Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD

Classic tower defense gets a twist: mix factions, share heroes, and fight shoulder to shoulder in Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD.

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Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD — full review
If you’ve ever played a Kingdom Rush game, you probably know what you’re getting into: orcs, towers, exploding spells, and cheeky hero lines. But Alliance TD? That part had me curious. After finishing the full campaign (yes, even those nasty late-game maps), here’s what stuck with me — and what didn’t.

First things first: what’s new?
Kingdom Rush 5 brings a new twist to the formula — you don’t just pick one faction anymore. Instead, you're building armies from multiple kingdoms, combining units and spells in ways that actually shake up how you approach maps.

Want elven archers with dwarven artillery? Done. Pairing icy mages with desert warriors? Weirdly effective. This “Alliance” thing isn’t just a name; it really pushes you to rethink your usual strategies.


The core gameplay: still very much Kingdom Rush
Under all the shiny new features, it’s still the same core loop: enemies pour in, you set up towers, upgrade them, use special abilities at key moments, and scramble when everything goes wrong.

But somehow, that loop still works. It's satisfying. There's just enough chaos to make it feel alive — but not so much that you're rage-quitting. The pacing feels tighter this time, like the devs knew exactly when to throw in a curveball.

Alliance system: cool idea, clunky at first
Now, about this new system. I’ll be honest — the first few missions where I was mixing units felt... off. Like I was missing something. Synergies weren’t obvious right away, and I actually failed a few early maps just by making bad combos.

But once I got the hang of it? Oh man, it clicked. You start recognizing combos that melt certain enemy types or setups that can cover for your weak points. It feels rewarding when a wild combo actually works out — like ice golems holding the front while sniper elves pick off stragglers.

Still, the game could do a better job at introducing the strengths of each faction. Some tooltips would’ve saved me a few embarrassing retries.

Heroes and spells: more options, more madness
Alliance TD gives you more hero options than ever — not just in number, but in how they play. Some are pure tanks, others are mobility-focused, and a couple just drop insane AoE damage when timed right. You’ll definitely find a favorite.

I personally stuck with Ardyn the Shattered Blade (yes, dramatic name) — he has this teleport dash and crowd control combo that saved me more times than I’d like to admit.

Spells feel punchier too. There's one froststorm spell that becomes a lifesaver late game. You’ll need it. Trust me.

Difficulty: a slow climb into chaos
It starts off chill. But don’t let that fool you — by mid-campaign, the game really expects you to pay attention. Enemies come faster, stronger, and in weirder patterns. Some waves are straight-up puzzles.

There’s also the optional “Veteran” mode. I tried it. Once. It hurt. But hey, if you're the kind of player who enjoys suffering in a fun way, go for it.

Art, sound, and polish: still charming
One thing I’ve always loved about Kingdom Rush games is how alive they feel. The animations, the little voice lines, the way enemies flop when defeated — it’s all very... Kingdom Rush-y, in the best way.

Alliance TD keeps that vibe going strong. The visuals are crisp, the maps look diverse, and the UI is clean. Soundtrack’s solid too — nothing super memorable, but it fits the tone well.


Nitpicks? Yeah, a few.
Not everything's perfect. Some faction combos just aren’t worth using — you’ll probably find “meta” pairings pretty early and stick to them.

Also, there's a weird difficulty spike around mission 9 that felt a bit unfair, like it was tuned for players who already min-max. I had to grind a few stars to push through that wall.

And one last thing: the game could use better explanations for tower abilities. I had no idea one of my towers was dealing true damage until I looked it up.

Final thoughts (but not a score)
If you’re here expecting a numbered score or a glowing review — wrong blog. I don’t do that. What I can say is this:

I had a great time with Kingdom Rush 5: Alliance TD. It felt familiar enough to pull me in and fresh enough to keep me hooked. It made me laugh, curse, and rethink my tactics more than once.

If you’re into tower defense games and enjoy a bit of experimentation (and maybe a few glorious defeats), give this one a shot.

Let me know if you also fell in love with the ice mage + swamp trapper combo. That thing is ridiculous.

— Max