When it comes to reviewing games, it’s easiest to evaluate the ones at the top and the bottom of the spectrum. Heaping praise on titles that seem to do just about everything right, or in some innovative new way, isn’t terribly hard to do. Neither is acknowledging serious problems and shortcomings for those that simply aren’t up to the task. But what about the ones that may not be terrible but are still somewhat listless and not really noteworthy for any particular reason, simply leaving you with a feeling of apathy? Those are always a little tougher to cover, and that’s where I’ve landed with Tower Dominion.

Weirdly enough, when it comes to the tower defense space, this may be one of the most straightforward implementations I’ve seen. You’ll be looking to shore up your defenses along what end up being pretty well-defined routes, and the element of planning and some foresight can be critical to your success as you’re choosing the blueprints for defenses, materials, or perks after each round. There are also added elements for your consideration not all games in the space have, which is trying to be sure to make proper use of higher ground (or even creating some with platforms you’ll have as options for upgrades) and even a variety of different structures you’ll find on the new plots of land you’ll place every few turns that will set up the lanes your enemies will attack from.

The problem is, despite some efforts to make the paths you’ll contend with (as well as the equipment) a little more random, in the end the results just feel a bit lackluster. One consideration is that I’d say against some of its peers the title plain feels overpriced by comparison. Not grossly, but coming in at over $10 when there are titles in this genre that play with a little more excitement and interest, it sticks out as a misstep. There’s just a general lack of energy and interest here, whether that’s tied to the pretty bland visuals or just perhaps what feels like a lot of overlap in your unit choices, so more often than not your defenses still often work very similarly even with different equipment. It isn’t a bad game, but it’s just eclipsed by its peers that feel like they have something more interesting and engaging to offer, many at a comparable or lower price.