Punko.io Revives Tower Defense: How They're Doing It

The tower defense genre seemed to emerge suddenly around the time the iPhone and iPod touch were launched in 2007. While tower defense games are available on every platform, there's something about touchscreens that allowed this niche subgenre to flourish into a massively popular genre in its own right.

However, let's be honest – the genre hasn't evolved significantly since PopCap Games released Plants Vs Zombies in 2009. Sure, there are numerous tower defense games to choose from, and some are quite good. The Kingdom Rush series, Clash Royale, Bloons TD, and many others come to mind.

Yet, none of them have quite captured the unique personality and polish of PvZ – until now. Let's start with the Punko manifesto video as a starting point:

Yes, Punko.io has burst onto the scene and promises to inject new life into the somewhat stagnant genre. Developed by Agonalea Games, it's a colorful, accessible, and deceptively deep strategy game that brings a satirical slant and a host of innovative ideas, along with a vibrant indie game spirit – which, trust us, makes a significant difference.

And it's about to get a global release – here's what the game is all about.

Zombies! They're everywhere, vastly outnumbering the non-zombie population (i.e., you) and rampaging through graveyards, subways, cities, and other environments. Fortunately, you've got a few weapons up your sleeve. Some are actual weapons, like bazookas, while others are magical, like your trusty spell-casting staff. However, your greatest weapon is your brain.

That's because you can use it to devise winning strategies to turn back the zombie tide. While most tower defense games operate on the basic principle of unlocking and upgrading towers, Punko.io mixes things up with a full RPG inventory system, along with items, power-ups, and special skills. This allows you to customize your character—and your entire gameplay experience—around your own individual playing style.

Punko.io, like punk rock itself, both shakes things up and pokes fun at the system simultaneously. It embodies that indie spirit we mentioned earlier. The zombies you're holding off are no ordinary zombies, but an army of zombified players conditioned to accept the same old gameplay tropes. Meanwhile, what you're defending is creativity itself.

To drive its point home and ensure that as many players as possible experience what Punko.io is all about, Agonalea Games has added numerous new features to the Android and iOS versions of the game in preparation for the global launch. There are daily rewards and free gifts to collect, discounted gear packs to buy, several new Brazil-based chapters to play, a revolutionary new Overlap Heal feature to experience, and a whole new Dragon boss to defeat.

On top of all that, Punko.io is getting a month-long event, set to run from September 26th to October 27th. Throughout that period, you'll unite with players around the globe to defeat zombies and hear a special message from Punko.

We believe Punko.io has the right mix of edgy, anti-system humor to become a video game franchise that resonates with players. It has a genuine independent sensibility, but backs that attitude up with highly engaging gameplay.

Punko.io is free to download and play, so we recommend you check it out. Head to the official website to learn more.