Spire of Thornwood

Spire of Thornwood is close to my ideal mobile tower defence. Instead of fixed slots, you lay path blockers and towers freely, so each level becomes a puzzle about guiding enemies through your kill zone. The elemental system layers fire, frost and lightning in ways that reward a bit of planning.

The touch controls are the standout. Dragging towers and redrawing the maze mid-wave feels natural, and the undo is quick enough that you're not punished for experimenting. Later levels throw flying enemies and shielded brutes at you that force real rebuilds.

It's generous with retries and clear about why you lost a wave, which I appreciate. This is the game I hand people when they say tower defence all feels the same.

What we liked

• Free-form maze building
• Smooth drag-and-drop tower placement
• Smart elemental combos