survive as long as possible, while managing resources and adapting to changing conditions. With procedural generation and permadeath, each run is a new test of your strategic skills.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,943 reviews
gameplay140 positive mentions
grinding80 negative mentions
  • Fun and addictive gameplay with a unique combination of tower defense and roguelike elements.
  • Randomly generated maps and tower upgrades keep each run fresh and engaging.
  • Great soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Lacks basic quality of life features such as a save option and speed controls.
  • Heavy reliance on RNG can lead to frustrating runs where success feels out of the player's control.
  • UI is poorly designed, making it difficult to read and navigate, especially at higher resolutions.
  • gameplay387 mentions

    The gameplay of this tower defense game is characterized by a mix of strategic depth and randomness, with a core loop that many find addictive. While the mechanics are generally well-designed and offer a variety of tower strategies, players have noted issues with balance, user interface, and a reliance on luck that can detract from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the game provides a unique roguelike twist that keeps players engaged, though some feel it lacks polish and could benefit from quality-of-life improvements.

    • “The game seamlessly blends simple mechanics with rogue-like elements, making upgrades and difficulty progression feel natural and rewarding.”
    • “Highly addictive tower defense with a ton of tower strategy depth, a developmental tech tree, and extremely randomized gameplay.”
    • “The core gameplay loop is focused and fun: build towers, then expand the level by one area and monsters are unleashed.”
    • “The visuals get in the way of gameplay; sometimes you can't tell when something is elevated or not.”
    • “The UI is basic and clunky; you aren't able to speed up the slow gameplay nor save it. Your success is at the mercy of RNG, and the more you progress, the more useless/unwanted options you unlock, with no way to disable unlocks you don't want.”
    • “Gameplay is too random to have any strategy beyond not spending money until you get the card you desperately need.”
  • music198 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its energetic and catchy soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience. However, several players noted that the limited variety of tracks leads to repetitiveness, causing some to mute the music after a few hours. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as fantastic and fitting for the game's theme, its lack of diversity can detract from long-term enjoyment.

    • “Superb indie effort with a surprisingly great soundtrack, would really love a sequel!”
    • “The music is phenomenal, the gameplay is addicting and the mechanics are sound.”
    • “The soundtrack goes hard, too, though it can border on being repetitive if waves and runs go long.”
    • “The music is terrible.”
    • “I didn't like the music; there were only a few songs. The main song in the trailer is both for the menu and the early stages, and I turned the music off after a few hours to avoid hearing it, which I don't typically do for games.”
    • “Tons of fun towers, but the content gets stale very quickly and you will probably turn the music off pretty quickly since there is only one song in the game and it gets really annoying.”
  • graphics159 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally described as simple and minimalistic, often featuring a retro or voxel art style that some players find charming while others consider basic or lacking depth. While many appreciate the clarity and readability of the visuals, there are frequent complaints about the absence of graphical options, UI issues, and occasional performance problems, particularly in late-game scenarios. Overall, the graphics serve their purpose but are not a standout feature, with opinions varying widely on their appeal and execution.

    • “Its pixel graphics are charmingly retro, and the random map generation keeps each playthrough fresh and exciting.”
    • “The graphics are well-designed, and the music adds to the game's overall ambiance.”
    • “The graphics look amazing, the gameplay is fun yet challenging, and the music rocks.”
    • “The visuals get in the way of gameplay; sometimes you can't tell when something is elevated or not.”
    • “The graphics are incredibly simple, the mechanics are limited, and there are only 3 'levels.' It is fun for a few hours.”
    • “The graphics are really crude, visually unappealing, and difficult to interpret unless you're zoomed in very close.”
  • replayability159 mentions

    Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, attributed to features like random map generation, diverse tower types, and various game modes that encourage different strategies. Many players find the combination of roguelike elements and achievement challenges adds to the game's longevity, making it engaging even after multiple playthroughs. However, some users express concerns about diminishing replay value after unlocking all content or completing major achievements, suggesting that while the game offers substantial replayability, it may not sustain interest indefinitely.

    • “Great example of fun mechanics and a game that is incredibly replayable with so many different strategies on how to play.”
    • “The best tower defense I've ever played; it's quite addicting even, and the random map generation and random upgrades you get per game makes it incredibly replayable!”
    • “The random map generation and card choices give loads of replayability.”
    • “The screenshots and video make it seem like there is a whole lot of depth and replayability here; unfortunately, the majority of the upgrades are the opposite of upgrades... have fun ballista towering :(”
    • “It is what it is and there seems to be no attempt at making it more, which is bad because this is one of those games that lose 90% of their replay value once you got the major achievements.”
    • “After about 12 hours you have seen the entire game, you have all of the towers unlocked, and the replay value drops off a cliff.”
  • grinding85 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and time-consuming, often requiring players to invest significant hours to unlock upgrades and achievements, which can feel frustrating and unfulfilling. Many reviewers noted that the reliance on RNG for map and monster types exacerbates the grind, making progress feel slow and sometimes pointless. While some players found enjoyment in the grind, the overall sentiment suggests that the lack of quality-of-life features and a cumbersome UI detracts from the experience, leading to a mixed reception regarding its grindy nature.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The soundtrack is magnificent, the gameplay is very satisfying and a lot of fun. The UI is mostly garbage, but honestly, the former two do an excellent job of distracting from the latter, and the UI isn't tedious to use.”
    • “The achievement grind is tedious and requires luck depending on builds and map RNG.”
    • “No fast forward means a chunk of your playtime will be idle; it's slow and grindy, compounded by the limited game modes.”
    • “I think it's horribly disrespectful to the players to demand unnecessary grinding, and I have zero patience for games that don't respect the player's time.”
  • humor28 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of amusing elements and playful design, with players appreciating the funny character designs and witty moments. However, some critiques highlight that the humor can feel forced or detract from gameplay, particularly with the implementation of an April Fool's patch that frustrated many players. Overall, while the game has its comedic moments, opinions vary on whether the humor enhances or hinders the overall experience.

    • “This tower defense is refreshing and fun, as well as funny at times.”
    • “This is stupid fun and hilarious.”
    • “The dev even took time to create an 'April Fools' version, which was hilarious.”
    • “I understand that most April Fool's jokes aren't funny, but extending it past the most unfunny day of the year goes even beyond that.”
    • “Seeing a dev that just flat out turns the game on its head for a joke (that is not optional and is not funny to all the people) over a full weekend, when people can spare some time to play, is not a good sign.”
    • “It is not funny if everyone suffers.”
  • story22 mentions

    The game lacks any narrative elements, with no story, lore, or character development present. Players express a desire for a structured "story mode" that could provide a consistent gameplay experience and enhance engagement, as the current mission structure feels disconnected and repetitive. Overall, the absence of a compelling story detracts from the game's potential depth and replay value.

    • “Personally, I'd like to see a sort of 'story mode' where the player would have at least some sort of consistent track they know they can utilize.”
    • “Would be extra nice to have a little background story?”
    • “For instance: this is the story of a wizard named Saruman.”
    • “No story, no lore, no cutscenes, no background, just straight to gameplay in an easy to learn, hard to master environment.”
    • “There is no story, no path of discovery. The tracks of music progressively change as the run continues, but it is the same beats in the same order. The enemies are just pixel models that wobble from side to side silently, the background is the same grey-blue. You can choose one of three different difficulties, but they are just more paths leading to your tower, with no diverse themes, no diverse environments, and no character dialog beyond generic text box comments.”
    • “Game doesn't have much (any) story.”
  • stability14 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and performance issues such as stuttering and screen freezes. While some users noted improvements and a generally enjoyable experience, others found the game to be too buggy and reminiscent of an early access title, indicating that significant stability issues still need to be addressed. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern for many players, impacting their overall enjoyment.

    • “I had a bug-free play; not laggy at all. Highly recommend!”
    • “The game runs great, but the controls are not there yet for the stream deck if you have one.”
    • “Feels kind of like an early access game - it's bug-free, but the content gets repetitive pretty fast. This is the same with other tower defense games, though.”
    • “There are also too many bugs that hinder the gameplay experience, such as game crashes and freezes.”
    • “Very buggy - crashes often.”
    • “Spent 15$ USD on this game and the bugs and glitches are everywhere.”
  • optimization13 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and satisfying gameplay, others experience significant lag spikes, particularly in late-game scenarios. Many users note a lack of quality-of-life features and polish, with specific complaints about the game's UI and its performance on platforms like the Steam Deck. Despite its enjoyable mechanics, the optimization issues detract from the overall experience, leading some to suggest waiting for improvements or a price drop before purchasing.

    • “It runs incredibly smooth, is satisfying every run, and has a depth of optimization strategy that is tweaked really nice.”
    • “Love the simple graphics, a seemingly very well balanced progression system, no problems or performance issues.”
    • “While the game does have very few performance issues and could very easily handle the speed up early to mid game.”
    • “Performance is awful and it lags after 30+ levels.”
    • “Late-game, every few seconds there's a horrible lag spike, and it feels like the game is poorly optimized.”
    • “While novel in concept, unfortunately has a lot of optimization issues that hold the game back from being enjoyed.”
  • emotional7 mentions

    Players express a mix of emotions regarding the game, highlighting both wholesome moments and frustrations. While some appreciate the lighthearted messages and unique easter eggs, others feel that the randomness and lack of tactical depth lead to an emotionally flat experience. Additionally, criticisms of the developer's engagement with the community contribute to a sense of disconnect.

    • “This game made me feel something for once.”
    • “Edit: that touch grass easter egg is wholesome, much recommend now.”
    • “Even after a few hours, the heavy randomness on both tower and perk acquisition feels cheap, the placements do not feel very tactical, and that combines into a very emotionally flattening experience when you feel there's nothing you could have done to save a run besides be luckier.”
  • monetization7 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the absence of microtransactions, unlike other titles in the genre. However, many criticize the game for its heavy reliance on ads, which detracts from the overall experience and feels like a cash grab, especially in light of poor updates and a lack of developer engagement. Overall, while there are no microtransactions, the ad presence and perceived exploitation have left players dissatisfied.

    • “No microtransactions.”
    • “Now if only this could be made the exact same way for the phone; fun, no ads.”
    • “It was fun for a while, but after seeing how the UI still looks terrible and how disconnected the devs are, with really terrible updates, it feels like a shameless cash grab with their plushie when they were in hot water after repeated bad updates. I simply cannot recommend it.”
    • “Also, the enemies should be more of a threat as the only threat they have is to spawn ads that have the health type you already filtered out, so you just go through the process again which was already set up from when you started the game.”
    • “No microtransactions, unlike in something like Bloons TD.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

14hMedian play time
23hAverage play time
10-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 34 analyzed playthroughs

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