Defend the Rook

Turn-based roguelite tactics with heroes, towers, and castle defense

One Up Plus · Published by Goblinz Publishing, Maple Whispering Limited · Released Oct 26, 2021

Reviews: Mostly Positive; 75% of 196
Recent reviews: Not enough recent
Players: 1; daily peak, Oct 28, 2026
Steam Deck: Verified
Last update on Steam: 3 years ago; Jan 25, 2023
Minimum PC: HD 5450; 2.4 GB disk; Full requirements

What is Defend the Rook?

You defend a kingdom from invasion in a turn-based tactical roguelite played on a board. Across procedurally generated battles, you position heroes, cast spells, and build and upgrade towers, using traps and barricades to channel enemy waves.

For you if...

+you prefer time to plan rather than real-time pressure
+you like building up permanent upgrades across repeated runs

Not for you if...

−you want a story-driven campaign with substantial narrative depth
−you prefer fixed encounters over procedurally generated battles

What players say

75% of 196 reviews are positive

Players praise the interplay between controllable heroes and defensive towers. Recurring complaints focus on limited variety, repetitive later runs, and uneven balance.

Screenshots and trailer

Defend the Rook system requirements

Minimum: HD 5450, 2.4 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run Defend the Rook?

Tell us your graphics card once and every game page will answer this for you.

Set up my PC →

Minimum

OS: Windows 7/8/10
Processor: Intel Pentium Dual CPU E2180 2.00GHz
Graphics: GeForce 600M / ATI Radeon HD 5450 (1GB)
Storage: 2500 MB available space

Does Defend the Rook have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Single-player

Does Defend the Rook run on Steam Deck?

Verified Yes, Verified by Valve: it works on Steam Deck out of the box.

All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
Shows Steam Deck controller icons
In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM: None declared on Steam
Controller: Full controller support
Platforms: Windows
Achievements: 18
Steam features: Cloud saves, Family Sharing
Languages: Full audio: English. Text only: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian.

Does Defend the Rook use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 27, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam