Orcs Must Die!

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 525 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 399 out of 525
  2. Mixed: 105 out of 525
  3. Negative: 21 out of 525

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  1. suneater
    Dec 13, 2012
    6
    A variation of tower defense where you have to place traps to defend cores from invading monsters. While there's lots of toys (with new ones being thrown at you every level), some get left in the dust/unused (boom barrel, steam trap), while others get progressively more broken as the game goes on (archers, paladins, decoys). My biggest complaint is it's missing the stat tracking most towerA variation of tower defense where you have to place traps to defend cores from invading monsters. While there's lots of toys (with new ones being thrown at you every level), some get left in the dust/unused (boom barrel, steam trap), while others get progressively more broken as the game goes on (archers, paladins, decoys). My biggest complaint is it's missing the stat tracking most tower defenses have to help you maximize your gold usage, leaving you to guesswork if your traps are laid out properly. The maps are uniquely constructed, often requiring specific tactics to clear effectively, making each map tense and engaging. About a third of your arsenal are weapons for your character which keeps you in the action most of the time, unlike most games in this genre. With 24 maps you're looking at a sizable tower defense game with plenty of crossbow-twitching, fireball-slinging, ice-shattering orc carnage.… Expand
  2. Frek
    Dec 21, 2011
    7
    I picked this game up on Steam when it was for sale at $2.79. I bought it not expecting much. What I discovered was a incredibly fun that is surprisingly tactical in nature. I found myself replaying level after level trying to improve my strategy to get a better score.
    In a nutshell this game has you laying down different types of traps in hallways that orcs will be coming down. Your job    I picked this game up on Steam when it was for sale at $2.79. I bought it not expecting much. What I discovered was a incredibly fun that is surprisingly tactical in nature. I found myself replaying level after level trying to improve my strategy to get a better score.
    In a nutshell this game has you laying down different types of traps in hallways that orcs will be coming down. Your job is stop all of them using the arsenal of traps and special weapons. Watching orcs by the dozens get smashed, grinded, flung, burnt, pierced, and diced is pretty fun.
    So why did I give it a '7', because it's also not the type of game that you'll be playing for weeks on end. It will hold your attention for maybe a week before you move on. I highly recommend it.    … Expand
  3. Exzodium
    Nov 4, 2011
    6
    This is a fun game to pass the time, however I don't see anyone dropping more than ten bucks on this game; Steam sales are what keep a game like this alive. While each level is different and offers it's own challenges, soon you will meet the end of the game. The only replay value after that, is difficulty changes, which is a shame because a dungeon maker could have put a lot of life inThis is a fun game to pass the time, however I don't see anyone dropping more than ten bucks on this game; Steam sales are what keep a game like this alive. While each level is different and offers it's own challenges, soon you will meet the end of the game. The only replay value after that, is difficulty changes, which is a shame because a dungeon maker could have put a lot of life in this title. Until they include something like that, I suggest waiting to see this on sale.… Expand
  4. theFunkyMan
    Oct 21, 2011
    6
    There is Nothing special about this game. The gameplay become boring very soon, and there are no interesting feature. You can spend some minutes with this game, but after that amount of time the fate of teh game is uninstall.
  5. FakeLies
    Nov 28, 2011
    6
    I saw the sign on steam when the demo came out and i tested it...and i thought it was just awesome and fun,...so i bought the game and waited for it to release...and now after playing through this game i think that i want my money back...the whole fps/slash and TowerDefense thing looks great at first, but i got tired and bored of just shooting orks and playing the traps...sure, the trapsI saw the sign on steam when the demo came out and i tested it...and i thought it was just awesome and fun,...so i bought the game and waited for it to release...and now after playing through this game i think that i want my money back...the whole fps/slash and TowerDefense thing looks great at first, but i got tired and bored of just shooting orks and playing the traps...sure, the traps are funny and sometimes its just great to watch them work and send some orks fly through the room...but after the 11th lvl i was so bored of it that i really had to fight my way back at the computer so i could play this through...… Expand
  6. Optim
    Nov 30, 2011
    6
    A fun little game that will waste two, three hours at most of your time. It is incredibly addicting and the levels offer great challenges at times. The problem is that there is nothing after you beat the game. After you beat the final level you, you know, beat the entire game. It's a shame there is no multi-player (like co-op) aspect to it because that would've added some re-playability toA fun little game that will waste two, three hours at most of your time. It is incredibly addicting and the levels offer great challenges at times. The problem is that there is nothing after you beat the game. After you beat the final level you, you know, beat the entire game. It's a shame there is no multi-player (like co-op) aspect to it because that would've added some re-playability to it. I love this game, but it does have it's shortcomings.… Expand
  7. welldone
    Mar 13, 2012
    6
    Gets old fast, but if you're into repetitive gameplay then be my guest! (Check out the demo to form your own opinion)
  8. virgilivs
    Aug 1, 2012
    7
    My expectations were lower and lower, but sometimes with 1,80
  9. tapittuco
    Nov 5, 2013
    6
    All I can truly say about this game, is its mediocrity at its best.

    However I listened to several people rave over its simple mechanics and repetitive dungeon-based 3rd-person tower defense action...and my wallet payed for it. Is the game simple and fun (if you enjoy repetition), absolutely. No story really, or maybe I was too busy falling asleep, pacing is best described as the    All I can truly say about this game, is its mediocrity at its best.

    However I listened to several people rave over its simple mechanics and repetitive dungeon-based 3rd-person tower defense action...and my wallet payed for it.

    Is the game simple and fun (if you enjoy repetition), absolutely. No story really, or maybe I was too busy falling asleep, pacing is best described as the sound or phrase "Meh." which isn't necessarily a bad thing but I was never motivated to continue on killing these Orcs who I rather felt sorry for after a while. The sound/music was one good thing it had going for it and so was the UI, but other than that I'm thoroughly disappointed.

    So pick it up, but its not worth the full retail price. Hell from my understanding Orcs Must Die 2 is the equivalent of Borderlands 2 (that being an excellent sequel in every way, for example story, sound/music score, graphics, pacing, UI, expansion, presentation, accessibility, etc.), but I'm not taking that risk when I know i could have a better experience with a different game.    … Expand
  10. The-Crow
    Oct 3, 2012
    7
    Fun but repetitive, may be best played in short bursts. Once you have seen what each trap/attack does to each type of enemy it gets a little boring. The enemies themselves are not very varied either. Replayability is really lacking unless you really love beating your friends scores, in this respect the game is sorely missing Co-op mode something which has been addressed in the sequel. ButFun but repetitive, may be best played in short bursts. Once you have seen what each trap/attack does to each type of enemy it gets a little boring. The enemies themselves are not very varied either. Replayability is really lacking unless you really love beating your friends scores, in this respect the game is sorely missing Co-op mode something which has been addressed in the sequel. But for the Price of admission its a decent casual single player game to while away some time.… Expand
  11. Koo
    Aug 4, 2012
    7
    I enjoyed playing Orcs Must Die! It takes about 6 hours to complete the single player campaign at the Apprentice difficulty level - the only level available to you until you complete all the levels. Completing the Apprentice levels unlocks Mage, and from there, every level you pass unlocks a corresponding Warlock difficulty for that level. I like how the game is easy to pick up and funI enjoyed playing Orcs Must Die! It takes about 6 hours to complete the single player campaign at the Apprentice difficulty level - the only level available to you until you complete all the levels. Completing the Apprentice levels unlocks Mage, and from there, every level you pass unlocks a corresponding Warlock difficulty for that level. I like how the game is easy to pick up and fun to play. Some levels are very challenging as well. What I dislike is the low re-playability of the single player campaign, the lack of multiplayer, and the repetitive soundtrack (the same music is played for every level). For $10 on Steam this is a pretty good value, and many of the gameplay aspects I complain of here, have been fixed for Orcs Must Die! 2. You might want to go straight to the sequel, but this one is worth playing too. 7/10… Expand
  12. Heben2
    Nov 17, 2011
    7
    A new type of game, at least I have never tried a tps/rpg/td game before, with lots of possibility. It has some good humor and good different levels (both design and difficulty), but I find it lacks something. I am not sure whether it is the somewhat limited number of levels and traps or what, but it feels a bit shallow. I almost always end out using the same array of spells and traps andA new type of game, at least I have never tried a tps/rpg/td game before, with lots of possibility. It has some good humor and good different levels (both design and difficulty), but I find it lacks something. I am not sure whether it is the somewhat limited number of levels and traps or what, but it feels a bit shallow. I almost always end out using the same array of spells and traps and it gets kind of repetitive. Anyways, it's great when just passing time with something you don't have to commit to and you can play it through multiple times with higher difficulty settings, why I give it 7.… Expand
  13. Azill
    Jan 25, 2012
    7
    A pretty good game, but there are still critical bugs in the game that haven't been patched. There is no reason for that. If you are angled a certain way, your crosshair does not line up with your shots. This means that on certain parts of certain maps, you are screwed if you shoot from there, which would usually provide the best place to shoot. Other than that, it is a solid FPS TD hybrid.
  14. GolovA
    Jan 13, 2012
    7
    Becomes really repeatative very fast. Although in the beginning it is fun! Yes! But you'll get bored in 2 hours, especially if you are looking for a challenge.
  15. anonVas
    Nov 11, 2011
    7
    This game is generally fun, however I cannot play for more than an hour at time as it tends to get a tad repetitive. This game is not groundbreaking in any way, but it is extremely fun (and diabolical) to observe your carefully placed traps on some of the harder missions (they do get harder!) just DEMOLISH a horde of orcs. Some of the traps have actually made me burst out laughing,This game is generally fun, however I cannot play for more than an hour at time as it tends to get a tad repetitive. This game is not groundbreaking in any way, but it is extremely fun (and diabolical) to observe your carefully placed traps on some of the harder missions (they do get harder!) just DEMOLISH a horde of orcs. Some of the traps have actually made me burst out laughing, especially with commentary from the Orcs (try the spring trap + acid or lava, :P). The main protagonist can be a bit annoying sometimes however, and he often comes across as an arrogant douchebag, but then again sometimes his facial expressions and poses at the end of a mission have made me laugh. All in all this game is very fun and I definitely recommend it for the price tag, especially if you're looking for something to dip into every now and then. Perhaps one of the better Indie titles I've tried thus far!… Expand
  16. stefaan
    Nov 13, 2011
    7
    For the price you pay for it, It's good.
    But not if you want a game that's fun for a year. This is playing all levels and then throw pass it away to your friend.
    On the other side it's a very original unique game. So let me say: if you have too much money. Buy it now!
  17. lentejita
    Jan 22, 2012
    7
    Juego muy entretenido para pasar las horas muertas.. Quizas adolece una cierta falta de variedad a la hora de afrontar algunas misiones donde, a pesar de disponer de muchas trampas donde escoger y varias estrategias a nuestra disposicion (segun el diseno del escenario), al final no podremos elegir entre muchas opciones para afrontarlas con ciertas posibilidades exito. Ademas, muchas deJuego muy entretenido para pasar las horas muertas.. Quizas adolece una cierta falta de variedad a la hora de afrontar algunas misiones donde, a pesar de disponer de muchas trampas donde escoger y varias estrategias a nuestra disposicion (segun el diseno del escenario), al final no podremos elegir entre muchas opciones para afrontarlas con ciertas posibilidades exito. Ademas, muchas de esas trampas seran poco menos que inutiles. Pero en general el juego es bueno, y merece la pena ser jugado.… Expand
  18. Mogul
    Mar 3, 2012
    7
    If you want a nice little game to play for 10 minutes at a time, then Orcs Must Die! is great. In general, though, I felt that I was playing something solid but unspectacular. This game just doesn't have the depth, longevity, or high end "awesome" factor for it to compare well with the best games that I've played.
  19. Beeshu
    Dec 28, 2022
    7
    Great tower-defense game for completionists and achievement hunters who like to optimize their strategies and perfect all the levels. It's a somewhat repetitive game and some levels can get quite frustrating (specially at the higher difficulties), but it's still one of the best specimens of the genre.
  20. AbaddonMason
    Jun 19, 2023
    7
    Интересный тауэр дефенс на пару вечеров, наблюдать как крошаться орки приятно.
  21. aecsuter
    Apr 3, 2023
    7
    Orcs Must Die é um jogo divertido dentro da sua proposta de tower defense.

    Ele traz graficos e detalhamento dos modelos, armadilhas, magias bem ok. Nada que faça encher os olhos, mas que funciona e deixa o jogo agradável de jogar. O jogo possue uma variedade até grande de inimigos, dentro do mesmo tipo existe uma variação de modelo também o que da uma sensação de sempre inimigos novos    Orcs Must Die é um jogo divertido dentro da sua proposta de tower defense.

    Ele traz graficos e detalhamento dos modelos, armadilhas, magias bem ok. Nada que faça encher os olhos, mas que funciona e deixa o jogo agradável de jogar.
    O jogo possue uma variedade até grande de inimigos, dentro do mesmo tipo existe uma variação de modelo também o que da uma sensação de sempre inimigos novos chegando.

    Os dialogos em cada fase são engraçadinhos e um toque a mais na jogabilidade.

    A gameplay é razoavelmente simples mas funciona muito bem, colocar as armadilhas e utiizar o personagem principal e controlavel com suas armas e magias para impedir que o orcs passem pelos portais.
    São muitos niveis diferentes com propostas completamente diferentes, sendo que é necessario utilizar armadilhas diferentes em cada fase se quiser ter sucesso.
    O jogo na dificuldade Nightmare faz jus ao nome, pois passar as fases nessa dificuldade é muito dificil, mas vale muito a pena.
    A expansão tras algumas fases a mais que também são divertidas.

    A história é praticamente inexistente, tendo um conceito de pano de fundo para justificar tudo que acontece no jogo, mas nada que prejudique o todo.

    Por fim queria dizer que é um jogo muito divertido na medida certa, quando eu estava pra ocmeçar a enjoar ele acabou.
    Recomendo muito, especialmente dentro das promoções. Sei que ja é um jogo antigo mas que vale muito a pena ser jogado por quem gosta do genero.    … Expand
  22. Pmstz
    Jan 25, 2023
    7
    Very nice tower def !
    Play it with friends, it will be better !
    ++++++++++++++
  23. Heraldrick
    Apr 22, 2023
    7
    Orcs Must Die! 1 is the peak of the series for me. There is a wonderful "crunch" that comes from the traps slaying the orcs in larger and larger quantities. You feel the "crunch" with the power you hold as an individual agent and can burn/zap/pierce the skulls of orcs. You also feel that "crunch" with every gold coin/dollar earned for each Orc killed. This game can be tough as nails to getOrcs Must Die! 1 is the peak of the series for me. There is a wonderful "crunch" that comes from the traps slaying the orcs in larger and larger quantities. You feel the "crunch" with the power you hold as an individual agent and can burn/zap/pierce the skulls of orcs. You also feel that "crunch" with every gold coin/dollar earned for each Orc killed. This game can be tough as nails to get 5 skulls on but it feels rewarding while you make those attempts. It is also the most fun trap-wise in my opinion since there are so many more ways to effectively kill enemies than just damaging them that the following games didn't build on.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best PC Game of 2011
48
#48 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. JeuxActu
    May 4, 2012
    80
    Setting traps to kill thousands and thousands of Orcs has always been a dream for you. Then here is what you were looking for ! Renewing the Tower Defense gameplay, Orcs Must Die is full of good and fun ideas. Despite its lack of ambition regarding the absence of a multiplayer mode and a story not so interesting to follow, players will surely spend some good times thinking about the different and effcient ways they can use to kill Orcs with style!
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 20, 2012
    80
    Action packed tower defense game surprises with humor and irony. Variability of traps and action combined with strategy guarantee long term fun. [Dec 2011]
  3. Absolute Games
    Dec 16, 2011
    84
    A rare tower defense game is addictive enough to suck you into playing it for days on end. Orcs Must Die is one of them.
    Read full review
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