Royal Defense

Royal Defense is a fantasy tower defense game in which a dwarven kingdom defends its fortresses against attacking troll hordes. On each map, enemies advance in several waves towards the headquarters. Players must place towers and units, cast spells and expand their defences so the enemies never reach their goal.

The PC version comes from Good Games and Creobit and was published by 8Floor. The game is aimed at single players and combines short defence scenarios with permanent upgrades.

Royal Defense was released for mobile devices in 2013 and for PC on Nov 6, 2014. The PS4 version followed in March 2017. There is also a standalone version for PlayStation Vita. On Xbox One, the game was released on Jun 28, 2024.

The Xbox One version can be played on Xbox Series X|S. This is not a separate native Xbox Series version.

Royal Defense has been released for PC, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, iOS and Android. The PC version supports Windows and older macOS versions. On macOS 10.15 and newer systems, the Steam version is not compatible.

On PlayStation there is a PS4 version as well as a bundle with PS4 and PS Vita access via cross-buy. On Xbox, the 8Floor offer includes the Xbox One version, which also runs on Xbox Series X|S. For iPhone and iPad, the game is sold on the App Store as Royal Defense TD.

Each map shows a fortress and the paths along which trolls and other enemies advance. At suitable points, players build defence towers or additional units. Defence costs resources, so strong positioning matters more than building on every available spot without thought.

When enemies launch a new wave, defences you have already built work automatically. Players can deploy new towers, upgraded units and magic between attacks and during battle.

Royal Defense – Invisible Threat was released for the PC version on Dec 4, 2014. The expansion adds three more episodes: Wasteland, Fiery Plateau and Mystic Valley. It also includes four new units or creatures, additional missions and four Steam achievements.

On Xbox One, Invisible Threat is sold as a separate add-on. On PlayStation, the expansion is included in a cross-buy bundle with Royal Defense for PS4 and PS Vita, among others. The official PC soundtrack was also released as a standalone download in 2023.

The original Windows requirements are low: a 1.5 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, a graphics card compatible with OpenGL 3.0 with 1 GB video memory, and 250 MB of free storage are enough according to Steam as the minimum configuration.

Steam lists a 2 GHz processor and 1 GB RAM as recommended hardware. The historical OS information must be distinguished from current Steam client support: Steam now requires Windows 10 or later.

Royal Defense offers twelve types of towers and structures. Their effects differ in damage, range, attack speed, damage type and additional effects. Individual structures can slow enemies or deal damage over a longer period.

The value of a tower therefore depends on which enemies appear on a map. The interplay of several structures matters more than a single, particularly expensive upgrade.

Gold and other resources limit which buildings and upgrades are possible in a round. Existing towers can be strengthened instead of being replaced by a larger number of weak structures.

New units, buildings and upgrade options are added as you progress through the campaign. This expands your range of strategies as you advance.

Alongside towers, Royal Defense features its own magic system. Spells expand your options for weakening enemy waves or defusing dangerous situations in time.

Towers cover the constantly threatened paths, while spells provide an extra answer, mainly against especially tough enemy groups or unprotected sections.

Royal Defense includes 60 increasingly demanding levels across three different game environments. The attacks become more varied through a total of 17 different creatures, while new buildings expand your defence options.

The maps are compact individual scenarios. In a tight space, placement, gold and upgrades must be coordinated so the next wave does not overrun the dwarven fortress.

The conflict between dwarves and trolls forms the backdrop of Royal Defense. Different creature types call for different countermeasures. Some threaten the fortress mainly through sheer numbers, while others require stronger or precisely placed defences.

The choice between towers with area damage, slowing and direct hits is a key part of the challenge.

Royal Defense is a single-player title. The PC version has Steam achievements and trading cards. The Xbox version supports achievements and cloud saves.

The focus is on repeatedly completing the maps with different tower and spell combinations. An online multiplayer mode is not among the listed features.

The PC version offers German on-screen text as well as English, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Brazilian Portuguese. Voice audio is not listed on Steam.

On PC, towers and their upgrades are selected via the user interface. On touch devices, selection is made by tapping the corresponding position on the map. PlayStation and Xbox offer controls on the respective console.