Introduction
Defend Your Castle is an arcade-style tower defense game developed by XGen Studios, originally released in 2003 as a Macromedia Flash-based browser game. The game tasks players with protecting their castle from waves of stick-figure invaders, using a combination of direct attacks, upgrades, and strategic purchases. Its simple yet addictive gameplay, paired with a quirky art style, has made it a cult classic
How to play
Controls
- Mouse: The primary control is your mouse, acting as an “invisible hand.”
- Click and hold to pick up an enemy.
- Drag and release to throw them into the air or against the ground, killing them instantly.
- Be cautious not to let enemies reach the castle, as they’ll attack and reduce its health.
- Keyboard:
- Press ‘P’ to pause/resume the game.
- Later upgrades unlock spells with hotkeys (e.g., ‘1’ or ‘A’ for Kill, ‘2’ or ‘S’ for Detonate).
Gameplay
- Waves: Enemies attack in waves that increase in number and difficulty. Each wave ends at “nightfall,” giving you a chance to upgrade.
- Killing enemies: Initially, you fling enemies to their death. Later, you can unlock automated defenses like archers or spells.
- Converting enemies: After purchasing the Temple (5,000 points), gently drop enemies into your castle to convert them to your side. Converts can be trained as:
- Archers (Archery Range, 8,000 points): Shoot arrows from the bottom-left tower, instantly killing enemies (though they can miss).
- Craftsmen (Workshop, 25,000 points): Automatically repair castle damage.
- Wizards (Mana Pool, 40,000 points): Cast spells like Kill (instant death) or Detonate (explodes enemies in a radius).
- Bombers (Demolition Lab, 15,000 points): Send out dynamite-strapped converts; click to detonate them, killing nearby enemies.
- Giant enemies: Around stage 14, giant stickmen appear, requiring multiple clicks to kill instead of throwing.
Upgrades and points
- Earn points by defeating enemies, which you spend between waves.
- Upgrade options include:
- Repair Damage: Restore castle health.
- Fortify Walls (750 points, or 7,500 for 10): Increase castle health by 100 points per purchase, making it taller and sturdier.
- Temple (5,000 points): Enables enemy conversion.
- Archery Range (8,000 points): Trains archers.
- Demolition Lab (15,000 points): Deploys bombers.
- Workshop (25,000 points): Trains craftsmen for auto-repairs.
- Mana Pool (40,000 points): Trains wizards for spells.
- Points are also used to maintain your forces and unlock up to 45 achievements in some versions
Defend Your Castle combines simple mechanics with surprising depth, offering endless levels and increasing challenges. Its mix of direct action (flinging enemies) and strategic upgrades (fortifying, converting, or casting spells) keeps gameplay engaging, though it can strain your wrist over time
