I have really enjoyed this game so far, and haven't finished it yet. But if I waited to finish the game before commenting, it might take another few days.
But the challenge level really ups the bar for TD games. I admit it turned me off a few times, but of course I can't just let the game win! And to have a free game that entertains me for days is just great. Thank you!
I found this game very enjoyable, and at the highest levels also very challenging. The random map generation is great--I've played through the game on all 3 save slots and can remember about a dozen levels where I just said, "That's impossible," only to finally figure it out much later. Good sounds, great graphics considering the number of objects on the screen. Having your home build grid shaded would make placement better. Thank you for the fun game!
Great game guys! I experienced a wonderful balance of great problem solving/strategy gameplay, a reasonable learning curve, very respectable graphics for a flash game, well orchestrated music, vibrant artwork ... easily my favorite game in the last month. To make an epic update you might consider adding a few things: Multiplayer mode (probably max 3 players/game), "Help" menu with legend of in-game effect icons, addition of resurgent Empire as playable race w/campaign. Really, though, it's all about multiplayer!
I have enjoyed this game quite a bit--I found it enthralling enough to come back a few times. Since I choose to play the freebie versions I give any game that entertains me enough for a return trip 5/5. Thank you! The mechanics are certainly flawed; most of that has been adequately covered by others. The most excruciating one is the leveling curve. The slow endgame leveling is somewhat offset by gear upgrades, but that just means the same 2x combo technique I use every time is going to hit harder. Leveling more means more techniques to choose from and ultimately more fun. Gearing upgrades just makes the numbers bigger. Looking forward to the next one!
I think an interesting addition for an expansion or sequel would be the introduction of a flying defense unit, like a Valkyrie. This could take the form of a full barracks upgrade or as a special ability to an existing structure, much like the rock elemental in the sorcerer mage tower. Personally I never use the 'hunting nets' ability; it could easily be replaced by this, though I imagine players would want separate rally points for their barbarians and valkyries. Maybe not ... This same concept could be integrated in other towers as well; like a special ability to build one or two sylvan elves at the ranger's hideout, or perhaps satyrs, or even a bear. Of course, you don't want to overdo it by saturating all the towers with extra units. But I think the valkyrie idea in particular is interesting and would add to the variety of the gaming experience.
This game was available on Armor Games in July of 2011. To date it has 17,717,644 plays on that site. It was clearly a great game from the start, but was not made available on Kongregate for whatever reasons developers make their games exclusive. Now that it's finally been introduced to the Kong site, Kong's admins do not feel the desire to increase the notoriety of the game through badges after being snubbed for six months. The fact is that people are going to play this game whether or not it has badges.
But this is only part of the scenario. Another question is Why do you need badges to enjoy a game? As far as the player is concerned they are just semi-arbitrary benchmarks to gain points and raise your Kongregate level WHICH DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING AND DOESN'T REALLY MATTER! This is a great game, if you have fun playing it that is what really matters. Stop whining about badges and play games you like, for crying out loud!
Kingdom Rush is absolutely the best tower defense game I have played, edging out Cursed Treasure (CT being the next best in the genre) by a step or two. I enjoyed playing it months ago on ArmorGames, and now that it has come to Kongregate I have fallen in love with it again. Most tower defense games have no replay value, but I have enjoyed filling all three save slots to completion on this one. This is in part due to the level of detail, but is also attributable to the difficulty of completing the heroic and iron challenges. Thank you for this game! I'm sure I'm not alone in eagerly awaiting an expansion or sequel ...
I enjoyed this game very much! The classes and their abilities are quite similar to WoW, but it's not like Blizzard created the concept behind those classes and abilities. Well executed and fun! Give players one more party member per group and go multiplayer with it, please!
Just some quick things I learned after the first few run-throughs: The goal, especially at first but really throughout the game, is to drill deeper and deeper. The grant money bonus at the earliest levels for just drilling straight down is far more substantial than any measly coins you'll find in the upper tiers of soil. To avoid pressure failure you might consider following breach's post to upgrade hull strength in balance with fuel tanks, even though hull strength seems like a stupid thing to have to upgrade at first glance. This works well in tandem with Mech Mole, especially at levels 3 and 4. Ideally you want to use your last nitro boost straight down as you are running out of fuel at the deepest possible depth your hull can stand. To get to 26000 feet and the 'And Beyond' trophy you have to use this technique at a depth between about 2425 and 2500, the last depth being where your maximum hull strength fails.
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Thanks!