LateTowers — a guide from the first level to rebirth

By Kevin Buhl Jakobsen, who made the game · Updated 7. Nov 2026

What is LateTowers?

LateTowers is a tower defense game in which balloons follow a winding road towards your house. You place heroes along the road, and they shoot, throw, breathe at and grab the balloons before they get there. If too many get through, you lose your 20 lives and try the level again. If you hold them off, you earn gold and move on to the next one. The levels never end: they just get harder, and the road gets longer as you go.

The game is made to look after itself. It keeps going while you do something else, and when you come back your heroes have got further. But the best results come from thinking it through: which heroes stand where, who to upgrade, and when it is time to start over with a rebirth?

The first ten levels

1. Put ダーツザル close to a bend. In a bend the balloons stay in range for longer, so every hero gets more shots off.
2. Spend your gold straight away. Early on a new hero is worth more than an upgrade. Once you have 3–4 heroes, upgrading starts to pay off.
3. Tap a hero to see its damage, speed and range and to upgrade it. Hold a hero to drag it somewhere else.
4. Turn on "Auto" so the game starts the next level by itself. "Auto-upgrade" spends your gold for you when you are away.
5. Heroes unlock as you go. アーチャーチキン arrives at level 2, 忍者ギツネのキット at level 4 and ばくだんグマのブーム at level 7. A new hero costs blue gems to own, and then gold each time you place it.
6. Mix the types. One hero that hits a single balloon, one that hits many and one that slows them almost always beats three of the same.

Heroes and upgrades

There are 31 heroes. The first ones are cheap and simple; the later ones have big special attacks that go off every 5th, 6th or 10th shot, like かみなりヤギ's thunderstorm or ロボニワトリ's orbital laser. Some heroes don't fight at all: のうふザル grows bananas that pay gold after every level, and おうさまライオン makes the heroes around him hit harder.

Each upgrade adds only a little damage, so you can keep going for a long time. On the way, heroes reach milestones where they get something extra: faster shots at level 10, more critical hits at 25, more damage at 50 and so on. Every hero can miss, especially fast balloons far away. Range can only be upgraded a few times, so where you put a hero matters a lot.

See every hero with pictures, numbers and roles in the hero encyclopedia.

Combos

When two particular heroes stand no more than 3½ tiles apart, they make a combo with an extra effect. There are 9:

• 🐒 なかま — ダーツザル + アーチャーチキン. 2人とも15%速く撃つ。
• ♨️ スチーム — こおりペンギンのフロスティ + ほのおドラゴン. 6秒ごとに、やけどさせて足をおそくする湯気。
• 🧊 氷河期 — こおりペンギンのフロスティ + ときのカメ. さらに10%おそくする。
• 🌿 ジャングル — 森のまもりびと + どくガエル. 毒とトゲのダメージ +50%。
• 🍯 ハチミツ — じょおうバチ + けんぽうパンダ. 8秒ごとに道にハチミツの水たまり。風船がくっついて動けない。
• 🌊 うみ — スミダコ + かいぞくオウム. スミの水たまりが大きくなり、砲弾がもう1回はね返る。
• ⛈️ あらし — かみなりヤギ + あらしの精霊. トールのいなずまがさらに2つの風船に飛ぶ。
• 🌑 シャドウ — 忍者ギツネのキット + ほしのまじょ. 忍者の会心率 +10%。
• 🔥 ほのおの嵐 — ほのおドラゴン + フェニックス. 燃えるダメージ +50%。

Balloons

Ordinary balloons get stronger every level and change colour as they get tougher. On the way, special balloons turn up that need a different plan:

• ⚡ いなずま風船 — すごく速いけど、こわれやすい。
• 💚 回復風船 — 誰にも攻撃されないと回復する。
• 🎈 巨大風船 — おそくて4倍タフ。2つの小さな風船に分かれ、ゴールドは3倍。
• 🔰 シールド風船 — 先にシールドを割らないといけない。
• 😈 いじわる風船 — 体力が半分になると怒って速くなる。ゴールド1.5倍。
• ✂️ ぶんれつ風船 — 2つの小さな風船に分かれる。
• 🔩 てつの風船 — おそくできず、毒と炎は半分しか効かない。
• 👻 おばけ風船 — ときどき見えなくなる。そのときは誰も攻撃できない。
• 🧟 ゾンビ風船 — 割れたあと、もう一度起き上がる。

Tip: fire and poison only bite half on iron balloons, so raw damage from e.g. ホークアイ・イーグル or やまトロル is what counts. Ghost balloons can't be hit while invisible, so heroes with many quick shots do best.

Bosses

Every 10th level ends with a boss: a big blimp with lots of health and a trick of its own. The first time you meet a new kind, the game tells you what it does.

• 巨大飛行船 — 大きくてとてもタフ！
• シールド飛行船 — 攻撃をやめるとシールドが回復する！
• ぶんれつキング — 割ると3つに分かれる！
• おばけ飛行船 — 数秒ごとに前へワープする！
• ドクター飛行船 — まわりの風船を回復する。先にたおそう！
• キング風船 — 数秒ごとに3体の護衛を呼ぶ！
• いなずま飛行船 — いなずまで一番近いヒーローを2秒間しびれさせる！
• よろい飛行船 — ときどきよろいを閉じて、ダメージを5分の1しか受けない！

Seasons, season bosses and skins

The game follows the season. In winter the balloons wear Santa hats and baubles, and it snows. In spring there are bunny balloons and Easter eggs, in summer beach balls and sunglasses, and in autumn jack-o'-lanterns and bats. You can dress your heroes up for the season by tapping them.

Every 20th level brings the season's own boss: the Santa Blimp, the Giant Easter Egg, the Sun Balloon or the Great Pumpkin. It is tougher than an ordinary boss, but drops the season's reward: presents, Easter eggs, seashells or candy. The season balloons drop a single one now and then too. For 40 you can buy the season's own skin for a hero (Christmas, Easter pastel, Tropical or Pumpkin). They can only be bought in their own season.

Spells, research and rebirth

Spells are the buttons above the heroes. They have a cooldown and can be upgraded. With "Auto skills" on, the game uses them itself when they help most:

• 猛攻
• フリーズ
• メテオ
• ゴールドラッシュ
• ちからこぶ
• タカの目

Research costs energy ⚡ and gives lasting boosts for every hero. There are 18 lines, and each can be upgraded many times:

• ダメージ
• 攻撃速度
• 会心率
• 会心ダメージ
• 射程
• ボスへのダメージ
• Finisher
• Spell power
• Long spells
• Quick casting
• 追加ライフ
• 風船のゴールド
• クリアボーナス
• エネルギー
• 風船を弱く
• 留守中のゴールド
• Rich soil
• ジェム

Rebirth becomes possible from level 50. You start again from level 1, but earn stars ⭐ for how far you got. Stars give lasting extra damage and gold and can be spent on talents and new lands. The best time to be reborn is when progress stalls: you come back quickly and get further than before.

There are also pets (8 kinds that hatch from eggs and give small bonuses), a daily gift, a lucky wheel, a reward pass, chests with skins and nearly 980 trophies.

Lands

There are 10 lands, each with its own scenery and obstacles. New lands open when you get far enough and are bought with gold or stars:

• みどりの草原
• あきの森
• 雪の山
• おひさまビーチ
• 月あかりの林
• さばく
• ほのおの山
• おかしの国
• うちゅう
• うみのそこ

The road gets longer and more hero spots open as you go: up to 14. The game speed can be set to ×1, ×2, ×3, ×4 (from level 100), ×5 (from level 300).

When you are away

If you close the game for up to a quarter of an hour, the battle plays on from exactly where you left it. If you are away for longer, the game pays the gold your heroes would have earned, and you start on the level you had reached. Your game is saved to your account, so you can switch between phone and computer, and it works without internet too: it syncs when you are back online. The server checks that progress is possible, so nobody can cheat their way to the top of the Top 10.

Questions and answers

Does LateTowers cost money?

No, it is free to play. There is an optional shop with gems and energy, but every hero, land and skin can be won by playing.

Can I play on my phone?

Yes. The game runs in the browser on phones and computers, and your game follows you between them.

Is it coming to Steam?

Yes, a Steam version is on the way. It uses the same account, so you can carry on where you left off.

Why do my heroes miss?

Every hero can miss, especially on fast balloons far away. Move them closer to the road or into a bend.

What should I do when I'm stuck?

Try moving your heroes, mix the types, research damage and speed, or be reborn for stars.