gemcraft posts

Welcome to the Indie Showcase, a semi-regular column on Big Download that takes a look at games we haven't covered on the site that we really think you should play.

Tower defense games have been around since the days of Starcraft. This incredibly niche market has traversed the realms of game mods to browser games to full-fledged releases. The big thing, though, is that when it comes down to thoughtful, action-packed strategy, there's not much better than tower defense games. Here's just a few of our favorites for you to peruse at your leisure.

We here at Big Download love tower defense games. No games match their combination of strategy and skill in quite the same way that they do. Another browser TD game has been released on ArmorGames, and like Desktop Tower Defense, it has drawn us into its folds. Gemcraft has you taking down mobs of enemies with your gem-enhanced towers.

You use different abilities to defeat oncoming waves of enemies, doing things such as laying moats, dropping gems like bombs onto the enemy, creating and combining gems, or building towers to place your gems in. Each level gets harder than the last, and you can boost your skills and add to your amulet inventory to ease the difficulty curve. It's a great entry into the tower defense genre, and definitely worth a look.

[Via IndieGames]