Dungeon Defenders review

Dungeon Defenders is the pick for groups that want tower defense with an RPG layer. You create a hero from one of four classes, each with its own skill tree, set of towers and basic attacks, then place defenses and fight alongside them to protect your crystals. Defeated enemies drop loot and money you use to forge equipment, level stats and collect pets, which you can trade with other players. Up to four players can join online and in local split-screen in the same session, and players can leave or join at any time. Four difficulty modes, survival and challenge maps, and PvP Deathmatch add replay value. It costs $14.99 on the US Steam store, and 92% of 8,828 English Steam reviews are positive. The downsides: Steam lists 43 DLC, the game is Windows only, and it dates from 2011.

Who it is for

co-op groups who want loot and character builds

Price

$14.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

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Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Four classes, each with its own skill tree, towers and attacks
• 4-player online and local split-screen co-op, with drop-in and drop-out
• Loot, leveling, equipment forging and tradeable pets
• Four difficulty modes plus survival and challenge missions
• PvP Deathmatch

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: 92% of 8,828 English Steam reviews are positive
• Strength: Mixes online and split-screen players in one session
• Strength: Low minimum spec: 1 GB of RAM and 2 GB of storage
• Weakness: Steam lists 43 DLC, so a full set costs well above $14.99
• Weakness: Windows only on Steam
• Weakness: Released in 2011, so visuals and menus are dated

Key facts

• Developer: Chromatic Games
• Released on Steam: October 18, 2011
• Minimum RAM: 1 GB
• English Steam reviews: 92% positive of 8,828
• Metacritic (shown on Steam): 81

Where it ranks

Dungeon Defenders is No. 5 in our Best Tower Defense Games verdict.