Bloons Tower Defense 6 is a strategy-filled, fun game and the subject of this month’s game review. It is an animated, monkey-based tower defense game that’s strength is its relaxing nature. It is available for $6.99 on the app store and is currently on sale for $2.79 on Steam. While the game contains some microtransactions, it is mainly transaction free once you purchase it. It can be played in a single player mode or co-op with up to 4 players.

The game features many different types of monkeys which take the place of the “tower” in typical tower defense games. These monkeys must be used in order to level them up to unlock better upgrades for them, these upgrades must be purchased every game with the in-game currency, bananas. While the task to unlock all the money upgrades may seem daunting, it is relatively quick to complete. The true challenge comes with “Monkey Knowledge” , a skill-tree-like system that requires difficult to obtain points in order to be upgraded. I personally have over eighty hours on the game, and yet I’m not even halfway through completing all of the Monkey Knowledge paths. 

The game also requires a decent amount of critical thinking and strategy. From deciding which upgrade to unlock, to figuring out the best combination of monkeys, there is much thought involved. The game is also not particularly taxing on your computer and runs very smoothly. The feeling upon completing a level is extremely satisfying, and the rewards and animations certainly harness and increase that. There are also boss events every weekend which provide a new, more difficult challenge.

The biggest issue I had when playing the game was the repetitive nature. Some of the longer levels get boring by the end and become repetitive. Another issue is the multiplayer, unless you have three people to play with, your only option is to randomly queue into a game. This can lead to teams being made up of players with completely different goals. Additionally, the multiplayer plays very similarly to the single player mode, just with less individual control of what happens. 

Overall, the game is an exciting, gratifying experience that I highly recommend. The strategy element is simple, and yet complex enough that everyone will enjoy it. Its relatively cheap cost makes it pretty cheap for the amount of joy it will provide. In conclusion, Bloons TD6 is a casual, tower defense strategy game that most people will enjoy.