The Tower Of Elements

About

The Tower Of Elements is a single player action game. It was developed by Back To Basics Gaming and was released on August 5, 2015. It received neutral reviews from players.

"The Tower of Elements" is an arcade-style game featuring pixel art and magic-based combat. Players defend their tower against goblins, using mana points and gems to upgrade and unlock new mages. With leaderboards, achievements, and support for various platforms and input methods, it offers an entertaining and immersive experience. Future updates promise additional towers, characters, and game modes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 163 reviews

gameplay4 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

The game has a surprisingly satisfying atmosphere, blending visuals, sound, and pacing to create an immersive experience.
It offers a mix of familiar gameplay elements with small twists that keep it engaging, allowing players to approach objectives at their own pace.
The game is enjoyable for short bursts, making it a decent time-waster with a fun challenge that can be addictive.

The gameplay is overly simplistic and repetitive, lacking depth and meaningful progression, which can lead to boredom quickly.
Controls are confusing and unresponsive, making the game frustrating to play, especially with no option to remap keys.
Many players feel the game is more suited for mobile platforms and lacks the polish expected from a PC title, leading to a perception of it being a lazy port.

gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
68%
14%
The gameplay has a mix of familiar mechanics and innovative twists that can be enjoyable, particularly for fans of rhythm-based games, but it suffers from overly simplistic controls and a lack of depth, leading to a repetitive experience. Many players criticize the convoluted and unremappable controls, as well as the low-quality graphics, which detract from the overall enjoyment. While some find value in its low price and fun combo system, the game is generally seen as needing significant improvements to enhance its gameplay experience.
- “Gameplay-wise, it has this mix of familiar elements and small twists that keep things from feeling stale.”
- “If you’re looking for something that balances comfort with challenge, familiar mechanics with fresh touches, and a world that’s just fun to be in, then I genuinely think this one is worth giving a shot.”
- “For £1.59, the Tower of Elements is a cheap but enjoyable title with a fun combo system and gameplay that isn't actually too easy despite other reviews.”
- “Overly simplistic gameplay with terrible controls.”
- “Convoluted controls that can't be remapped, no high resolution support, lazy retro pixel graphics (hire an artist, you incompetent buffoons), mobile ported mobile gameplay.”
- “Gets boring quickly, doesn't bring anything new to the table, graphics appear to be made by a year 7 in MS Paint, and the gameplay has flaws.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its ability to create a relaxing atmosphere and enhance the gaming experience. However, some users note that the soundtrack can become repetitive due to the limited number of tracks, which detracts from its overall impact. Despite this, the music is often described as interesting and fitting for the game's tone, adding a sense of epicness to the environment.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “This game has indeed a great soundtrack.”
- “While the music somewhat clashes with the rogue-like graphics of the tower of elements, it does give a slight sense of epicness and a dash of melancholy to the grey, medieval environment of the game's tower level.”
- “The soundtrack becomes repetitive (there are just two tracks).”
- “It's like Guitar Hero with one terrible music track.”
- “While the music somewhat clashes with the rogue-like graphics of the Tower of Elements, it does give a slight sense of epicness and a dash of melancholy to the grey, medieval environment of the game's tower level.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the game is heavily grind-oriented, with many players finding the achievement system tedious and repetitive. While some enjoy the challenge of grinding for achievements, the lack of meaningful progression and the game's repetitive nature lead to a frustrating experience for many. Overall, players should expect a significant amount of grinding if they aim to complete all achievements.
- “Unable to change shortcuts, no real progression (upgrades only let you earn more points), grindy achievements, and SteamOS/Linux is broken (the game always crashes when I try to start a new game).”
- “Getting all achievements was a grindy mess though.”
- “The game may look hard at the beginning, but after 1-2 hours you will be easily scoring 900-1200 points every match... since the game is so repetitive, the grinding achievements are boring.”
graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the thematic and immersive visuals that enhance the gameplay experience, while others criticize the low-quality retro pixel art and lack of high-resolution support. Users express disappointment over convoluted controls and a lack of variety in aesthetics, suggesting that the graphics feel outdated and unpolished. Overall, while some elements are appreciated, many feel the graphics do not meet modern standards.
- “Every part of the game — the visuals, the sound, the pacing — kind of blends into this feeling that you’re actually inside its world, even if you’re just casually playing.”
- “The tower of elements is an awesome game with next-gen graphics and it somehow doesn't trigger me.”
- “Graphics are really nice and thematic; I like that when you change the character, not only the icon changes, but goblin death and attack animations too.”
- “Convoluted controls that can't be remapped, no high resolution support, lazy retro pixel graphics (hire an artist, you incompetent buffoons), mobile ported mobile gameplay.”
- “Gets boring quickly, doesn't bring anything new to the table, graphics appear to be made by a year 7 in MS Paint, and the gameplay has flaws.”
- “It's a 'push the right keys faster and faster' 'game' with 1990s graphics and where you can't rebind keys.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
The story emphasizes resilience and the unpredictability of life, highlighting the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity. However, it lacks a structured narrative or levels, focusing instead on a singular life experience without a traditional storyline.
- “The moral of the story is that you never know what life has in store for you. If I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “There are no levels or storyline, and just one life.”
- “There are no levels or storyline, and just one life.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from the irony of players struggling with simple mechanics, which some find amusing initially but not for long. Additionally, there are humorous elements related to character upgrades and shop features, though the overall comedic impact may vary among players.
- “I don't know if there was a complete lack of tutorial before, but it's really not that hard to figure out... so it's kind of funny to see negative reviews for simple matching being too hard to figure out.”
- “Well, it was funny, but not for long.”
- “Funny thing - there are character pictures already in the shop.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report that the game's optimization is generally satisfactory, with performance issues being minimal.
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I've noticed significant improvements in loading times and frame rates after the latest update.”
- “The developers have done a great job optimizing the game, making it accessible for a wider range of hardware.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
While some users find the upgrades and unlockables to be minor and underwhelming, they acknowledge that these elements serve as a crucial foundation for the game's replayability.
- “The upgrades and unlockables may seem minor, but they lay the important foundation for replay value, which I truly appreciate.”
- “Each playthrough offers new challenges and experiences, making it hard to put the game down.”
- “The variety of choices and paths you can take ensures that no two runs feel the same.”
- “The upgrades and unlockables are minor, which gives the game an underwhelming replay value.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play through it again.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is reported to have significant stability issues, with users describing it as "incredibly buggy."
- “Finally and not the least, it is incredibly buggy.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experienced constant lag and glitches that ruined the experience.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is viewed as a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its cohesive design and intent, others criticize it as a poorly executed cash grab, particularly noting its origins as a mobile app.
- “The tower of elements is a mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as a lazy cash grab.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers consistently highlight the atmosphere as a standout feature, noting its immersive qualities that significantly enhance the overall gaming experience. The environment is often described as captivating and engaging, drawing players into the game's world.
- “The first thing I noticed was the atmosphere.”