Stickfront: Tower Defense

How to play

Build defenses on the slots beside the road, drop troops in the ring round your castle, walk your hero, and hold every wave of ink and Crimson's runaways.

Basics

01 — Hold the castle

Spilled ink runs down the roads toward your castle, and Crimson's runaways come with it. An enemy that reaches the castle takes one bite out of its health and is gone (Walker 10, Flyer 24, Armored blot 110, Giant blot 600). Hold through every wave to win the map; if the castle's health reaches zero, the map is lost.

A win earns one to three stars by the castle's health left: three at 85% or more, two at 40% or more, one below that. Stars buy lasting upgrades in the HQ.

02 — Build on the slots

Defenses stand only on the marked square slots beside the road, one to a slot. Tap an empty slot and pick a defense from its ring.
Every defense has three steps: the first builds it, the next two make it stronger for more energy.
The fourth step is one of two branches, and each plays differently: Marksman's nest picks the strongest enemy in reach, Fire arrows leaves the ground burning. A defense's branches open in the HQ for stars.
Hilltop slots shoot 20% farther, and every step there costs 15% more.
Selling gives back 70% of everything spent on that defense, its branch included.
Some enemies fight back. A defense brought to zero is down for 10 seconds and comes back with 40% of its health; Engineer troops and Sapper Staple mend it sooner.
A barracks sends three soldiers to hold the road. Tap it and then the road to move their rally point.

03 — Energy

Each map starts you with its own energy. Before the first wave there is no income: build first, then call the wave when you are ready.
From the first wave on, energy grows by 1.6 a second.
Every enemy brought down pays its bounty.
Calling the next wave before its countdown ends pays 2.5 energy for every second left.

04 — Waves and the preview

Before every wave, each entry shows the enemy kinds coming down that road or air lane. Nothing arrives unannounced.
The first wave waits for you. Once all of a wave's enemies are on the field, the next one counts down.
Walkers keep to the roads. Flyers ignore them and come straight at the castle; boats come down the rivers.
At most 150 enemies are on the field at once; the rest wait at their entry.

Troops, hero and spells

01 — Troops in the ring

Pick a troop card at the bottom (or press 1 to 9).
Tap the road inside the ring round the castle.
The troops land there and hold the road.

The ring grows a little with every wave.
Each card costs energy and has a short cooldown. Troops on the field count against a limit of 14.
Orders move every troop you dropped at once: on Attack they take on enemies up to 9 m from their spot, on Hold they keep within 3.2 m of it, and Fall back sends them home to the castle.

Troops	Opens	Energy	Population	Soldiers	Cooldown
BrawlersThree cheap fists that block the road for a while.	Win 1-1	30	2	3	4 s
SwordsmenTwo sturdy blades that hold a line.	Win 1-1	45	2	2	5 s
SpearmenTwo long spears that strike first and hit twice as hard on the charge.	Win 1-2	55	2	2	5 s
RiflemanOne long-range shooter who hits the air too.	Win 1-5	70	3	1	6 s
RocketeerOne rocket at a time, two and a half times as hard on armor.	Win 2-2	80	3	1	7 s
MedicHeals the troops around and never fights.	Win 2-1	50	2	1	8 s
EngineerMends the towers nearby and swings a heavy wrench.	Win 2-3	60	2	1	8 s
FlamerBurns crowds up close and never rises as a blot.	Win 2-4	70	3	1	7 s
ShieldbearerOne heavy shield that holds two enemies and shrugs off bullets and arrows.	Win 3-1	75	3	1	7 s
SniperOne long-range marksman who picks the strongest enemy in reach, in the air too.	Win 3-2	90	3	1	8 s

02 — Your hero

Pick one hero before a map. It starts by the castle and fights on its own.
Tap your hero, then tap the ground to send it there.
Its ability recharges on its own clock: tap the ability button (or press E), then tap where it should land. Abilities that work round the hero go off where it stands.
Every enemy brought down gives the hero experience; it gains levels during the map, up to level 5, for more health, harder hits and a stronger ability.
A fallen hero comes back at the castle after a short wait.

03 — Spells

Take 2 spells into each map.
Tap a spell (or press Q or W), then tap where it should land. Each one recharges on its own cooldown.
Air strikes bomb along the road nearest the mark; missiles and barrages land a moment after the tap, so aim ahead of a crowd.

Defenses

01 — Every defense

Costs are in energy, for each step. The HQ column is what opening both branches of that defense costs there; the Blot flood's searchlight comes with both open.

Defense	Opens	Steps 1–3	Fourth step: branches	HQ
Archer towerCheap and quick; hits the ground and the air.	From the start	70 · 90 · 130	Fire arrows 210: Arrows set enemies alight and leave the ground burning where they land.Marksman's nest 220: One long, slow shot at the toughest enemy in reach, straight through armor.	1 star
BarracksSends out three soldiers who hold the road.	From the start	90 · 110 · 150	Shield company 220: Heavy shields that hold two enemies each and shrug off shots.Spear charge 230: Long spears strike first and hit twice as hard on the charge, harder still on armor.	1 star
CannonSlow shells that blast whole crowds on the ground.	Win 1-1	130 · 150 · 200	Heavy cannon 280: Fewer, much bigger shells that crack armored enemies.Shrapnel 270: Three quick shells at once, peppering a wide crowd.	1 star
BarricadeSandbags and wire that slow the road and buy the guns time.	Win 1-2	60 · 80 · 110	Stone wall 180: A wall across the road that holds enemies until they break it, and mends itself.Electric wire 190: The slow ground also shocks everything crawling through it.	1 star
Machine gun nestRapid fire that mows down crowds on the ground.	Win 1-4	110 · 120 · 160	Twin barrels 230: Twice the bullets: crowds melt in front of it.Piercing rounds 240: Heavier bullets that go through armor.	2 stars
MortarLong reach and wide blasts on land and water, but nothing close.	Win 1-5	150 · 160 · 210	Battery 300: Three shells a volley, spread across a wide patch of road.Smoke shell 280: Shells leave smoke that slows whatever walks through it.	2 stars
Anti-air gunHits only what flies, and hits it hard.	Win 1-6	120 · 130 · 170	Missile ramp 250: Long-range missiles for big aircraft, and it shoots incoming missiles down.Flak 240: Bursting shells that tear through whole flocks of flyers.	2 stars
Flame towerBurns crowds up close; soldiers who fall near it never rise as blots.	Win 2-2	120 · 140 · 180	Napalm 250: Leaves pools of fire on the road that keep burning.Flame wall 260: A longer, wider sheet of flame right across the road.	2 stars
Field hospitalHeals the soldiers and troops around it.	Win 2-1	100 · 120 · 150	Bandage tent 200: Heals much faster, and farther out.Shield drone 220: Gives soldiers nearby a shield that soaks up hits first.	2 stars
Land mineGoes off under the first enemy on the road, then rearms.	Win 1-5	70 · 90 · 120	Cluster mine 170: Bursts into three blasts along the road.Ice mine 170: A wide blast that leaves everything in it slowed for a while.	2 stars
Shore gun Water slotsBuilt by the water; shells boats and the road along the shore.	Win 2-1	140 · 150 · 200	Torpedo 280: Heavy torpedoes for boats only, and they go right through them.Long barrel 290: Reaches far out across the water and the shore.	3 stars
Plasma towerCharges a heavy beam that cuts through armor; built for late waves.	Win 2-5	220 · 200 · 260	EMP tower 340: A wide blast that stops vehicles and machines dead for a moment.Chain beam 330: The beam leaps on from its target to the enemies around it.	3 stars
SearchlightLights the ground round it, so towers there keep their full reach at night.	Blot flood only	90 · 80 · 100	Floodlight 160: A much wider light that keeps a whole bend of road lit.Watch light 190: A narrower light with a machine gun under it that hits the ground and the air.	—

Enemies

01 — Ink blots

Enemy	Health	Speed	Bite	Counter
Walker“Slow, many, and in no hurry. Neither are we.”	60	1.6 m/s	10	Slow crowds: machine guns and cannon clear them.
Runner“Runs ahead to see if anyone is awake. Someone always is.”	40	4 m/s	10	Fast and thin: barracks hold it and barricades slow it.
Armored blot“Found some old plates and wore them. Rockets disagree with the outfit.”	700	1.4 m/s	110	Arrows barely scratch it: rocketeers and heavy cannon break it.
Flyer Flies“Ink with wings and no respect for roads. Look up.”	80	4 m/s	24	Flies straight over the roads: archers and anti-air bring it down.
Spitter“Spits at our walls from a distance. Rude, but a good shot.”	90	1.5 m/s	30	Spits ink at barricades from 8 m: mortars and marksmen outrange it.
Bloater“Pops when it falls. Do it far from anything you like.”	400	1.2 m/s	60	Bursts when it falls and hits towers hardest: bring it down far from them.
Caller“Never fights, only calls friends. Every twenty seconds, like a bad habit.”	150	1.2 m/s	30	Stops out of reach and calls walkers: hunt it with mortars or an air strike.
Giant blot Boss“A puddle with plans. Bring everything, then bring the rest.”	4,500	1.1 m/s	600	A boss that spills walkers at half health: everything you have, and a Frost spell to hold it.
Splitter“Hit it once and there are two. Splash is cheaper than arithmetic.”	220	1.5 m/s	20	Splits into two blotlings when it falls: splash finishes both.
Blotling“Small, quick and left behind by a splitter. Still counts.”	45	2.6 m/s	6	Small and quick: anything with splash sweeps them up.

02 — Crimson's runaways

Enemy	Health	Speed	Bite	Counter
Deserter“Crimson says he is on leave. A very long leave, in the wrong direction.”	110	2.2 m/s	15	A Crimson swordsman gone over to the ink: barracks and cannon handle him.
Shield squad“Polished shields, poor decisions. Arrows bounce off; cannon does not.”	320	1.8 m/s	25	Shields stop most arrows and bullets: use cannon, fire and soldiers.
Saboteur“Switches our towers off and looks pleased about it. Keep a marksman awake.”	120	2.6 m/s	20	Leaves the road to silence the nearest tower for 5 s: marksmen and mines catch him.
Armored car“Four deserters in a tin box. Open it with rockets, greet them with fire.”	750	2.6 m/s	80	Four deserters climb out when it breaks: rockets first, then machine guns.
Helicopter Flies“Flies straight and shoots our towers. Anti-air has opinions about that.”	520	3 m/s	60	Flies a straight line and shoots towers: anti-air and missile ramps.
Tank“Slow, thick, and rude to towers from a distance. Rocketeers, please.”	1,400	1.3 m/s	150	Armored, and shells towers from far off: rocketeers and heavy cannon.
Landing craft By water“A flat boat full of deserters. Sink it before it reaches the bank.”	450	3 m/s	40	Sails up the water and lands deserters: shore guns and torpedoes sink it first.
Mech“A walking machine that stamps on whatever stands near. An EMP calms it down.”	2,400	1.1 m/s	200	Stamps on everything at its feet: EMP and plasma, from a distance.
Ghost ship Boss“Admiral Rust's old flagship, raised from the bottom by the ink. Rust asks us to aim for the paint.”	6,000	1.15 m/s	600	A boss ship that lands deserters as it sails: shore guns, torpedoes, and troops on the landings.
Ember's Furnace Boss“Captain Ember's old Furnace, relit by the ink and stoked by his own deserters. Ember wants it back cold, in one piece, and now.”	9,000	0.95 m/s	800	A boss war engine that hunts towers, sends runners and, at half health, bloaters: rockets, plasma and mortars from range.

03 — What makes them hard

Armor takes a share off every bullet, arrow, shell and blade. Fire and energy go straight through it, and piercing shots cut through part of it.
Shield squad takes 60% less from bullets and arrows: answer it with fire, shells and soldiers.
Some enemies shoot your defenses. Saboteur leaves the road and silences the nearest one within 10 m for 5 seconds.
Bloater bursts when it falls: 120 damage within 2.5 m, 2 times as much to defenses. Bring it down from afar.
Caller stops 16 m short of the castle and calls 4 walkers every 20 seconds until it is brought down.
Some carry others: Armored car spills its crew when it is destroyed, Landing craft puts troops ashore, and Splitter bursts into Blotlings.
Bosses change at half health: they call in help and move faster.
On Nightmare and in the Blot flood the blots infect: a soldier they bring down rises as a walker 3 seconds later, unless a medic stands within 4 m or fire covers the spot. Heroes, machines and walls never rise.

Every enemy you meet gets a page in the Blot notebook, with Sergeant Graphite's notes on what beats it.

Heroes and spells

01 — Heroes

Hero	Opens	Ability	Recharge	Back after
Sergeant GraphiteA steady rifle that hits the ground and the air.	From the start	Draw a lineDraws a wall across the road that holds the ground enemies on it for a few seconds.	22 s	20 s
General CrimsonA sword in front that holds two enemies at once, and complains about both.	Win 1-6	Crimson chargeFor 15 seconds the soldiers and troops around him hit harder.	30 s	20 s
Pilot FrostA quick shot, deadly to anything that flies.	Win 2-4	ParatroopersDrops three riflemen on the road where you tap.	28 s	20 s
Captain DeryaTwice as hard on boats, and at home on any river bank.	Win 2-1	Wave breakerPushes the enemies round the spot back down their road, boats from twice as far, and slows them.	26 s	20 s
Colonel IronRockets that crack armor, fired exactly on schedule.	Win 2-6	Armored columnTwo raider cars roll onto the road where you tap.	34 s	22 s
Sapper StapleMends towers as she walks and takes a hammer to vehicles.	Win 1-4	Staple itEvery tower around her gets half its health back at once and wakes if it was knocked out.	24 s	18 s
Captain EmberA flamethrower that sets close crowds alight, and he never stops talking about his foundry.	Win 3-6	FirestormLeaves three pools of fire along the road where you tap, burning for a few seconds.	28 s	20 s

02 — Spells

Spell	Opens	Recharge
Air strikeA plane carpets a long strip of road with bombs.	Win 1-3	60 s
MissileOne heavy blast where you tap, after a short flight.	Win 1-5	40 s
LightningStrikes the enemy nearest the spot and leaps on, five enemies in all.	Win 2-3	35 s
FrostEvery enemy in the circle stands frozen for 4 seconds.	Win 2-1	45 s
MendHeals the soldiers, troops and hero in the circle.	Win 1-3	40 s
Artillery barrageEight shells fall across a wide circle a moment after the call.	Win 2-5	50 s
FlareLights a circle of ground for a while, so towers in it keep their reach at night.	Blot flood only	30 s

Modes and progress

01 — Campaign

3 chapters of 18 hand-made maps, played in order. Winning a map the first time opens the next and hands out something new:

Map	Winning it gives
1-1 · Village roadChapter 1: The margin line	Cannon, Brawlers, Swordsmen
1-2 · Twin roadsChapter 1: The margin line	Barricade, Spearmen
1-3 · The forkChapter 1: The margin line	Air strike, Mend, the HQ, Daily siege
1-4 · Windmill fieldsChapter 1: The margin line	Machine gun nest, Sapper Staple
1-5 · HedgerowsChapter 1: The margin line	Land mine, Mortar, Rifleman, Missile
1-6 · Blot hollowChapter 1: The margin line	Anti-air gun, General Crimson, Endless
2-1 · River crossingChapter 2: The coast	Shore gun, Field hospital, Medic, Captain Derya, Frost
2-2 · The harborChapter 2: The coast	Flame tower, Rocketeer
2-3 · Fishing villageChapter 2: The coast	Engineer, Lightning
2-4 · Lighthouse pointChapter 2: The coast	Flamer, Pilot Frost
2-5 · The deltaChapter 2: The coast	Plasma tower, Artillery barrage
2-6 · Wreck bayChapter 2: The coast	Colonel Iron
3-1 · Ash plainChapter 3: Ash	Shieldbearer
3-2 · Volcano passChapter 3: Ash	Sniper
3-3 · Obsidian mazeChapter 3: Ash	—
3-4 · The calderaChapter 3: Ash	—
3-5 · Volcano frontChapter 3: Ash	—
3-6 · The foundryChapter 3: Ash	Captain Ember

02 — Heroic

A campaign map won with three stars opens its Heroic version: other waves, fewer defenses to build, and half the castle's health. A Heroic win adds one more star.

03 — Endless

Opens after 1-6, on 4 maps of its own. The waves never stop: hold as long as you can.
The waves are built as you play and read your defense: no anti-air brings more flyers, every gun on one road brings more down another. Every fifth wave is heavy and every tenth brings a boss.
Every 5th wave you pick one of 3 cards, or Rest for 20% of the castle back. Each card has a price, and two of one family complete a pair with an extra effect.
The score counts the waves held first, then the castle's health, then the enemies brought down. Your best on each map is kept, and you can send it to that map's leaderboard.

04 — Blot flood

Opens with Endless, on the same maps: pick it on the Endless screen. Only ink blots come, and they come at night.
At night every defense outside a light reaches only 65% of its range. By day, at least 28 seconds between nights, you build and mend.
The Blot flood hands you its own light: the searchlight, a defense that only lights the ground round it, and the flare, a spell beside your two that lights a spot for a while. The searchlight's branches are the Floodlight, with a much wider light, and the Watch light, which also fires.
Every 3rd night deals cards. Blots lift what they bring down from the first night, as on Nightmare.
Your best night on each map is kept apart from Endless, with a leaderboard of its own.

05 — Daily siege

Opens after 1-3. Every day everyone gets the same map, the same waves and the same two twists. The day changes at midnight UTC.
Your best score of the day is kept. Send it to the day's leaderboard under a name of your choice.
Every 5th wave deals cards here too.

A twist changes one rule for the day:

Rich pickings: Every enemy brought down pays 25% more energy.
Thick ink: Enemies have 20% more health.
Quick ink: Enemies move 15% faster.
Thin walls: The castle has 40% less health.
Lean start: You start with 60 less energy.
Dear stone: Towers cost 20% more.
Slow spells: Spells take half again as long to come back.
No troops: No troop cards today: towers and the hero only.

06 — The HQ

Opens after 1-3. Stars from the campaign buy upgrades here, and open the branches of each defense (one to three stars, by defense). You can take every star back and spend them again before any map.

Upgrade	Each rank	Stars a rank	Ranks
Reserve crates	Every map starts with 25 more energy per rank.	1	4
Spoils	Every enemy brought down pays 5% more energy per rank.	1	3
Field generators	Energy builds up 10% faster per rank.	1	3
Masons' yard	Towers cost 3% less per rank.	2	3
Drill	Towers, soldiers, troops and the hero hit 4% harder per rank.	2	3
Optics	Towers reach 3% farther per rank.	2	3
Signal tent	Spells come back 8% sooner per rank.	2	3
Heavy payloads	Spells hit and heal 8% harder per rank.	2	3
Hero's tent	The hero's ability comes back 8% sooner and the hero is 10% tougher, per rank.	2	3
Hero's training	The hero's ability lasts longer and hits harder, 10% per rank.	2	3

07 — Difficulty

Pick a difficulty for each campaign map. Harder ones open as you earn stars on that map.

Difficulty	Enemies per wave	Enemy health	Opens	XP
Easy	×0.8	×0.8	From the start	×0.7
Normal	As built	×1	From the start	×1
Hard	×1.25	×1.15	1 star on the map	×1.4
Nightmare	×1.5	×1.3	3 stars on the map	×1.8

Nightmare also halves the castle's health and turns on the blots' infection.

Controls

01 — Touch and mouse

Tap an empty slot: Build: pick a defense from the ring
Tap a defense: Upgrade it, pick its branch, sell it, or move a barracks' rally point
Tap a troop card, then the road: Drop troops inside the ring round the castle
Tap your hero, then the ground: Send the hero there
Ability button, then a spot: Use the hero's ability
Spell, then a spot: Cast the spell
Call wave: Start the next wave now (early pays energy)
Drag: Pan the map
Pinch, mouse wheel: Zoom

02 — Keyboard

Space, N: Call the next wave
1 – 9: Pick a defense in the build ring, or a troop card
Q, W: First and second spell
E: Hero ability
H: Pick the hero (then tap where it goes)
S, R: In a defense's ring: sell it, move a barracks' rally point
F: Speed 1x / 2x
P, Esc: Pause and resume
Esc: Cancel a pick first
+ / −, mouse wheel: Zoom
Arrows, A / D, drag: Pan
C, Home: The whole page back in view

Questions

Is the game free?

Yes. It is free in the browser, with no ads, no purchases and no account.

How do I get three stars?

Win with at least 85% of the castle's health left. 40% or more gives two stars, and any win gives one. Every bite counts, so stop enemies before the gate.

How do I open the branches?

In the HQ: each defense's two branches open together for one to three stars. After that a defense at its third step can take either branch for energy. To switch branches, sell the defense and build it again.

Should I call waves early?

When your defense holds, yes: every second left on the countdown pays 2.5 energy. Before the first wave there is no income at all, so build first and call it when you are ready.

Why can I not pick Hard or Nightmare?

They open per map: Hard after one star on that map, Nightmare after three. Easy and Normal are always open.

Why did my soldier turn into a blot?

On Nightmare the blots infect: a soldier they bring down rises as a Walker 3 seconds later. A medic within 4 m, or a flame tower or burning ground over the spot, stops it.

Why do my defenses reach less at night?

In the Blot flood the dark cuts every defense outside a light to 65% of its range. Build a searchlight among your guns, or fire a flare over a spot, and the defenses in the light reach as far as by day.

Can I speed the game up?

Yes: the speed button or F switches between 1x and 2x. P or Esc pauses.

How does the Daily siege work?

Each day everyone plays the same map with the same waves and two twists. Your best score of the day is kept on your device, and you can send it to the day's leaderboard under a name you choose.

Where is my progress kept?

In this browser (or the app), under the game's own sftd keys. Nothing is kept on a server except scores you send to a leaderboard. Delete all progress in Settings clears it.

Can I move my progress to another device?

Yes: Settings, Progress transfer. Copy the code on one device and load it on the other; it carries your level, maps and stars, the HQ and the Blot notebook, and replaces what the other device had.

Is this connected to Stickfront?

It is another page of the same notebook: the same stick figures, the same drawing and Sergeant Graphite, General Crimson and the blots. It is a separate game with its own saves; Stickfront, the real-time strategy game, is at stickwars.dev.