Defense Derby reinvents the tower defense genre in a staggeringly successful way

When we first heard about Defense Derby, we were certainly interested in the idea, if not a little sceptical. Tower defense games have a tendency to become quite laborious after a while, but the idea of having one with PvP mechanics and bidding for units piqued our interest, and after giving it a go for a few days we were well and truly hooked.

Bid and battle in equal measure

You will spend most of your time in Derby mode, a 4-player affair where you compete with your opponents to see who can defend their castle the longest. It sounds simple enough, but it is so much more in-depth than that. We were not expecting the amount of strategic thinking we’d need to do both for combat and against other players.

Defense Derby’s key feature during this mode is the betting system. Throughout the game, you pick up Derby Chips by clearing waves, and if you use the Rogue Mouse, their ability. At the end of most rounds, a random card will be pulled from the deck of whoever has the most Chips, and then the mental gymnastics begin.

Every player will get to bid on this unit to add to their deck, and the highest bid wins, but, of course, it isn’t as simple as that. You could pass on bidding for that Physical unit that won’t gel with your Magical team, but that means Belinda over there will buff up her Physical team and outlast you. So preventing them from getting it might be worth the Chips. But if you do that, you will have less to bet on the next unit that you really want, because that can happen. Fate is fickle. You need to balance sabotage with your own needs, and it is a fine line to walk, but after all the games we played, it has never stopped being satisfying.

Every wave will keep you on your toes

The combat is where we felt the game might fall down for us personally, but we were very much mistaken. Before the wave, you can set up a formation for your units, which you will inevitably ruin every round. You can shuffle your units around the castle, and you will do this because the monsters move fast, so you need to quickly plan whose unit skill and power is most effective every second, bearing in mind the deployment cooldown so you can’t spam movements, as well as any buffs and the line bonuses you can have. It is hectic, challenging, and incredibly engaging.

What does your deck say about you?

The tactics you can pull off during fights come down entirely to the deck you have made. There are three factions, each with their own Heroes and Units with unique skills. To start, you choose a Hero, a permanent fixture for your team who is incredibly lazy and stays in the middle of the castle, so your formation revolves around them. The biggest fun is then choosing your Units.

Each faction has a set of Physical and Magical fighters, and whilst their skills are undoubtedly important, whether it be healing your castle, freezing foes, or setting traps, you will need to always bear synergy in mind. There are two possible bonuses for your formation that run across every line; a 20% Attack boost for Factions that stacks on multiple lines, and 30% for damage type that does not. You can mix Factions and damage Types, but is it worth losing these bonuses? It has been a long time since we’ve been this mentally engaged in planning for a game, and we enjoyed every single re-build and tune-up we’ve done to our decks, and there has been a lot. Every faction and every set-up is viable, with nothing feeling like THE build to have, which is fantastic.

Blitz is a fun mode and an invaluable testing tool

Blitz is your sole PvE option, and it is also a fantastic way to try out your prospective Decks. It is effectively a one-wave mission, but you go into it with your full deck already in place. Obviously, your formation in a real match is going to switch around a lot, but with a Damage Meter showing which of your units is dealing the most damage, it is still an excellent tool to help you plan your battle tactics. You will also get Gems, as well as Talent Points for the extensive Talent system that provides boosts to specific Factions and types.

If you are looking for a few more casual modes, head to the Adventure screen. Here you will find the Friendly Derby option for password-locked matches with friends, a fun Themed Mode for a challenge such as a match where you can ban units, or the Valley of Trials, the most important one. These are Faction-locked matches that, if you complete them, net currency for Faction-specific summons, great for powering up your chosen deck. You can re-clear any stage to grind crystal three times a day. However, there is one unpleasant restriction. Unlike most games that let you re-clear older levels for free, you need to either do it manually or spend premium currency to skip it. It’s a small micro-transaction, but it does leave a bitter taste as being quite a cheap thing to monetize.

It has been quite a long time since we’ve been taken with a game like we are with Defense Derby. We’re absolutely besotted by it, the combination of having to fight over units with players, and then immediately throw your units around your castle to desperately stave off the enemy. The random nature of when you get your units means every game is a fresh challenge and it will keep you coming back for more. Roll on the release date.

About KRAFTON, Inc.

Positioned in the heart of South Korea, KRAFTON, Inc. is deeply committed to unearthing and launching mesmerizing games that offer exclusive and captivating encounters. Established in the year 2007, KRAFTON plays host to a galaxy of internationally recognized developers that comprise PUBG STUDIOS, Striking Distance Studios, Unknown Worlds, VECTOR NORTH, Neon Giant, KRAFTON Montréal Studio, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, 5minlab, Dreamotion, and ReLU Games. These studios continuously challenge the status quo, harnessing cutting-edge technologies, with a goal to engage an expanding fan base by diversifying KRAFTON's platforms and services.

KRAFTON is the driving force behind leading entertainment properties, encompassing PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, PUBG MOBILE, The Callisto Protocol, NEW STATE MOBILE, Moonbreaker, TERA, and ELYON. With a driven and passionate global workforce, KRAFTON is a forward-thinking organization, carrying world-class competencies and aspiring to venture further into the realms of multimedia entertainment and deep learning. Visit www.krafton.com to explore more about KRAFTON.

About RisingWings

Originating from South Korea, RisingWings is a game development studio with a steadfast focus on delivering universally enjoyable mobile games. With a mission to lead the mobile gaming market, RisingWings has a track record of developing a diverse array of successful mobile games, spanning from real-time strategy to easygoing games like Castle Craft, Castle Burn, Archery King, Bowling King, Mini Golf King, and Golf King: World Tour. For a deeper look into RisingWings and its creations, please visit https://en.risingwings.com.