Isle of Arrows

Isle of Arrows
N/A
Metacritic
81
Steam
75.589
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Release date
8 September 2022
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
81 (732 votes)

Build an impenetrable fortress, tile by tile. Place buildings, build roads, and expand your isle to defend against waves of invaders in this roguelike fusion of tower defense and board game.

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Isle of Arrows system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows 7 (SP1+), Windows 10 and Windows 11
  • Processor: Dual-core CPU @ 2GHz
  • Memory: 2 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GeForce GT 630 / 640M or AMD Radeon HD 7450 equivalent
  • Storage: 200 MB available space
  • Sound Card:
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Cowin13
Cowin13

I'd love to be able to recommend this game to others, but the RNG is a little too wild. Instead of playing heavily into strategy and resource management, it digs a bit too deeply into RNG. You likely won't be able to complete a mission on harder difficulties due to it. Many of the missions I am attempting now are just reroll after reroll because I'm not getting decent towers, or upgrades to make them better. Strategy only does so much at this point when you are gated by RNG.

The game does have a lot going for it, and has some awesome elements of play. Its rather addicting and the aesthetic is great. Most of the issues I have with the game could be fixed with some sort of card choice between 3 cards every round. I hope they update it. Until then, I won't be recommending this game.

Egginthistryingtime
Egginthistryingtime

I've played a lot of Roguelike kind of games. I really enjoy them and I'd like to think I'm decent at them! I enjoy this one and have put a lot of time into it, but if you really care about fair and enjoyable roguelikes, I wouldn't place this in one of the well designed ones. The "campaign" is pretty easy and so is the daily challenge! So if you only want a few hours out of the game then it's worth it. But the challenge mode is where this game really falls apart - it's incredibly RNG reliant and there's not much skill involved, just restart until you have an ideal start, which I don't find an engaging mechanic. On top of that, several of the possible clans really are terribly balanced and not enjoyable to play - merchant, looking at you.

SquigleyVFX
SquigleyVFX

Fun game, and pretty straight forward tower defense game. The only thing I wish the game would add is an endless mode. To be able to have a full editor like how many paths you need to defend and such.

GoatusMax
GoatusMax

Do you like tower defense? Do you like toy model aesthetics? Do you like having multiple play styles in a single game? You'll probably like this game, then! I've had a blast with it! The Developer is responsive and regularly does updates. The game is challenging but not overwhelming. Give it a shot.

Tyler Otterly
Tyler Otterly

I am addictec, I've left my wife and kids there's nothing but this game, my life is falling apart but the constant i will keep forever is this game and the mild stress of not knowing if i'll survive the next round. 11/10

Fairy
Fairy

It's way to easy to be screwed over by RNG in this game. There are too many garbage tiles, too often you just don't get the DPS you need to keep up. Other times a bad secondary or tertiary path spawn will screw you. The thing that bothers me most about it though, is that it doesn't really become a big problem until later in the game. Past the point of refund. It just gets worse as you progress, much like other rougelites that overload their item pools.

It also doesn't help that the fast forward is so slow. It should really be 4x or 5x since there is nothing for the player to do during the attack phase. I don't need to watch the tank enemies slowly lumber across my map. It just makes it all the more excruciating when you know it's a losing run.

The Architects class feels near unwinnable on the 4th campaign without absurd luck. The severe limits to expansion, combined with the problems above is pure misery.

I think a lot of this could even be avoided as well. The game uses an economy system like a number of auto chess games but doesn't give you the ability to "hold" pieces like those games. Let a person hold as little as 1-2 pieces and always start them with a straight path and a corner would go a long way to minimizing some of these problems. It would also add depth instead of forcing people to play things immediately out of fear of losing DPS.

One of my most recent failing runs ended on generation because the spawning location of the legacy tower combined with not receiving a single corner piece for 15 cards meant I was stuck at a path 3 units long. There is no way to "skill" your way out of that. I get these things are bound to happen in card based games but it feels like it happens way too often.

Nox
Nox

This is a well-crafted, elegant, fun, and sometimes RNG-frustrating game. Lots of small constraints mean each turn is meaningful and challenging. Art style is VERY nice. I've played this more than most TD games I've tried over the years, and have installed it on my Deck for gaming on the airplane - a high compliment. =D Suggest you give it a try if you like tower defense games.

Solovox
Solovox

Excellent start to this game; I'm already pretty addicted. My only two requests are hotkeys to send the next wave, 'next 2,' etc, and also an Undo option! Great game.

Britus
Britus

Great Rogue Lite tower defense game.

Well designed, natural learning curve. Where strategy, tactics and skill can be the deference between winning a losing.

Gripping game play, where you shoot dead the enemy one millimetre from your home crystal. With that just 5 more minutes attraction that had me playing hours on end.

Jester
Jester

Fun game, the strategy and foresight needed to make an effective defense is fun, highly recommended if this game will continue getting content and update.

However, I have 4 big gripes with this game, starting from least to most annoying:
4: Merchant Guild is just straight up bad
3: Not being able to hold onto multiple cards
2: Not being able to use towers earned from one campaign in another
1: Not being able to place in spots not connected by other buildings, nor in front of a paths opening, even when it's disconnected from any of the main paths
Number 1 being extremely annoying compared to the other ones which are mostly minor inconveniences

Other than these main problems, the game is good and I hope it gets more content and quality of life improvements!

SodaPop
SodaPop

I really want to give this game a thumbs up because it has the elements of a great tower defense mixed with a roguelite. However, the part of the game that really handicaps it, mainly the players, are the board game elements. The RNG elements like different classes for different unlockables is cool, but the fact that the game inherently runs on bridges and bombs combats the RNG feel as you try to play different classes or styles but you ultimately cannot as in order to expand you're required to use those items. Take, for example, the Cannoneers class. a class that converts all hearts and bridges obtained into bombs. So you are trading your ability to expand and heal to be able to change your current set up.
In a game that requires you to continue building and expanding, you eventually reach a point where you have all this gold but yet cannot do anything because no matter how many times you refresh, your isle is filled with towers and you still find yourself losing at wave 39.

I have played this game for almost 6 hours, and have not conquered wave 40 at least once. Normally for these types of games, you get at least win once within that timeframe, even for the noobest of noobs. But the oppressive RNG combined with the random board-game like necessities literally requires you to get a god run or set up rather than build and win based off of randomized cards that you built to however you seemed fit. It seems almost counterintuitive to the RNG feel. Like saying, "Sure! Its randomized and each playthrough is different, but in order to win you have to pray for the same good cards, in the exact order that you need, with enough bridges and bombs and hopefully if you get all those in a good order to be able to pull through."

Just take out Bridges and Bombs and let people build wherever please. Its hard enough having to pray for your pieces but then having be denied to place a piece after you waited and saved forever simply because the RNG didn't give you bridges or bombs seems like you don't want people to have fun and at that point why buy the game.

EDIT: I went in for another go. thinking that it deserved another playthrough and I do have fun playing this game...up until about round 30. I noticed that after that point almost all of your actions will seem futile. as even if you have three ballista towers affecting two lanes, RNGd ice panels all over the place, and your whole isle is filled with dps towers, you still feel as if every action you take is worthless as your life slowly trickles away as you reach round 40 and die simply because one enemy kept getting through for the last ten rounds.
Its frustrating and, like i said above, goes against the point of giving your player resources to rerole or potential towers to build their isle when at a certain point in the game you can't place anything simply because you're not getting the flags, bridges, or bombs you need all because the RNG is absolutely god awful in this game. I am now deleting this game, realizing that Bloons TD is probably a better game since it lets me actually place my towers where I want to without requiring a litany of resources.

imkarmacidal
imkarmacidal

This opinion is coming from an individual that has played and mastered almost every single tower defense game that there is on PC (for the obvious reason of being a huge fan of said genre), and clearly understands quality from garbage.
So, I can safely say, that this game, is probably the best Tower Defense style game that has been released in the past five years. Mic Drop...

Valtenez
Valtenez

There is very very minimal differences in stages and no real reason to progress. Yes you unlock different towers and abilities but you're also stunted by the RNG of what cards you get. Wait for a sale.. a half off atleast sale.

bwd901
bwd901

This game is punishing to mistakes and the different challenges offer an opportunity to rethink strategy and really learn how to optimize your tower placement and your use of resources. Don't expect to complete all waves every game, especially early in the beginning. It's incredibly rewarding to have figured it out in the end.

There is an element of RNG, but there is still a pattern to the delivery of paths and towers as you progress through the levels. As I've gotten more skilled in my tower placement, I've found the punishment of RNG is almost always a result of not catching on to what resources I need to pay the most attention to early enough on that map.

Xarek
Xarek

Having played for 19 plus hours and finished all waves in the Archer's Oath campaign with the Founders, Architects and Cannoneers (the Merchants are very difficult - your luck with the tower draw is the real factor in making it though those final 5 waves), and most of The Arboretum, I can say that I have very mixed feelings on this game.
For starters, the aesthetic is beautiful, the UI is elegant and clean and the UX got better with the latest 1.03 patch. The gameplay is interesting and offers a nice twist in the tower defense genre. It hooks you. All that is good... but then its RNG quirks get in the way, turning your enjoyment into frustration.
There are two main variables a player must consider in the game: pathing and tower placement. Both are represented with cards that you draw. You create the path the enemy waves use to run the course. But there is a catch. The problem starts with the draw, which is random. Before each wave, you have a card available to use for free (this can be a tower tile, a path tile, a trap tile or any number of unlocked miscellaneous tiles like a garden, monument or plaza). Some of these are way more useful than others. You also get a look at the next card in the draw, so you can plan ahead and if you need it urgently you can pay 2 gold to draw it. You earn 1 gold each turn + bonus gold per 10 gold saved. Why is this important? Because it is your ONLY mitigation for what you will be fighting most against: the randomness of the draw. That one card draw is very impactful. The islands are tiny so the placement of tiles is very important. You may run out of space or resources (gold, bombs, bridges).
All that would be difficult but manageable if it weren't for the fact that, no matter the pathing or your ample resources the most essential element is still the towers themselves. It is the only thing that affects the enemy waves. Player choice is very, very narrow. I have never discarded a tower tile if I was able to place it. That makes tower cards a must - all the time. Haven’t drawn a tower card yet that you need? Spend gold and hope the random seed delivers. And it better deliver a tower card that fits since most have a water tile annexed to them that just occupies extra space. And it is here that the game starts losing impact and where the RNG will cripple you the most. For you see, the enemy waves get stronger with more health and speed and yet the random seed doesn’t change at all! Be prepared to still get arrow towers when you need a stronger tower card to pull you through. Tower cards are more uncommon than paths. But within themselves, the weak versions are more common than the strong versions no matter the wave! A boulder tower is rarer than a dart tower, which is rarer than an arrow tower, for example.
There are other problems with the random seed as well. I have drawn about 10 ice trap tiles for every 1 spike trap, and have never even seen the poison trap despite it being unlocked. Add the fact that your "deck" (which I repeat is randomly generated), is full of some junk cards (two-tile gardens!), middling cards (gardens, fisheries) or other situational cards (monuments, fountains, statue), that near the end of a run, you will be spamming the next button discarding these till you find any tower that can help you. And while there are “buffs” that you can chose every ten waves or so, those are also chosen from a random pool. Dart towers that reload faster or Sniper towers that shoot more targets? Better wish to have those in your deck somewhere. Inconsequential unless you get lucky.
Conclusion: The game needs serious tweaks and an endgame reward path. I wish there was a middle rating on steam but as it is I cannot recommend the game. It is not for everyone, even if you love tower defense games. Your tolerance for RNG will be a factor on your enjoyment. Even if the game mechanics click with you, it WILL drive you mad with anger if you lose at wave 39 and you will feel that you have wasted your time in the process. And when (and if) you win, there is more a sense of relief than of accomplishment.

Timentius
Timentius

If you are a fan of the old tower defense games? This game certainly will statisfy you. It has a nice progression system in place, which will make you play again and again. You need to make decisions about when to spend your recources wisely, because "that one tile you want" might come soon (or not).

After 12 hours of gameplay, I still enjoy it a lot. It scratches that itchthat I had lately for the old (flash) tower defense games perfectly.

bbnyeck
bbnyeck

This game is fantastic, a really great fresh take on tower defense with a focus on puzzle based gameplay

licensed mango
licensed mango

Only annoying thing I've experienced is its really hard to get lanes under the same towers, no merging or even like a + shaped crossing kinda sucks but the game seems to be well made and is a good roguelike tower defend.

Prequx
Prequx

Its a good game, but I do have my fair share of complaints.

Firstly as you may have read from others, this is a heavily RNG based game. Most runs you try will be pretty heavily reliant on good RNG for you to beat it unless you're an amazing strategist.

Secondly, the AI of the towers in this game is kinda weird to me, as far as I can tell they shoot the lowest HP guy in their range. Honestly i don't mind that part, but a lot of the time if there is a guy that is 1 hp and there are two towers close enough they will both shoot at it and waste a shot which has made me lose hearts many times.

I have other complaints but I don't want to make this too long, I'm hoping in the future at least the tower AI will be made better, and maybe tweek the RNG a little bit to give you useful items more often.

Saitama (sake343)
Saitama (sake343)

I am on the fence on this game. I feel I am competent at most TD games and I like that randomness cards bring. However, the very first campaign, I am unable to beat. Not because of a lack of skill. It's mainly due to not getting enough tower cards. Around wave 20...25 a second lane opens up. However, you still get the same amount of cards with no additional money. Having the second lane spawn randomly makes it near impossible. Having just the first lane is hard enough (due to lack of tower cards). The highest I've been in 3ish hours of playing is wave 28.

My biggest gripe is that once the second lane opens it is nearly impossible. Towers do not have direct upgrades, you have to put buildings down adjacent to them. Which is fine, but most cards (50% I'd say) contain water. Having one lane I feel like I was doing decent, depending in RNG. Second lane kills the fun that early on.

Presently, this game needs additional ways to upgrade towers. Some towers aren't very good (attacks way too slow). There also just aren't enough of them that come up. The towers could also use more special effects.

I think it would be better if the cards were done so that you get 5 cards to choose from every wave (can only pick one) with at least one being a tower. I think it would also be neat if there were rarity to towers (that can have great bonuses) or cards that just boosted towers (again with rarity levels). Upgrades where towers get taller or get modified visually + extra benefits like more damage, ice damage, fire damage etc. Or have it so each tower has x amount of upgrade slots and gold was used to upgrade instead. Definitely needs some tweaking.

I recommend it for now as the developer seems to be taking advice etc. I also really like the concept.

Tolpeko
Tolpeko

Such a fun and clever game and great way to pass the time. After logging over 100 hours on the demo, I was blown away by all the new content in the full version. There are so many cool towers and bonus cards that allow for creative solutions to the puzzle (it does feel more like a puzzle than tower defense). I like that it is simple and intuitive to understand. Once you get a feel for how all the towers and enemies operate, your ability to plan things out will determine your success. You'll need to balance income, health, resources, and space on your isle. There is an element of randomness which affects the difficulty but also creates a unique experience each game. The visuals are amazing. The dev is very responsive to feedback. If you think it looks interesting then try it out!

cardboy008
cardboy008

This game is a great strategy game. Very challenging and a rewarding sense of accomplishment when you beat the stages.

Warshop
Warshop

This game has a lot to offer. It's a Tower Defense, with some rogue-like mechanics, some decision making mixed with some optimisations (sometimes it's best to keep your gold for a few turns). I've played my fair share of Tower Defenses on Warcraft 3 and other fully pledged games, but this is the first one I've been hooked.

Yes, there's RNG in the campaign. You gotta embrace you'll lose and that sometimes, it's not worth doing this "run". Still, it's not about reaching Wave 40 on the first try, it's about failing, gaining upgrades and try again. If you enjoy this, keep doing the campaign!

If not, there's the Daily Challenge. It's the same for everyone, it's the same RNG over and over so you can truly test your skills against other players. I've been a big fan of the Daily Challenges (I think I've spent a few hours each day trying my best). Seriously, give this mode a try, it's sooooo fun and challenging. Also, some of you guys are so good, lol.

The creator has been listening, already published a patch to address some of the early RNG and you can tell he's invested. It's a one-person-army, this is a great testament of a great game by a dedicated developer. Can't wait to see how it evolves.

Sheriff Rango
Sheriff Rango

Chill and somewhat thought provoking tower defense game. Simple enough where I can play while watching tv shows, which is something I value really highly. Feels somewhat rng dependent but every run has felt doable so far if I played better

DiablosDungeon
DiablosDungeon

Isle of Arrows is a superb roguelike Tower Defense if you are looking for a new challenge. And boy the game is not easy.

If you're tired of by-the-numbers TDs or roguelikes, you'll enjoy the new challenges offered here. Every decision is important and you'll need to be thinking step ahead if you want to survive through the game's many challenges.

The game plays a lot more like Dorfromantik than any Tower Defense and is all about being efficient with resources, income, and placement. Unlike many TDs out there, the potential for depth and mastery are surprisingly high. There are always lots of different factors to think about during every move.

A tiny qualm is that the RNG and balance isn't perfect (with some enemies, cards and towers being a bit swingy), but the game also offers a lot of tools for you turn luck in your favor.

Overall, if you enjoy navigating the razor's edge, you'll love Isle of Arrows.

BlueWizard360
BlueWizard360

I like this game for the challenge it give me. The tile generating is random giving some people a hard time but it is part of the challenge. So you can get this game if you want a challenge.
P.S. there are still a few bugs where nothing happens when you get a relic

Kaelula
Kaelula

It's a great mix of roguelike with tower defense. Tower positioning is essential, having to use more strategy than plain upgrades (towers don't upgrade). Graphics and sound are cute and the difficulty is at the level of the usual roguelike, having to go over the levels several times to master them and unlock new difficulties or new bonuses.

On top of that the developer is very active on discord and is working on improving the game, listening to player feedback and implementing changes and balancing. It's one single person developing pouring his heart into it and that's amazing. Definitely recommend it if you are into the genre.

freespirit
freespirit

there is a huge problem with this game, it's set at impossible, there should be a easy, hard and almost impossible, all people are different, i had almost the perfect towers, yet wasn't enough, and only done 5 levels, until they put different difficulty choices, i cannot recommend this game.

Nolnag
Nolnag

Honestly, ignore the reviews whining about RNG. Some of them are so infantile.

1: Have you never played a board game with an actual deck of cards? How "brutal" is the RNG there?! Completely random, right?

2: If you predicate your entire strategy on getting ONE CARD... obviously you're in for a bad time. Like come on, get good.

I'm hooked on this game. I don't like tower defenders, honestly. But this is, I feel, what tower defense should be. What it wants to be. Every game is different and uniquely entertaining. I don't submit reviews often, but had to make an exception. This game is simply fun and diverting to play.

Cariad
Cariad

I'm so torn on this review. It kills me to not recommend it.

The truth is, this is a gorgeous and rock-solid game. It's also the most unsatisfying tower defence game I've ever played.

For me, the satisfaction of a tower defence game comes from planning and building efficient solutions. In Isle of Arrows, planning is impossible because resources are offered randomly. And that would be fine if the game cut you some slack in return. The RNG is just evil. The water tiles restrict creative solutions too much. Just as you start getting a track under control, another one opens. You're constantly on the back foot, hoping for a good roll of the dice. It's not exciting or challenging; it's miserable.

I'll come back in a heartbeat if the game ever loosens up and encourages planning over luck.

HCDragon
HCDragon

I really tried to like it but as many have already said the rng and the lack of actual deckbuilding combined with the fact that deck manipulation is extremely rare and limited makes it un fun. it isn't even that hard when you get the right tiles.

It felt like i was playing more against the rng then anything, and while yes that requires some ammount of skill, as i said it just isn't really fun.

I would love to see more interaction with the deck, either before a run, or within, either purging cards, making the probability higher for certain cards etc.

I hope the developers listen to all the feedback from the playerbase and balance the game a bit here and there.

Meed
Meed

Overall really good and relaxing. Could let you place road tiles that lead to other items, since the bomb is a thing and I can clear the path to continue the road. Could also let you just use the bomb without building anything on top. Would make the levels where you cant expand the isle better.

AussiexTJ
AussiexTJ

I love this game. It's very chill and has a good mix of tower defense with puzzle mechanics. RNG plays an important role, so if that's not your thing, then your interest may wane.

a cool bug
a cool bug

A pretty fun tower defense game, although it isn't perfect.
Sometimes either the rng is bad, like you don't get enough flags or pathing to really do anything, or sometimes towers just
don't
What I've noticed is that most of the towers that target a specific enemy, like cannons and archers tend to target the WEAKEST enemy. Sometimes this leads to unavoidable leaks I.E a bunch of scouts and a executioner in the back speeding up .

brukirk
brukirk

Hard, but with that one more try compulsion.

A real sense of achievement when you unlock various aspects.

illahjunk
illahjunk

Fun tower defense game, and the generative nature of the levels makes them less predictable than other games in the genre.

BigSugarMama
BigSugarMama

After playing ROGUE TOWER, I simply cannot force myself to adapt to super slow paced beginning. Element of RNG, usually, is welcomed, but not in this game. Its extent is too brutal for an enjoyable gameplay, especially, early on.
It`s a no-no for me.

redisland27
redisland27

Wow, this really hits for me.

Everything from the art direction to the mechanics, I'm very impressed. It really is much for of a puzzle game with a tower defense as a backdrop. There is a certain satisfaction element this really sets up for as you grow your island. I really can't get enough.

I totally understand the frustrations with the RNG, but I feel like is just makes it more satisfying when you get what you need. I also feel like it's rarer for a card to be completely useless. You just have to be more clever on how to use it. I also love using money to mitigate your choices.

I would love to see the campaign refined more. Process is a bit odd, but still fun. Maybe another mode or final boss you need to work up to.

I can't wait to see where this game goes!

Anonymous
Anonymous

If you’re a board game fan, this is a must-try. The minimalistic design really sets the vibe, and the gameplay feels fun and innovative.

TimeLock2175
TimeLock2175

It has so much potential but falls just short of being good. The RNG is a little too much for a tower defense game and with no real way to make the rng in your favor I find myself just putting my tower down and spend money to hopefully get something useful and just hitting play. NEeds some ways to basicly err the RNG into your favor a little more when you need it.

SwahiliMonster
SwahiliMonster

For $12... yes I can recommend this game. It is a solid rogue lite tower defense game and is very addicting if you enjoy tower defense.

However, the RNG is kind of insane. I got to 94% campaign completion without too much trouble, sure there were plenty of restarts but it was reasonable. With only two missions left (Merchants), I've played over 40 rounds trying to get them finished and it is literally impossible without EXTREME RNG luck. So much that it has sucked the fun away, because its like bashing my head into a wall and expecting not to have a headache.

I wish this game was less restrictive in terms of tower placement and design. Regardless, I got my $12 worth with 28 hours played.

Update: 1 day after I made this review a patch came through and it included balance changes which resolved my issue with the two last Merchant missions. After the patch I was able to complete both merchant missions with only a handful of restarts. A step in the right direction!

310
310

Fun game but difficulty needs balancing. Merchants on last two maps is unwinnable unless you get very good rng. Gauntlet is just a bad mode because there are too many cards and too few after-round events where you can get relics, so you rarely get a good synergy and you pretty much need a broken relic or tower early on in later stages of gauntlet so its very luck based.

TRUEfoe.TTV
TRUEfoe.TTV

What an absolute gem of a game! I've really missed the era of tower defense and Isle of Arrows has brought back that nostalgia. At time of writing, I've reached 40+ hours of playing and I can't wait to jump right back in! Some serious props to the developer who has been great at fixing bugs and tweaking the game. You can tell that he's got a lot of things planned for the future.
I've been playing this game on Steam Deck and it runs really well on it! The devs listened to my feedback regarding adding more bindable keyboard buttons.

djreiss
djreiss

Not for me. A game is a series of interesting decisions, and this "game's" structure works really hard to trivialize your own participation in the game. I understand the idea of rogue-likes is to improve replayability but to my tastes this one has gone too far and made the fundamental actions (of making interesting choices) meaningless; for me, it's ruined any fun the gameplay might have had.

If towers had interesting synergies or I always felt like I was summoning something awesome and impactful I'd probably enjoy it. As it is, it always feels like the RNG has been configured along so many different axes, and many of those axes represent critical fail points, that you're just hoping on a roll of twenty dice that none of them come up as a 1, 2, or 3.

Bummer city as I generally love tower defense games.

Tomleecee
Tomleecee

Very addictive tower defence game. Seems a bit confusing at first, but once you get to grips with it, it's hard to stop playing! Superb little game.

lakattack
lakattack

It's tower defense with cards. RNG ruins an otherwise great concept. There's too much variability and lack of choice for this game to shine. An easy solution would be to somehow reduce the cost of drawing again, or seeing two cards at a time (randomized) or allowing players to have a hand of cards (maybe hold 2-3 at a time). Without this, it doesn't feel so much like a challenge, then it does crossing your fingers for the right cards.

Beyond that, there's no mode to create your own decks. What a huge missed opportunity.

Ultimately, I can't recommend this game since I'm about 16hrs in, and while I love what this COULD be, it's just not it.

Worthy
Worthy

This is a great rogue like game! Fun little challenging strategy game that's oddly soothing with the pleasant graphics and sounds.

A lot of people complain about rng. I did too my first few attempts. Now, I win pretty much every time on different levels and with different groups. So I can confidently say this is primarily a game that requires skill. Even when I get really bad rng, if I play appropriately, I can almost always overcome it.

If you're looking for a puzzle game that's actually challenging, I'd recommend!

Cajek
Cajek

Addictive and attentive developers (thanks for making the game easier, btw - I'm too casual, I guess :D)

Old|Boy
Old|Boy

This game is really, really good. When you like TD and don't mind a bit of RNG elements to spice things up, this is the game for you! The key to beating the levels is to safe as much money as possible from the start on. Also building ahead is an element of the game I learned later as being life-saving. Only thing I really miss is more variety in music and towers. But over all this is a very good game!

ChampBob
ChampBob

I did have to give it a few runs, as my first runs were so tower-barren, but once I got some things unlocked, it really picked up. Fun game.

Anonymous
Anonymous

I quickly got to wave 38/39 in each campaign without much effort. Following that I cannot advance. The RNG is so brutal that many times I don't get any new towers after wave 30 while trying to defend three paths; so in order to win you basically just have to get lucky; which after many runs in the mid 30s I haven't. Since all other game modes are locked behind beating at least one campaign I have no idea what those game modes are like and can't review them. I have two suggestions. 1. Balance the game so that rather than making progress for the first several hours and then making none for ages after; make the progress more incremental. 2. Make the multiple campaigns and modes vary more in difficulty. Let the first campaign be a little more intro/easy to unlock the other game modes then subsequent campaigns/modes vary in their difficulty.

I'm not asking for a freebee, but being stuck just playing the same game mode over and over just hoping to get the others unlocked while making no progress feels pointless.

Konvit
Konvit

a fun tower defense/tile draw game. every play through is different with random cards and tiles that show up.

Safa
Safa

I tried the demo about a month ago and was so enthusiastic about this game that I got the full version once it was out.

I played 6 hours so far and I am truly enjoying it, thank you!

The Red Zaku
The Red Zaku

Isle of Arrows is an interesting but limited tower defense game. Unlike most Tower Defense Games where you largely focus on upgrading and positioning towers on preset/empty maps, Isle of Arrows instead focuses on building combos of unupgradable towers and paths out of combinations of semi-random tiles on a limited playing field. Complicating this is a limited set of resources that allow you to build over other already built towers, tiles that require adjacency with other specific tiles to get bonuses, and a gold economy restricting how often you can skip tiles you don't want. There are 4 factions that put various twists on the established rules of the game of varying funness.
While the game has a very strong premise and underlying core system, it's currently let down by a lack of content and mediocre balancing. The main content of the game is largely baked into 3 different elementally themed maps, each with their own unique towers. These towers range from interesting (such as the boulder tower, which will roll a rock until it hits a filled tile) to useless (geyser towers, looking at you). Once you figure out the trick to each map, there's little replayability. Unlocks for new tower types peter out after you beat the map with one of the 4 factions, and there's not enough tower variety to have dynamic strategies on each run. The varying "factions" all have limitations and bonuses that change the underlying game mechanics (except for merchants, who are just a chore to play) but are similarly linear once you understand their gimmick.
Thankfully the game is still getting what looks to be consistent updates and these issues should be solved with further content updates.
Some things I'd like to see in the future
- Unique towers and buildings for individual factions
- More ambitious tile combinations, most tiles come in 1/2 groups with the exception of some paths
- Some kind of endless mode
- More interesting Island design, currently just a loose circle around your spawn point with a fancy background. "Island Chains" or other
- A rebalancing of events. Gold events in the first few turns trivialize the game as they allow you to get ahead of the intended income curve you're expected to have
- Items/buffs having more pronounced impact on player choice. "the island grows a random tile every time you place one" while useful, doesn't really add any decisions or seriously impact my build choices. It would be nice if it directed it in certain ways.
-Disaster cards perhaps? Something that causes random parts of the isle to disappear or swaps towers around
-A readjustment of the gold economy to be a bit faster pace. As it is, the gold economy largely just feels punishing if you don't understand the curve and boring when you do. More shopping events or other places to spend your gold might have more interesting choices
-Enemy variety/delayed spawns. While there is an effort to have distinct enemies, they largely all are solved the same way, by building a long optimized damage path. The only time you really run into issues with the varying types is if you try to double up towers to cover multiple paths at once, which is not really necessary.

Ultimately a fun little game with a novel take on the traditional tower defense formula, but regrettably short on content and needing polish.

YEDL
YEDL

Campaign is very fun. Its got a good learning curve. Very satisfying when you get it right. Would recommend.

Now just some things that annoy me at this point.

first two classes are boring later on. wish the classes would have more impact on the playstyle, effect towers for example.
in general a bit more of the special round changing cards would be fun

Challenge mode with cannoneers. Getting the wrong start path is ruining the round.
I dont wanna keep on playing until wave 20 to even have a chance with the additional tower. Just give us that tower or something else its frustrating.

Let me place a path going into a building or water block, want to plan well. I can fuck up my path und unfuck it in so many ways, why should a house or water block stop me.

wobbed dot com
wobbed dot com

you are 100% reliant on the RNG giving you enough damage sources to survive early game. you are 100% reliant on the RNG to give you early gold buffs so you can ramp up to 4 gold/turn and start skipping 2-3 cards each turn. you are 100% reliant on the RNG to give you bombs so you can even begin to navigate around the disastrous assortment of water tiles and suboptimal pathing the game grants you. If any of these fail, then have fun abandoning your run and starting again from 0. Also, feel free to reroll your starting conditions until you get an elite tower in your first 2 card rolls + a dig site, because you're basically gimping yourself if you don't, even if it takes 100 starting rolls to get. Are you having fun yet? Probably not.

ConciseDharma
ConciseDharma

I'll sum up the game from everyone elses review:

Needs Balancing to RNG which encompasses the probability of getting an offensive card (Towers, Cannons, etc), the increased chance of getting passive/useless cards (Go 8-10 rounds without seeing a Tower related card), then to die from getting screwed by the same 5 corner pieces in a row.

Played for little over an hour and got the same feeling others were getting off of more hours of play time.

Additionally there isn't current support of this game on WeMod which kinda bummed me out.

Horribly Moist
Horribly Moist

I love this game, the hybrid tower defence, rogue-like play is addictive. It's a great title to have for either a quick session or a longer play. It has that elusive "just one more go" quality that seems quite rare in modern titles.

regnidorhcs
regnidorhcs

Great game for problem solvers who enjoy a bit of strategy. Every game is a new challenge. Wish they expand functionality further with new levels/factions as I can't seem to get enough.

PlanetEvolve
PlanetEvolve

The game offers a very unique take on the standard tower-defense formula by adding in several board game elements. Ultimately, this makes for a relaxing and intriguing strategy experience.

killer44
killer44

Its a really cool relaxing game with a good amount of difficulty whilst making it still not too hard.. very beautiful artwork! Definitely worth the money and time! :)

Tovrik
Tovrik

Really good take on the Tower Defense genre. Have thoroughly enjoyed it for the most part, but aspects of it can be a bit frustrating due to the RNG nature of the game

Matter92
Matter92

A nice and relaxing (mostly) game for travelling or listening to an audio book. I really appreciated the lowering of the overall difficulty with one of the earlier patches. Since then it is one of my favorite relaxation games. (I play it on the deck, not optimal default controls but pretty doable)
Also the rng is not as punishing as it was before. As a tower defenser I can now finish challenges in one or two goes, which is nice for me.

Thanks for this wonderful little game!

VEE
VEE

This game is super fun! I used to play tower defense games but they grew boring. I really love the difficulty and puzzle aspect to this. Super nice art and everything!

alxthgrt
alxthgrt

A very unique game that feels as though some one took a drag and asked "what if you combined clash of clans with Bloons td5 wtih a splash of clash royale. Very enjoyable, especially at the beginning.

Jesse, Enemy Gamer
Jesse, Enemy Gamer

It's a great little mix-up on tower defence games, there is a certain amount of RNG with the card system but that stops you from building the exact same, highly optimized path every round which is typical in the genre. Every round you have to think on your feet with what you've got. Only thing is that I wish it had controller support, would love to play this with the steam deck!

Carlo
Carlo

Damn I love this and love it on Steam Deck. Wish there was a better control profile for it and it would be a perfect game for on the go!!!!

If you're the developer reading this, please get in touch on how you can get this to be more Steam Deck friendly!!!

General_Red
General_Red

An interesting tile-based tower defence game with a nice, minimalist aesthetic and solid gameplay mechanics. It's quite challenging, as it's emphasis is on strategic placement of tiles rather than upgrading towers. Some tiles add different types of defence; some extend the enemy pathway; some extend the map; others provide extra resources. There's certainly a degree of RNG involved (EG the tiles you receive are randomised, to an extent), but there's still plenty of room for strategic thinking. Well worth a shot!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvdhI2UJosw&list=PL05Yc3_TEBpNcGtiff7xy…

KittyLips69
KittyLips69

runs perfectly with no hiccups! feels fresh for a tower defense game. it's less about placing towers and more about solving the problem of how to build the best track. feels complete and got 100% in 30 hours. short game but very worth it at the price.

unknown.notregistered
unknown.notreg…

It is a lot of RNG.
I found it fun still, with some forgiving Legacy Towers after reaching level 20 on a map when I need to retry normally, but that RNG is the hardest part. You might not always get the cards you need when you want them leaving it somewhat frustrating as that one tile you need is just one more card off than you can get to.
However I found it more fun than frustrating and will definitely say it is worth the fair asking price for it.

Mushpotatoes
Mushpotatoes

I've had a lot of fun playing this game. It took all the things that I wished they would improve about Rogue Tower and implemented them. A super well made game that gives you some really interesting puzzles to solve.

Rogenhamen
Rogenhamen

A Tower Defense game with the added twist of randomized cards of what you're allowed to build next. The randomization keeps things fresh and interesting because most other TD games become boring due to figuring out the meta and lack of experimentation. Sometimes it feels like you get fucked over thanks to RNGesus, but I consistently find myself loading up another game asap.

Mikrotherion
Mikrotherion

I'd very much like to recommend this game as a great unique take on the Tower Defense genre. Unfortunately, I can't. While the mixture of elements is in theory a great idea, the result is a game that's not really fun.
I also wanted to post this review only after completing the game - but I won't complete it, so I can't touch on EVERY part of the game.

Some claim the game is too difficult. That's not true. It's not difficult per se. Once you've got the basic mechanics down, which it doesn't take a genius for, you could theoretically enjoy the game, plan a path for the enemy to take and build the towers and traps to defend that path.

However, how you can actually build depends to such a degree on luck, that planning ahead often doesn't work out - which is one thing I always thought was a staple of the TD genre.

Tifrid
Tifrid

It's hard and I love it. You'll need to think and learn, and this is the most exciting part of Tower Defense games, in my opinion. I also love that there are multiple variations of gameplay, truly enjoyable

Love1olie
Love1olie

Visually and mechanically stimulating tower defence game! Has similar elements to Dorfromantik and the vibes of Super Auto Pets. If you liked either of those games this is a must have!

OhThatBoiAgain
OhThatBoiAgain

This game is a very fun, engaging, and refreshing look on the tower defense genre!

The art style is smooth and defined and the controls are great. I love the campaigns and being able to move up through each one progressively. I hope more towers and campaigns will be added to keep the game going for awhile!

I will say the RNG element of this game is a little rough sometimes and it took me several several hours to beat the first campaign because the randomness was so rough.

Although I love the art, I would love to see all the bridge tiles have a beam going down to make the isle look more complete and less free hanging!

Abe Froman
Abe Froman

Every time I've felt confident that my path and tower set up is good enough to win...I lose. I love the random nature of the tiles and working with what you've got. There's mitigation for the randomness, but it's limited so you have to use it wisely. I'm digging this game. I'm looking forward to see what other challenges lie ahead.

MadStokes
MadStokes

Warning: Very addictive game. A challenging puzzle Tower Defence game that make each run unique

IndyNicky
IndyNicky

This game is super fun and addicting if you like roguelikes, tower defence, and/or tile puzzle games you will love this game

kevon
kevon

this is just rogue tower but worse

mlue
mlue

rng in the beginning can be punishing but otherwise it's really well done and innovative.

FoxTailBlue
FoxTailBlue

"Once you’ve completed the first Campaign of the game, you unlock the fast forward button, which allows you to speed up the enemy waves." Which with how the RNG works could be a few try's to a few dozen hours, meaning unless you enjoy watching op units walk at a snails pace to eventually end your run because for the last 10 waves you rolled a 1 and got nothing of value to add to your base.

A few changes away from being a decent TD, I would like to see the following as examples.

1: LET ME SPEED UP TIME FROM THE GET GO!
2: If your going to give me so many towers with water attached let me put the water tile on top of another one or over the edge without wasting rare bombs or bridges.
3: Maybe add a currency that accumulates after each run based on how many turns i completed so I can upgrade my towers similar to the system in Rogue Tower, it would help make the player feel that no matter what you are always gaining something from playing.

Ok game held back on the reliance of RNG to be the difficulty instead of something the player has a chance against.

EnduroDoug
EnduroDoug

This is the Reese's of game mash-ups. If you like tower defense, card battlers, and board game randomness, then this is for you. Cannot stop playing this game!

Gregor
Gregor

This game is good but what it really needs is Linux support so I can play it at work

cryocore
cryocore

At this stage I am not able to really recommend this game. It is so very close to be being great, but the RNG imbalance completely breaks the game. The lack of consistency ans inability to really plan for anything ruins the experience. If there was more freedom in tile choices, or a more forgiving resource system that would allow for the player to put in tiles needed when needed, then this game could be saved. As it is you will lose not because you've played poorly, but because RNG gave you bad tiles and you literally had no way to succeed. Such a shame really.

Bobdoom
Bobdoom

Very fun and challenging tower defense game. It combines various TD mechanics into something unique.