We wanted to pick both games by developer Central Bytes but since this is supposed to focus on one hidden gem we had to pick between their two releases. We decided to go with Defense Craft Strategy HD since it is the newer of the two games they have out for Android.
While both games are similar in the tower defense gameplay, Defense Craft Strategy HD expands on it a bit more. This game blends RTS and Tower Defense into one game with a little RPG wrapped up to finish it off. The graphics will remind you right away of the old PC games you used to play with it’s top-down perspective like Ultima while the scenery can be compared to Warcraft 3 or Robo Defense. These combine to bring that old school gaming feel to Android.
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It isn’t the graphics though that really brings this game to light but the gameplay. While you have the tower defense gameplay with setting up towers to defend your little town with, you also have various troops (archers, soldiers, etc) that you can recruit and control just like in an RTS game. Troops even level up as they kill enemies and all the buildings have various upgrades that can be purchased from the money you make mowing down enemies. Like Robo Defense, enemies can attack for any direction which means that little path leading out from your town is definitely not the only place you want to set up your towers.
It isn’t an easy game either. While it does have different difficulty settings, when you start you are set on medium and you learn quickly that you really need to get set up and upgraded a little bit right away or you’ll get over run and lose pretty fast. Thankfully you start off with 500 gold so you have a little room for spending right off the jump. You can also mine gold just like you would back in Warcraft 3 or similar games. You will also have to defend different castle each stage with enemies even coming from ships when you are located near the water.
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While their first title, Monster Defense, is good Defense Craft Strategy HD seems a bit more polished and more expanded upon than it’s older monster infested brother. There are plenty of monsters though to kill, not just enemy troops, such as Dragons, trolls and more. Defense Craft Strategy HD comes in two flavors: A free ad-supported version which comes with three maps or the full version which costs $2.97. Definitely worth a shot if you enjoy RTS or tower defense games that are not easily beaten.
Developer Website: N/A
Android Market Link: Defense Craft Strategy HD
