Kingdom Rush Frontiers

Kingdom Rush Frontiers expanded, in 2013, the proven formula of the first game with new settings, heroes, and tower types, without straying from what worked. Ironhide Game Studio added more exotic locations beyond the classic fantasy kingdom, new enemies with their own tactics, and another layer of special abilities for the player to fine-tune against waves of attackers. Touch controls stayed identical to the predecessor, so veterans of the first game jumped into the sequel without any learning curve.

The studio also raised the difficulty and variety of challenges somewhat, which was appreciated by players who had cleared the first game and wanted more content in the same style. The visual style and humorous tone of the dialogue remained untouched, just with a new set of jokes and references typical of the series. Frontiers thus worked more as a generous expansion than a revolution, but in a genre where a working foundation only needs fine-tuning, that was a sensible approach that gave players exactly what they expected from a sequel.

The second installment confirmed that Kingdom Rush had the potential for a long-running series and paved the way for further sequels that later explored other angles on the same world. Ironhide also proved that expanding a successful formula doesn't have to mean diluting quality, as long as the studio sticks to what actually worked for players.

Why play it: For players who found the first game not enough and want more tower defense content of the same quality, ideally after finishing the first one for continuity of tone and difficulty.