History Videogame / DefenseGridTheAwakening

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: The General really loves raspberries.

* Marathonlevel: The Grinder and Super Grinder challenges pit you against '''99''' waves.

* RidiculouslyFastConstruction: Towers rise up almost fully assembled from hatches in the ground.
** Somewhat of a JustifiedTrope in that you are supposed to be re-activating an existing defense grid, and the resources you are gathering are effectively repair parts for existing components.

Hidden Path has given the sequel ''Defense Grid 2'' [[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hiddenpath/defense-grid-2?ref=live the Kickstarter treatment]]. Though they didn't get enough money to fund it, the project [[http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/26/hurrah-defense-grid-2-funded-by-secret-investor/ attracted the attention of an investor who decided to fund the remainder]].

Hidden Path has given the sequel ''Defense Grid 2'' [[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hiddenpath/defense-grid-2?ref=live the Kickstarter treatment]].

* BrainUploading: The General who stopped the previous invasion is now the AI running the defense grid. He often talks about things he would do if he was still in his body. Mostly eating raspberries.

* NoNameGiven: The General's name is never actually stated in the game itself. [[AllThereInTheManual It's]] [[spoiler:Fletcher]], by the way.

* AlternateRealityGame: Is one of the 13 indie games that form the bulk of the material of {{Valve}}'s "[[http://valvearg.com/wiki/Valve_ARG_Wiki PotatoFoolsDay]]" ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' ARG.

* CanonImmigrant: [[VideoGame/{{Portal}} Guess who stars]] in the expansion ''Defense Grid: [[YouMonster You Monster]]''? [[http://www.hiddenpath.com/games/defense-grid-you-monster/ Hint: Not Chell.]]
* ChainLightning: The Tesla tower can chain up to three hits.

* DeathFromAbove: The meteor tower is devastating against clusters of enemies, has an incredible range and it's not very expensive; almost a gamebreaking tower under some circumstances.
* DeflectorShields: The Bulwark uses these to protect itself. The Spire's can protect other aliens. The already unfair [[MightyGlacier Crasher]] is given these to make TheJuggernaut. Gun and Cannon towers are SuperEffective against them.

* ExpansionPack: ''You Monster''; new missions and minor improvements.

* LightningGun

* MultiMookMelee: The standard gameplay, taken to the extreme in ''grinder'' mode.

* ShockAndAwe: The Tesla tower. Its attack is stronger if given time to charge up.

* UnstableEquilibrium: If you dessign a very efficient layout minimizing cost, the unused energy generates interests, in turn making the game easier as you'll eventually reach a MoneyForNothing point. If however, your defense is hard-pressed, you won't have much help from the interest rate. In addition, unreturned cores -which also lower said rate- are harder to defend so the next wave of enemies gets more dangerous than it should be with a static defense, relay-races with cores are common and pestering in that scenario.

* BoringButPractical: Once they're fully upgraded, Gun Towers are one of the best damage-dealing towers available. They're also the cheapest tower to buy and upgrade.

* BoringButPractical: Once they're fully upgraded, Gun Towers are one of the best damage-dealing towers available. They're also the cheapest tower to buy and upgrade.

* FrickinLaserBeams: Laser towers, which are good against the two fast enemies, the Racer and the Rumbler.

* HeyItsThatVoice: The General assisting you is [[RatchetAndClank Captain Qwark]] and [[MarvelVsCapcom3 Sentinel]]. Worried yet?

* AirborneMook: Darts and Mantas. Both of which do not take the usual route which the other mooks do, and instead travel another fixed path.

* DeathFromAbove: The meteor tower is devastating against clusters of enemies, has an incredible range and it's not very expensive; almost a gamebreaking tower.

* ExpansionPack: ''You Monster''; new missions a minor improvements.

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* KillSat: The orbital laser obliterates anything, but is slow to charge.

Hidden Path has given the sequel ''Defense Grid 2'' [[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hiddenpath/defense-grid-2?ref=live the Kickstarter treatement]].

* CanonImmigrant: [[{{Portal}} Guess who stars]] in the expansion ''Defense Grid: [[YouMonster You Monster]]''? [[http://www.hiddenpath.com/games/defense-grid-you-monster/ Hint: Not Chell.]]

* {{Crossover}}: The ''You Monster'' expansion crosses over with the ''{{Portal}}'' series.

* KillItWithFire: Inferno and Meteor towers, strong against [[ZergRush Swarmers]].

* CanonImmigrant: [[{{Portal}} Guess who stars]] in the expansion ''Defense Grid: YouMonster''? [[http://www.hiddenpath.com/games/defense-grid-you-monster/ Hint: Not Chell.]]
* CloudCuckoolander: Spending over a thousand years uploaded inside a defense computer network has left the General a little ... odd, [[SubvertedTrope but he realizes how he's acting]] and resolves to stay focused on repelling the invasion.
* {{Crossover}}: The PC version's ''You Monster'' expansion crosses over with the ''{{Portal}}'' series.

* HeyItsThatVoice: The General assisting you is [[RatchetAndClank Captain Qwark]]. Worried yet?

Developed by Hidden Path Entertainment and released for the PC in December 2008 (and X-Box Live Arcade in September 2009), ''Defense Grid: The Awakening'' is a TowerDefense game that's been hailed as one of the best in the genre.