Maze building 101: stop leaking lives on wave one

Most people who bounce off tower defence games do so because they place towers wherever there's room. The real game is shaping the enemy path so each unit spends as long as possible inside your firing range. That's maze building, and once it clicks you'll never look at an open map the same way.

Start by thinking in loops, not lines. If the map lets you build freely, force enemies into an S-curve or a spiral so they pass the same towers multiple times. Every extra second in range is free damage you didn't pay for.

Leave gaps on purpose. A common mistake is walling everything up, which boxes in your own towers and leaves no room to upgrade. Plan one or two 'power corners' where high-tier towers cover the longest stretch of the maze.

Finally, test your maze against the early waves before committing your gold. If weak enemies already leak through, the strong ones will flood you. Rebuild early and often — it's cheaper than losing lives on the boss.