There’s no shortage of Pokémon games, from the mainline videogames that arrive every generation to mobile spin-offs like Pokémon Unite and Pokémon Go. I’ve played plenty of them, but aside from my constant return to Go, most haven’t managed to keep me engaged for long. However, after spending some time with the free fan game PokéDefense, I may have found a new addition to my daily routine.
Like Bloons TD before it, PokéDefense has got its grubby little paws into me. Despite being a browser game, it works perfectly well on iPhone, letting you place different Pokémon around a variety of maps inspired by iconic locations. Each wave brings more enemy Pokémon onto the field, with tougher opponents appearing as you progress. You’ll need to spend your hard-earned cash (PokéCash, perhaps?) on evolving your Pokémon, adding more to the field, and teaching them new moves if you want to keep up.
What I love most is how the game accounts for Pokémon types. Pikachu, for instance, can’t damage Sandshrew with its Electric-type attacks, forcing you to think carefully about where you place your Pokémon and which opponents they can handle. Other mechanics add further layers of strategy, too. Gastly can spot Ghost-type Pokémon, making them visible to the rest of your team. It’s a relatively simple idea, but one that works remarkably well.
PokéDefense has a gloriously straightforward gameplay loop. Even as I worked through the story mode, I found it just complex enough to keep me engaged without making things frustrating. That’s what makes it such an addictive little game on my iPhone: it’s simply fun to play. Much like a satisfying match of Marvel Snap or a good Vampire Survivors run, it’s an excellent way to kill some time. And, as it turns out, there’s much more to it than a straightforward story mode.
There’s an endless mode for those who want to see how long they can survive against wave after wave of their favourite pocket monsters. Classic and hardcore modes offer different maps to conquer, while daily and weekly challenges introduce restrictions that keep things interesting. The recently released Battle Tower mode goes a step further, letting you draft a team and power it up every five waves as you climb through the floors. For a browser game, there’s a surprising amount to get stuck into, and each mode gives you another reason to come back.
If you want to give it a try, you can play PokéDefense here. As a note, you can also press the ‘share’ button on the website on iPhone to add it to your home screen, effectively turning it into a game that you can click on at a moment’s notice. Not like you’ll need more excuses to play it, but there you go.
At the very least, between hunting down Pokémon TCG sets and crying myself to sleep because I’m running low on packs to rip, I’ve found something else to enjoy. Best of all, I don’t have to pray that I stumble across the right website at the right time to play it. It’s free, it runs in my browser, and apparently, it’s perfectly capable of eating an entire morning.
