Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big City
Game
Game2023
Otherwar
Developer kantal collective
Otherwar is a surprising mash-up of Tower Defense and Bullet Hell games. Build and manage fortifications to defend the Gate of Heaven against the Hordes of Hell, while soaring over the battlefields as the defender Angel, and meet the monsters in direct combat! From the Steam store page
81 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Aug 1, 2026 · last updated Oct 8, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
61
Fresh
46 positive · 30 negative
95% range 49–71%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 46 | 30 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
5 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Mixed
85 of 123 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 81 · most liked first[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/31028489-Maddmike/]Steam Curator Otherwar isn't a bad game on its surface; I just don't think that it achieves the 'Bullet Hell meets Tower Defense' aspirations it sets out for itself. Your player controlled Avatar does power up slightly and slowly over the course of the game, but never enough to make you wish he just wasn't there altogether. Games are going to be won almost entirely on your tower defense setups, with the 'bullet hell' really just…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good idea broken on the altar of game balance. At first, the game is challenging; You need to optimize your characters damage and tower damage. But by about level three you start breaking the game by opening with dual money-tower and killing the first wave or so using the character upgrades. By level 5 or 6 the game's boring and there's no challenge. If balance can be addressed, I'll change my recommendation.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have enjoyed the game and the interesting combo of tower defence and bullet hell. I feel like there might need to be some balancing because as some other reviewers have also mentioned, the game starts out very tough but if you grind out the XP to unlock the meta progression then it can become trivially easy even on the Hard difficulty setting. My suggestion would be to lower the power of the avatar so it cannot just spawn camp and finish the levels without ever needing a single tower.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →cool idea. taking two opposite genres, smashes them together problem is its failing at both TD game where you set up towers using strategy and afk well watching BH games where your nonstop dodging bullets this game has large amounts of nothing where its just you endlessly auto attacking the waves never dodging 2/10 for tower defense no real strategy 2/10 for bullet hell - almost no upgrades - its on the slowwww side.... + 6$ how i think you could fix this game remove your ability to attack your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Two of three endless levels can only be beat by stacking attack speed upgrades, which are RNG. Absolutely no semblance of balance.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've finally beat first map on my 4th try, but it makes me want to try a second one :) Challenging yet fun, plus pixel art is really well done. Thumbs up.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not balanced properly
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There's too much meta progression to make this fun - difficulty is entirely dependent on how many upgrades you've unlocked more than tower strategy.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm generally not into tower defense genre. Or, at least, so I thought. As it turns out, I just had to find the right game. Otherwar is as tough as you'd imagine defending the gates of heaven to be, but it's highly addictive and very well-made. The screenshots perfectly capture how good the pixel art in this game is, but the special atmosphere it creates with the sound effects, ambient music and dozens of projectiles flying around on the screen is hard to describe with words. You just have to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Neat roguelike-tower defense, in the likes of Loop Hero meets Vampire Survivors. The economy of the game is a bit skewed towards a grind from run to run; otherwise, enjoyable gameplay within each run.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →⣿⣿⡻⠿⣳⠸⢿⡇⢇⣿⡧⢹⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⡐⣯⠁ ⠄⠄ ⠟⣛⣽⡳⠼⠄⠈⣷⡾⣥⣱⠃⠣⣿⣿⣿⣯⣭⠽⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⢢⠏⠄ ⠄ ⢠⡿⠶⣮⣝⣿⠄⠄⠈⡥⢭⣥⠅⢌⣽⣿⣻⢶⣭⡿⠿⠜⢿⣿⣿⡿⠁⠄⠄ ⠄⣼⣧⠤⢌⣭⡇⠄⠄⠄⠭⠭⠭⠯⠴⣚⣉⣛⡢⠭⠵⢶⣾⣦⡍⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⣿⣷⣯⣭⡷⠄⠄⢀⣀⠩⠍⢉⣛⣛⠫⢏⣈⣭⣥⣶⣶⣦⣭⣛⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⢀⣿⣿⣿⡿⠃⢀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣎⢩⠌⣡⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣆⠄⠄⠄ ⢸⡿⢟⣽⠎⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⠄⠄ ⣰⠯⣾⢅⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠄ ⢰⣄⡉⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠄ ⢯⣌⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⢸⣇⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⢸⣟⣧⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⠈⢹⡧⣿⣸⠿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠗⣈⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄ ⠄⠘⢷⡳⣾⣷⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿⢀⣶⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠇⠄ ⠄⠄⠈⣵⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠇⠄⠄
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The main reason I'm not recommending is that this game does not have a toggle for firing. So the entire time you're playing you're pointlessly forced to hold down the left mouse button. Which to be fair is fairly common. But it hurts my wrist and hand so I really don't want to play a game that hurts. Especially when the rest of it isn't really clicking. The difficulty is definitely not something that ramps well. For a first level (which is all I played though I had to do it several times) the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Otherwar is a really mediocre twin stick shooter/tower defense hybrid with a fantasy theme. Really, I think a twin stick shooter/TD hybrid could work well if implemented well, but this wasn't. The chief problem is the developer phoned in the graphics instead of doing their job properly. If you want a clear idea about how to make a shooter/TD hybrid you can look at games like Sanctum and Orcs Must Die... notice how they hired people who can actually do graphics properly, and thus their games…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really want to like this game, but the poor balance and long times you sit wasting for trash mobs to die that present no challenge really make this more of a chore than a game. A great concept that needs balance.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Check out our [url=store.steampowered.com/curator/36364102-Horny-Hentai-Festival/]Steam curator , [url=www.youtube.com/curatorhhf/]YouTube channel and [url=twitter.com/hhfcurator]Twitter! A tower defense game with shoot'em up element. Build the fortifications and defend/slain the enemy hordes. A bit challenging. TDゲームにシューティング要素を追加したゲーム。似たようなゲームとしては『Witch Explorer』が挙げられる。少し難しめではあるが、価格を考えると十分遊べる内容だと感じた。 Mini-video >> https://twitter.com/hhfcurator/status/1642909736529190915
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Otherwar was featured on my youtube channel https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2940067483 and now onto the short review TL;DR Review //intro// Welcome back comrades, this is MF Kraven & you are watching less than 10 mins reviews. The Youtube series where I take a look at games i think seem cool & give my thoughts on them in less than 10 mins. Today I take a look at OTHERWAR. A Tower Defense, Bullet Hell hybrid where you take control of an Angel defending the gates…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Otherwar Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5) Otherwar delivers a fresh take on bullet-hell and tower defense, combining the two genres in a way that feels innovative and intense. After spending time with it, I can say it’s a solid game with a few areas for improvement. Here’s why I think Otherwar is worth a try: Gameplay - Addictive and Challenging Mix The unique blend of bullet-hell action with strategic tower defense is highly engaging. You’ll be juggling precise movements to avoid projectiles…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm pretty bad at this kind of games as I don't have any patience but if you like tower defense with offensive action included this is a game you can sink some hours into. Take a look: https://youtu.be/_jJBxUkpoa4
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →yeah not well balanced you get overwhelmed fast .Not fun. so its a no from me. Progression seems very slow.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Score: 2/5 The Good 1. Moderately strong visual style/direction. Most things are easily distinguishable, although some creatures visually have weapons (guns?) they don't use. 2. Music is good and fits the darker style/theme of the game. Audio/SFXs are good, although the one for hitting an enemy with a projectile gets grating within an hour due to it occurring constantly. The Bad 1. Heavy imbalance, bad player character scaling, and very high difficulty at the beginning of a save file. Missing…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is too slow and boring. You'd think adding in a bullet hell element would shake things up but it just makes it worse. The first couple of maps can be rough but as soon as you start putting points into damage the tower defense element becomes unimportant. Its also hard to tell how many enemies you have left. Where most tower defense games will have a wave counter every map has ten rounds but you don't know how many waves of enemies are in each round. So for 90% of the time you just end…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So, the sprites and theme are pretty interesting, but I'm having trouble beating the very first level on easy mode, and also it's kind of putting me to sleep. So I think I'm going back to Bloons for now.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wanted to like it, but as others noted, just very slow and unfun overall; it seems like it'd be interesting, and the art is pretty nice, but the overall actual gameplay just isn't worth the squeeze.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Otherwar is a creative and exciting indie game that perfectly blends tower defense with bullet-hell action; the pixel art visuals and dark fantasy atmosphere are stunning, making each level a visual treat. 🎯🌌 The gameplay is tactical and engaging — every decision matters, and you can’t just click your way through. 🧠 Thanks to its low system requirements, it runs smoothly even on older PCs. 💻 Overall, Otherwar is a fresh, clever, and fun experience that I highly recommend to all indie fans!…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Quick skeet for the #FREE GAME alert! Giving away a Steam key for Otherwar ($5.99 value). Full game! Contest is running on the bird site (X). Follow/RT/Tag to enter. Hope the Sky-fam snags this one. Ends 10/17! 👉 deals.sakeinsgaming.com/x34c #Otherwar #SkeetDeals #SteamGiveaway #RPG
unlabelledView post →Otherwar, developed by Kantal Collective and published by Untold Tales and Hyperstrange, stands out as a creative fusion of tower defense and bullet hell genres, wrapped in a mythological theme that draws players into a celestial battle between forces of Heaven and Hell. The premise centers around defending the Gate of Heaven from an endless onslaught of demonic invaders, blending strategic planning with fast-paced action in a way that demands both quick reflexes and careful foresight. From the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A reminder that my vacation is over and I'm back tonight playing Otherwar! It's Tower defense! It's Bullet hell! It's vaguely religious! It's gonna be a good time. Big thanks to @pressengine.net for the opportunity (and the key)!
unlabelledView post →Edit with Additional info: As the dev replied to tell me I'm doing it wrong by not summoning new waves fast enough, I went back and redid the level without summoning faster at all to get a baseline. 16:49 time with no faster summoning, and of the 9 waves you can summon faster, each one can be summoned up to 30 seconds faster at most, for a total of 4:30 taken off your timer. Bringing the clear time of the level to 12:19 (potentially a few seconds faster if you wipe out all enemies quicker).…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solid and fun game with a buttload of replay value! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3xptsJAi2A I love this unique blend of Tower Defense and Bull Hell game. Well made an challenging game My First Impressions Score: 8 out of 10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Seems like bullet hell + tower defense is not a fun combination. The fact that the towers are just static and you have to deal with the bullets just doesn't feel right. It would have been a much better game if it was a tower defense game (or even a bullet hell without towers.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am a fan of both bullet hell games and tower defence games so i was interested in this, unfortunately i do not posses the motor skills needed to do both lol, but if you do your love this game. I am slowly getting used to it though, it is a fun game and am slowly getting stronger thorough the upgrade system, i like it more now im used to it. here is my first impressions of the game https://youtu.be/rodqmIsUjeQ
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I did a nice short review on this here: https://youtu.be/w9OBBZA8l-s The short version is this. I was unsure at first because I was trying to play it as a Tower Defense OR a Bullet Hell. This game demands you engage with both styles at all times. I think that's a good thing, so I recommend checking it out.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Tough, but I like it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Otherwar is a tower defense game where you place towers to help defend your base and kill enemies on their trajectory path. You can also upgrade and sell these towers if your current pattern isn't working. The drops for hearts and money does seem quite low even if you opt to power them up. So dying can be quite easy especially once the bullet hell element starts kicking in. I am hoping they will alter the current progression level as even on easy I was struggling to complete the first level to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm really split on this one, the price point is really good but there is a lot of missed potential, but still engaging enough to keep me playing. Check the full review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDQQQdfX-kI
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game is very interesting. I enjoyed myself. The initial level was a challenge right away, so when I beat it for the third time, I was very satisfied. After that, there are a lot of interesting gameplay improvements to unlock. Pros: Gameplay idea - a very unique combination of arcade, tower defense and roguelike. Very nice graphics. Good quality of music and sounds. Minuses: The game is quite difficult. But if you like more difficult games it will be perfect. Controlling the angel is quite…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Really enjoying it so far. A bit more unique take on the tower defense genre which is always appreciated. Tough on the higher difficulty.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like this one! It's fairly simple, but with enough depth to make your decisions matter. It feels good to be able to fly around and apply pressure where it's needed with your angel, and dodging projectiles keeps you on your toes rather than just waiting anxiously, hoping your towers are enough to do the job. If you're looking for a TD where you can sit back and watch, this ain't what you're looking for, but if you like to add some agency and skill to your strategy, this will definitely scratch…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Summery 3/10 First levels are strugglesome... And after a few games, its just to easy. Start game, play 2-3 levels, unlock some towers, don't make a huge difference. You get the character upgrades, and after a few games, the game just became to simple, u beat all levels max difficulty, flawlessly, just "spawncamping" the enemy, without even using towers... Upgrading towers do not "Increase Range" thats odd, compared to other Tower Defense games. Game is also missing "something" monsters…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ah yes, Tower defense and bullet hell. Two genres I'm trash at. But hey, just because it aint my jam doesn't mean it can't be your jelly. It certainly feels like it has early game design flaws, but I'm going to put that on my lack of strategic know-how more than anything else. Still, it has pleasant pixel art and eery, ambient overtures. I like dat...
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very fluid and responsive tower defense game when playing tutorial. Hopefully we get more content in the future with more maps, more enemy varieties and other playable angel characters.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Small, but very nice tower defense with a twist, if you're looking for something fun and engaging for a lazy afternoon, this is it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →only finished the first stage and i can already tell its a great game well done dev
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great combination! It itches a scratch I didn't even know I had. All the fun of a Tower Defense game, with an extra perk of having something to do in the meantime... avoiding bullet hell!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →butiul tower defence survival game <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →pretty fun 5 hours lol
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think that this is a good game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game rules! Can't go wrong for this price Looks good, plays well, has depth, is challenging and decently balanced! The amazing horror-music is worth the price alone!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game has a nice atmosphere and is challenging. Interesting variation of the TD genre.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Is good game! Bullet hell more fun than tower defense.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →You never get the "i thought through this build well, look at how thoughtful tower placement wins" You frantically run around shooting, feels like a bullet hell with ineffective buildings you can slap down. Balance is way off
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Simple but entertaining Tower Defense game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Interesting combo of tower defence and bullet hell
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is not my type of game... o man... if you like demanding game from the very first level and "challenge" is your not second but first name - that's your game to play. music is very good mood setting, tense, feels important not because music in game is important but "teels" player is doing important stuff do not get deceived by simple graphics, this is one of those games where it really is not that important I like design a lot, I call it "hard pixel art" where everything is well presented…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →https://youtu.be/hdQtjT4VBkY Enough tower defense and bullet hell elements provide a good balance that works well together. Some balance aspects may impact long term progression.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Otherwar is a breath of fresh air in the crowded tower defense genre, blending a challenging difficulty curve with a strikingly heavy demonic atmosphere. From the moment you dive into this pixelated hellscape, it’s clear that this game isn’t just about placing towers—it’s about survival, strategy, and a fight against the odds. One of the standout aspects of Otherwar is its unapologetic difficulty. In an era where many games hold your hand, this indie title throws you into the deep end. It's…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →#NintendoSwitch Review Video: #Otherwar - A pretty decent mix of tower defense and active action, but lacks finesse, and there are stronger titles out there in the space #IndieGames https://youtu.be/7W6Qe-7JmtA
unlabelledView post →#NintendoSwitch Video: #Otherwar - A budget-friendly mix of tower defense and action #IndieGames https://youtu.be/ZAIkFSMvu2M
unlabelledView post →Retro style, tower defense game with bullet hell elements delivers that 'arcade' feeling, and makes an interesting mix. I'm not a TD fan myself but spent some time playing with diferent options and had fun. At the price of a good coffee, you can grab interesting game for casual fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If roguelike bullet hell meets tower defense, Otherwar emerges. While you are making a tower defense in Otherwar, you are also strengthening your hero, just like in a roguelike bullet hell style game. The game may seem a little challenging at first. I couldn't get past the first round the first time I played. But this challenge of the game also encourages you to play the game again and again. The difficulty level of the game may be lowered a little, but I recommend this game. Those who are…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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