Prague, Czech Republic, May 2026 - Solo developer Mikolas Zuza has announced that Jarred Defense, a hard, old-school maze-building tower defense game, will launch its public Steam demo on May 21, 2026, ahead of Steam Next Fest on June 15-22, 2026.
Inspired by classic Flash tower defense games and custom Warcraft 3 maps, Jarred Defense focuses on the parts of the genre that made those games so satisfying: placing towers directly into enemy paths, forcing waves through longer routes, upgrading carefully, and adjusting when the level starts fighting back. It is intentionally challenging, and failing, replaying, and slowly improving a level is part of the fun.
Towers are both weapons and walls, so placement matters as much as firepower. Build a clean maze and enemies get dragged through hazards, choke points, and splash damage zones. Build too greedily and the path breaks, the wave escapes, and the cat in the jar will almost certainly have something to say about it.
The battlefield does not stay still. Hand-crafted levels can change as players progress, with hazards, melting ice, heat sources, and shifting routes forcing them to rethink defenses mid-run. Players can also send waves early for bonus resources, chase star objectives, push completed levels into endless mode, and compete on leaderboards.
Towers grow through branching upgrade trees instead of simple one-track stat boosts. Players can specialize towers into different roles, including sniper, corrosive, fire, ice, and prism laser paths, building a defense around the layout, the enemy waves, and the particular disaster they have created for themselves.
Every 10 waves, a boss tests whether the maze actually works or whether it is simply a very expensive problem. Flying enemies, split-on-death threats, and other special enemies add extra pressure, making each level a balance between planning, adaptation, and controlled panic.
The demo includes support for English, Japanese, Czech, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Korean.
"Good classic maze-building tower defense games are hard to come by these days, so I decided to make one myself," said Mikolas Zuza, solo developer of Jarred Defense.
Jarred Defense is built with the open-source Godot engine and is coming to PC, macOS, Linux, and Steam Deck, with a full release planned for Q3 2026.
Classic maze-building TD: Place towers directly into enemy paths, with no predefined tower spots. Shape routes, create choke points, and make every tile count.
Hazards as part of the plan: Force enemies through lava, poison, melting ice, and other dangerous tiles to turn the level itself into part of your defense.
Hard old-school design: Built for players who enjoy planning, failing, adjusting, and finally making the perfect maze.
Branching tower upgrades: Specialize towers into different roles, including sniper, corrosive, fire, ice, and prism laser paths.
Risk-forward economy: Send waves early for bonus resources, if your defense can survive the pressure.
Bosses and special enemies: Face bosses, flying enemies, and split-on-death threats that test whether your layout actually works.
Challenges and replayability: Chase star objectives, unlock bonus levels, push into endless mode, and compete on leaderboards.
A cat in a jar: Your unlikely companion has voice lines, strong opinions, and very little useful advice.
LinksSteam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4525520/Jarred_Defense/
Gameplay trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiua2tIO5iU
Title: Jarred Defense
Genre: Maze-building tower defense
Demo release: May 21, 2026
Steam Next Fest: June 15-22, 2026
Release window: Q3 2026
Platforms: PC, macOS, Linux, Steam Deck
Languages: English, Japanese, Czech, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Korean
Developer: Mikolas Zuza
Publisher: Self-published
Jarred Defense is developed solo by Mikolas Zuza, a Czech developer based in Prague.
Mikolas studied Computer Graphics at the Czech Technical University in Prague. After graduating, he joined Prusa, the 3D printing company, where he has worked for the past nine years and now leads the content team.
His day job does not involve much programming, and over time he started to miss coding and game development. Jarred Defense began as an evening project, built in his free time around a genre he has loved since he was a teenager: old-school tower defense games from the Flash era and custom Warcraft 3 maps.
The game is also a small act of stubbornness. Classic maze-building tower defense games have become surprisingly rare, so instead of waiting for someone else to make one, he started building the version he wanted to play.
"Good classic maze-building tower defense games are hard to come by these days, so I decided to make one myself."