Overview
Colony Defender is an isometric shooter with strategy elements (shooter defence game). It is focused on mobile devices and tablets (now currently for Android and later for iOS and Windows Phone 7). The main challenge is to defend your mining colonies on various planets against enemy units (but also destroy enemy convoys, protect important facilities and test experimental weapons).
You have at your disposal standard set of weapons (controls during combat are very simple - you choose a weapon and tap position where the enemy unit is to destroy him). On selected missions you will have satellites to provide better control on the battlefield (slow enemy units, stun them, etc.) and an arsenal of experimental weaponry.
The strategic element is based on constructing defensive buildings. Before battle commences you can establish a wall and defense towers appropriate to danger in selected positions. You cannot control them, but by planning their positions carefully they will support you in your battles.
World
The gameplay includes three planets (volcanic, desert, arctic), each of them is divided into 16 missions (of total 48). You must defend your base against enemy units but often you will face other tasks.
Secure area - here you have to destroy enemy units operating in specific area. In those missions you cannot build any defensive structures.
Destroy convoy - here you have to destroy enemy convoy. You cannot build any defensive structures here either.
Prevent air assault - here you have to defend against flying enemies only and you cannot build walls.
Support ally - here you have to support your ally during attack and sometimes you can use his structures to defend colony.
Survive - here you have to survive enemy attack without building walls and with partly destroyed base.
Test weapon - here you can test prototypes of new weapons (such as tesla coil, magnetic device or gravity cannon). You cannot use standard weapons and satellites.
Test tower - those missions always take place in your base where you can test new types of towers (such as nanorobotic, teleport or mind tower). You cannot build any defence structures.
Protect building - depending of the mission you have to protect laboratory, mine or refinery against enemy units. You cannot build defensive structures but buildings are often protected by walls.
Technology
Between missions you can be promoted to a higher ranks and get credits which allow you to unlock sixteen technologies like walls, towers, weapons and satellites and test six secret weapons. You have two economic technologies too.
Walls - these technologies allow you to upgrade your walls. Each of them can absorb attack from specific ground units.
Steel wall - can absorb truck damage.
Ceramic wall - can absorb scout damage.
Reactive wall - can absorb tank damage.
Uranium wall - can absorb damage of explosive units.
Towers - each of them has various parameters such as range, rate of fire, damage or armor. Additionally, each of them has special skills.
Chemical tower - attacks only ground units, attack has corrosive ability.
Prismatic tower - attacks only flying units and reveals stealth units.
Kinetic tower - can attack two units in the same time, inflict more damage to explosive units.
Laser tower - armored units get full damage, covers the whole battlefield.
Weapons - Every weapon has its own abilities and weak points.
Projectile gun - ground units get more damage.
Missile launcher - flying units get more damage.
Sonic emitter - ignores armor in armored units.
Satellites - they can be activated during a battle and every satellite covers the whole battlefield. Their main purpose is not to destroy enemies, but support us during the battle.
Plasma satellite - bombarding is intensive and destructive, every explosion inflicts splash damage, satellite reveals stealth units.
Emp satellite - generates one impulse, slows down all enemy units and disrupts teleportation ability in teleport units.
Ion satellite - stuns for a short time ground units and destroys flying units.
Enemies
During missions you will have to handle with various types of enemies such as ground units - truck, scout and tank and flying units - drone, jet and cruiser. Additionally, you can divide those units by their abilities:
Normal - those units do not have any special properties.
Explosive - those units cause additional damage on the wider area, especially against your walls.
Teleport - when attacked those units can teleport themselves into different place.
Armored - those units are almost immune to most weapons.
Stealth - invisible units which can be revealed only by few devices.
By the way - if anyone has any doubts - in this game you are the bad guy who is exploiting and destroying. :)
Handcrafted
Handcrafted is an independent game development studio from Poland established by Konrad Rodzik and Marek Ogorzelski.
Colony Defender team
Marek Ogorzelski - design and art
Konrad Rodzik - programming and project management
Piotr Musiał - music and sound