- Tutorials, Tooltips & More - 22 February 2026
This update drastically improves the "How to Play" mode by making the tutorial text much more focused on teaching mechanics. It is now far less verbose and contains less lore, which I hope streamlines the learning journey and allows new players to jump into the action sooner.Additionally, some UI tooltips are also now more user-friendly and less "touchy" (i.e., easier to activate). The verbiage in some tooltips has also been reworked to be more clear and easy to understand.Last but not least, the range of Sludge and Laser towers has been increase by 1 to better work with non-Clover maps that only have single-mound rows. They will now reach further into the secondary lanes to engage with those drones in a more effective manner. Prior to this, engagement was a bit twitchy and unreliable.If you have any feedback, please let me know in the discussions!
- More Biomes! - 27 January 2026
Time marches on, and the swarms of rogue agricultural drones continue their diabolical journey across the galaxy to harvest all life. Defend homesteads on new worlds far more alien than what you've seen before. Rose, Lava, and Azul planet biomes are now available, and the locals need your help to survive!You can change biomes from the main menu using the button in the top-left of the screen, as well as in-game in the settings by using the button to the left of the settings boxes:
- Patches: November 2025 - 25 November 2025
November 25th, 2025:Removed the tutorial requirement for playing the main game. Please note that you will probably lose if you don't understand how to play :-)Improved water rendering for the "Low Quality" option.Audio rebalancing to improve overall audio experience.Updated to a new version of Unity.More coming soon!
- Update & Price Reduction - 24 November 2025
Hi all,2025 was a whirlwind that prevented me from spending much time on GILTSTEADER. Thankfully, things have calmed down, and I'm ready to get back to pushing updates to the game. I will be looking at all your reviews and feedback with a refreshed perspective, and I'm hoping to make some improvements throughout next year.And here's some more fun news: GILTSTEADER's price is dropping from $9.99 to $5.99 :-) For those who recently purchased the game, please note that you can refund the game and repurchase for the new price.Cheers!
- Patches: August 2025 - 7 August 2025
August 7th, 2025:Various adjustments/fixes to biomes and biome choice text.
- 1-Year Anniversary Sale! - 17 June 2025
It is hard to believe that an entire year has already gone by since the release of GILTSTEADER. I wanted to celebrate this game's first birthday with a major sale, and right now you can experience the chaotic fusion of strategic farming and relentless tower defense for only ONE DOLLAR! Thank you to everyone who supported GILTSTEADER's development, as well as all of players who have given this game a chance. Another thank you to all those who share my love for "Random Farm TD" and other RNG-heavy tower defense games. I hope this standalone experience (along with my own twists) have helped scratch the same itch that drove me to make this game in the first place. Cheers! P.S. Here's some entertaining gameplay from InterndotGif:
- Steam Deck Compatibility Update - 28 December 2024
Since GILTSTEADER's early development, playtesters have been providing feedback on how the game performed on the Steam Deck, which ultimately led to the addition of controller support and other features to help make the game ready for Steam Deck verification. Recently, I was finally able to test it out for myself, and the experience was incredible! While we are still waiting on official Steam Deck verification, I thought it'd be worthwhile to walk through the criteria from Steam's compatibility review process and let the community know how GILTSTEADER performed based on my own experience: Input Controller support: The game has Xbox controller support which works natively with the Steam Deck's physical controls that match what is available on an Xbox controller. Everything worked and felt the same as using a controller. Controller glyphs: When using a controller, the glyphs in-game autom…
- Biomes & Bonus Attacks - 5 August 2024
Biomes The hordes of rogue agricultural drones are spreading to other colonies, and you can now defend homesteads in three different biomes in Day Mode. These "biomes" are just different color-schemes that provide players with options beyond the desert region. (Super) Bonus Attacks Each tier 6 turret now has a small chance upon firing to trigger a Super Bonus that will double their fire rate and range for a limited time. The 10% regular bonus attacks still exist and can trigger during these Super Bonus activations.
- Tower Defense Fest 2024 - 29 July 2024
GILTSTEADER will be participating in this year's Tower Defense Fest!
- Introducing Endless Mode - 18 July 2024
After defeating the final super drone on Wave 40, players now have two ways to end their game: If you choose to Claim Victory, you will end the game and the normal victory bonus will be added to your final score. However, if you choose Endless Mode, instead of receiving the normal victory bonus, you will activate an "endless" march of bonus drones that get stronger each spawn. Your new victory bonus becomes the amount of bonus drones you defeat multiplied by 20. Additional notes: Both options will count as a victory. Upon choosing Endless Mode, any spawned test drones will be destroyed, any planted vegals will be auto-harvested, and any remaining seeds and fishing bait will be removed from your inventory. Your Gameplay History will track bonus drones defeated per game, as well as your highest bonus drone score. Crowd Control viewers can't send players fishing bait or seeds, or summon te…
- Patches: July 2024 - 2 July 2024
July 7th, 2024: Turret damage in the turret popup menu now accurately updates with damage upgrades for new tier-boosted turrets. July 17th, 2024 (Major Update): Endless Mode added. Check out this post for more details. Total Sell Value now updates immediately when using the 'Harvest Vegals' Crowd Control effect. Turret damage in the turret popup menu now accurately updates when using the 'Move' function. Various UI tweaks/cleanup. July 20th, 2024: Bullets and particle effects are now more performant. Many particle effects have been reworked to scale better with turret tiers. Various audio improvements, and increased overall volume of game audio. July 22nd, 2024: The Low Quality Graphics Quality option now has more visible turret tier markings and more efficient water rendering. July 30th, 2024: Turret rebalancing - damage and fire rate changes.
- Patches: June 2024 - 20 June 2024
Thanks to everyone providing feedback in discussions and reviews! Below you'll find the first round of updates post-launch: June 20th, 2024: Improved tutorial explanation of various topics. Changed Quest List hotkey from 'Q' to 'Tab'. Disabled small/big turret selections in the fabricator via hotkey (E, R) or controller buttons (R1, L1) during tier-boosting. "Gilt Earned" game stat fix. June 29th, 2024: More tutorial improvements. UI now properly displays all reset values when using 'Try Again' game-end function. Slightly increased max camera height for zoom-out.
- GILTSTEADER is Out Now! - 17 June 2024
The day has finally come! I hope you enjoy your time playing!
- GILTSTEADER + Crowd Control - 10 June 2024
For all the streamers out there, GILTSTEADER will feature Crowd Control support! This is a streamer tool that lets your viewers interact with the games you play on stream. Yes, it will be pure chaos. When enabled, Crowd Control will let your viewers dictate your fortune with the following effects: Give and take various resources Increase or decrease vegal (crop) prices for an entire wave Harvest or kill growing vegals Throw away or sell the vegals in your inventory Summon test drones to give seeds (or take lives) It is strongly advised to complete the tutorial without Crowd Control enabled... for your sanity's sake. Here's some footage of streamers playing GILTSTEADER with Crowd Control.
- A Brief Guide to GILTSTEADER - 17 May 2024
Giltsteading This is the art of farming and selling crops for gilt, which is planet Highseed's currency, and is used in the fabrication of turrets and upgrades. Highseed's governing body mandates that all residents must achieve complete self-sufficiency, making giltsteading a crucial responsibility for every household. Farming Drones To enhance the ease of homesteading for the ordinary resident, farming drones have reached an advanced stage of development. Sadly, these drones have unexpectedly malfunctioned, and are now wreaking havoc by attacking local farms. It is imperative that you take action to safeguard your homestead from their destructive behavior. Turrets To fight back, you will need to fabricate turrets. These autonomous defense devices automatically fire when an enemy drone is within range, and come in various types and tiers. There is one main quirk to note: The type of a t…
