Getting Started
Welcome to Turret Defense! This guide will help you survive your first waves and understand the basics.
Play Turret Defense Game
Your First Game
The Goal
Protect your reactor core (center of the map) from enemy drones. Enemies spawn from the edges and walk toward the core. Each enemy that reaches the core costs you lives.
Game Over
You lose when your lives reach 0. Your final score is based on waves survived, enemies killed, and credits earned.
Controls
| Action |
How To |
| Place turret |
Click a turret in the panel, then click an empty grid cell |
| Select turret |
Click on a placed turret |
| Upgrade turret |
Select turret, click Upgrade button (or press U) |
| Sell turret |
Select turret, click Sell button (or press S) |
| Deselect |
Click empty space or press Escape |
| Pan camera |
Arrow keys or WASD (on large maps) |
| Pause |
Press P or click pause button |
The HUD
Top Bar
- Wave: Current wave number
- Lives: Hearts remaining (game over at 0)
- Credits: Money to spend on turrets and upgrades
- Score: Your current score
Left Panel - Turret Selection
- Shows all available turrets with costs
- Grayed out = not enough credits or locked
- Click to select for placement
Right Panel - Selected Turret Info
- Shows stats of selected turret
- Upgrade button with cost
- Sell button with return value
Bottom Bar - Powerups
- Active powerups from Armory appear here
- Click to use during battle
Your First 10 Waves
Wave 1-3: Getting Set Up
- Place 2-3 Pulse Cannons ($150 each) near the center
- Position them where enemies will pass through
- Don’t spend all your credits - save for upgrades!
Wave 4-5: First Upgrades
- Upgrade your Pulse Cannons to level 2 ($180 each)
- Add 1-2 more turrets if needed
- Wave 5 is a mini-boss wave with Heavy enemies
Wave 6-10: Building Economy
- Focus on upgrading existing turrets over building new ones
- Let interest accumulate (5% per wave, cap 500)
- Wave 10 brings the first Boss - focus fire it down!
Understanding Turrets
Turrets have these key stats:
| Stat |
What It Does |
| Cost |
Credits to place |
| Damage |
Damage per hit |
| Fire Rate |
Shots per second |
| Range |
How far it can shoot |
| Accuracy |
How well it predicts enemy movement |
Upgrade System
- Turrets have 6 levels
- Each upgrade increases damage, fire rate, and range
- Levels 4-6 have bigger bonuses - worth investing in!
- Upgrade cost shown on selected turret
Understanding Enemies
Different enemies have different behaviors:
| Type |
Threat |
How to Handle |
| Scout |
Low HP, fast |
Easy kills, don’t worry |
| Armored |
High HP, slow |
Focus fire, let them soak damage |
| Swarm |
Spawn in groups of 5 |
AoE damage helps |
| Shielded |
Has shield layer |
Burn through shield first |
| Heavy |
Mini-boss, very tanky |
Focus all turrets |
| Boss |
Every 10 waves, costs 3 lives |
Top priority target! |
Economy Basics
Income Sources
- Kill rewards - Each enemy killed gives credits
- Wave completion - Bonus credits for finishing a wave
- Interest - 5% of your credits each wave (up to 500)
- Milestone bonuses - Extra credits at waves 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, etc.
Spending Tips
- Early game: Balance building and upgrading
- Mid game: Focus on upgrades (bigger power spikes)
- Don’t hoard too much - turret power is better than bank interest
What Happens When You Die?
After game over, you’ll:
- See your final stats (waves, kills, score)
- Earn Prestige Points (PP) based on performance
- Return to main menu
Prestige Points are used for:
- Permanent Upgrades - Bonuses that apply to all future games
- Research Lab - Unlock new turrets and features
- Armory - Buy powerups to use in-game
Ready for More?
Once you’ve survived a few games:
Good luck, Commander!