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*Code provided thanks to Press Engine. *

Tower Factory – Much More Than Traditional Tower Defense

Some Early Access games tentatively tiptoe onto Steam. Tower Factory sprints in, throws a stack of conveyor belts at you, and politely invites you to build a functioning economy while monsters gradually emerge from the fog. And honestly, it’s great fun.

Traditional tower defense titles never quite hold me for long, the usual routine of “place turret, observe turret, repeat” tends to blur into background noise. But Tower Factory is doing something that feels far livelier. It fuses tower defense with automation, exploration, and a generous dose of roguelite progression, creating a loop that is busy, a bit daft, and oddly relaxing once you give in to its rhythm. For an Early Access release, it already feels remarkably confident.

Good luck getting through these defenses

A Foggy Map, a Tower of Light, and a Busy Checklist

Your central base is the Tower of Light, a friendly-looking structure that you’ll grow fiercely protective over as waves escalate. Somewhere out in the gloom sits the Tower of Darkness, brewing trouble and spawning enemies at an uncomfortable rate. The map begins shrouded in fog, so one of your tasks is to light beacons dotted around the world. These do more than brighten the scenery, they widen your view and guide you towards hidden chests and the crystals you’ll eventually need to bring down the enemy tower.

Exploring is more important than it initially looks. The game doesn’t politely put everything you need right in front of you. Sometimes the crucial crystals are tucked behind your own base, or hidden far off the suggested path, making each run feel like a small treasure hunt wrapped inside a strategy game.

Ahead of its time in terms of technology

Conveyor Belts, Resource Chains, and the Beauty of Automation

Before long, Tower Factory reveals its true heart: automation. You’re not just defending a base; you’re establishing a miniature industrial empire. Woodcutters, stone mines, processing stations, it all depends on how you position your structures and how neatly you lay your conveyor belts. Place a sawmill at just the right angle and its harvesting lines will neatly cover every nearby tree. Place it poorly and you’ll immediately want to bulldoze it and pretend nothing happened.

When your belts start moving and materials slide along them like an orderly little parade, it’s deeply satisfying. You’ll also find that certain towers require processed materials, which means feeding basic resources into secondary buildings, which means more belts, more routing, and more opportunities to whisper “please don’t jam” at your screen.

If you ever run low in the early stages, you can manually gather resources to kick-start your production line by simply clicking. It’s a small feature, but a considerate one, and it helps smooth out the shaky opening minutes of a run.

Light the beacons!

A Tower Defense Game Where Waiting Around Is Never an Option

While you’re busy admiring your spiraling conveyor belt network, the enemy doesn’t politely wait. Waves arrive at a steady pace during the day and become rowdier at night. It forces you to balance your construction mania with actual survival. The longer you linger, the tougher the enemy tower becomes, so there’s a gentle but constant push to progress.

Runs can be a little punishing at first, but the roguelite system brings a sense of momentum. Finishing a run, or failing a run, which is more likely early on, grants you coins that unlock new towers, stronger upgrades for your existing ones, and additional factory buildings that open up new approaches. Each attempt feels slightly more capable than the last, and the progression ladder is paced well enough that unlocking something new becomes a pleasant reward rather than a grind.

The game also includes two main ways to play. There’s a classic, real-time mode where everything happens at once and you’re constantly spinning plates. And then there’s a more strategic mode that allows pausing and taking your time, which is a lovely option for players who prefer planning over panic. For anyone who revels in chaos, there’s a harder setting waiting to test your patience.

A Bright, Friendly Look Paired With Monsters That Definitely Don’t Feel Friendly

Visually, Tower Factory uses a bright low-poly style that makes the map easy to read even when your base becomes a tangle of belts and buildings. Enemy designs grow more intimidating as the run progresses, which creates a fun contrast against the cheerful world. The soundtrack keeps things energetic without distracting from the thoughtful pace of factory building.

Kinda cute for a bad dude

Final Thoughts – A Promising Start With Plenty of Room to Grow

As someone who doesn’t usually latch onto tower defense games, Tower Factory has been a delightful surprise. The mix of automation, exploration, and defense creates a game that’s as much about creativity as it is about strategy. I found myself completely absorbed by the process of laying conveyor belts, uncovering the fog, and working out how to strike the right balance between expanding my factory and fending off monsters.

Even at this early stage, the foundation feels sturdy. The core loop is enjoyable, the world is fun to explore, and each run leaves you stronger and more curious about what you might discover next. The developers have shaped something that blends the appeal of management sims with the tension of tower defense in a way that feels refreshingly playful.

If you’re looking for a tower defense game that offers far more than stationary turrets and predictable waves, Tower Factory is well worth checking out, and with a free demo available, it’s easy to give it a test drive before diving into Early Access.

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