In the market for a smaller-sized PC, then STGAubron has you covered with a smaller case. It does also feature older hardware though, with the Quad Core i5-4590 and an RTX 2060. This is a comparatively newer and stronger option that will allow you a great choice of GPU, although the CPU option might hold you back when it comes to performance instead.

For its memory and storage, you also get a good speed and capacity. As for the RAM, you have 16GB which will improve the option for playing modern games with higher texture counts. Along with an SSD that gives you fast and responsive performance in general, although it is a more limited capacity these days.

How we test and choose

When it comes to evaluating the prebuilt gaming PCs we put them through an extensive checklist. Starting from opening the packaging, and checking how well it packaged and survived the trip. Then seeing how well it’s set up from BIOS to drivers. So we see how well it performs and has everything it should.

For a detailed look at how we test, check out our ‘how we test‘ page.

Things to consider

What can you expect from a prebuilt gaming PC under $500?

When buying PCs towards the lower end of the scale it is very important to check out the specifications first. Whether you’re spending thousands or a few hundred, the last thing we want is to waste our cash, and while setting a budget is a great way to do this, the PC still needs to be able to run your chosen games.

Prebuilt gaming PC under $500 Vs Custom

We always recommend that you build your own computer here at WePC and that is for one simple reason – value.  It is no secret that you can squeeze in better hardware for your cash when building your own system, with the markup on prebuilt computers usually costing the same amount as an entire component ($100-$300).

Build A Gaming PC By Price

Check out some of our price-focused custom PC build guides below.

• Best Custom Gaming PC under $300
• Best Custom Gaming PC under $400
• Best Custom Gaming PC under $500
• Best Custom Gaming PC under $600
• Best Custom Gaming PC under $700
• Best Custom Gaming PC under $800
• Best Custom Gaming PC under $1000
• Best Custom Gaming PC under $1500
• Best Custom Gaming PC under $2000
• Best Custom Gaming PC under $3000
• Best Custom Gaming PC under $5000

Other Related Custom PC Guides:

• Best Gaming PC
• The Best Silent PC Gaming Build
• The Best Streaming PC Build
• The Best Mini ITX Build For Gaming

Build A Gaming PC For Specific Games

Check out some of our game-focused custom PC build guides below.

• The Best Gaming PC For Valorant
• The Best Custom Built Gaming PC For CS:GO
• The Best Custom Built Gaming PC For Fortnite
• The Best Custom Gaming PC For Cyberpunk 2077
• The Best Custom Built PC For Emulation

Related Prebuilt Gaming PC Guides

Check out some of our related prebuilt PC guides below.

• Best Prebuilt Gaming PC
• Best Mini Gaming PC
• Best RTX 3080 Prebuilt Gaming PC
• Best RTX 3070 Prebuilt Gaming PC
• Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Under $2000
• Best Prebuilt Gaming PC under $1500
• Best Prebuilt Gaming PC under $1000
• Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Under $800

Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Brands

Every recommended prebuilt gaming PC in this article is from a reputable manufacturer. You are probably wondering how we know what the best gaming PC brands are? Well, we have done our research and purchased PCs from these brands.

Most notable brands:

Alienware
Corsair
CyberPowerPC
SkyTech
iBUYPOWER
Thermaltake
MSI
Scan 3XS
Overclockers UK

Final word

Finding the best prebuilt gaming PC under $500 is quite challenging but every option we have included offers great value. If you can afford more, then we would recommend you go for an $800 prebuilt gaming PC, with these offering excellent graphics and performance in 1080p, allowing you to play games in high detail with decent FPS results.

Regardless, you are getting a gaming PC here that will be able to play your favorite esports titles with ease. You may have to tweak settings to get your desired frame rate on the more demanding titles, it certainly won’t be the best graphics but it will be super for low end options. When deciding on one be sure to check the power supply, storage, and motherboard so it is the right fit overall for you.

Cheap gaming PC alternatives

We would advise you to aim for a prebuilt gaming PC no lower than $800 for a reasonable experience. Everything below will need upgrading sooner rather than later and nobody enjoys lowering settings or resolution when playing.

For those on the fence, with limited funds for the foreseeable future, there are a few alternatives to buying a cheap gaming PC. Firstly, Valves Steam Deck is a seriously good option for the under $500 price point. This tiny machine can run all your favorite games and if you love the odd FPS title, you can hook the Steam Deck up to a PC and use a mouse and keyboard with it.

Not convinced? Well, you could always look into the PS5 and Xbox Series X. These gaming systems are priced at under $500 and can play games in 4K.

FAQs

How long do prebuilt PCs last?

How long a prebuilt PC lasts depends on several factors – not least of which is who built it, and why. You’re probably going to pay more for prebuilds that are as future-proof as self-builds, because high-quality long-life components will naturally be more expensive than lower-quality, shorter-life components.

There is also the question of what you use your prebuild for. Keep running high-res graphics and hardcore RAM-draining games, and you’ll probably notice your machine running slower, giving you less when you play, after anything as little as 2 years, 3 at the most. If your gaming is less demanding, it’s harder to see the drop-off in performance, so you might get away with 5 years.

There is only so much future-proofing manufacturers can do to the components they put into prebuilds because a) the industry moves forward fast, b) their main interest is in remaining profitable, and c) gaming demands new capabilities faster than they can often adjust production lines.

Are prebuilt PCs upgradable?

Technically, yes. Mostly no. Certainly not to the extent you can upgrade self-builds, and certainly not with as many effective results.

Really speaking, once a prebuild is built and sold, you can tinker round the edges, or boost some performance metrics. You can add more RAM, sure. You can add a faster SSD. You can upgrade things like your GPU.

But there comes a point of diminishing returns. If you’re going to try and upgrade your prebuild, you have to know exactly which parts you want to swap out, and you have to know both how and why.

At this point, you have to ask yourself why you’ve gone for a prebuild in the first place. You’re dealing with someone else’s design concept, and whatever quality level their components are. You can boost various elements of that design concept by carefully replacing some elements. But be sure you understand what it is about the prebuild that you’re spending money on, and what you want to keep, compared to a scratch-build.

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The best cheap gaming PCs in 2023

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Written By
Chris Coke

Updated Apr 19, 2023 10:26 AM

PC gaming and gaming PCs have never been so exciting. Over the last few years, we’ve seen an explosion of new technologies like ray tracing and intelligent upscaling, which make games look and play better than ever before. Diving into the PC gaming world can seem daunting and expensive, but it doesn’t need to be. Whether you’re looking to get lost in New World or stay up until the wee hours with just “one more turn” in Civilization VI, we’ve rounded up the best cheap gaming PCs to get you gaming without breaking the bank. These PCs can make excellent gifts if you’ve got a serious gamer in your life (it can be yourself) but are on a tighter budget. We even have a compact gaming PC if they’re short of space but still want to play titles on Steam rather than stores created by Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo. The best cheap gaming PCs also allow your favorite gamer to play non-console games on their big screen.

• Best overall: HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop TG01-2170m
• Best for content creators: Lenovo Legion Tower 5i
• Best compact PC: BOSGAME Mini PC
• Best for work and play: CLX Set Battlebox
• Best budget: Acer Predator Orion 3000

How we chose the best cheap gaming PCs

I’ve been a PC builder for more than 15 years and a tech critic for IGN, Tom’s Hardware, PC Perspective, and MMORPG. com for over half a decade. In that time, I’ve become intimately familiar with the components that make gaming PCs tick. A high price doesn’t always mean the best performance, and a low price doesn’t necessarily mean good value. So, for this round-up, I’ve scoured retail sites with an eye toward the hardware inside each machine. After finding the best bang for the buck in each product category, I looked closely at user reviews to identify any red flags, such as poor packaging or carelessness in the build process.  

Now you know what to look for to ensure the optimum experience at the best price. Here’s our selection of the best cheap gaming laptops we’ve found for around $1,000. In most cases, you can upgrade if the model you selected doesn’t have all the features you want.

Best overall: HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop TG01-2170m

Why it made the cut: The HP Pavilion TG01-2170m offers great performance, even in the latest games.

Specs

• Price: $1009.99 
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 5600G
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
• Memory: 16GB
• Storage: 256GB 

Pros

• Can be configured up to an RTX 3060
• Highly customizable
• Compact design

Cons

• Limited configuration options under $1,000 with the RTX 3060
• Small SSD

The HP Pavilion easily offers the overall best cheap gaming PC we’ve encountered. This configuration equips it with a powerful RTX 3060 and 16GB of RAM for $1,309, making it the most powerful gaming PC in our line-up. It’s capable of the best FPS of any machine we considered and can be pushed even further with only a slightly higher budget. 

The stock prebuilt price here is higher than our target, but the good news is that you can go to HP’s online store and configure it with a much wider range of specs. If you’re willing to drop to a quad-core Ryzen 3 5300G, you can get the price down to an impressive $1,019. Of course, we’d recommend spending a little more to get a better processor or a bigger hard drive. No matter how much you spend, though, you can get a lot of machine for your money.

Best for streaming and content creation: Lenovo Legion Tower 5i

Lenovo

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: This PC delivers great 1080p frame rates and offers plentiful storage.

Specs

• Price: $1,139.99
• CPU: Intel Core i5-11500
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER
• Memory: 32GB
• Storage: 1GB SSD, 2TB HDD

Pros

• Lots of storage
• Great GPU for 1080p gaming
• 6-core, 11th-gen Intel CPU

Cons

• Bland design
• Included accessories are generic

The Legion Tower 5i from Lenovo is easily the best cheap gaming PC for new content creators looking for a machine to let them try streaming on a budget. It comes equipped with a high-quality, modern Intel processor with enough cores to handle gaming and streaming simultaneously. Its Nvidia GTX 1660 SUPER has plenty of horsepower to run modern games at medium to high settings, ensuring your audience has the high-quality stream they crave. When it’s time to edit together your latest killstreak, it has space to spare with its 1TB SSD (perfect for installing your favorite game or two) and a 2TB hard drive for archiving video clips. 

The one area where this PC feels limited is memory, as it only includes 32GB of system memory. This ensures great stream performance, especially if you want to monitor your chat in a second window. The rest of the system is uniquely suited to aspiring streamers, so we recommend it.

Best compact: BOSGAME Mini PC

Why it made the cut: Bosgame’s Mini PC is a tiny computer that can hide out behind your monitor but has the horsepower for both streaming and content creation.

Specs

• Price: $499.99
• CPU: Ryzen 7 5600H
• GPU: Integrated
• Memory: 16GB
• Storage: 512GB 

Pros

• Powerful AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and 16GB of RAM
• Pint-sized
• 512GB NVMe SSD

Cons

• Integrated graphics only

The Bosgame Mini PC is tiny, but don’t mistake its small size for low power. This compact gaming PC can run most modern games at 1080P with medium settings enabled, and you may be able to eke out even more performance on a game-by-game basis. That’s largely due to the machine’s Ryzen 7 5800U 8-core processor, 16GB of RAM, and NVMe SSD. These are components we’d expect to see in computers that cost one to two hundred dollars more. AMD has put a lot of work into making its integrated graphics chips as powerful as possible, so while this Mini PC’s graphics card is its greatest liability, it’s by no means weak.

Bosgame went out of its way to equip its mini PC with a ton of ports. Three HDMI ports around the back allow you to connect this computer to three 4K monitors simultaneously, and the generous number of USB-A ports makes connecting peripherals a snap. We’re especially fond of the USB-A and USB-C ports on the front of this machine, which make plugging in a thumb drive much more convenient. If your gaming space and budget are both limited, Bosgame’s Mini PC may be all you need to play Steam games on your big screen.

Best for work and play: CLX Set Battlebox Gaming PC

Why it made the cut: Getting a Battlebox Gaming PC from CLX will set you up for a long, long time.

Specs

• Price: $1,199
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
• GPU: GeForce RTX 3060
• Memory: 16GB
• Storage: 1TB SSD

Pros

• See-through case
• Excellent performance
• Designed to be upgraded

Cons

• Appearance won’t appeal to all

I checked out a budget-friendly CLX’s Battlebox Gaming PC build, and it’s certainly the computer I’d recommend to computer gaming enthusiasts. Its see-through case and RGB lighting immediately draw the eye but never got too distracting. If anything, it made my gaming setup more aesthetically pleasing even when it wasn’t turned on.

The benefit of choosing a gaming PC from CLX is the ability to customize its components to suit your needs. This is a common practice for all PC makers, but CLX specializes in gaming hardware, so you’re only given a few choices for each component that would impact how smooth games run.

My PC gaming needs are admittedly modest, and I spent my time playing through indie games like Tunic and Hi-Fi Rush along with older titles from my backlog, like the somewhat-recent 4K remaster of Star Ocean: The Last Hope. These games ran smoothly and accessing the Xbox and Steam apps to access my library was trivially easy.

The CLX build I was given to test was certainly powerful enough to play games like Elden Ring or the upcoming Resident Evil 4 remake with plenty of headroom to spare. On a similar note, popping off the side panel of this PC build was easy, and we immediately had access to all of the computer’s core components. If you’re looking for a gaming PC that’ll last a long time but was also designed to be upgraded when your needs change, this is a great choice.

Best budget: Acer Predator Orion 3000

SEE IT

Why it made the cut: The Acer Predator Orion 3000 brings specs that will let new players explore what makes PC gaming great.

Specs

• Price: $1,299
• CPU: Intel Core i7
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
• Memory: 16GB
• Storage: 1TB

Pros

• 6-core, 11th-gen Intel CPU
• Great graphics card for 1080p gameplay
• Slick but not overstated look

Cons

• Included mouse and keyboard are unimpressive

For new PC gamers looking for the best cheap gaming PC for beginners, Acer has one of the most compelling bundle packages we’ve come across with the Predator Orion 3000. The desktop expertly balances price, performance, and aesthetics, making for a superb introduction to PC gaming. It has specs capable of streaming, light video editing, and, of course, playing modern PC games. The Predator Orion 3000 bundle also comes with a mouse and keyboard, so all you’ll need is a monitor to get started. 

One of the highlights of this system is its subdued yet stylish look. It doesn’t overdo it with RGB lighting, but its blue front fan and slim LED strips make it clear that this machine is purpose-built for PC gaming. If you’re shopping for a PC gamer who may not have their style preferences set in stone, this is a great entry point. 

The biggest drawbacks to this machine are the generic, unimpressive quality of its included peripherals. And there are great gaming mice and gaming keyboards available when you’re ready to upgrade.

Things to consider before buying a cheap gaming PC

Shopping for a gaming PC on a budget can be a confusing mix of big promises and perplexing specs. It’s important to know what matters most so you can cut through the hype and find a PC that will perform the way you expect it to. When buying a prebuilt gaming PC, the core components are just part of the picture. You also need to remember its capacity to take on upgrades and other factors. Here’s what to keep an eye on when shopping around. 

Graphics card (GPU)

The most important element of any gaming PC is its graphics card. The graphics card, or GPU, is responsible for rendering 3D graphics and is the most influential factor in how many FPS you’ll see in different games. If you spend extra money on a feature, it’s worth your while to get a PC with a more capable graphic card.

Two companies design different types of graphics cards: Nvidia and AMD. They license out their graphics processors to third-party manufacturers, such as EVGA and Sapphire, who create their own versions of each card with specs. These cards are broken into different standardized performance tiers.  

For Nvidia, the first two numbers indicate the card generation, and the third number specifies the caliber of the card. Nvidia current “30”-generation cards include the RTX 3050, RTX 3060, 3070, 3080, and 3090. 

For AMD’s Radeon cards, the first number indicates the generation, and the second specifies the card’s power. AMD’s current Radeon cards include the 6600, 6700, 6800, and 6900. 

Both companies also include half steps, which offer slightly better performance than the base model. For Nvidia, these are noted with the “Ti” or “Super” branding. For AMD, it’s “XT.” 

The most important thing to consider when comparing different versions of the same GPU “make,” such as an Nvidia RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon 6700, is heat. When shopping for a less expensive GPU, a prerequisite for getting a cheap gaming PC, try to avoid GPUs with only one fan or ultra-slim designs. While they may be fine, it is more possible to push a low-end graphics card so hard that it slows down due to “thermal throttling. ”

Processor (CPU)

You’ll also want to give some thought to the central processing unit, or CPU. As with graphics cards, there are two primary manufacturers for processors: AMD and Intel. Both companies have a vast catalog of processors that may show up in cheap gaming PC configurations, but AMD’s Ryzen processors or Intel’s Core processors tend to be the most common. Like GPUs, each brand breaks its chips into different performance tiers that ascend in power as their number grows. For Intel, that’s Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9. For AMD, that’s Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen 9. For gaming, we recommend sticking to Intel Core i5 and Ryzen 5 CPUs and above if possible.

When deciding which CPU is the best fit for your cheap gaming PC, it’s important to consider exactly what you plan to do with it. While some modern games work better with higher core counts, for pure gaming, a quad-core CPU is probably good enough. If you plan to stream or multitask with video or audio editing software, it’s wise to save up and go for at least six cores to prevent any potential bottlenecks.  

You should also pay attention to the processing speed, measured in GHz. That indicates how many processing cycles a processor can compute per second. For gaming, it’s wise to target the 4GHz to 5GHz range or above (that’s 4 billion to 5 billion processing cycles per second). Many games benefit from higher clock speeds over higher core counts, so higher speed can often result in higher FPS. 

Finally, the generation of processors can also affect your CPU’s performance. New generations of processors often add new features that improve performance in addition to adding more power. As a rule, it’s best to decide on how many cores you need first and then buy the fastest, newest CPU you can afford after that.

Memory (RAM)

Memory is another critical component. Whether you’re gaming, streaming, or just browsing the web with a dozen different tabs open, once your memory fills up, system performance suffers. In 2022, you need at least 8GB of RAM. Realistically, 16GB is the current “sweet spot” for both price and performance but may be hard to find in a less expensive system. Luckily, it is also one of the easiest and most affordable PC upgrades. You can even add more memory yourself.

Storage (HDD, SSD, NVMe)

Games are getting bigger every year, so it’s important to consider how much and what kind of storage you’ll need for the games you want to play. Broadly, there are three kinds of hard drives you should be aware of: mechanical hard drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), and NVMe drives. Mechanical hard drives are, by far, the slowest but offer the best capacity per dollar. NVMe drives are the fastest but most expensive. Solid-state drives are a middle ground between price and performance.

When choosing a gaming PC, try to find one with at least an SSD to run your operating system and most-played games. Compared to traditional hard drives, using an SSD as your primary hard drive reduces in-game load times and makes the entire system feel faster and more responsive. Many cheap gaming PCs will feature smaller SSDs, so you may need to swap out which games are installed on them as you finish and move on to new titles.  

The other big thing to consider is how much storage you’ll need altogether. Games are bigger than ever. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, for example, can easily occupy more than 200GB, so settling on a PC with a 256GB hard drive wouldn’t be a good choice for Call of Duty fans. Look at the recommended storage requirements for your favorite games to get an estimate for how much storage space you require. Modern PCs generally have room for many internal hard drives so some gaming PCs may come with a small SSD and larger HDD. You can also install extra hard drives if you’re open to the idea of upgrading on your own.

Monitors, peripherals, and other accessories

If it’s your first time buying a prebuilt gaming PC, you might be surprised to find that prebuilt gaming PCs often don’t come with a mouse and keyboard, and only rarely include a monitor with the tower. Be sure to read the product listing carefully to identify exactly what is included with your purchase.

Though it might not seem so at first, separating the price of the PC from these accessories can actually be a good thing. When you’re purchasing a cheap gaming PC, you want every spare dollar to be invested in the hardware to improve the gaming experience. Often, any accessories that come with a prebuilt PC are poorly made and among the first things you’ll want to replace in a new setup. This isn’t always the case: Sometimes pack-ins can genuinely enhance the value of a PC bundle but look carefully at the whole package when buying a bundle—sometimes the “added value” of the accessories isn’t worth the savings.

Packaging, build quality, and warranty support

One of the most important factors to consider in buying a prebuilt gaming PC online is how well it will be built and how the vendor will actually ship it to you. Certain components, like the graphics card, should be secured during shipping to prevent damage to the motherboard. Other considerations, like cable management, can have a direct impact on the temperature of the PC and its performance in games. These elements are rarely included in online product listings, so it’s worth the extra time to read product reviews from real customers. 

And even the best gaming PC can have problems. Read the warranty guarantee and user reports about how the company handles post-purchase support. This is also a case where investing in an extended warranty isn’t always a bad idea, especially if the factory warranty is only 30 days.

FAQs

Q: Is a gaming PC worth it?

Of course! The world of PC gaming is rich, diverse, and at the cutting edge of game development. Since PCs don’t release in generations the way consoles do and the barriers to entry for developers are fewer, there is a wider array of games to choose from. Many of the most popular games of the last five years have begun their lives on PC, such as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). Likewise, if you want to experience the latest and greatest graphics video gaming has to offer, a PC is usually the first and best way to experience it. If that isn’t enough, PC gaming is notorious for its deep discounts and bundle sales through platforms like Steam, often making it the cheapest way to play games you may have missed when they were first released. 

Q: Are cheap gaming PCs good for work?

A PC that’s great for gaming can still do other things. There are certain upgrades that everyone needs for gaming, but most people don’t need for work—like a graphics card; however, for most people, a gaming PC is really just a really, really powerful computer. Unless the cheap gaming PC is very old, it should be able to handle all of the spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and essays you’d care to throw at it.

Q: Is a $500 gaming PC worth it?

At this time, I’d say no. Buying a $500 gaming PC usually means two things: old hardware and poor performance in modern games. Because the hardware tends to be older, finding upgrades can also be more difficult. Meanwhile, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X provide incredible performance for the same $500. There are times, usually late in the PlayStation and Xbox consoles’ life cycles, when it makes sense to build a very cheap gaming PC rather than buying a console. Now is not one of those times.

Q: How much should a gaming PC cost?

This depends on the types of games you want to play, but if you’d like to game in HD at medium settings, there’s no reason to spend more than $500. If you want to play the latest titles at 4K with ray tracing turned on, you may need to spend upwards of $2,000.

Q: Can I build my own gaming PC?

Yes. The most cost-effective way to game on PC is to buy all the parts and assemble them yourself. Be sure to do your research if you go this route to ensure every component is compatible with one another.

Final thoughts on the best cheap gaming PCs

• Best overall: HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop TG01-2170m
• Best for content creators: Lenovo Legion Tower 5i
• Best compact PC: BOSGAME Mini PC
• Best for work and play: CLX Set Battlebox
• Best budget: Acer Predator Orion 3000

Buying a prebuilt gaming PC can be one of the best ways to join the PC gaming community. For users that aren’t comfortable building their own or are having trouble finding the components they need within their budget, a prebuilt machine can take the stress out of getting started and get you gaming faster.

As with any major tech purchase, there is a lot to consider when shopping for the best cheap gaming PC. Knowing the games you’d like to play, and how you’d like them to run, is the best place to begin and your guiding principle when shopping. Whether you’re just interested in seeing the best graphics possible within your budget or getting your feet wet as a streamer, there are plenty of options worthy of a closer look.    

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio, to video games, to cameras, and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.

The best tower defense games for Android

Tower defense is one of the most popular mobile game genres. If you are looking for something new, or don’t know which game to start your acquaintance with the genre with, welcome to our selection.

Tower defense games were one of the first genres to fully take root on smartphones. The simple gameplay approach made it possible to get by with the capabilities of the then touch screens, and with the ability to upgrade the towers, these games boasted a depth that most mobile games of the time did not have.

In recent years, the development of the genre has slowed down somewhat, but among the games released during its existence, there are many cool and high-quality projects that can give more than one hour of exciting pastime. We have compiled a list of such games for you to make it easier for you to find something interesting for yourself.

2112TD

• Model : paid
• Russian : yes

Let’s start with 2112TD – in our opinion, a very good game by the standards of the genre. Compared to more traditional counterparts, micromanagement plays a greater role here, the exactingness of which sets the complexity of the gameplay. However, the essence of the game as a whole is the same as everywhere else: you place defensive structures, improve them along the way, and in every possible way try to prevent the enemies from reaching their goal.

The 2112TD may seem a bit old-fashioned compared to modern games on the same theme, but the gameplay is still pleasant and interesting, despite the fact that the price is relatively low, and in-game purchases are not required. In addition, it has achievements and accounting for combat statistics.

Download

Data Defense

• Model : paid
• Russian : no

Data Defense combines minimalism and quirky style in a digital world where you are tasked with protecting your server from outside attacks. The mechanics, traditional for the genre, are in place, but the names of actions and elements are different, thematic: here you don’t “build towers”, but “install protective programs”, and stuff like that.

The game fully works offline and offers a good variety of content: 50 maps and 30 types of towers, which compares favorably with most analogues. It also plays quite well, although some players complained about the difficulty, especially at levels closer to the final ones. You can’t call it ideal, but it’s worth its relatively small price, especially since there are no additional purchases or advertising in it.

Download

Defenders 2: Tower Defense CCG

• Model : free
• Russian : yes

Defenders 2 is a hybrid of a tower game and a collectible card game. As you collect cards, you unlock new towers and auxiliary tools. The game is shareware with all the ensuing consequences, but it is quite possible to spend dozens of hours in it excitingly before trying to convince you to fork out becomes too intrusive.

40 towers, 20 spells, 29bosses and even PvP mode. Although at some point the emphasis on microtransactions begins to spoil the fun, the game is quite satisfying at first, and this is not bad.

Download

Defense Zone 3

• Model : Free
• Russian : yes

Defense Zone 3 is the latest game in the popular Defense Zone tower-defense series from local developer Artyom Kotov. In the new part, the enemies have become angrier, the action is more dynamic, and the types of weapons are more diverse, despite the fact that many mechanics have migrated to it from previous games, and therefore you won’t have to master them again if you are already familiar with this series.

Eight types of turrets and special support capabilities will be at your disposal, all this in different seasons and on different types of terrain. There is a flexible difficulty setting, thanks to which it will be comfortable for both a beginner and an experienced player to play. It is worth noting a very decent graphics. In general, a good game, though not the newest.

Download

Digfender

• Model : free
• Russian : yes

Digfender approached the canons of the genre in an unusual way. Each level here is an empty map in the form of a rock mass, where you first need to dig a tunnel up on your own, and only then defend it.

The game offers 70 levels, a survival mode with an online high score table, achievements and many researchable upgrades. In addition, there are no artificial restrictions designed to lure you out of money, so you can play as much as you want. Of all the tower games, this one is one of the most underrated.

Download

Element TD

• Model : paid
• Russian : no

Element TD is a relatively new tower defense game that does away with the currently popular shareware monetization model: you only have to pay once when buying the game. The plot and graphics in it are simple, the basic principle too: different maps, on which different enemies go, and you must prevent them from passing by building different towers.

However, there is one unique feature: the mechanics of combining natural elements that determine which towers you can build. This adds more complexity to the gameplay. In total, the game has 44 towers, 50 types of enemies, 30 achievements, 4 game modes and five difficulty levels, so it will not get bored soon. Overall, Element TD makes a good impression and is worth a try.

Download

Grow Castle

• Model : Free
• Russian : yes

Another tower defense game with an unusual approach: Grow Castle, which has only one tower, but not the same as in other games. She does not shoot herself, but serves as a firing position for a detachment of heroes, who hold back the onslaught of the enemy horde.

A total of 120 heroes to choose from, each with their own abilities and traits – the strength of your defense depends on how you combine them. In addition, the game has a rating system, guilds and more. The picture is somewhat spoiled by elements of shareware monetization, but if you are ready to endure them, then you will have fun.

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Infinitode 2

• Model : free
• Russian : yes

Infinitode 2 is a game with unpretentious minimalist graphics, thanks to which towers can be built in huge numbers without much performance loss. There are 14 types of towers themselves, and not only can they be upgraded, but they also gain experience as enemies are destroyed, and also have activated abilities.

The game has 11 types of enemies, 5 bosses, over 350 types of endless upgrades and over 40 levels with quests, and you can shoot enemy hordes for as long as you want. In fact, this is a full-fledged sandbox, which even has its own map editor – they can be created from the cells obtained during the passage, and then shared with other players.

In addition, there is synchronization between devices: you can start playing the PC version, and then continue on the mobile version. The game is free, but it does not bother with mandatory purchases: everything that is offered to buy for money is quite possible to get as you progress, without spending a huge amount of time on it. And she weighs very little. All in all, a great option for those who are looking for pure tower defense with a wide range of features.

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Bloons TD 6

• Model : chargeable
• Russian : yes

The Bloons TD series is one of the most popular and successful tower defense franchises on mobile devices. The latest game in it – Bloons TD 6, released in 2018 – offers more than 50 maps, a bunch of possible improvements with three branches of development, 19 types of towers, the ability to play offline, custom game modes and much more.

All in all, Bloons TD 6 is a great game for a not too high price. The previous parts are also good in their own way, and some are even still being updated, so it’s worth trying them too. It’s great to see that game companies have not forgotten about the genre even several years after its second peak of popularity has passed.

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Kingdom Rush series

• Model : depends on the game
• Russian : yes

Another well-known and highly regarded tower defense franchise in our selection is the Kingdom Rush series, which includes Kingdom Rush, Kingdom Rush Frontiers, Kingdom Rush Origins and Kingdom Rush Vengeance – the latest game in the series to date.

This is a classic tower defense with the usual mechanics for the genre, plus some of its own. In each of the games they are approximately the same, but there are still small differences. We recommend that you start playing with the first Kingdom Rush – it is simpler and also available for free, unlike subsequent parts. However, you don’t have to worry about the price if you have a Google Play Pass subscription.

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Iron Marines

• Model : paid
• Russian : yes

Iron Marines is the latest game from Ironhide Game Studio, creators of the aforementioned Kingdom Rush series. The gameplay combines elements of tower defense and real-time strategy, offering defense not only with the help of turrets, but also with the help of heroes – space marines, each with their own abilities.

Several fantasy worlds await you, a story campaign of 21 missions, 17 additional special tasks and an Unthinkable level of difficulty, whose name speaks for itself. The arsenal of towers and heroes, as well as improvements, is also very diverse. Plus, there are achievements and awards. The game is cheap, but it is also available for free with a Google Play Pass subscription.

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Myth Defense LF

• Model : paid
• Russian language : yes

Myth Defense is a series of tower games that is good for those who don’t like the shareware model. The main mechanics of the game are typical for the genre, but apart from them there are random cards, alchemy and some other innovations. There are 18 campaign mode cards, two difficulty levels, 22 types of towers (and three types of traps) and a set of 33 levels.

There is a separate save file for each difficulty level, so you can play both easy and harder versions of the levels in parallel. There are two games in the series, Myth Defense LF and Myth Defense 2, both relatively cheap and worth a try. Plus, they’re available for free with a Google Play Pass subscription.

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Plants vs Zombies 1, 2 and Heroes

• Model : Free
• Russian : yes

The Plants vs Zombies series is perhaps the most casual tower game variant in the game. And although there are no towers in the classical sense, and the enemies advance towards your defense, and do not pass by it, the basic mechanics are very similar.

Your task in this game is to protect your house from zombies that are crawling through the yard in waves. To do this, you plant plants on their way that can shoot, freeze, explode and slow down the annoying dead, block their path, and much more. The game is exciting, fun and well suited as a casual pastime.

It is also good that the developers continue to add new content for those who have already reached the end of the game. And if you want the same thing, but in the format of a card game, pay attention to Plants vs Zombies Heroes.

Download Plants vs Zombies Download Plants vs Zombies 2

Radiant Defense

• Model : free
• Russian : yes

Radiant Defense is perhaps the most colorful tower game in our selection, and it also has a unique approach. The players here themselves build routes along which enemy hordes will attack, and then build them up with towers. It feels very unusual compared to the standard formula, where the enemies go where the developers wanted them to.

This innovation provides additional room for strategic tricks, which successfully complements the already good implementation of the classic mechanics of the genre. A small number of levels (there are only 15 of them) is somewhat frustrating, but the game is free and without ads, although with paid content.

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Swamp Attack

• Model : free
• Russian : yes

Swamp Attack is a fun take on the American South-themed tower defense genre. The gameplay here is reminiscent of Plants vs Zombies: on the right side of the screen, intruders flock in droves, and on the left side they are met by a hillbilly with a gun.

With an arsenal of weapons and accessories at your disposal, as well as 390 levels, you’ll have plenty to do. Here you also need to touch the screen to shoot, so you don’t have to just watch what is happening from the side. The game is shareware, but the free-to-play elements only affect the overall impression and do not interfere with the game.

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Source: androidauthority.com

Miraculous towers (Game of trains)

The ruler of a fabulous country decided to decorate the capital for the arrival of foreign guests. He ordered his architects to build several towers, gave them money, and he himself got into a carriage and rushed off on state affairs. The architects rejoiced at the generosity of the king, hired the cheapest builders, and divided the rest of the gold among themselves. Work began to boil: hammers clattered, dust rose like a column. And when the time came to hand over the work, the architects were horrified by what they saw – instead of graceful towers, strange cone-shaped buildings on a narrow base appeared before them. Architects got angry at builders – what is it, how to understand it ?! And the workers just shrugged their shoulders – everything is according to the provided drawings. They just confused the top with the bottom and built the towers upside down. Well, there was nothing to be done, the architects had to return the government gold and urgently remodel the towers until the sovereign returned and arranged the dispersal.

And the participants of the game “Wonderful Towers” will have to rebuild these unsightly structures.

This abstract card game was invented by members of the creative team “Trihedral”, and published by “Non-boring games”. A small box contains 84 numbered cards, 28 plastic tokens, as well as rules.

Babylonian architecture

Before the start of the game, all cards are shuffled, each participant receives seven pieces, and another one is laid out openly near the deck – its property can be used during the game. Of the seven cards left to the players, they form inverted towers – the card with the lowest value is placed at the base, and the remaining floors of the building “line up” in ascending order.

Drawings showing the width of the wall of each floor of the tower make the construction process very clear and does not take much time. To win, players need to rebuild their towers as soon as possible, creating a reverse chain of cards – the bottom block should be with the highest value, the next one with a slightly lower value, and so on, until the tower ends with the card with the lowest number.

To do this, starting with a randomly selected first player, the participants take turns performing one of the two available actions:

• either take the top card from the deck and replace it with any of the floors of their tower, placing the removed card next to the deck;
• either use the property of one of the previously set aside cards, sending it to the discard pile.

There are three types of card properties, indicated on multi-colored flags hanging from the floors of the towers: defense, movement, and destruction.

The gray defense flag allows the player to place fortification tokens on any two adjacent blocks. Fortified blocks cannot be destroyed by destroy cards, nor can they be moved by movement cards. In other words, they become immune to any card abilities. In this case, fortified blocks can be replaced by a card drawn from the deck according to the usual rules.

The green and blue flags allow you to either move one block up or down over the other two, or swap a pair of blocks. For example, the blue flag property allows you to swap two blocks after one – 40 is swapped with 19.

Bright destruction flags – orange, red and pink, allow the player to destroy the top, bottom and middle (fourth) floors of all towers, including his own. Destroyed blocks are placed next to the deck and their properties can be further used by players. And in place of the destroyed blocks, new ones, drawn from the deck, are immediately laid out. That is, the towers always retain their size of seven floors.

There are a few more nuances. For example, if two of the same properties are available for use, both cards are immediately sent to the discard pile.

Rebuilding everything goes according to plan

The gameplay is equally affected by both the randomness of the cards drawn from the deck and the meaningful decisions of the players. If your opponents have already rebuilt the top or bottom, and you have nothing to lose, feel free to break the fruits of their labors. Especially if among the destroyed blocks there are properties you need. Opponents, of course, can defend their towers with tokens, but the fortification property is not as effective as all the others. After all, when using it, the structure of the tower does not change, which means that the course is practically lost for strengthening. Of course, you can’t call Miraculous Towers a serious strategy, but this is an excellent educational game for children, which even experienced boarders can enjoy.

The rules of the game are beautifully illustrated with examples and it will not be difficult to understand them. The cards are made of thick glossy paper and look great on the table! Photographing them, however, is very difficult because of this. But I’m talking about mine, about blogging. And what I especially like is that the artist who designed the game tried to give each floor of the towers a personality.

Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, the first printing of the game was printed without a shirt – the reverse side of the cards is perfectly white, but this does not affect the gameplay in any way.