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. LT_Gruber
    Dec 11, 2022
    9
    So much fun!

    Orcs Must Die! is a fun game full of action, tension, a great soundtrack, and a good sense of humor. On its own it is just a tower defense game with twenty-four levels where you fight off waves of bloodthirsty orcs and ogres. What makes it unique for me at least, is the real time action in which you can place your traps at any time, upgrade your skills, fight off orcs hand    So much fun!

    Orcs Must Die! is a fun game full of action, tension, a great soundtrack, and a good sense of humor. On its own it is just a tower defense game with twenty-four levels where you fight off waves of bloodthirsty orcs and ogres. What makes it unique for me at least, is the real time action in which you can place your traps at any time, upgrade your skills, fight off orcs hand to hand and quickly navigating through the map all at once, unlike other tower defense games.

    Orcs Must Die! has a little story which is good enough for such a simple game and is filled with lots of jokes and dry humor. It does not take itself too seriously and I like that.

    Graphically this game is not that amazing, but it does not need to. Like I mentioned before, the soundtrack is great. It really helps when playing and does add that glorious feeling to the battles. It is one of the better soundtracks I heard in a while.

    The controls and mechanics for placing traps are smooth and work perfectly, this might be expected but there are lots of games where the controls ruin the game for you, luckily this is not the case here.

    As much fun as this game was, the only problem I had with it, was that it was too easy. Once you master a specific strategy (like placing tar pits, grinders, and barricades) you can practically beat any level without many problems using this same strategy.

    Overall, I would recommend Orcs Must Die! It is certainly worth a try.    … Expand
  2. Tokson83sky
    Jun 29, 2022
    9
    The gameplay is simple ad addictive, plot is maybe even too simple but its not a drawback, and visuals
    fit perfectly with the whole. Probaby the best Tower Defense game ever made.
  3. Dco326
    Jul 11, 2021
    8
    Moze da bude mnogo bolja, ali realno i ovo je pogotovo za to doba top igrica, ne bih je igrao opet, ume da bude previse repetativna ali sve u svemu je gotiva jakol. I bilo mi je fun dok sam je igrao
  4. Siralfon
    Nov 16, 2020
    8
    Gran videojuego , las mecánicas son muy interesantes y están muy bien llevadas , el gameplay es muy divertido , muy estrátegico puesto que debes controlar cuando hay mas de una puerta y debes conocerte el escenario para optimizar tu movimiento , con una gran variedad de trampas y de armas , aparte de que los escenarios están muy bien hechos puesto que se puede combinar con trampasGran videojuego , las mecánicas son muy interesantes y están muy bien llevadas , el gameplay es muy divertido , muy estrátegico puesto que debes controlar cuando hay mas de una puerta y debes conocerte el escenario para optimizar tu movimiento , con una gran variedad de trampas y de armas , aparte de que los escenarios están muy bien hechos puesto que se puede combinar con trampas específicas y aprovechar al máximo estas . Los enemigos son muy variados y cada uno puede ser countereado con trampas específicas . es rejugable pero de forma limitada , puedes jugar en modo mas dificil para conseguir mas cráneos que te permiten mejorar las armas pero nada mas . Me pareció un juego muy divertido pero no le pongo mas nota porque al fin y al cabo es un juego de hordas .… Expand
  5. firespawnie
    Feb 6, 2020
    10
    This game is a pure diamond!One of the best gameplays out there. Music is very good, optimization is very good. 10/10
  6. Genek13
    Nov 18, 2019
    8
    Tower defense kind of game with unique mechanics, story and funny dialogues.
    Worth to play !!
  7. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    8
    2/13/2012: I have played relatively few Tower Defense games, it being a genre that does not generally appeal to me. Orcs Must Die essentially said to me, "Okay, so you don't like sitting around watching towers kill things. How about if YOU get to kill things too?" And I was like "Okay OMD, I'm listening." And what fun I had. Orcs Must Die strikes an amazing blend of frantic third-person2/13/2012: I have played relatively few Tower Defense games, it being a genre that does not generally appeal to me. Orcs Must Die essentially said to me, "Okay, so you don't like sitting around watching towers kill things. How about if YOU get to kill things too?" And I was like "Okay OMD, I'm listening." And what fun I had. Orcs Must Die strikes an amazing blend of frantic third-person combat with the strategy of Tower Defense, creating a game that forces you to think and react with equal speed. It is challenging, occasionally frustrating but ultimately very rewarding, not every game leaves me feeling so satisfied when the credits finally roll. It's damn funny too, with its idiotic but endearingly determined protagonist and an Ork horde that's quite disenchanted with the whole marauding business and would rather not die horrible deaths in the service of their whiny sorceress.… Expand
  8. Matseb2611
    Sep 23, 2015
    10
    Some games you can tell are going to be good from the first 10 minutes of playing them. Orcs Must Die is one of those games. From the moment you start playing, its slick presentation becomes very apparent, ranging from a charming artstyle, to nice fast-paced music, and a comedic tone.

    But presentation is not the only thing where the game shines. As a tower defence game it has some    Some games you can tell are going to be good from the first 10 minutes of playing them. Orcs Must Die is one of those games. From the moment you start playing, its slick presentation becomes very apparent, ranging from a charming artstyle, to nice fast-paced music, and a comedic tone.

    But presentation is not the only thing where the game shines. As a tower defence game it has some pretty ingenious trap ideas, such as trapdoors that release scorching flames, spring pads that launch orcs into the air, as well as acid bombs and even knights and archers. The level designs are also very well made, at times providing very obvious spots for where traps are ideal. And in addition to traps, you also unlock weavers, which are sorceresses that provide you with passive skills for the duration of the level. Upgrading these skills makes either your abilities or your traps/guardians more effective at what they do.

    At the end of each level, you get a score (which is shown against scores of people on your friends list) and a rating out of 5 skulls. You can then use the skulls to upgrade some of your traps.

    Overall the game was loads of fun. I've had a blast. Perhaps the only minor criticism I have is that when starting a new level that has more than 1 enemy entrances, it's often impossible to tell where the enemy is going to come through first. But it's a very small nitpick. The game is fun. If you like tower defence genre, get it now.    … Expand
  9. Claytality
    May 29, 2015
    8
    Great 3rd person TD game. One thing I really enjoy is that you have a major effect on the outcome of the level. You can't just set traps and go afk. Great levels, enemies, traps, and spells. It was fun to try to get all the skulls on every level. (skulls are currency used to improve traps) Moderate length campaign, but you can replay it on hard difficulty, which is fun.

    My only    Great 3rd person TD game. One thing I really enjoy is that you have a major effect on the outcome of the level. You can't just set traps and go afk. Great levels, enemies, traps, and spells. It was fun to try to get all the skulls on every level. (skulls are currency used to improve traps) Moderate length campaign, but you can replay it on hard difficulty, which is fun.

    My only complaint is you can't lower the texture settings for the graphics, so it was hard for my computer to run.

    Great game, gave me 50 hours on normal + hard mode, replaying a few levels for fun.    … Expand
  10. ccam
    Aug 31, 2014
    8
    This game brings an 'original' and well designed concept. It is a bit short game but you really have fun in all levels, plus it makes you think as they are not so easy.
    Recommended.
  11. ted88pd
    Jan 23, 2014
    8
    A title that would re-play endlessly, there have been few games that have been able satisfy me so much even after having finished in nightmare mode. Appears to be a simple game, but in the more advanced levels if you don't have a good strategy you're bound to succumb to the innumerable waves of hordes of orcs
  12. DonCanardo
    Dec 24, 2013
    9
    I tried to play dungeon defender and sanctum but somehow I got really bored in the first hour of playing it. So OMD was a big surprise for me Fun game, with a perfect learning curve.It combined with perfection FPS & Tower defense. Clear and harmonious graphics, great music. It took me a good 35 hours to completely finished the game. Still after that there is a bit of replayability tryingI tried to play dungeon defender and sanctum but somehow I got really bored in the first hour of playing it. So OMD was a big surprise for me Fun game, with a perfect learning curve.It combined with perfection FPS & Tower defense. Clear and harmonious graphics, great music. It took me a good 35 hours to completely finished the game. Still after that there is a bit of replayability trying to beat your score. Apart from a very few overpowered trap/spell, the main flaw is that there is no level editor, which is a big shame.… Expand
  13. 1771174
    Aug 30, 2013
    8
    This game is an hilarious mixture of action and tower defence, it's very funny sending your enemies fly all across the place. Sadly there aren't a lot of synergies between traps, and some of them are quite situational, so you find yourself using the same traps most of the time, while there are levels that require a quite specific set up to be beaten. Beside that, it's a great game.
  14. Basem101
    Aug 20, 2013
    8
    here's a game that came out and was overlooked although it is really good and super addictive graphics are good nor bad but the game play is what shines in this game simply you'll love it and be addictive with it
  15. gerszom
    May 23, 2013
    8
    Nice game but too short. I had a lot of fun but after I finished it, there was nothing more to do. Beside that, humor is quite nice and graphics are nice for the eye.
  16. drSpockwa
    Feb 17, 2013
    9
    It took me about 12 hours to get through the 18 map campaign, and I've spent at least another 12 going back and replaying the levels to try to get more achievements and better level scores. Each map probably takes 10 minutes to play. You run around setting up traps (kind of tower defense-like) to kill the orcs, kobolds and ogres as they try to make their way through the map from the gateIt took me about 12 hours to get through the 18 map campaign, and I've spent at least another 12 going back and replaying the levels to try to get more achievements and better level scores. Each map probably takes 10 minutes to play. You run around setting up traps (kind of tower defense-like) to kill the orcs, kobolds and ogres as they try to make their way through the map from the gate to your rift. You have weapons as spells for direct combat. It's fun to see if you can build the best configuration of traps to stop all the monsters. Single player only. Very stable, I only noticed one very minor bug with a monster getting stuck in lava and not dying, but I was able to work around it. The character you play is very humorous in the things he says and does, as are the orcs.… Expand
  17. cdr_virus
    Dec 23, 2012
    8
    The initial start is a simple complex of mechanisms, such as spikes on a floor, tar pits or a wall of arrows, all aimed at killing orcs. Yet as the game continues to elevate in laugh out humorous remarks, so does the difficulty. In most levels it was a breeze, a few did give me hiccups and made me think quite strategically on each placement of defense. In all, the game is quite short, itThe initial start is a simple complex of mechanisms, such as spikes on a floor, tar pits or a wall of arrows, all aimed at killing orcs. Yet as the game continues to elevate in laugh out humorous remarks, so does the difficulty. In most levels it was a breeze, a few did give me hiccups and made me think quite strategically on each placement of defense. In all, the game is quite short, it can easily be finished in 2 to 4 hours. The difficulty is fair and stubborn. A few glitches in the walking system, the animations are fair, but jaggy in some aspects. The voice over acting is excellent and made me laugh. For $5 this game is an absolute steal. 8.2 out of 11 is the final score..... review by CD0… Expand
  18. Ohams
    Dec 15, 2012
    10
    The most important thing in a game is to be FUN! And Orcs must die! really delivers in this respect. It's not particularly long nor complex but it is very well executed. The gameplay is basically tower defense with (major) action elements played from first person perspective. And it works great! The main character speaks and acts like a brat, and believe it or not, it goes perfectly wellThe most important thing in a game is to be FUN! And Orcs must die! really delivers in this respect. It's not particularly long nor complex but it is very well executed. The gameplay is basically tower defense with (major) action elements played from first person perspective. And it works great! The main character speaks and acts like a brat, and believe it or not, it goes perfectly well with the whole idea of merciless orcs carnage. This is one is a must.… Expand
  19. OGRichie
    Dec 5, 2012
    9
    What do you get when you combine A Tower Defense game, a FPS, and mix it up with some RPG elements, then set it all in Comical Med-evil era, This game. This is probably one of the best Casual games I have seen in a while. The Story line in this game is actually pretty funny, since you take on the role of the... Umm you should play the game don't want to ruin it.

    The graphics are    What do you get when you combine A Tower Defense game, a FPS, and mix it up with some RPG elements, then set it all in Comical Med-evil era, This game. This is probably one of the best Casual games I have seen in a while. The Story line in this game is actually pretty funny, since you take on the role of the... Umm you should play the game don't want to ruin it.

    The graphics are cartoon-ish Kind of like WoW, but really does work well in this game, the controls are extremely good.

    There are several levels of difficulty, so even the most skilled players can find a challenge here. The fact that you can upgrade your traps is very handy especially as you move through the levels and there are several DLC for this game as well expanding this game even more. This is a need to have solo game, while it may not take long to beat the game on easy mode it will drive you crazy in the nightmare mode of the game.

    Also i thought it was quite funny that periodically the hero spouts of random things, making a fun game even more interesting. A couple things that was disappointment was there is no multi-player or vs mode, or even a map creation option though I do Know in the sequel they do have multi player, it would been nice to see it in this one as well.    … Expand
  20. No1livesforever
    Nov 30, 2012
    8
    A fun tower defense mixed with FPS. It is a cakewalk on the normal difficulty, which will then unlock the nightmare difficulty. Action then get much interestedly fun and intense. The game has great music and occasionally funny catch phrases.
  21. birdman3
    Nov 13, 2012
    9
    This game makes me laugh and smile- the Apprentice is a fantastic goofball faced with overwhelming odds, but he still manages to throw down some nice catch phrases. The gameplay is fantastic- it has all the benefits of a tower defense game (except that there is only one upgrade for tower, and the upgrade isn't necessarily a damage boost). However, the game mixes in the third-person actionThis game makes me laugh and smile- the Apprentice is a fantastic goofball faced with overwhelming odds, but he still manages to throw down some nice catch phrases. The gameplay is fantastic- it has all the benefits of a tower defense game (except that there is only one upgrade for tower, and the upgrade isn't necessarily a damage boost). However, the game mixes in the third-person action (my favorite part because now you don't just sit back and watch your traps destroy everything) and some RPG elements (the weavers are fantastic because they help you hone your strategy from the start, but yet they're a completely optional choice). The game presents a great challenge- while it is a short game, trying to get 5 skulls on each level will more than repay your investment in this game.… Expand
  22. JimCorbett
    Sep 3, 2012
    8
    It's pretty fun for a couple hours at a time. Levels have great variety and there are numerous different traps and items to use and they unlock as you progress through the levels so that helps keep the gameplay a bit fresh. The upgrade system is horrible though, and sometimes you can get massive FPS drops when a lot is happening on screen or when you get close to where the Orcs enter theIt's pretty fun for a couple hours at a time. Levels have great variety and there are numerous different traps and items to use and they unlock as you progress through the levels so that helps keep the gameplay a bit fresh. The upgrade system is horrible though, and sometimes you can get massive FPS drops when a lot is happening on screen or when you get close to where the Orcs enter the map. The devs also released DLC one month after release...not a fan of that at all. Decent game but shady developer decisions...… Expand
  23. chris999
    Aug 24, 2012
    10
    My first try at "Tower Defence" kind of games and I absolutely love this game - the graphics, the gameplay ... everything - it's been a while since I've had this much fun and obsessesd like this over a game. A must play !
  24. kane148
    Aug 20, 2012
    8
    Got this on sale on Steam for about $6 (with DLC), and for that price I can't say I'm disappointed. This is a very fun and funny game, one which is great for killing a few minutes or a few hours. As others have pointed out, its major flaw is that once you beat the story mode there's little else to do but try it on Nightmare mode or replay old levels with your newer toys. I would definitelyGot this on sale on Steam for about $6 (with DLC), and for that price I can't say I'm disappointed. This is a very fun and funny game, one which is great for killing a few minutes or a few hours. As others have pointed out, its major flaw is that once you beat the story mode there's little else to do but try it on Nightmare mode or replay old levels with your newer toys. I would definitely recommend this if you can find it for $10 or less. Hopefully the second installment will fix some of this game's shortcomings.… Expand
  25. caioMGA
    Jul 21, 2012
    8
    Orcs Must Die! is a natural evolution of flash's Tower defense games. The problem in tower defense style is that player assumes, in the most part of time, a role of spectator and anxiousness may occur. OMD brings us the feature that was missing, ACTION! Before the stage begin you have some weapons and traps to arrange trough the stage. New items are unlocked as you progress and your oldOrcs Must Die! is a natural evolution of flash's Tower defense games. The problem in tower defense style is that player assumes, in the most part of time, a role of spectator and anxiousness may occur. OMD brings us the feature that was missing, ACTION! Before the stage begin you have some weapons and traps to arrange trough the stage. New items are unlocked as you progress and your old arsenal can be upgraded. It is not an easy game, it ricquires some strategy skills, once the game is focused on defending. It is not about the action, it is about kill Orcs! In all aspects this game is awesome, BUT your aim is huge, and its drawing is blocking your vision all the time. It affects the gameplay and push you to improve your strategy to win.… Expand
  26. hit925
    Jul 19, 2012
    8
    Despite not being a very big fan of tower defence games, this game was very fun, mainly because it isn't really a tower defence game. The graphics are nice and not very demanding for your PC. It was also very cool that a new item was given to you after every level, giving you new ways to slay those orcs and laugh maniacally. I got this game on a Steam sale but at the full price, it may notDespite not being a very big fan of tower defence games, this game was very fun, mainly because it isn't really a tower defence game. The graphics are nice and not very demanding for your PC. It was also very cool that a new item was given to you after every level, giving you new ways to slay those orcs and laugh maniacally. I got this game on a Steam sale but at the full price, it may not be completely worth, as it may repetitive and some may not have the incentive to replay levels to improve their score. That sais, I found the gameplay to be satisfying and addictive. I would highly recommand this game.… Expand
  27. KillJoyKJ
    Jul 15, 2012
    9
    Great Game, High Replay Value! This game is an exciting 3D Tower Defense game, in which you control a 'Hero' which can attack Orcs directly. Between waves, this hero can also build towers (aka "traps") around the map. Strategic use and placement of these traps are crucial to success, but in rare occasions your hero may save the day with some good old hack-n-slash. This game keep the playerGreat Game, High Replay Value! This game is an exciting 3D Tower Defense game, in which you control a 'Hero' which can attack Orcs directly. Between waves, this hero can also build towers (aka "traps") around the map. Strategic use and placement of these traps are crucial to success, but in rare occasions your hero may save the day with some good old hack-n-slash. This game keep the player engaged with a skill-tree, point system, and additional unlockable traps. Last, did I mention the smooth gameplay and amazing graphics? This has become an instant modern classic.… Expand
  28. aoetje
    Jul 14, 2012
    10
    Absolute must have for any fan of tower defense/action/puzzle game :)

    This game is fun, combines something we know in a very interesting way giving us a unique gameplay, fun :)
  29. VitaminK
    Jul 13, 2012
    8
    A fun and unique game, cannot wait for orcs must die 2 which promises even more weapons and traps long with the new addition of a coop mode which I'm really looking forward to massacring large numbers of orcs with a friend!
  30. Dakoda
    Jun 12, 2012
    9
    This is a great game! It's like Gears of War 3 horde, but in my opinion alot more entertaining. You set up traps, use spells and can even level up your traps. Very fun game this is a must buy.
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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!
    Read full review
  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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