PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe

It’s such a simple premise. The antithesis of Lemmings, those little furry lives that you must protect don’t need to actually go anywhere to remain safe. Instead they stay put, and it’s your job to batten down the hatches and build a series of defences that will ensure the survival of their cute Tribble-like hides.

As a strategy game, although somewhat simpler to fathom, PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe is not all that dissimilar to a hardcore PC RTS. The rules are essentially the same, albeit with the deployment phase making up the lion’s share of the gameplay. At the start of each level you begin with a small amount of gold – enough to build a few towers. Towers can be constructed wherever a tree sits. Initially, you’ll have access to four tower types – cannons, harpoons, AA batteries and freeze towers. You control a turtle-like chap who may move freely around the map, avoiding monsters and adding towers.

The enemy comes in waves. When your towers destroy an enemy, they will drop two types of item; gold – which will enable you to build yet more towers, and gems that you may either save up to unlock new tower types (lightning, lasers and so on), or spend on upgrading existing towers for greater damage.

It’s all remarkably straightforward, while at the same time utterly devious. The level designs, which on the face may appear undemanding, represent the primary need to alter your strategy from one to the next. Each set of terrain represents a brand-new challenge often with multiple routes through which the enemy may exploit your camp and kill your pets. There are 20 of these wee furry fellas to save and only two possible outcomes: either at least one of them will survive the onslaught by your skill and forward planning, or not. Each monster that makes it to camp takes one small furry life, so the challenge is devilishly plain: ensure that less than 20 monsters make it there alive.

The game also has a habit of exploiting your weaknesses. Having a great many harpoon and cannon towers will protect you from most things – except multitudes of swift-moving flying enemies. It’s important to be strong on all fronts, but building up to that status is a gradual process and the order in which each element is constructed and bolstered will decide whether you win or lose.