PoliGuard
PoliGuard is an endless tower defense game drawn with neon shapes on a dark grid. Red enemies follow an orange road that zigzags across the map, and your towers fire at them automatically. You pick from seven tower types, each made for a different job.
Upgrades in PoliGuard work differently from most tower games. When you upgrade a type, every tower of that type gets stronger, including ones you build later. Ion Mateus wrote the open-source original.
How to play PoliGuard
You open with 100 coins and 10 lives. Select a tower card on the left, or press a number key from 1 to 7, then click an empty square off the road. A green outline means the spot is valid and red means it is blocked.
Wave one has five enemies. After you clear it, a short five-second timer runs before more arrive. Each new wave is bigger, and its enemies have more health and a little more speed. Kills give coins and points, and both rewards rise as the waves go up.
You lose a life for each enemy that makes it all the way along the road. Waves never stop, so you play for a high score. When your tenth life is gone, the game shows your points and offers a new game.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pick a tower | 1 to 7 | Click a tower card in the left panel | — |
| Place it | — | Left-click an empty square off the road | — |
| Cancel | Escape | — | — |
| Remove mode | Delete | Click Remove, then a tower | — |
| Upgrade a tower type | — | Click the i button on its card | — |
| Change targeting | — | Right-click a tower | — |
| Zoom and pan | — | Scroll to zoom, drag to pan | — |
| Pause and speed | — | Click Pause, then 0.5x, 1x or 2x | — |
Tips
- Your first 100 coins cover exactly two Basic Towers. That pair is enough for the opening waves.
- The road turns eight times. Towers placed inside a turn can shoot at enemies on both sides of it.
- Because upgrades apply per type, focus on two or three tower types rather than buying one of everything.
- The Ice Tower cuts enemy speed in half for three seconds. Put damage towers around it so they get more shots.
- Right-click a Sniper Tower and set it to Strongest, so its big hits go to the toughest enemy in range.
- Pause before spending. You can still read cards and buy upgrades while paused, then resume at half speed if things get tight.
If you like PoliGuard, try these
Hex FormationThree tower types guard a hexagon path in this defense game, and it ends after ten waves instead of running forever.
ElematterMatching towers to enemy types is the twist, close to choosing shapes in your defense, with boss fights to finish.
Questions
Can I play PoliGuard on a Chromebook?
Yes, as long as you have a mouse or trackpad and keyboard. It is built for a desktop screen and does not support touch controls.
How much do I get back for removing a tower?
Removing a tower refunds 70 percent of its base price. Upgrade spending is not returned, so a Basic Tower always gives back 35 coins.
When does PoliGuard end?
There is no final wave. The run ends when you lose your tenth life, and your score is shown on the game-over screen.
More like this: all strategy games · every game A–Z
