Comparison

Tower Defense 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

Tower Defense

Features
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Welcome to Void - a Skill-Driven Tower Defense Master the ultimate skill-based tower defense game on iOS. Infinite waves, deterministic combat, four tower classes, six maps, and global monthly leaderboards. Every run tests your strategy against escalating enemy waves, pure skill THE CORE • Four tower classes in this tower defense TD game: Projectile (single-target precision), Laser (rapid-fire piercing), Launch (heavy splash damage), Freeze (radial slow pulse) - each one with unique effects • Three tiers per tower with Enhance levels that scale damage, range, and fire rate — perfect for hardcore tower defense mastery. • Tap to cycle targeting: First, Close, Strong, or Weak (perk-locked). Infinite waves with bosses every 10 rounds: Tank → Swarm Parent → Shielded → Runner, plus mini-spawner events. SIX MAPS, FOUR DIFFICULTY TIERS • Normal: Forgiving entry to tower defense strategy. • Medium: Bypass & Peaks — asymmetric paths punish lazy placement. • Hard: Switchback & Weave — winding routes for expert tower defense players. • Practice: Non-ranked sandbox with custom HP scaling. Hard maps unlock via milestones on easier tiers in this endless tower defense experience. PROGRESSION & PERMANENT UPGRADES • Earn Glory Points (GP) every match. Spend on perks: Credit Surge, GP Fortune, Market Discount, Speed boosts (4Ɨ to 5.6Ɨ), and Weak Targeting. • Tower Masteries to L20 per class + Bonus Masteries to L120 for account-wide buffs. • Round milestones grant permanent GP multipliers (up to 3.0Ɨ). Plateau Bonus Tiles add 1.2Ɨ tower power. DAILY CHALLENGES & LEADERBOARDS Three rotating daily goals (Easy 150 GP to Hard 1,000 GP) for up to 1,550 extra GP. Global monthly tower defense leaderboard via Game Center. Six-tier Skill Rank ladder (F to S) with multipliers. Per-map Top Round boards + daily streak bonuses. iOS-NATIVE INNOVATION Your tower defense match stays visible on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island — see round, enemies, and lives at a glance. Tap to resume instantly. Match Reminders ping for paused runs. Background-resilient design: force-quit and return exactly where you left off. 23 ACHIEVEMENTS & FAIR PROGRESSION Milestones, Boss Hunter, Tower Mastery, Pure Run (wave 50 no revives), and more. Everything earnable through gameplay. Optional GP packs for players who want to accelerate. iPhone & iPad. Portrait mode. Requires iOS 18.2+. Game Center optional for leaderboards and monthly tower defense rankings. Live Activity, Dynamic Island, and reminders work independently. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://voidgame.app/privacy/

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

Tower Defense4 screens
Retro TD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Retro TD at 17.0 against Tower Defense's 26.2. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Tower Defense 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

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
Tower Defense versus Retro TD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTower DefenseRetro TD
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB11 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperJonathan TaverasDoug Barrett

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Tower Defense

One-time4
  • Starter Pack$2.99
  • Standard Pack$9.99
  • Pro Pack$24.99
Show 1 more
  • Elite Pack$69.99
2 purchases

Retro TD

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

Questions

Is Tower Defense free?
Tower Defense 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 Tower Defense or Retro TD have ads?
Neither Tower Defense nor Retro TD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tower Defense or Retro TD?
Tower Defense ships an update every 3 days, and Retro TD every 3 days. Most recently, Tower Defense was updated on September 19, 2026 and Retro TD on September 6, 2026.

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