Build twisting mazes with tetromino blocks and deploy unique towers in this strategic roguelite tower defense adventure.

A new entry at #2 on the Steam 250 seven-day chart, scoring 8.91 with a 97% positive rating from 3,907 reviews. Released 17 September 2026.

Key features

The maze is the puzzle, not the tower

Most tower defense games ask where to put a turret on a fixed path. Emberward hands you tetromino wall blocks and makes you draw the path yourself, which turns every level into a spatial puzzle before a single shot is fired.

Blocks are a resource you never have enough of

Wall blocks are limited, so every piece spent lengthening the enemy route is a piece not spent repositioning a tower. That single constraint is what stops the genre’s usual solution of walling everything off and waiting.

Runes make the same block do different jobs

After a battle you attach runes to block cards, which can enhance towers, give blocks abilities, or double their size. It means the roguelite progression changes what your building pieces are, not just how much damage they do.

Where to find Emberward

• Available now on Steam — $16.99, down from $19.99

Who made Emberward

Refic Games developed and self-published Emberward. You can see their other work on the Refic Games studio page.

Frequently asked questions

Is Emberward out yet?

Yes. Emberward released on Steam on 17 September 2026 and entered the Steam 250 seven-day chart at number 2.

How much does Emberward cost?

16.99 dollars on Steam, discounted from a 19.99 dollars list price. It may go lower during seasonal sales.

Is Emberward a roguelite or a tower defense game?

Both. Each run is a tower defense stage, and the rune upgrades you carry between stages are what make it a roguelite.

Who made Emberward?

Refic Games, who both developed and published it.

Is Emberward multiplayer?

No. The Steam store page lists single-player only, with Steam achievements, cloud saves, leaderboards and full controller support.