Ever since the original Kingdom Rush took over my summer a couple of years back, I know better than to plan on playing anything else right after a new entry in the series is released. Clear my calendar: I have gnolls and spiders to thwart.
This gripping series has become the gold standard for tower defense on touch devices, so much so that it's also the top target for knockoffs: Activision's new Duck Commander: Duck Defense is a lame rehash inexplicably based on reality TV series Duck Dynasty. But ignore the clones, as Kingdom Rush Origins ($3) just launched to offer a proper fix—and for newcomers, it's as good a place as any to start.