# Zen Wars > Fast-paced strategy-puzzle defense game with base building and cannon placement. (iPhone/iPad app by Patrick Wolowicz.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-wars/id344115274 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Patrick Wolowicz](https://appshunter.io/developer/299484375) - Category: Games, Entertainment, Casual, Strategy - Price: $0.99 with in-app purchases - Rating: 3.00/5 from 6 App Store ratings · 97 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 9+ - Requires: iOS 8.0 · 54 MB - Languages: American English, French (France), German (Germany), Japanese, Chinese (Simplified, China) - Released: 2011-08-11 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-wars/id344115274/reviews.md ## What is Zen Wars? Build your base, place your cannons and attack! Zen Wars is a fast paced strategy-puzzle defense game that challenges players to build, repair and destroy the enemy! Defeat Lord Evilz' army in single player mode, compete in intense 2 and 3 player online battles and become the ultimate Zen Master! New and Noteworthy in the US, Austrian, German and Swiss App Store! Recommended by Touch Arcade, iFanzine, Adrenaline Vault, Nine over Ten and 148apps! BUILD YOUR FORTRESS Surround your base and fortify your walls. The more bases you acquire, the more cannons you will have at your disposal. Repair and fortify the base walls after each round to build up your defense. PLACE YOUR CANNONS Once you surround your fortress, place regular cannons, super cannons and powerful laser cannons. Be careful - place too many cannons and you will run out building space! DESTROY! Use your cannons to destroy Lord Evilz’ army. You’ll be facing angry huns, crazy warriors, giant war pandas, and eventually Lord Evilz himself! Every shot counts! Fortify your fort and destroy Evilz in Zen Wars! ONLINE MULTIPLAYER Take on 2 or 3 “friends” in Game Center multiplayer mode and blow holes in their fortifications to ensure their demise. Earn 17 challenging Achievements and climb the leaderboard ranks and become the #1 Zen Wars Master! 
Key Features: • Silky smooth touch screen control that let you build your fortress, place cannons and destroy the enemy with pin-point accuracy. • Multiple modes of play including: Campaign, Survival and Multiplayer! • Full Game Center support with 17 challenging achievements, multiple leaderboards and voice chat supported online multiplayer. • Fun. The most important key feature. PRESS QUOTES ••••• 

"You’ll need to think on your toes in order to make the correct preparations for multiple attacks, adding an extra layer of strategy and planning over other similar games." 
- Touch Arcade
 "Zen Wars‘ markedly different style will come as a real breath of fresh air to genre fans." 4.5/5 
- iFanzine "Zen Wars should be a game that every mobile gamer purchases." 5/5 - Adrenalin Vault "The ability to find other players through Game Center makes it a must-have for fans of castle defense games." - AppAdvice.com "This game should be in any Tower Defense aficionado’s iOS library. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!" 4.5 / 5 - Nine Over Ten ••••• ## Key features - Build and fortify your base - Place cannons (regular, super, laser) - Destroy enemy armies - Single player campaign mode - Online multiplayer battles (2-3 players) - Game Center achievements and leaderboards ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: $0.99. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | "Unlimited Evil Cards" Pack | $0.99 | one-time | | 10 Campaign Bonus Time Tokens | $0.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of Zen Wars? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 👍 Faithful Rampart reinterpretation - 👍 Great storyline and artwork - 👍 Addictive and fun gameplay - 👍 Good multiplayer experience - 👍 Worth the price - 👍 Creative defense puzzle game - 👍 Smooth controls on iPad - 👍 Good concept and idea **Cons** - 👎 Short campaign/levels - 👎 Clunky interface/controls - 👎 Annoying music/sound - 👎 Some UI issues - 👎 Multiplayer not always active - 👎 Too simple for some **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashes on startup/menu - Crashes during gameplay - Crashes after first 'prepare to fire' - Multiplayer not starting - Tutorial not progressing - Game crashes when exiting - Freezes during phone calls/alerts - Local multiplayer buggier - Cannons not placing properly - Achievement not awarded - Game crashes on survival mode **Most requested features** - More levels - Add AI/computer opponents - Optional sound/music control - Adjustable difficulty - Upgrade cannons - Faster loading times - Remove shake to pause - Optional rotate button - Remove advisor icon obstruction - Better visual for cannon shots - Fast switching capability - iPad compatibility - Dark mode - More variety in puzzle pieces/weapons - Turn off zoom on iPad - Remove between-screen popups - Pause button ## Recent user reviews (10 of 97) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-wars/id344115274/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Fun game *2020-11-17* I cannot turn the sound off for some reason. Would be great if i could play against a computer vs people i don't know who play games far to much. ### 4/5 — Great Game—A Genuine Tribute *2018-02-03* It's a faithful Rampart reinterpretation and fully 64Bit/iOS11 compliant. An instant classic. ### 4/5 — Fixed! *2017-10-25* Update, latest update fixed crashing issue. Thanks! Can’t play - IOS 11 - crashes before it starts gameplay. **Developer response:** Hi Steph, Thanks for reporting, sorry for the issue - we've identified a few iOS 11 problems and fix them. Please give version 1.5 a try! ### 1/5 — Crashes *2017-10-09* Crashes right after the first “prepare to fire” I guess that’s one dollar I’ll never see again. **Developer response:** Thanks for reporting, sorry for the issue - we've identified a few iOS 11 problems and fix them. Please give version 1.5 a try! ### 1/5 — Ain't workin *2017-09-05* Crashes after "prepare to fire!" **Developer response:** Thanks for reporting, sorry for the issue - we've identified a few iOS 11 problems and fix them. Please give version 1.5 a try! ### 1/5 — Nope *2015-11-18, version 1.3* Horrid game, kludge interface, and crashes on iPhone 6. Was hopeful it'd be a fun Rampart clone, but no. ### 2/5 — It's no Rampart *2015-10-26, version 1.3* Paid a dollar because some reviews said it's like Rampart. Way too clunky. Would not pay said dollar again. ### 1/5 — Broken *2015-07-30, version 1.3* Multiplayer is broken. Would not start despite multiple attempts using multiple methods. Wasted money. ### 1/5 — Rampart *2014-12-25, version 1.3* No game can replace rampart ### 5/5 — For rampart fans *2014-04-10* Good reboot of RAMPART the old tower defense game. This makes sense as a touch game. Zen Wars combines elements of puzzle piece building, territory capture and shooting various enemies that shoot back or invade your territory. It has multiplayer and survival modes. Some variety in puzzle pieces, weapons, levels etc. Survival mode is great, unfortunately no one is ever on the network for global multiplayer, local multiplayer seems fun. Over the top epic funk soundtrack is pretty annoying though. A lot of iOS games are quickly made and crappy, though rampart is tried and true and has been ported to lots of systems. I think this one is worth a try. ## Frequently asked questions about Zen Wars ### What is Zen Wars? Zen Wars is a fast-paced strategy-puzzle defense game where players build and fortify their bases, place cannons, and destroy enemy armies. It offers single-player campaigns and online multiplayer battles. ### What are the key features of Zen Wars? Key features include building and repairing fortress walls, placing various types of cannons for offense, destroying enemy units, and engaging in online multiplayer modes with Game Center support for achievements and leaderboards. ### How much does Zen Wars cost? The application is free to download and play, but it does offer in-app purchases. Specific costs for in-app items are not detailed in the provided description. ### What platforms is Zen Wars available on? Based on the description mentioning App Store and Game Center, Zen Wars is available on iOS devices. Compatibility details beyond this are not specified. ### What are the different game modes in Zen Wars? Zen Wars features multiple modes of play, including a Campaign mode for single-player progression, a Survival mode, and an Online Multiplayer mode where players can compete against others. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.5 — 2017-10-23 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. • Fixed a crash when skipping the advisor. ### 1.4 — 2017-08-08 • Added 64 bit support • Small bug fixes ### 1.3 — 2013-05-11 • 4 Inch screen support • Removed "normal" difficulty, instead, you only have 1 life in casual mode now followed by legendary mode. Good luck! • Bug fixes Please rate Zen Wars in the App Store. Your ratings allow us to do more free updates. Have fun! :) ### 1.2.2 — 2012-03-23 ★ iOS 4.1 can now play survival games too ★ Fixed an issue which could cause destroyed walls not be removed in single player games ★ Fixed a few very rare crashes on fast devices ★ iPad 3 Retina support in most parts of the game We've also added Chinese and German localization. If you'd like to see other languages or new features let us know via facebook.com/zenwars! ### 1.2.1 — 2012-02-21 Accessibility Update Based on feedback we got during the Apple Developer World Tour in Berlin we've improved the game UI: ★ Quicker phase changes ★ Build tool now uses actual wall pieces ★ Castles visually give cannon building points ★ Reloading indicator when you fire while reloading ★ Lots of other small visual improvements We have also fixed a few outstanding bugs: ★ The game no longer crashes on iOS 4.1 on launch (yeay!) ★ Completing in casual difficulty now unlocks legendary difficulty ★ The legendary achievement is now correctly granted for completing the game (if you achieved this previously tap campaign and then back again to receive your achievement) Only 3 people have completed the Legendary difficulty to date. 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User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*