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. genoforprez
    Nov 23, 2011
    10
    A lot of people have tried action/towerdefense or shooter/towerdefense hybrids, but the results are often a little on the shoddy end. I am so often disappointed by these hybrids, since they tend to do one of those two elements well and render the other element useless or boring. Orcs Must Die not only breaks away from that trend, it pretty much puts all past attempts at this kind of hybridA lot of people have tried action/towerdefense or shooter/towerdefense hybrids, but the results are often a little on the shoddy end. I am so often disappointed by these hybrids, since they tend to do one of those two elements well and render the other element useless or boring. Orcs Must Die not only breaks away from that trend, it pretty much puts all past attempts at this kind of hybrid to shame. The controls/gameplay/UI are all simple and intuitive. The tower defense elements are fun for all the reasons tower defense games are fun. The action elements are both fun and extremely useful. Orcs Must Die successfully makes you enjoy using both of these aspects of the gameplay and balancing the level design and difficulty so that it would be difficult to win without making use of both. I could not recommend OMD more. FINALLY, someone has done this hybrid well! Huge props to the devs!… Expand
  2. 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
  3. Kluge
    Oct 16, 2011
    8
    Orcs Must Die! is a fun diversion. They've combined FPS with tower-defense. The traps are fun to place and watch, and being in on the action takes away a lot of the tedium that eventually sets in with most TD games. There are quite a few mechanics at work, but I really wish they would have created alternative currencies or role-playing persistent upgrades (beyond the skull system where youOrcs Must Die! is a fun diversion. They've combined FPS with tower-defense. The traps are fun to place and watch, and being in on the action takes away a lot of the tedium that eventually sets in with most TD games. There are quite a few mechanics at work, but I really wish they would have created alternative currencies or role-playing persistent upgrades (beyond the skull system where you can get just one upgrade per trap). The coin currency is essentially the only currency you use throughout the game, and thus everything depends on it. This tends to make the first couple waves quite difficult to not let an enemy get through, and later waves too easy. In normal difficulty, the game doesn't feel particularly challenging, but once you unlock the nitemare mode (for which you unfortunately must complete every level on the normal difficulty), getting beyond the second level's pretty tough. The nitemare difficulty would have been a welcomed addition to the game, but it unfortunately is the same levels, dialogue, and cutscenes with much more difficult monsters. With many low-budget games, a good chunk of time has gone in to making the game look great without much processing power required, and Orcs Must Die! is a particularly good example of how good aesthetics will beat good graphics any day.

    Modding tools really would have turned this good, fun game into a massive and fantastic time sink. Unfortunately, you're stuck with DLC from the devs, and that's it. It seems a bit odd they'd do that, too, considering the TD genre became popular only by Blizz having their RTS games effectively be a platform, with very powerful modding & map-making tools allowing Starcraft/Warcraft to be a simulator, RPG, RTS, FPS, MMO, and just about anything else you can think of. It's certainly a game which could have been much better (and that's absolutely not to say it's at all a bad or unenjoyable game) with more dev time focused on giving consumers more choices. I suspect there'll be a sequel, and hopefully they'll add it in then. I look forward to it.    … Expand
  4. KazMx
    Oct 21, 2011
    9
    The Defense game along with action-adventure is a formula that i would never imagine it would work this good. A thing to have in mind is that sometimes the camera doesn't do the best thing when moving arround. I hope for Co-op which is the main flaw of this game
  5. 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
  6. LordAlamar
    Oct 21, 2011
    10
    Here's a little game that came out of nowhere and proved to be immensely fun. It has nice graphics, awesome music, a lot of humor and a lot of soul. Excellent game, worth every cent :)
  7. Crusx
    Oct 16, 2011
    8
    Orcs Must Die! is an surprisingly fun and satisfying tower defense/action hybrid based around slaughtering hoards of Orcs in some very creative ways. Open pools of acid? Launch them in with a Spring Trap. Low hanging ceiling? Smash them to bits with a Pounder. Balconies on either side of a great hall? Place Archers to watch your back as you head straight into the fray. The possibilitiesOrcs Must Die! is an surprisingly fun and satisfying tower defense/action hybrid based around slaughtering hoards of Orcs in some very creative ways. Open pools of acid? Launch them in with a Spring Trap. Low hanging ceiling? Smash them to bits with a Pounder. Balconies on either side of a great hall? Place Archers to watch your back as you head straight into the fray. The possibilities may not be endless, but there sure are an awful LOT of them to work with.

    On the downside of things, I feel that the depressing lack of multiplayer and co-op in Orcs Must Die! was a missed opportunity on behalf of Robot Entertainment to make this already great game even better. The Apprentice has a variety of magical items in his arsenal to choose from, but sadly only the Bladestaff as an option for melee combat (the crossbow is non-negotiable as a ranged weapon).

    All in all, Orcs Must Die! is a great game worth every penny and more. For anyone that might be interested, there is a demo of the game currently available on Steam.    … Expand
  8. Rewe
    Nov 18, 2011
    10
    More and more shooter-td hybrids are popping up, though I can't say I really mind that. Orcs Must Die! perfectly blends the two genres in a way that requires you to take advantage of both the traps AND your weapons. You can't just shoot the orcs, nor can you can't just sit back and let your traps do the work. The difficulty curve is perfect, it never gets too hard or too easy. The gameMore and more shooter-td hybrids are popping up, though I can't say I really mind that. Orcs Must Die! perfectly blends the two genres in a way that requires you to take advantage of both the traps AND your weapons. You can't just shoot the orcs, nor can you can't just sit back and let your traps do the work. The difficulty curve is perfect, it never gets too hard or too easy. The game also has a lot of replay value, in the sense that you can go back to earlier levels with your new-found arsenal of traps and try and beat them in different ways. Basically every single little thing about this game is perfect. The only issue with this game is that there is no mid-level save, but most levels only last 10 minutes or so, so you won't lose much if you absolutely have to quit. All in all, Orcs Must Die! is a gem I highly recommend you buy. Oh, and both the DLCs are worth it too.… Expand
  9. dan2600
    Oct 21, 2011
    8
    Great, Fun game. A bit on the easy side, but still fun. Would have liked for it to have been a little bit more varied in level design, and I don't understand why you need to be limited to 10 traps at a time. Also the scoring system is unexplained, making replayablity a bit questionable as you don't have an idea on how to improve your score. Overall though, a real value for 14.99, highlyGreat, Fun game. A bit on the easy side, but still fun. Would have liked for it to have been a little bit more varied in level design, and I don't understand why you need to be limited to 10 traps at a time. Also the scoring system is unexplained, making replayablity a bit questionable as you don't have an idea on how to improve your score. Overall though, a real value for 14.99, highly recommended.… Expand
  10. badrain
    Oct 24, 2011
    8
    Orcs must die? Sure they must! ... and they'll die in many ways ;) That's your job to find the most effective way to send them to the orcish afterlife! VERY fun game, colorful, funny, entertaining... But most of all - Orcs Must Die offers polished gameplay combining TPP and elements of tower-defence game. Sounds crazy and sure it is... But this game is like a chocolate cake - it's goodOrcs must die? Sure they must! ... and they'll die in many ways ;) That's your job to find the most effective way to send them to the orcish afterlife! VERY fun game, colorful, funny, entertaining... But most of all - Orcs Must Die offers polished gameplay combining TPP and elements of tower-defence game. Sounds crazy and sure it is... But this game is like a chocolate cake - it's good if we taste it in 'not-so-big' portions. Gameplay can be boring, if we play too long in one sitting. Maybe co-op or multiplayer would change it? ... Ok, but why so serious? Game is fun, lots of orcs to kill, lots of traps, achievements, upgrades. 10 euros is a steal so you should probably buy it!… Expand
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. xX_Renegade_Xx
    Oct 17, 2011
    9
    What a great game!

    It's fun to play, controls are responsive and the graphics are good. I was quite surprised considering it's an indie title and a very good one too. Good variety of levels to play and a nice choice of traps/spells to use against those pesky orcs. I don't usually play these type of games but I've been watching this game since around April so decided to pre-order    What a great game!

    It's fun to play, controls are responsive and the graphics are good. I was quite surprised considering it's an indie title and a very good one too. Good variety of levels to play and a nice choice of traps/spells to use against those pesky orcs.

    I don't usually play these type of games but I've been watching this game since around April so decided to pre-order and hope it didn't disappoint me, thankfully it didn't.

    A great game for your game collection :D    … Expand
  18. vXxo0oxXv
    Oct 15, 2011
    8
    Incredible! Original, fun, well presented, great gameplay. This is a professional grade title at an indie price, from a small development team. I really didn't expect much, but this game has completely blown me away. Highly recommend
  19. grazr
    Jan 5, 2013
    3
    The narrative is funny, modern and liberal which is refreshing. Unfortunately the gameplay does not support the good writing. Much of the game is spent levelling in order to unlock additional traps to make more fool proof kill systems, but surprisingly re-playability is ZERO. I anticipated being able to go back and improve upon my old scores using higher tier/alternative traps, but this isThe narrative is funny, modern and liberal which is refreshing. Unfortunately the gameplay does not support the good writing. Much of the game is spent levelling in order to unlock additional traps to make more fool proof kill systems, but surprisingly re-playability is ZERO. I anticipated being able to go back and improve upon my old scores using higher tier/alternative traps, but this is impossible as the lower level dungeons do not support the higher tier traps.

    The foundations of a really great game are here, but the levels weren't built with any kind of hindsight to completion. This could have been redeemed by a level editor feature, even if the levels were tile based like the original Timesplitter's. With community support the game could have lived up to its hype, but it did not.

    The balance is also a little off, the magic items reward less for kills and are harder to tech and mana heavy making it more of a liability; and the unlocks you can purchase through steam are clear "pay to win" elements as they are more powerful/useful than the base items.

    I really wanted to like this game, the narrative was great and the traps and levels started off fun, but i had hoped to keep playing this game after completion, only to find you can't mix and utilise the new traps in old dungeons in any meaningful way. You can place them because there's enough room, but not in any areas where they'll actually kill anything.    … Expand
  20. 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.
  21. bosnian
    Apr 6, 2012
    3
    Its a fun diversion for ~2 hours before it got repetitive and boring. It is really sad because the tower defense in 3D sounds like it could be an endless stream of creative levels and weaponry and this just feels so limited and repetitive.
  22. Nautilus
    Dec 4, 2011
    10
    This game is so full of WIN. I spent countless of times enjoying it! Really great work Robot Entertainment. Traps are ingenious. Maps are fun and full of variety.
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. Billick
    Dec 15, 2011
    8
    Orcs Must Die! is a fun action/tower defense hybrid game. Playing as a wisecracking war mage, you use a combination of traps, weapons, and spells to beat back a horde of orcs, ogres and other bad guys. The game play is fun, and it's really satisfying to watch the enemies get ripped apart by your traps. Most of the replay-ability comes from playing the game on a harder difficulty orOrcs Must Die! is a fun action/tower defense hybrid game. Playing as a wisecracking war mage, you use a combination of traps, weapons, and spells to beat back a horde of orcs, ogres and other bad guys. The game play is fun, and it's really satisfying to watch the enemies get ripped apart by your traps. Most of the replay-ability comes from playing the game on a harder difficulty or trying to get a higher score, so the levels and dialog can get a bit repetitive. Overall though, I think this game a good value for your gaming dollar.… Expand
  26. Galdaran
    Dec 14, 2011
    9
    A nice Tower defense game in which you can spend 6-15 hours i strongly recommend it has something fresh that make your have a really good time (maybe the gore? or the good translation)

    I played it in spanish i will gave it a 9.4 but because i can't i gave it a 9.
  27. Marlfox
    Dec 13, 2011
    9
    A pretty impressive game that doesn't disappoint you when you need to pass the time. There still is some work that can be done, but I can only see great potential for the future of this game.
  28. Kriv
    Dec 25, 2011
    10
    Addictive game play! Recommend to anyone that like plant vs zombies game type!! Nice set of weapons and artifacts. Have a lot selection of traps and a huge levels to use your creativity.
  29. 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)
  30. virgilivs
    Aug 1, 2012
    7
    My expectations were lower and lower, but sometimes with 1,80
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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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