Nordhold Steam Charts & Stats

It's an ok game, but I'm not in the target audience I guess. The resource managing takes away from what I see as the core gameplay in tower defenses, which is playing with the towers. I could handle that, as the resource gameplay is still somewhat interesting 7h in, but the metaprogression, honor points, really takes the wind out of the sails. I could understand some slowing down/easing into the complexity of the game but the game requires so many honor points to unlock stuff.

My initial review was negative. But once you unlock all of the buildings the game really opens up and becomes a fun tower defense game. Just needs some balance tweaks for the early game I think but is super fun once you get into it.

I have to agree with recent negative reviews; the amount of content here is deceptive. Most of it is just newb bait. You really have only a couple of valid options, as a glance at the leaderboard shows. I think it's good that they're working on more modes but really the game needs a massive balance patch to make all the towers viable. Otherwise every run your strat will be pretty much the same and your results determined by rng. I just played for two hours after not touching it for a month and it was just as boring as when I dropped it last time.

There must be something I'm missing about this game cause I love tower defense and I've watched videos of people enjoying it, but it's just awful.

Unless you follow some particular builds, you cannot go further much. Some of the towers feel utterly useless. There is very little room for mistakes. There is also too much rng. So even if you plan your build nicely, rng can still screw your game with irrelevant choices. I think all these issues needs some kind of rebalancing. As a person who loves and plays tower defense games regularly, I've found it hard to enjoy this even though I like the concept.

Nordhold is a refreshingly inventive take on the tower defense genre, combining traditional mechanics with village-building elements and roguelite progression to deliver a deeply engaging and strategic experience. Developed by StunForge and published by HypeTrain Digital, the game places players in a procedurally generated medieval Nordic landscape, where every decision—no matter how small—has long-term consequences. The blend of strategic planning, resource management, and tactical defense creates a satisfying gameplay loop that invites both quick sessions and long-haul experimentation. At the heart of Nordhold is a turn-based structure that encourages careful planning. Each turn, players are granted resources such as wood, wheat, stone, and gold, which must be distributed wisely between upgrading defenses, expanding infrastructure, or preparing for the next wave of attacks. The tension lies not in real-time micromanagement but in balancing short-term survival with long-term growth. Investing early in tower upgrades might stave off an incoming threat, but neglecting your economy could leave you vulnerable in future rounds. Every action feels meaningful, and even a minor miscalculation can tip the balance in later turns. What distinguishes Nordhold from standard tower defense titles is its layered progression system. While the game is punishing and early runs often end in defeat, each failure contributes to persistent upgrades that carry over to future attempts. These unlocks include new heroes with unique bonuses, improved resource generation, and relics that alter playstyle in subtle but impactful ways. This roguelite structure not only enhances replayability but also gives a strong sense of progression, even in the face of setbacks. The randomly generated maps add further variety, ensuring that no two sessions feel exactly the same. The village-building aspect also provides a unique twist. Rather than focusing purely on towers and paths, players construct a full-fledged settlement, complete with farms, quarries, storage buildings, and barracks. Each building contributes to your overall strength and survival, but space and resources are limited, forcing players to prioritize certain strategies over others. Do you expand your economy with more wheat fields, or fortify your borders with additional towers? These choices define the pace and style of each playthrough. Outposts can also be placed beyond your central village, allowing you to expand influence on the battlefield and collect resources from further afield, adding yet another strategic layer to the experience. Combat remains at the core of Nordhold, and while it’s more cerebral than chaotic, it still delivers satisfying moments of tension. Enemies attack along procedurally generated paths, and while this randomization adds to the unpredictability, it can occasionally create imbalanced scenarios. Some players may find frustration in being handed a near-impossible route configuration, though this randomness is also part of what keeps each run feeling unique and challenging. The variety of towers—each with upgrade paths and specialties—allows for a broad range of tactical options. Synergies between tower types, combined with environmental placements and enemy resistances, make positioning decisions critical. Visually, the game employs a clean and stylized art direction that suits its medieval setting well. The UI is intuitive, and important information is easily accessible, making it welcoming even for players unfamiliar with the genre. Sound design is minimal but effective, with ambient background music and subtle combat effects that complement the overall experience without overwhelming it. While Nordhold may not be a visual showstopper, its presentation supports the gameplay focus and helps maintain clarity during the more complex later turns. One of the game's strengths lies in how it scales. Early turns feel calm and methodical, but as the waves grow in intensity, so too does the pressure to optimize every aspect of your strategy. What starts as a simple settlement gradually transforms into a fortified bastion, and watching your decisions pay off in real-time as your defenses hold against overwhelming odds is immensely satisfying. The mid-to-late game offers a genuine test of foresight and adaptability, as enemy types diversify and your resource demands increase. Despite its many strengths, Nordhold isn’t without areas for improvement. Some of the balance between RNG and strategy could be refined, especially in how enemy pathing is determined. There are moments where it feels like bad luck can heavily outweigh smart planning, particularly in the early game when fewer tools are available to recover from setbacks. Additionally, while the variety of buildings and towers is commendable, players may eventually desire even deeper customization or more diverse upgrade paths to sustain interest over many hours. Still, Nordhold succeeds in carving out its own identity in a crowded field. By merging the addictive qualities of tower defense with the thoughtful pacing of a village builder and the replayability of a roguelite, it offers something that feels both familiar and refreshingly new. Its mechanics encourage experimentation and reward both strategic depth and resilience. For players looking for a game that doesn’t just test their reflexes but also their planning, foresight, and adaptability, Nordhold stands as one of the more innovative and rewarding entries in recent years. Rating: 8/10

First TD in a while that I didn't find tedious or boring to play. I love the idea of TDs but most of the time I play one it's not nearly as fun as I thought it would be. This one kept me playing for hours while not realizing how much time went past. It is very challenging with zero meta progression. Took me ~2 hours to get out of the "tutorial" (which imo could explain stuff a little more). But after a few runs and with more and more upgrades you "quickly" get to a point where you only fail because you fucked up, not because the mobs outscaled your capabilities. The balancing is neat because the early game of a run is the dangerous part. If you're going to lose a run it's most likely going to be there. Meaning once you have solidified your eco and setup you're not risking dying in the late game. It's still challenging, but you get to relax and cruise more in the late game. Genuinely do recommend the game even at full price. I had a lot of fun in the ~25 hours it took me to 100% the achievements.

Complex, difficult and addictive. Unlike other tower defense games, NORDHOLD truly allows for a variety of different strategies. It encourages experimentation. My best game so far in regular mode was wave 37 which I managed to repeat multiple times. But even after 100 hours I did not get any further than that, unfortunately. I don't have time to hang around Youtube or Discord to learn intricate M.E.T.A. tactics, so maybe in the future I might find builds on my own which work better. The only downside of the game is that it does not guide or help players in trying to improve. Statistics are only available after the monsters broke into your city.

Game goes from promising to needlessly frustrating extremely quickly. You'll have to restart often due to your upgrades being negligent percentage buffs while enemies steamroll you in comparison. Your only chance of furthering your run lengths will soon turn into funneling your meta progression currency into better starting resources which will only really get you a wave or two further. The game needs a serious re-balancing on difficulty and economy. Really sucks too cause the game is fun, just ruined by its stinginess in its systems and difficulty.

As of right now I think this game needs more balancing to make it more fun. Lightning tower seems to be the only method to high lvls and it just got a major nerf. The Meta Progression i think needs to tone down the honor costs im quiting at 750 honor a point. Just seems like a huge time sink with not much variety in game play. Looking forward to checking back and seeing how it develops think they're on the right track