The best tower defense games on Android come down to one question: how big a part do you want heroes to play? If you love building and upgrading towers, classics like Plants vs. Zombies 2 or Infinitode 2 are all you need. If you want towers and a hero you move around, look at Kingdom Rush or Bloons TD 6. And if you'd rather the heroes be your defense, games like Arknights, or Astrakeep, the tower defense we're building at Djoox Studio, are made for you. Here are our picks, sorted that way, with a table to help you choose.
Three ways to build a tower defense game
Every game in the genre shares the same core: enemies march along a path in waves, and you place whatever it takes to stop them before they reach the end. What changes is what you place:
- towers only: the strategy is all about placement and upgrades;
- towers plus a hero: a stronger character you move around the map shores up the weak spot in your defense;
- heroes instead of towers: each defender has a name, a role and a special attack, and their progression is what matters.
For a full tour of the genre (castle defense, fantasy strategy, games with a kingdom to build), see our guide to free tower defense games.
The best picks with towers only
Plants vs. Zombies 2 (PopCap Games, Electronic Arts)
The most approachable tower defense around: you plant greenery with different powers on a lawn split into squares to hold off zombies. No heroes, but a huge variety of plants and a sense of humor that make it a great way into the genre. It's free, with in-app purchases.
Best for: newcomers and relaxed sessions.
Infinitode 2 (Prineside)
A minimalist tower defense with no visual clutter, focused on towers, their upgrades and endless waves. Demanding players often name it for its depth.
Best for: players who love to optimize and replay to beat their record.
Mindustry (Anuke)
An unusual blend: you defend your base while building production chains that feed resources to your towers. It's closer to a factory game than a classic tower defense.
Best for: players who like building systems.
The best picks with towers and a hero
The Kingdom Rush series (Ironhide Game Studio)
Often called the benchmark for tower defense on mobile: a hand-drawn fantasy world, towers to place along the path, and a hero with special abilities you move to plug a gap. Several entries are available on Android. If that formula is your thing, our games like Kingdom Rush page explains what makes it work so well.
Best for: fantasy fans and well-paced campaigns.
Bloons TD 6 (Ninja Kiwi)
Monkeys versus balloons: behind the light tone sits one of the richest tower defense games out there, with lots of towers, several upgrade paths for each, and one hero per game who levels up during the match.
Best for: players who want a huge amount of content and endless combinations.
The best picks where heroes are the defense
Arknights (Hypergryph, Yostar)
No towers here: you deploy "operators", characters with different roles (blocking, healing, ranged damage), onto the tiles of the map. Collecting characters is part of the game, with recruitment based on random draws.
Best for: fans of characters and demanding strategy.
Astrakeep (Djoox Studio, our game)
In full transparency: Astrakeep is the game we're developing. It isn't on Google Play yet: it's coming soon to Android. We include it because it's a clear example of this third family, the tower defense game with heroes.
In Astrakeep, enemies follow the path and you tap a platform to place a hero there. Heroes attack on their own; when a special attack is charged, you trigger it from the bottom of the screen. There are seven heroes: Lyra the Archer, Orin the Mage and Kael the Knight from the start; Nyx the Sorceress and Tharok the Bombardier, summoned at the Summoning Altar with tokens you earn by playing; and two legendaries, Aurelion the Paladin and Sylvara the Empress. The campaign has 100 levels across 19 chapters, with a boss at the end of each chapter. Between battles, you grow a kingdom of floating islands that makes your heroes stronger.
Best for: players who want every defender to matter and grow over time.
Comparison table
| Game | Publisher | What you place | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plants vs. Zombies 2 | PopCap Games, Electronic Arts | Plants (towers) | Approachable, funny |
| Infinitode 2 | Prineside | Towers | Minimalist, endless waves |
| Mindustry | Anuke | Towers and factories | System building |
| Kingdom Rush | Ironhide Game Studio | Towers and a hero | Fantasy, campaign |
| Bloons TD 6 | Ninja Kiwi | Towers and a hero | Very deep, many upgrades |
| Arknights | Hypergryph, Yostar | Characters | Collection, demanding strategy |
| Astrakeep (coming soon to Android) | Djoox Studio | Heroes on platforms | Fantasy, kingdom building |
Four questions to ask a game with heroes
Most "best of" lists stop at the game names. When a tower defense game is built around heroes, a few questions make all the difference:
- How do you get the heroes? By playing, by random draws, or at a fixed price? In Astrakeep, epic heroes are summoned with tokens you earn by playing, an epic card is guaranteed within 10 summons at most, and "Gems never buy summons." Legendaries are sold in the shop or unlocked for free with 40 fragments, one per daily chest you open.
- How far can they grow? Levels, stars, awakening: clear progression keeps you from feeling stuck. In Astrakeep, a hero goes up to level 16 and earns up to 5 stars.
- What keeps the gap between players in check? If the game pits players against each other, read the rules. In Astrakeep, against other players, every hero's level and stars are capped by your Crystal Tower. Our page on what money buys in a mobile strategy game covers it in detail.
- Does the game move forward without you? In Astrakeep, construction keeps going while the game is closed, and your heroes defend your village even when you're offline. Phone-specific criteria are covered on our tower defense games for mobile page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free tower defense game on Android?
There's no single answer. Plants vs. Zombies 2 is the easiest way in; Infinitode 2 suits players who love to optimize; Arknights suits those who like collecting characters. Start by deciding how big a part you want heroes to play.
Which tower defense games have heroes?
The Kingdom Rush series and Bloons TD 6 add a hero to your towers. In Arknights, and in our game Astrakeep, characters make up the whole defense, with no towers.
Is Astrakeep available on Android?
Not yet: it's coming soon to Android. It will be free, with optional in-app purchases.
How many heroes does Astrakeep have?
Seven: three rare heroes from the start, two epic heroes to summon and two legendaries. The Astrakeep heroes guide explains how they work.
Can you play tower defense games offline?
It depends on the game. In Astrakeep, the campaign is played solo, but attacks between players, alliances and chat need a connection.