Gatewarden is a tower defense game set on the last roads of a small realm. Goblins, wolves, orcs and worse march toward your gate in waves. Build towers on the stone pads beside the road, train soldiers to block the way and call fire from the sky when the line starts to break. The campaign has ten battles in two regions: the Green Vales, where the Troll King waits, and the frozen Frostfang Mountains, ruled by the Frost Giant.
How to play
Tap a stone pad to open the build ring and choose a tower. When you are ready, blow the horn at the start of the road to send the first wave. Every foe you defeat gives gold, which you spend on more towers or on upgrading the ones you have. Each foe that reaches the gate costs you lives; lose all 20 and the battle is lost.
Between waves a timer counts down to the next one. You do not have to wait for it: calling a wave early pays gold for the time left and recharges your spells a little.
Sir Aldric
Every battle you lead Sir Aldric, a knight captain who goes wherever you send him. Tap him or his portrait, then tap where he should stand. He holds back one foe at a time, throws axes at bats overhead and grows stronger for every foe slain near him, up to level 5. His rally cry stuns every foe around him for a moment, hurts them and heals him. If he falls, he is back at the gate after 14 seconds.
Towers
| Tower | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Archers | Fast and cheap, hits flying foes | Low damage against armor |
| Mages | Magic bolts ignore armor | Slow, weak against shamans |
| Bombard | Shells that hit whole groups | Cannot hit flying foes |
| Barracks | Three soldiers who block the road | Soldiers fall and need time to return |
Every tower can be upgraded twice. At level 3 it can become one of two elite towers:
| Tower | Elite choices |
|---|---|
| Archers | Rangers (poison arrows) or Marksmen (very long range, heavy bolts) |
| Mages | Frost Mages (slow whole groups) or Arcane Spire (huge blasts) |
| Bombard | Great Mortar (wide blast, long range) or Thunder Coil (lightning that jumps between foes, flyers too) |
| Barracks | Knights (heavily armored) or Paladins (heal themselves and Sir Aldric) |
Tap a Barracks and choose Move to place its soldiers somewhere else on the road.
Know your foes
Point at the horn, or tap it once on a phone, to see which foes the next wave brings and which road they take. Shield goblins carry heavy shields that turn arrows and shells, so meet them with magic. Fire imps are fast and do not burn, so Rain of fire will not stop them. In the mountains, frost wraiths fly and shrug off magic, yetis are tough enough to take two lives each, and the Frost Giant stamps the ground to stun every soldier around him.
Spells
Rain of fire drops three burning stones on the spot you choose and hurts every foe nearby, flying or not. Call militia puts two farmers with spears on the road for twenty seconds. Use them to plug a gap or to slow down a big foe.
Stars and upgrades
A win earns one to three stars depending on how many lives you kept. Spend stars between battles on six upgrades: stronger arrows, runes and shells, tougher militia, faster spells and a bigger war chest. The later battles are hard without them, and you can refund your stars to try a different plan.
More ways to play
Heroic and Iron. Tap a battle you have already won to try it as Heroic, with one life only, or Iron, where only one kind of tower may be built. Each challenge you win gives one more star for upgrades, for fifty stars in all.
The Endless Road. A map of its own where the waves never stop. Every wave is stronger than the last, a boss marches every tenth wave, and the leaderboard ranks how long you hold the road.
Today’s battle. One battle a day with a special rule, the same for everyone: only one kind of tower, thick-skinned foes, no spells, double damage for Sir Aldric and more. Everyone fights with the same upgrades, so the daily leaderboard comes down to skill.
Tips
- Put Barracks where the road bends so your towers can shoot at the foes while they are held.
- Build at least one Mage before the first orcs and ogre brutes. Arrows bounce off their armor.
- Bats fly over soldiers and shells. Keep Archers or Mages near the end of the road.
- Shamans heal their friends. Take them out first.
- Use the rally cry when a group bunches up in front of Sir Aldric, then drop Rain of fire on the stunned foes.
FAQ
Is Gatewarden free?
Yes. Gatewarden is completely free to play in your browser. A short ad may appear between battles now and then.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. It works with mouse and touch on phones, tablets and computers. On a tall phone screen the battlefield turns so the road fits the screen.
How do I earn stars?
Win a battle to earn stars: 3 stars if you lose at most 2 lives, 2 stars if you lose at most 10, and 1 star otherwise.
What are stars for?
Spend them on upgrades between battles: stronger towers, tougher militia, faster spells and more starting gold. You can refund them at any time.
Why should I call a wave early?
Calling the next wave before the timer runs out gives gold for the time left and recharges your spells a little.
Which tower should I build?
Archers are quick and hit flying foes, Mages pierce armor, the Bombard hits whole groups on the ground, and Barracks send soldiers who block the road.
Is my progress saved?
Your stars, upgrades and best scores are saved in your browser, and in the cloud if you sign in on SagaArcade.
Who is Sir Aldric?
Your hero. Tap him or his portrait, then tap where he should go. He holds back one foe at a time, throws axes at bats, grows to level 5 from foes slain near him, and his rally cry stuns and hurts every foe around him. If he falls he returns after 14 seconds.
How do I see what the next wave brings?
Point at the horn (or tap it once on a phone) to see which foes come from that road and how many. Arrows on the road show the way they will take. Tap the horn again to send the wave.
The map is small on my phone.
Pinch to zoom and drag to move the view.
What are elite towers?
When a tower reaches level 3 it can become one of two elite towers: Rangers or Marksmen, Frost Mages or the Arcane Spire, the Great Mortar or the Thunder Coil, Knights or Paladins. Each changes how the tower fights.
How many battles are there?
Ten. Five in the Green Vales, ending with the Troll King, and five in the snowy Frostfang Mountains, ending with the Frost Giant. Winning a battle opens the next.
What is the Endless Road?
A map of its own where the waves never stop. They grow stronger every time, a boss comes every tenth wave, and your score is how many waves you hold. It has its own leaderboard.
What is today's battle?
Every day one battle with one special rule, the same for everyone, for example only one kind of tower, faster foes or no spells. Everyone has the same upgrades, so the daily leaderboard is fair.
What are Heroic and Iron?
Once you have won a battle you can try it again as Heroic (one life only) or Iron (only one kind of tower). Each gives one extra star to spend on upgrades, so there are 50 stars in all.
