What it is
PCB Defense is a fast, circuit-board-themed roguelike tower defense built for one more run. Plant turrets on glowing pads, upgrade them tier by tier, chain kills into escalating combo multipliers, and keep the core's energy grid alive while the swarm gets smarter every level.
From the developer
In the developer’s own words, from juba13.itch.io.
🏆 1st place, Super Free AI Game jam #1 🏆 1st place, Newbie Game Jam #1
https://presskit.indie.io/pcb-defense/w41dgcnjrq
Your CPU core just went hot. Hostiles are crawling up every copper trace on the board, and the only thing between them and total core failure is you — a BIOS cannon, a handful of turret pads, and whatever's left in the salvage bin.
Read more
PCB Defense is a fast, circuit-board-themed roguelike tower defense built for one more run. Plant turrets on glowing pads, upgrade them tier by tier, chain kills into escalating combo multipliers, and keep the core's energy grid alive while the swarm gets smarter every level.
FEATURES
Four weapon systems — BIOS Bolt, Laser, Plasma and Rail, each with its own stats, feel, and full skill tree (Offense / Defense / Economy / Utility + weapon-specific branch)
Core cannon control — aim near threats to auto-fire, manage your energy meter, recharge on demand
Turret pads — plant, upgrade through 6 tiers, and defend every angle of the board
Combo chains — stack kills before the timer runs out for up to x3 reward multipliers
Boss fights every 3 levels — multi-phase bosses that enrage as they take damage
Corruption Cards — beat a boss, then choose a run-altering debuff from three, with harsher tiers unlocking as you go further
Swarm Surge — cash in for a 10-second flood of extra hostiles (and extra pay) when you're feeling confident
Persistent Skill Points — SP earned each run carries over per weapon, so every attempt makes the next one stronger
HOW TO PLAY Mouse-driven, hotkeys optional.
Left-click: place a turret / press UI buttons
Right-click: upgrade a pad, or upgrade the core's BIOS damage
ESC: pause / settings / save
Editor takes
“The rules snap into focus fast — turret pads, auto-fire core, combo timer — but the Corruption Cards are the real test, forcing you to weigh debuffs against your own build in a way that earns its difficulty rather than cheapening it.”
“Six turret tiers, per-weapon skill trees and persistent SP give the numbers real legs across runs, yet the few-minute sessions and capped x3 combo make me question whether the long-term loop holds past the first few boss cycles.”
How to play
Mouse-driven, hotkeys optional. Left-click places a turret or presses UI buttons; right-click upgrades a pad or the core's BIOS damage; ESC pauses, opens settings, or saves.
Tips
- Chain kills before the combo timer runs out to stack up to x3 reward multipliers.
- Bosses appear every three levels and enrage as they take damage — be ready for multi-phase fights.
- After each boss, pick one of three Corruption Cards; harsher tiers unlock the further you go.
- Persistent Skill Points earned each run carry over per weapon, so every attempt makes the next one stronger.
Questions
What are the four weapon systems?
BIOS Bolt, Laser, Plasma, and Rail — each with its own stats, feel, and a full skill tree covering Offense, Defense, Economy, Utility, plus a weapon-specific branch.
How does the core cannon work?
Aim near threats to auto-fire, manage your energy meter, and recharge on demand.
What is Swarm Surge?
Cash in for a 10-second flood of extra hostiles (and extra pay) when you're feeling confident.
What accessibility options are available?
The game features high-contrast visuals.
Is there an AI disclosure?
Yes — AI Assisted, used for Code and Graphics.
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