Artisan TD is a premium strategy title from developer 4rtisans. It's a tower defense game set in a fantasy world wherein players are tasked with surviving waves of enemies by putting up tower defenses. They can also devise maze-like paths to make it harder to reach their base.

Similar to Runeroots TD or Siegebreaker, Artisan TD features multiple tower units to help fend off attackers. Each one can be upgraded to increase their power and effectiveness in battle. Players will explore and take back multiple locations and inhabitants who have been corrupted by an evil entity.

Shape the battlefield

Artisan TD takes place in a fantasy world wherein you are on a mission across 30 unique maps to reclaim the Archipelago of Chaos and save its inhabitants who have been corrupted by an evil group known as the TITANS. They are coming at you en masse, and you have to find a way to defend yourself from their onslaught. 

To do so, you can assign towers to form a defense perimeter. However, that won't be enough to neutralize them. This is where the unique twist comes into play as you can also create maze-like paths to slow down enemy advancements. You can freely place units anywhere where you think they will be most effective and they also serve as barricades to steer waves in the direction you want. 

This adds another layer of strategy and complexity to the gameplay. What's more, the game allows you to create and integrate farms into your maze, which will provide additional gold used for things like upgrades. They occupy space on the field, though, so be wary of how you utilize them. All that said, there is a steep difficulty curve to overcome at the beginning.

Different and challenging

All in all, Artisan TD is a unique and interesting entry to the tower defense genre with its freeform gameplay that lets players lay down units and create mazes as they want. However, it can also be quite daunting and different to grasp at the beginning. If you want something different and challenging, give this one a try and experience it yourself.