Defense Grid 2 does one thing and does it without waste. Waves enter, you place towers on the available grid, enemies follow a route that your placement can extend and reshape, and your power cores need to survive. No heroes, no action layer, no factory chains. Just clean lane control and tight map design. I picked this up after bouncing off some of the heavier systems games on this list and found it genuinely refreshing. The maps are well-constructed, the tower variety is enough to support real strategic choices, and it is available on both PC and console. If you want to remember why classic tower defense works, this is the argument.


Defense Grid 2
September 23, 2014StrategyESRB E10+
Available on
Genres
Overview
About Defense Grid 2
Defense Grid 2, DG2, is the highly-anticipated sequel to Hidden Path Entertainment’s 2008 Defense Grid: The Awakening. Setting the bar as the definitive tower defense game, Defense Grid 2 introduces new worlds and threats to test your tower placement strategies. With a bold new look, a compelling single-player campaign, and the addition of new game modes, online player-versus-player and multiplayer co-op, every play-through brings fun new opportunities and challenges.
DG2 comes with a story campaign featuring 21 stunning maps, dynamic level movement, an expanded story and cast of characters, hundreds of challenge mode experiences, new multiplayer modes, a procedurally driven audio score and the ability for players to build their own levels. DG2 also introduces players to DG Architect, a level creation tool set connected to Steam Workshop where players can create their own unique levels to share and possibly even sell if selected.
DG2 for the PC was funded in part by Dracogen, a private investor after a 2012 Kickstarter campaign funded the original game's DLC, Defense Grid: Containment. DG2 is developed by Hidden Path Entertainment and published by 505 Games.
Reference
At a glance
- Released
- September 23, 2014
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, macOS, Linux, PC
- Genres
- Strategy, Simulation, Indie
- Play modes
- Single Player, Multiplayer, Co-op, Online Multiplayer, Local Couch Co-op, LAN Multiplayer, Split-Screen
- Age rating
- ESRB E10+
- Time to beat
- 5 hours
- Multiplayer
- By platform
Media
Screenshots
Click any screenshot to view it full size.
Playtime
How long to beat
Player-reported completion times for Defense Grid 2.
- Typical
- 5hoursStory plus some extras
Playing together
Multiplayer by platform
How Defense Grid 2 supports playing with other people, broken down per platform.
| Platform | Local | Online | LAN | Split-screen | Co-op campaign | Drop-in/out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC | Yes, up to 2 players | Yes, up to 2 players | Yes | No | No | No |
| Xbox One | Yes, up to 2 players | Yes, up to 2 players | No | No | No | No |
- Supported (a number is the player cap)
- Not supported
- Not documented for this platform
Content
Age ratings
How rating boards around the world have classified Defense Grid 2. Open a board for its content descriptors.
ACBPG
ESRBE10+
- Mild Language
- Fantasy Violence
PEGI12
- Bad Language
- In-Game Purchases
Also in our guides
Often listed alongside Defense Grid 2
Titles that appear in the same guides on this site. Grouped by where they show up, not by recommendation.
Coverage
Featured in our articles
This game appears in 1 article on this site.
#9
Game data and imagery provided by IGDB.com
