Overview: Tower Defense games have been around for quite a while, and Desktop Tower Defense is perhaps the best of the breed. The concept is simple: “creeps” attempt to cross your desktop, and you must build barriers out of little turrets to prevent them. Upon this basic concept hours upon hours of productivity perish.

Desktop Tower Defense started as a simple execution of the game with rough black-and-white sketched creeps and turrets and very basic gameplay. You can still go back to those older versions if you like (or just use the old art for nostalgia purposes) but the current game has 24 scenarios representing a broad array of challenges from tutorial levels to stunt levels like Snaps, where a preset board of triggerable bombs await you.

There’s also a Sandbox mode, where you can build your own challenge, a timed Sprint Mode, and Multiplayer Sprint Mode. Mastering the art of maze-building and the tricky tactics of building, deleting, upgrading, and triggering the various turrets on the fly are enough challenge to keep the perfectionist busy for days. There’s also a lively forum to compare notes, share your successful mazes, and learn from the masters.

Desktop Tower Defense is a marvelous way to kill a week or two, and the charming graphics and quirky sound effects, add to its appeal. This reviewer would personally recommend going into the Options menu and choosing the old-school graphics for maximum fun, but to each her own. Whichever style you prefer, this is not a game to miss.