Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap Steam Charts & Stats

I wish there was a neutral review. I don't want to say yes, I don't want to say no. But I respect the attempt to branch out and try something new, so I'll put it on positive. Can the game be fun? I'm sure of it. It's still OMD. It's still orc killing goodness. With some more time I'm sure it will get more fun. Though I haven't put too much time into the game yet but my first impressions are very clear. I'm an avid fan of the OMD series with 60+ hours in each game, having completed on max difficulty multiple times. And MAN am I missing some introduction. You start off with a dozen traps, dozen enemies and maps that make my brain hurt. It's big, open, difficult to make fun trap combinations or kill boxes and it is just.. so.. much. The maps are huge and mostly open. No walls, no roofs. Just floor traps, which are barely effective because the space is so big. The only small corridors are stairs where you can't place them. Floor traps are also significantly more expensive (spikes being 800 instead of 300), though income is higher. With the lack of a simple introduction having a few traps and a small area, even though I have so much experience, I felt so lost. I feel a lack of progression being thrown in with so much stuff against so much stuff. Also your starting traps don't match the starting levels (wall traps without walls, ceiling traps without ceilings, etc) but this is more a level design issue. The missions are also very long without an option to save. Starting a full run means either playing for 1+ hour. Enemies have different hp scalings than I'm used to. Those trolls are dead in 4 hits while earth elementals take an incredible beating. It all went from being VERY easy to handle to being overwhelmed in one wave. I don't understand why quite yet. This is something to get used to but it amplifies that lost feeling. I think if the current starting point later on after a few levels it would've been fine. Now I just feel like joining a new survival game world where your friends already passed the early game, you know? I'm sure I'll have much more fun later on.

Its fine... I guess. The lack of campaign or any sort of direction outside of "here, play some maps" really kills any motivation to play.

I have played the other games and I was hesitant to purchase this one due to the mixed reviews, however I saw some solid updates implemented and it looked like the game was in a better state than at launch, so I grabbed it and after playing a few runs have decided that I do like it. OMD3 never felt great to me and I'm just starting with this one, but I like the roguelike feel and the abilities of the various characters are pretty neat. So far I like the game and would recommend it if you like the series or action tower defense. I don't get the feeling of joy from the map layouts as I did in OMD2, but it is a very pretty game with an art style that I really enjoy and the levels are ok, but feel kind of restrictive are far as playing with what traps you want to. But there is an upgrade system and lots of things to unlock for future runs, so I'm not too bothered by that yet. It feels like a solid game in the series to me and I appreciate the turn toward 4 player coop and roguelike.

I was hoping for OMD4. This is not it. Hopefully this is just a filler game until a proper OMD4 can be released.

Yeah, ... TLDR Buy OMD1/2/3 instead I knew some changes to the game before release (did not like them) and waited for reviews. Turns out it started out mixed, as I feared. Bought around the summer sale and still did not enjoy my time with the game. I have 175 hours in OMD3 (buy this game instead) 124 hours in OMD 2 (buy this game instead) 43 hours in OMD1 (buy this game instead) They changed alot of aspects from previous titles which made me activly replay the games with enjoyment. Now I dont feel as rewarded after completion with my trap setups. I liked the Scramble Mode in OMD3 maybe in addition with some Mods from Nexusmods, and disliked the Endless Mode. This feels like more Endless Mode with less character customisation from the get go, like your warmage being able to wield a different weapon...

The series of orcs must die got pretty bad with the release of OMD Deathtrap. Level Design has a lot of flaws with trap spots. For example: you can place half a trap in another trap and lose money. you can't place sometimes trap on walls or ceilings because the placing grid is wrong programmed. Ceilings are far to high up to place traps, therefore around 5+ Traps are not usable, so you NEED to change your trap setup all the time which is pretty annoying. Sentinels are mostly on idiotic spots. Traps: There is a little bit more balance in it, but there is definitely a good meta for especially difficulty 10. You can't place sentinels anymore which is pretty sad, because i liked them in OMD 3. Some of the upgrade that you can get are more like annoiance than an upgrade and the reroll costs alot. Weapons: Would be nice to change them, but you need to change your char to use another one. So less variety in use of weapons and more in characters. Monsters: Alot of Monsters, but not any elite monsters or minibosses which would be nice. BUT the waves have especially in the lower difficulties not enough enemies spawning, because sometimes you are making coffee for waiting for the next monsters coming in. There is no pressure coming. So are the monsters evading/attacking? or do i invite them? Threads / Trap + Weapon + Skill Upgrades: Would be nice to remove or disable them, but it is made so you can't make an OP Build, which also makes more useless, because you need sometimes to switch your traps. To Unlock them is mostly easy enough, some of them are more a grind or luck to get certain conditions. All in All it is a good game with friends to play, but sometimes a pain in the butt, because of the level design. Hopefully the game gets more inspiration from OMD unchained and OMD 3.

I was disappointed at the end of playtest when the studio explained that this wasn't just a small preview of gameplay but actually the whole gameplay, so I didn't buy this at release. I now bought it at discount because I was bored lately, but after playing for 100minutes I kind of already regret and it am considering to refund the game and buy OMD3 instead on PC. No proper progress, no campaign, almost no story except "we found 3 new strong guys, go kill them". Most characters look ugly and I'm not even talking about Wren - which might become the ugliest ingame character of 2025 - but also formerly attractive/cool looking chars like Max and Gabby, they now just look bad. The whole game also suffers from nowadays common blurriness of unreal games due to TAA and Bloom. OMD3 and OMDU are both infinitely better than this OMDD. If we base the price off the game quality and compare OMD3 with OMDD, OMDD is worth 15$ at best. The amount of action/entertainment per unit of time is approximately one third of OMDU and less than half of OMD3. Big maps are great, but it just sucks if it makes all waves take 2-3x as long as we are used to from OMD3. In addition to that, they removed one of the best features of OMD: environmental traps/effects/tools. Also, what's the point of huge maps if there is no endless mode. The only thing that makes me want to play again is to test out the new types of organic traps, but I feel like it's not worth it just for that.

Same game, just a little grindier and no story progression.

The game itself isn't too bad, but the it's so poorly optimized. My PC is above recommended requirements and it still lags for me. I don't have this issue with any other game. It makes the game not enjoyable, unfortunately.

A Disappointing Step Backward for a Series I Love I grew up playing Orcs Must Die! with my dad, and we spent hours solving puzzles, laughing, and finding creative ways to beat the maps. It was a core memory — full of fun, strategy, and discovery. That’s why it really pains me to say this entry in the series just doesn’t hold up. Character Variety and Gameplay Repetition One of the big issues is how all the characters feel too similar. You're locked into specific characters, and even though the devs recently added movement abilities to everyone (which is a welcome addition), it ends up making them feel repetitive and less distinct. There’s no real reason to switch up your character other than cosmetics or stats, and that hurts replayability. The game quickly becomes repetitive. In past entries, each map felt like a new puzzle — a fresh opportunity to play your way, whether that was aggressive and trap-heavy or smart and efficient. Now, it's the same traps, the same layouts, and the same characters — just cranked up in difficulty. It loses that sense of creativity and personal play style. Roguelike Elements Fall Flat The “Threads” system and mid-round challenges were supposed to freshen things up, but they rarely feel meaningful. Upgrades are mostly random and don’t synergize well, so you don’t get that satisfying "build moment" you’d expect in a roguelike. Think of a game like Hades where duo boons create exciting combos — Orcs Must Die! could really benefit from something like that to bring depth and surprise to each run. Traps and Environmental Design There also seems to be a lack of trap variety compared to previous games. I loved the concept of the new organic thorns — watching them grow is cool the first few times — but by the 50th time, it’s lost its charm. Maps themselves often feel unfinished. I found myself exploring between waves, reaching hidden areas or detailed spots that looked like they had potential, only to discover they were empty or inactive. For someone like me who enjoys finding secrets or exploring off-path areas, that was really disappointing. Character Progression Feels Rushed The idea of leveling up characters and helping others online is awesome, but it feels shallow right now. The character trees are tiny — 7 upgrades that you can get in just a few runs. That’s not progression, it’s just a checklist. On top of that, the upgrades are hit or miss, with many of them being barely noticeable or irrelevant. On Playing Karlos, the bear character, and I actually enjoyed him quite a bit. He felt unique, but not quite finished. His mobility is a serious issue, especially on solo maps with double rift locations or flying enemies. Even with the blink ability, he’s just too slow, and it leads to frustrating moments. A simple solution might be to increase the height of his right-click jump by 50%, and make it a charged ability — that way, it’s more functional and easier to use strategically. Suggested Changes and Improvements 1. Character Design & Diversity Increase character uniqueness: Expand abilities and passive traits to make each character feel more distinct in both playstyle and role. Improve movement abilities: Differentiate them more clearly between characters to prevent overlap and sameness. Expand character progression: Increase character talent trees to offer more meaningful, diverse upgrades (7 nodes is too limited). Improve progression pacing: Make talent trees longer-term with deeper choices, allowing players to gradually invest and specialize. 2. Game Variety & Replayability Increase map variety: Ensure each map offers different challenges, layouts, and solutions (as in previous games). Encourage multiple strategies: Support both aggressive and passive trap-centric playstyles rather than funneling players into one meta. Make difficulty scaling more dynamic: Instead of just increasing numbers, add new enemy behaviors, alternate map routes, or environmental hazards at higher difficulties. 3. Trap Design Expand the trap pool: Add more trap types to offer fresh tactical opportunities. Current selection feels limited compared to older titles. Add visual/audio variety to traps: Make trap activation effects more distinct and satisfying to keep gameplay feeling fresh. 4. Roguelike Systems ("Threads") Improve synergy in upgrade drops: Create interactions between upgrades (e.g. combo or "duo" effects like Hades) to build unique and powerful runs. Balance randomness with relevance: Ensure threads/upgrades are relevant to the character and build style in use. Make upgrades visually impactful: Reflect power increases through effects or cosmetic flair to keep upgrades satisfying. 5. Exploration & Map Design Reward off-path exploration: Add hidden chests, lore items, or bonus threads/upgrades in out-of-the-way areas. Activate or utilize unused map elements: Interactive environments (e.g. sentinel posts, high ground platforms) should feel purposeful rather than decorative. Add secrets and easter eggs: Lean into the fun of discovery, especially between waves or during downtime in solo play. 6. Character-Specific Feedback (Karlos) Improve Karlos’s mobility: Increase the height of his right-click jump by ~50% to reach critical paths more easily (especially on double-rift maps). Make the leap a chargeable ability so it can be timed intentionally and used for combos or traversal without spamming. Adjust solo performance balance: Ensure all characters, including Karlos, are viable in solo play across all maps — especially when dealing with fast or flying enemies Final Thoughts This game has good bones — you can feel the effort to evolve the franchise — but right now, it feels incomplete and lacking polish. As someone who has deep nostalgia for the series, it’s disheartening to see a game that could have been amazing end up feeling rushed and repetitive. I hope the devs take the feedback to heart, because the core concept still has huge potential.