Choose Core Defense
Choose Core Defense if you want an Indie and Casual experience. Core Defense launched in 2020.
Core Defense vs Tower of Ascension
Core Defense and Tower of Ascension both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. Core Defense (2020) is 2 years older than Tower of Ascension (2022). Tower of Ascension is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Core Defense (1.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Tower of Ascension
Choose Tower of Ascension if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 80% cheaper on the Steam Store. Tower of Ascension launched in 2022.
Both Core Defense and Tower of Ascension sit in Strategy on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Core Defense |  Tower of Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2020 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Casual | Strategy, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 1.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 76.4% positive (254 reviews) | 6 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | ehmprah | OwOInteractive |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Core Defense (2020) is 2 years older than Tower of Ascension (2022).
- Tower of Ascension is currently ~80% cheaper on Steam than Core Defense (1.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Core Defense is Deck Unsupported on Steam Deck; Tower of Ascension has no Deck rating yet.
Core Defense vs Tower of Ascension — FAQ
- Should I play Core Defense or Tower of Ascension first?
- If you want chronology, Core Defense (2020) came out before Tower of Ascension (2022). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Core Defense and Tower of Ascension similar?
- They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.