Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition)

Strategy· Tower Defense· Female Protagonist· Tactical RPG

Released Oct 2012

Defender's Quest is a Tower-Defense/RPG Hybrid tightly focuses on three things: tactical depth, customization, and story

95% positive · 3,506 reviews

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Done

All announced content has been released

High confidence

Where to buy

Steam Updated 12 Oct 2026 $14.99

Can't confirm — worth a look

We couldn't confirm these stores carry this game.

Green Man Gaming Steam key Search IndieGala Steam key Search

Prices in USD, as listed by each store.

Buying through an affiliate store helps support the site

Evaluation

Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition) is a fully complete game. It originally launched in 2012 and received its major DX overhaul in June 2016, followed by a series of bug fix and feature patches through early 2018. On May 29, 2018, the developer explicitly stated in the patch notes for version 2.2.3 that "this is the last major patch for DQ1," while noting willingness to issue hotfixes for lingering bugs. That statement marked the end of planned content and feature development for this title. A February 7, 2025 post confirmed that the developer's attention has fully shifted to the sequel, Defender's Quest II: Mists of Ruin, which is now available as a separate game. There is no unreleased DLC, no announced future content for this game, and no ongoing update cadence to suggest more is coming.

Evidence

Developer announces that Defender's Quest II: Mists of Ruin is now available, confirming the studio's focus has moved entirely to the sequel.

news post · Feb 7, 2025 source development ending

high

Developer explicitly states 'This is the last major patch for DQ1' in the version 2.2.3 patch notes, signaling the end of planned development for this title.

news post · May 29, 2018 source development ending

high

Media

Details

Developer

Level Up Labs, LLC

Publisher

Level Up Labs

Achievements

Platform

Windows, macOS, Linux

Controller

full support

Steam Deck

Playable

Players

Single-player

Tower Defense Female Protagonist Tactical RPG Strategy RPG 2D Story Rich Pixel Graphics Zombies Fantasy Medieval Moddable Comedy Adventure Retro

About this game

Defender's Quest is a Tower-Defense/RPG Hybrid (Think Final Fantasy Tactics meets Tower Defense). It focuses on three things: tactical depth, customization, and story. That means no random encounters, no spikey-haired emo kids, no forced time sinks, and no tedious, repetitive battles.

The battle system builds off of tower defense, with individual characters taking the place of towers. Each character levels-up, learns skills, and equips gear individually, allowing the player to customize their battle experience and strategy. The overall game structure is similar to "tactical" RPG's, but with a real-time battle system. Game speed is adjustable, and commands can even be issued while the game is paused.

It also features an engaging, character-driven story written by an actual English major! The story strives to be fast-paced, snappy, and always relevant to gameplay with minimal exposition. Finally, it's got options and accessibility settings out the wazoo, so that you can have the best possible experience!