Bulwark 2: Defend Your Castle is available on Google Play. You steer a squad of archers across three lanes, collect reinforcements, and try to make it through each stage with enough strength to handle its boss. It's free to download and single-player.
There isn't a Bulwark 1. I liked the name with the 2 in it, so it stayed. You can come straight into this one without looking for a missing first game or catching up on a story.
If you've been playing the browser version, I'd love for you to try the native Android app. These games feel much better to me on Android, and three-lane movement is a good fit for playing on a phone. The web version of Bulwark 2 is still there when you want a quick game without installing anything.
Where to put the archers
Your archers fire automatically. You control which lane they're in, so movement is also a way of directing their attention. An enemy, a useful pickup, and a barrel can make different lanes attractive at the same time. Choosing one means thinking about what you're leaving in the others.
The first thing I'd watch is what a lane change does to the next few seconds. Moving into a lane early gives your archers time to work on what is approaching. Moving at the last moment may get you across safely, but leave less time for their shots to accomplish anything there.
Blue boxes add to your squad. More archers are useful, so a box can be a good reason to move. It still helps to look beyond the box before going for it. If you focus only on the pickup, you can miss the threat coming down the same lane behind it.
Barrels provide another decision. Shoot them for power-ups, but account for the time those shots need. A barrel in an awkward lane asks whether its reward is worth moving away from the enemies you're already handling. Early in a stage, experimenting with those choices will teach you more than trying to collect everything at once.
For a first attempt, get comfortable changing lanes and keeping track of the squad. Then start paying closer attention to how you approach boxes and barrels. The controls are straightforward enough that you can learn them while playing, and the choices become more interesting once you can look further up the battlefield.
Every stage has a boss
The campaign has 21 levels, and each ends with a boss encounter. That gives each stage two concerns: getting through the approach and arriving ready for the fight at the end. A decision that helps you survive the next few enemies can affect what you have available when the boss appears.
As the campaign progresses, enemy variety and pressure increase. You'll have to keep watching the lanes even after the basic movement feels familiar. A habit that worked comfortably in an early stage may need adjusting when there is more to account for on the screen.
The Cosmic Leviathan waits at the campaign finale. It is the same creature appearing across the Legitsauce games, here as the final threat to your archers and keep. Before worrying about that last encounter, pay attention to what the earlier bosses teach you about the space you need and the squad you want to bring into a fight.
If you lose at a boss, try to separate the approach from the encounter itself. Did you arrive in poor shape? Did you miss something about the boss while watching a pickup? Did you move too late? Those answers point toward different things to try on the next attempt.
Upgrades that carry forward
Permanent upgrades are earned through play. They're part of the campaign's progression, giving you something to work on between attempts as you learn the stages. Your lane choices still matter, and the strength you build up also contributes to how far you can get.
I think it helps to make one change with a particular problem in mind, then watch what happens when you return to the level. If you struggled before reaching the boss, see whether the upgrade makes the approach more manageable. If the approach was comfortable, focus on how the final fight changes.
This is also where feedback needs a little detail. The level number alone doesn't explain the whole situation. Which upgrades had you bought? Were you repeatedly losing at the same point? Did the next improvement feel achievable, or did you feel stuck repeating a stage long after it had stopped being interesting?
Those are useful questions for a game with permanent progression. I want the campaign to give you a reason to return, and I want the time you spend learning it to feel worthwhile. If a stretch becomes a chore, knowing where and why will help me work on it.
Try the installed version
I prefer playing the native builds on my phone. With Bulwark 2, the attraction is being able to open it directly, watch the lanes, and get into a stage without managing a browser tab. The web game remains useful for sharing or trying it out; the app is the version I'd keep on my home screen.
Please judge it on your own device. If lane changes feel unreliable, tell me the phone model and what was happening when you tried to move. If a button is hard to reach or the battlefield becomes difficult to read, a screenshot and a short description can be enough to show the problem. Avoid putting private account information in a report.
A castle defense game without video ads
The current Android release is ad-free. As long as I own this company, there will be no video ads in our games. Ever. That includes rewarded videos. You won't be asked to watch a commercial for extra archers, another attempt, or an upgrade.
Future display advertising would have to stay non-intrusive and out of the way of the game. Controls need to remain clear, and finishing a stage should leave you free to decide what to do next. The no-video promise applies to the catalog, including this release.
Download Bulwark 2: Defend Your Castle on Google Play and give the first few stages a go. You can send feedback through the support contact on the listing, or leave an honest review after you've played. I'd like to know which lane decisions feel satisfying and which parts still need work. If you'd rather start on the web, the castle is here too.