Glyph Guard Defense

Glyph Guard Defense is the most traditional tower defence in our list, and it's excellent at it. You build rune towers along a grid maze, upgrade them, and combine two towers into stronger hybrids when the waves get nasty.

The combining system is what sets it apart. Late waves force you to sacrifice coverage for firepower, and picking which towers to fuse becomes a real decision. Maps are hand-designed rather than randomly stitched, and it shows.

Difficulty ramps steeply on the last maps, and a couple of them almost demand a perfect opening. If you like tower defence that respects your planning, though, this one earns a spot on your home screen.

What we liked

• Tower fusion adds real depth
• Hand-designed maps with tight pacing
• Steep but fair endgame challenge