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Game pageBloons TD 5: Choosing Tower Upgrades for Your Defense
Build towers, choose upgrades and pop incoming Bloons in this tower-defense game.
Tower abilities sit alongside Monkey Lab research, Specialty Building upgrades and varied challenges.
What makes it fun
Make placement and upgrades work together
Place towers along the track, then choose their upgrade paths and combinations. Rethinking your defense around the spot where Bloons get through is part of the fun.
Upgrades beyond the towers
Unlock tower upgrades, research in the Monkey Lab, and use Specialty Building upgrades. The options you develop give you something to plan around on the next track.
Return for another medal
You can revisit a map at a different difficulty to earn a medal. Its layout and the Bloon waves give you reasons to rethink your tower combination.
Game details
As of Oct 29, 2026- Steam Deck
- Playable
- Release date
- Nov 19, 2014
- Developer
- Ninja Kiwi
- Languages
- Japanese, English, Korean ／ 14 languages total
A typical run
Build towers to confront incoming Bloons.
Consider towers through their upgrade branches and activated abilities.
Hire Special Agents and use Monkey Lab research or Specialty Building upgrades.
Prepare for enemies including Camo and Regrow Bloons and ZOMG.
Expand into Special Missions, Daily Challenges, Odyssey Challenges or Freeplay.
Core systems
Tower upgrades
Towers have branching upgrades and activated abilities.
Tributaries has short paths: prioritize towers for its limited space.
Monkey Lab
The Monkey Lab researches unique abilities and tower upgrades.
Consider research choices alongside the upgrades for your towers.
Specialty Building
Specialty Buildings also have upgrades.
Check these additional upgrade options when considering your defense.
Challenges and co-op
The store lists Special Missions, Daily Challenges, Odyssey Challenges, Freeplay and online co-op.
Choose between continuing a familiar format and switching to another challenge or co-op.
What sets it apart
Monkey Lab research and Specialty Building upgrades sit alongside individual tower upgrades.
Activated abilities and Special Agents provide choices beyond selecting towers.
Steam lists online co-op alongside solo play.
Learning curve and difficulty
Reviews value testing which towers or combinations work in a given defensive situation.
Reviews describe pursuing upgrades and unlocks as a reason to keep playing.
Reviews also enjoy working through difficult conditions by thinking carefully about how to build their defense.
What players like
Players appreciate approachable systems or play that is less complex than the sequel.
Reviews enjoy the sense of growth from upgrades or unlocks.
Playing maps or pursuing challenge goals gives players reasons to keep going.
Players also enjoy demanding defenses or restricted challenges.
Players enjoy planning tower choices, placement or combinations.
Reviews welcome maps and other additions made after release.
Players value fitting play into short breaks or alongside another activity.
Players single out the Bloonchipper as an attraction.
Common complaints
Players object to the burden of completing achievements or to achievements being added later.
Co-op connection or usability draws complaints.
Repeated defenses can start to feel like more of the same.
Reviews report or raise concerns about lost saves or progress.
Reviews find towers or upgrade paths uneven in strength or usefulness.
Who it’s for
It suits players who want to plan tower combinations alongside Monkey Lab research and Specialty Building upgrades.
It also suits players who want missions and challenges alongside regular tracks.
Who might not enjoy it
If co-op is your priority, consider reviews describing connection and usability frustrations.
If you want to complete every achievement, reviews describing a long grind are worth considering.
FAQ
- Which languages are listed on Steam?
- Steam lists interface support for Japanese, English and Korean. Simplified Chinese is not among the listed languages.
- Does it have co-op?
- Online co-op is listed. Reviews of connection quality and usability address a separate question.
- Is there play after clearing a track?
- Freeplay is listed after mastering a track, alongside missions and challenges.
- What does the listing say about saves?
- The store description advises saving to Steam Cloud after each victory. This is not a guarantee against lost progress.
These impressions are based on 100 Steam reviews sorted by “Most Helpful.” They do not represent the views of all buyers.
Image: Bloons TD 5 on Steam