Aegis Defenders

Aegis Defenders blends 2D platforming with tower defense mechanics. It was created by the studio Guts Department, starting as a project in USC’s Intermediate Games class before a 2014 Kickstarter campaign brought in funding. Humble Bundle picked up publishing duties in 2017, with Kakehashi Games handling the Japanese release. The game launched on February 8, 2018, for macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.

Players control a team of up to two characters. Each character can run, jump, and attack, plus has a unique sub-ability and can build a specific item. A "cross fusion" system lets players combine items into stronger versions. Levels are split into two phases: exploration, which involves platforming and puzzles, and tower defense, where players guard a key person or object from waves of enemies. The story campaign has 18 levels, with three bonus levels featuring crossover characters from other Kickstarter games—Shovel Knight, Lunais from Timespinner, and Derpl Zork from Awesomenauts.

The plot follows Ruinhunters Bart and his granddaughter Clu. They discover a powerful weapon called the Aegis and set out to keep it from an evil empire. Along the way, they team up with Kobo the companion drone, Kaiim the monk, and Zula the bandit.

Development was led by a three-person team: Bryce Kho as director, writer, artist, and designer; his sister Kristen Kho as engineer; and Max Palazzo as producer. Bryce’s wife, Lai Xu, co-wrote the script. Max Palazzo and Mike Effenberger helped with level design and tuning. Power Up Audio handled music and sound effects, with a soundtrack by Riley Koenig featuring 14 original tracks that mix old-school synth with traditional Japanese RPG orchestral sounds. The game was shown at conventions including PAX West 2017 Indie Megabooth, Tokyo Game Show 2017, Gamescom 2017, PlayStation Experience 2017, and SXSW 2018.

Critics praised the game. Destructoid’s Chris Carter called it “a smooth, well-thought-out ride,” noting its art, charm, and universe. It earned a Gold Award in Famitsu’s cross review (issue 1525, February 2018) and was nominated for the 2018 SXSW Gamer’s Voice Award. It also won “Best of the Mix” at E3 Week Mix 2017.