Outhold

If you’re a fan of strategy games that blend addictive progression with clever decision-making, Outhold is about to become your new obsession. This indie gem, crafted by Tellus Games, is a minimalist yet surprisingly deep incremental tower defense game that hooks you with its satisfying gameplay loop and endless build possibilities. Released recently, it’s already gaining traction for its unique spin on the genre, combining tower defense mechanics with a sprawling skill tree that keeps you coming back for more. Whether you’re a casual player or a strategy master, Outhold offers a delightful challenge that’s easy to pick up but tough to put down. Let’s dive into what makes this game so special, how to play it, and the easiest way to conquer its waves of enemies.

A Glimpse into the World of Outhold

At its core, Outhold is a tower defense game with a twist: it’s infused with incremental mechanics that reward experimentation and long-term planning. You’re tasked with defending your Holdout—a central stronghold—from relentless waves of enemies that grow tougher with each assault. The game’s minimalist design keeps things clean and focused, with crisp visuals and satisfying sound effects that make every upgrade and enemy defeat feel rewarding. What sets Outhold apart is its deep meta-progression system. After each run, you collect resources to unlock powerful upgrades through a sprawling skill tree, letting you tailor your strategy to your playstyle. Whether you want to focus on a single, souped-up tower or create synergistic combos, the game gives you the freedom to experiment— and the best part? All upgrades can be refunded for free, so you can tinker to your heart’s content without penalty.

How to Jump into the Action

Getting started with Outhold is a breeze, but mastering it requires a bit of strategic finesse. Here’s a quick guide to playing the game:

• Start Your Run: Launch a new game and place your initial towers on the map to fend off enemy waves. Each wave brings tougher foes, so you’ll need to think carefully about tower placement and upgrades.
• Collect Resources: As you defeat enemies, you’ll earn resources like stars, triangles, or hourglasses (the game’s currencies). These are used to purchase upgrades in the skill tree.
• Build Your Skill Tree: After each run, win or lose, head to the skill tree to spend your resources. You can boost tower damage, unlock special abilities like multishot, or improve resource collection. Don’t be afraid to experiment—upgrades are refundable!
• Try Again, Stronger: Use your new upgrades to start another run. The goal is to survive longer and defeat tougher enemies, collecting more resources to fuel even better upgrades.
• Find Your Playstyle: Focus on upgrading a single tower (like the Archer or Coin Cannon) for raw power, or mix and match towers to discover synergies. For example, pairing a tower with multishot and one with high crit damage can create devastating combos.

The game’s loop is simple: survive waves, collect resources, upgrade, and repeat. But the real fun comes from tinkering with the skill tree to create a build that feels uniquely yours.

Cracking the Code: Easiest Way to Beat Outhold

While Outhold encourages creative freedom, there is a straightforward strategy that can help you dominate early on and navigate through tough waves. Here’s the easiest way to beat the game, based on community feedback and effective builds:

Focus on the Archer Tower with Multishot and Crit

One of the most reliable strategies is to max out the Archer Tower with the Multishot ability and critical hit upgrades. The Archer’s ability to hit multiple enemies at once, combined with boosted crit damage, makes it a powerhouse against swarms and bosses alike. Here’s how to pull it off:

• Early Game: Place a few Archer Towers in strategic spots to cover multiple enemy paths. Prioritize upgrades that boost their damage and attack speed in the skill tree.
• Skill Tree Priorities: Invest in the Multishot ability early (despite a recent bug fix ensuring it works properly) and stack critical hit chance and damage upgrades. Look for nodes that increase resource collection to speed up your progression.
• Mid-Game: Add a Coin Cannon for extra crowd control. Its area-of-effect damage pairs well with the Archer’s precision. Upgrade the Cannon’s damage (recently buffed to +10 per level) to clear waves faster.
• Late Game: Keep funneling resources into your Archer’s crit and multishot upgrades while adding health or defensive boosts to your Holdout to survive tougher waves. If you hit a wall, refund upgrades and try a new combination—maybe mix in a tower with a slow effect to give your Archers more time to shred enemies.

Why This Works

The Archer-Multishot-Crit build is effective because it scales well against both swarms and high-health bosses. Community posts highlight its success, with one player beating the final level using this combo alongside a Coin Cannon for backup. The free refund system lets you tweak your build if you hit a tough wave, so don’t hesitate to experiment with other towers like the Cannon for splash damage or slow-effect towers for control.

Pro Tip: Manage Resources Wisely

A common player frustration is forgetting which upgrades use specific resources (stars, triangles, etc.) when maxed out, as the game hides this info. To avoid this, keep track of your upgrades manually or focus on one currency type (e.g., stars) to simplify your skill tree path. This ensures you can always afford the next upgrade without needing to refund.

Why You’ll Love Outhold

Outhold shines because it strikes a balance between simplicity and depth. Its minimalist design makes it accessible, while the skill tree and refundable upgrades encourage endless tinkering. Whether you’re chasing the thrill of a perfect run or just want to mess around with tower combos, the game delivers. The community buzz on platforms like itch.io and Steam praises its addictive loop and satisfying progression, with players calling it “clean and slick” and “super addictive”. Sure, it starts a bit slow, and some UI quirks (like hidden resource info) can trip you up, but recent updates have fixed bugs and boosted balance, making it a polished experience