Crystal Guardians is a premium strategy title for PC by developer Green Pine Studios. It is a tower defense game featuring roguelike elements in its gameplay. In it, players are tasked with defending their crystal base from waves of oncoming enemies in an ever-expanding procedural map.

Similar to Rogue Tower or Thronefall, Crystal Guardians boasts minimalist graphics and visual style complemented by simple and intuitive controls. It allows for tactical freedom to approach every situation, and a diverse meta-progression system. It has a demo available for new players to try out.

Ever expanding world

True to its name, Crystal Guardians will have you defend a crystal base on a procedurally generated map that is continually expanding to show more of the world, making each run different every time. Strategically place towers to defend against waves of enemies and deal the most damage, taking into consideration their strengths and using their weaknesses to your advantage in battle.

This game serves up 25 towers with distinct attributes that you can pair with different crystals to achieve a specific attack type, for example. fire, ice, and others. You can further augment them with over 50 items you can unlock and equip. Experiment with all kinds of loadouts to take on any enemy or situation. There are more than 10 boss rounds to face and defeat in order to progress.

Failing will be part of the experience, but you can invest points in an extensive skill and upgrade tree as you level up to help make successive runs a bit easier. As of this writing, there are still a few weeks left before its March release. More importantly, though, it will come out as an early access title, meaning development is still ongoing.

Shows promise

In conclusion, Crystal Guardians is an interesting tower defense roguelike with minimalist visuals and engaging gameplay with its diverse collection of highly customizable towers. The expanding procedural world keeps you on your toes and prevents things from getting stale and dull. The boss rounds also provide a nice challenge from the constant waves of minor enemies. Give it a try and see for yourself.