Message from the dev:
Thanks for checking out Isle of Arrows! This post aims to showcase some of the features of the game and give details on a few gameplay mechanics.
I hope this also helps you decide if Isle of Arrows is a game for you or not.
So here are 5 tips that help you getting started with Isle of Arrows:
1. Tower Defense With a Twist
Isle of Arrows combines Tower Defense with tile placement mechanics, often seen board games. This adds near endless replayability, but also makes the game different from most other Tower Defense games.
Unlike many other Tower Defense games, Isle of Arrows focuses on the strategic placement of tiles, rather than managing/upgrading individual towers.
Each tile has a different effect: towers attack the invaders. Roads build out the path the enemies walk on. Flags extend the isle, giving you more space to build. Gardens reward you with coins. Taverns boost all adjacent archery towers. And so on.
Tiles can be placed anywhere on the isle, as long as they are adjacent to existing tiles. Consider the position and rotation of each tile carefully!
2. RNG & Tile Distribution
Every tower, building, trap, and road is drawn from a random stack of tiles. You don’t have control over the order and type of tiles that are drawn, but the randomization guarantees a certain amount of each type, to keep things fair and balanced.
You always see what tile is coming up next, which helps you plan ahead. Spending 2 coins allows you to skip a tile you might have no use for.
To beat all waves and reach the top of the leaderboard, strategic thinking, RNG mitigation, and min-maxing are required!
Each type of tile is guaranteed to be drawn after a certain amount of tiles have passed. If you haven’t seen a flag tile in a while, one is just about to show up!
3. Tower Upgrades
Tower upgrades and improvements are not bought with in-game currency, but are acquired through bonus cards, relics, and upgrade buildings, such as the tavern.
Some buildings improve the damage of adjacent towers, others change their targeting priorities.
4. Fast Forward
Once you’ve completed the first Campaign of the game, you unlock the fast forward button, which allows you to speed up the enemy waves.
Make use of the fast forward button, but don't rush when placing tiles!
5. Know Your Enemy
The composition of enemy waves is different in each playthrough. The red circle above the enemy spawn point shows the amount of enemies that will attack. Clicking the circle brings up a detailed view that shows the exact types and amount of enemies of the next wave.
As the game progresses, stronger enemies will spawn. Some enemies have special abilities and behaviours