Comparison

Thornguard vs x3r0TD

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

Head to head
About

Thornguard

Features
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Thornguard is a tower defense roguelike where every run starts fresh. Choose a prophecy, build towers, draft abilities, collect relics, and see how far you can go. PROPHECIES Pick from 9 challenge tracks before each run. Four elemental prophecies throw themed enemy waves at you. Four tactical prophecies test specific strategies. One throws everything at you from wave one. Each prophecy has 6 difficulty levels with signature mechanics that intensify as you climb. Beat a level, earn a title. TOWERS Six tower types across four elements and two neutral. Fire beats Frost, Frost beats Lightning, Lightning beats Fire. Thorn plays by its own rules. Place your towers wisely โ€” the element matchup matters. ABILITIES Over 20 abilities to collect during a run. They cycle through a queue system โ€” draft them, wait for recharge, activate from your slots. Each ability has a branching upgrade tree from L1 through L3, so you can specialize your build as you go. RELICS After each wave, pick one of three relics. Over 60 relics across four rarities โ€” Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Legendary. They stack and synergize to shape your strategy. No two runs build the same way. BOSS FIGHTS 10 bosses with unique mechanics โ€” summoning minions, shifting lanes, shielding themselves, draining your towers. Beat them for extra gold. FEATURES - 9 prophecy tracks with 6 difficulty levels each - 6 tower types across 4 elements - 20+ abilities with branching upgrade trees - 60+ relics across 4 rarities - 10 bosses with unique mechanics - 40+ enemy types across elemental families - Fully offline โ€” no internet, no accounts, no ads - All progress stored locally on your device Built for quick sessions. No internet required. No ads. No accounts. Just towers and bad decisions.

About

x3r0TD

Features
Read full description

x3r0TD Defend the grid. Build powerful towers. Master unique fusions. x3r0TD is a modern tower defense game where every decision matters. Build powerful defenses, upgrade your towers during battle, and discover unique tower combinations to overcome increasingly dangerous enemy waves. Victory isn't about spending moneyโ€”it's about building the right strategy. Features โ€ข Fast-paced tower defense gameplay โ€ข Build and upgrade towers before and during combat โ€ข Discover powerful tower fusion combinations โ€ข Unique enemy types that require different tactics โ€ข Increasing difficulty that rewards strategic planning โ€ข Fair progression with optional in-app purchases โ€ข Beautiful neon-inspired sci-fi visuals โ€ข Optimized for smooth gameplay on iPhone Play Your Way Experiment with different tower layouts, react to changing enemy formations, and continuously refine your tactics. Every wave presents new challenges that reward careful planning, quick decisions, and creative strategies. Whether you're a long-time tower defense veteran or completely new to the genre, x3r0TD offers an accessible experience with plenty of depth to master. Optional in-app purchases are available to speed up progression, but the entire campaign is designed to be playable through skill and persistence. Good luck, Commander. End User License Agreement (EULA) can be found here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Thornguard4 screens
x3r0TD3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Thornguard at 4 against x3r0TD's 1. Thornguard also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.5). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Thornguard sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and x3r0TD sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Thornguard versus x3r0TD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThornguardx3r0TD
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 โ€” better26.5
Further details โ€” not scored
Size104 MB11 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperNATHAN CARLISLE FOXJohan Jartelius

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Thornguard

One-time4
  • Bronze Supporter$0.99
  • Silver Supporter$2.99
  • Gold Supporter$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Champion$9.99
9 purchases

x3r0TD

Subscriptions2
  • Vanguard$2.991 Month
  • Commander$5.991 Month
One-time7
  • Core Cache$1.99
  • Data Cache$1.99
  • Core Vault$3.99
Show 4 more
  • Flux Canister$3.99
  • Research Reset Gem$3.99
  • Data Vault$4.99
  • Flux Reservoir$8.99

Questions

Is Thornguard free?
Thornguard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is x3r0TD free?
x3r0TD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Thornguard or x3r0TD have ads?
Neither Thornguard nor x3r0TD shows ads.

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