Tidewatch Keep

Tidewatch Keep reframes tower defence as a puzzle. Instead of endless waves, each level is a fixed layout with a limited budget, and you have to figure out the right placement to survive. It scratches the same itch as a good chess problem.

The early levels teach you the tools without holding your hand too long. By the mid-point I was genuinely stuck on a few, and the satisfaction of finally cracking one was worth it. Hints exist but never feel pushed on you.

If you like tower defence for the planning rather than the action, this is a smart, focused take on the genre.

What we liked

• Every level is a solvable puzzle
• No filler waves
• Optional hints that don't nag