Critical Play: Theme Only Games
Tower Defense games have captured many hours of my attention throughout the past two decades. Two of my all-time favorites are Plants vs. Zombies (PvZ) and Bloons Tower Defense (BTD). I notice now that both of these games have very distinct themes which add to their novelty, despite both being renditions of a very popular genre.
Bloons Tower Defense has a relatively straightforward name. Balloons are the enemy and it is your job, as an army of militant monkeys, to not let the balloons get through to the other side of the path.
Plants versus Zombies has a bit more of an intuitive theme. Zombies are inherently evil and you must defend yourselves from this. The kick here is that your defense is your lineup of ferocious plants.
You may notice how both of these themes are quite playful! I find that these playful themes opens new doors for intrigue, creates a more laid back environment without diminishing the intensity of the game, and expands the intended audience.
Tower defense has the range to be violent, dark, or intense. Games also don’t have great track records, with many complaints from non-gaming communities that games are too violent. Thus, while PvZ and BTD are still high-level “attack and defense” based games, it’s difficult to extrapolate themes of violence from plants innocently shooting peas and monkeys popping balloons. This drastically opens up the player age range — it’s fun for younger and older players alike.
I do find it quite difficult to become anxious or frustrated while playing either of these games, despite having played enough to be familiar with the process of failing a level. The intensity is never overwhelming — you kind of have no choice but to nonchalantly accept defeat as zombies stomp slowly towards your house. While some other games have me feeling anxious and jamming at the keyboard as I draw closer to death, I can confidently say that even being surpassed by rainbow balloons or quirky zombies is a positive experience.
Lastly, such well built but unique themes keeps players intrigued by the theme’s design and creativity. How often do you see personifications of walnuts or malicious blimps?
