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
- Put 다트 원숭이 close to a bend. In a bend the balloons stay in range for longer, so every hero gets more shots off.
- 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.
- Tap a hero to see its damage, speed and range and to upgrade it. Hold a hero to drag it somewhere else.
- Turn on "Auto" so the game starts the next level by itself. "Auto-upgrade" spends your gold for you when you are away.
- Heroes unlock as you go. 궁수 닭 arrives at level 2, 닌자 여우 킷 at level 4 and 폭탄 곰 붐 at level 7. A new hero costs blue gems to own, and then gold each time you place it.
- 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 천둥 염소's thunderstorm or 로봇 수탉's orbital laser. Some heroes don't fight at all: 농부 원숭이 grows bananas that pay gold after every level, and 사자왕 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:
- 무리 — 다트 원숭이 + 궁수 닭. 둘 다 15% 더 빨리 쏴요.
- 증기 — 꽁꽁 펭귄 프로스티 + 불꽃 드래곤. 6초마다 데이게 하고 느리게 하는 증기 구름.
- 빙하기 — 꽁꽁 펭귄 프로스티 + 시간 거북이. 10% 더 느리게 해요.
- 정글 — 숲의 수호자 + 독개구리. 독과 가시 피해 +50%.
- 꿀 — 여왕벌 + 무술 판다. 8초마다 길에 꿀 웅덩이가 생겨 풍선이 달라붙어요.
- 바다 — 먹물 문어 + 해적 앵무새. 먹물 웅덩이가 커지고, 포탄이 한 번 더 튕겨요.
- 폭풍 — 천둥 염소 + 폭풍 정령. 토르의 번개가 풍선 2개에 더 튀어요.
- 그림자 — 닌자 여우 킷 + 별의 마녀. 닌자의 치명타 확률 +10%.
- 불꽃 폭풍 — 불꽃 드래곤 + 불사조. 불타는 피해 +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:
- ⚡ 번개 풍선 — 엄청 빠르지만 약해요.
- 💚 회복 풍선 — 아무도 때리지 않으면 스스로 회복해요.
- 🎈 거대 풍선 — 느리고 4배 튼튼해요. 작은 풍선 둘로 터지고 골드는 3배.
- 🔰 방패 풍선 — 먼저 방패를 깨야 해요.
- 😈 심술 풍선 — 체력이 절반이 되면 화가 나서 빨라져요. 골드 1.5배.
- ✂️ 분열 풍선 — 작은 풍선 둘로 갈라져요.
- 🔩 강철 풍선 — 느려지지 않고, 독과 불은 절반만 통해요.
- 👻 유령 풍선 — 가끔 투명해져요. 그때는 아무도 맞힐 수 없어요.
- 🧟 좀비 풍선 — 터진 뒤 한 번 더 일어나요.
Tip: fire and poison only bite half on iron balloons, so raw damage from e.g. 매의 눈 독수리 or 산 트롤 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.
- 거대 비행선 — 크고 아주 튼튼해요!
- 방패 비행선 — 공격을 멈추면 방패가 다시 차요!
- 분열 대왕 — 터뜨리면 셋으로 갈라져요!
- 유령 비행선 — 몇 초마다 앞으로 순간이동해요!
- 의사 비행선 — 주변 풍선을 치료해요. 먼저 터뜨리세요!
- 풍선 왕 — 몇 초마다 호위병 셋을 불러요!
- 번개 비행선 — 번개로 가장 가까운 영웅을 2초 동안 기절시켜요!
- 장갑 비행선 — 가끔 장갑을 닫아서 피해를 5분의 1만 받아요!
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:
- 광폭화
- 얼음
- 메테오
- 골드 러시
- 괴력
- 매의 눈
Research costs energy ⚡ and gives lasting boosts for every hero. There are 18 lines, and each can be upgraded many times:
- 피해
- 공격 속도
- 치명타 확률
- 치명타 피해
- 사거리
- 보스 피해
- Finisher
- Spell power
- Long spells
- Quick casting
- 추가 생명
- 풍선 골드
- 클리어 보너스
- 에너지
- 약한 풍선
- 자리 비움 골드
- Rich soil
- 보석
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:
- 푸른 초원
- 가을 숲
- 눈 덮인 산
- 햇살 해변
- 달빛 숲속
- 사막
- 불의 산
- 사탕 나라
- 우주
- 바다 밑
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.