Comparison

HexTowerDefense vs Retro TD

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

HexTowerDefense

Engage in strategic tower defense on a hexagonal grid. Master placement, range, and timing across 50 campaign levels, daily challenges, and a community workshop. Enjoy a retro aesthetic with no energy timers and limited ads.

Highlights
  • Hexagonal grid placement
  • 50 handcrafted campaign levels
  • Daily challenges and endless mode
  • Community Workshop for sharing layouts
  • Eight tower types
  • Retro neon aesthetic
Features
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Place towers. Hold the line. HexTowerDefense is a minimalist tower defense game built around a hexagonal grid. Every placement decision matters — angles, range, and timing are yours to control. Three ways to play Campaign — 50 handcrafted levels with Normal, Hard, Veteran & Nightmare difficulty. Earn up to 3 stars per level. Challenges — Daily run, Endless mode, invisible enemies, and more. Complete daily challenges to earn Workshop Tokens. Sandbox — Build freely, experiment, validate your layout, then share it with the world through the Community Workshop. Community Workshop Browse boards submitted by other players, download and test them, rate your favorites, and submit your own for review. Eight tower types, endless possibilities Neon-on-black retro aesthetic. No energy timers. Limited ads.

About

Retro TD

Features
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Build mazes. Watch creeps puzzle through. Hold the line. Retro TD is a hexagonal-arrow tower defense game. Place towers along the path, upgrade between waves, and survive against creeps that follow the arrows you've drawn. Tight, decision-heavy play — no filler, no grind. AI-GENERATED LEVELS Describe a shape — spiral, figure-8, knot, hourglass, twin loop — and the game generates a new level matching it. Each generation uses one credit; the Starter Pack includes 4, and you can top up when you want more. WHAT'S INSIDE • 30 hand-designed campaign levels, from gentle tutorial to boss-tier • Four tower types with directional aim-lock • A radial build menu that keeps your finger out of the action • Game Center high-wave leaderboards on every level • Reduced Motion option in Settings • Portrait, single-handed play IN-APP PURCHASES • Starter Pack ($2.99): unlocks levels 11–30 and includes 4 AI level credits • Credits 4-Pack ($1.99): four additional AI level credits SHARING Custom levels can be shared with friends by tapping an import link. Levels are filtered for objectionable content; long-press any received level to report it. No ads. No tracking. No account required.

Screenshots

HexTowerDefense4 screens
Retro TD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Retro TD at every 3 days against HexTowerDefense's every 10 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. HexTowerDefense sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Retro TD sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HexTowerDefense ships an update every 10 days, Retro TD every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
HexTowerDefense versus Retro TD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHexTowerDefenseRetro TD
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.517.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB11 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperMaxime HussenetDoug Barrett

In-app purchases

4 purchases

HexTowerDefense

One-time4
  • x2/x4 Speed$1.99
  • Remove Ads$3.99
  • Gotta Go Faster$4.99
Show 1 more
  • All-in-One$4.99
2 purchases

Retro TD

One-time2
  • 4 AI Level Credits$1.99
  • Starter Pack$2.99

Questions

Is HexTowerDefense free?
HexTowerDefense is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Retro TD free?
Retro TD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HexTowerDefense or Retro TD have ads?
Neither HexTowerDefense nor Retro TD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HexTowerDefense or Retro TD?
HexTowerDefense ships an update every 10 days, and Retro TD every 3 days. Most recently, HexTowerDefense was updated on October 31, 2026 and Retro TD on October 28, 2026.

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