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 飞镖猴 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. 弓箭手小鸡 arrives at level 2, 忍者狐小吉 at level 4 and 炸弹熊嘭嘭 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 雷霆山羊's thunderstorm or 机器公鸡's orbital laser. Some heroes don't fight at all: 农夫猴 grows bananas that pay gold after every level, and 狮王 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:

• 🐒 狼群 — 飞镖猴 + 弓箭手小鸡. 两者射击速度都快 15%。
• ♨️ 蒸汽 — 冰冰企鹅 + 火龙. 每 6 秒一团蒸汽，灼烧并减速。
• 🧊 冰河时代 — 冰冰企鹅 + 时光龟. 多减速 10%。
• 🌿 丛林 — 树之守护者 + 毒蛙. 毒和荆棘的伤害增加 50%。
• 🍯 蜂蜜 — 蜂后 + 武术熊猫. 每 8 秒在路上留下一滩蜂蜜，让气球粘住。
• 🌊 大海 — 墨汁章鱼 + 海盗鹦鹉. 墨汁滩更大，炮弹多弹一次。
• ⛈️ 风暴 — 雷霆山羊 + 风暴精灵. 雷神的闪电多跳 2 个气球。
• 🌑 暗影 — 忍者狐小吉 + 星辰女巫. 忍者暴击率 +10%。
• 🔥 火焰风暴 — 火龙 + 凤凰. 燃烧伤害增加 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:

• ⚡ 闪电气球 — 超级快，但很脆弱。
• 💚 再生气球 — 没人打它时会自我恢复。
• 🎈 巨型气球 — 很慢，结实 4 倍。会爆成两个小气球，金币 3 倍。
• 🔰 护盾气球 — 有护盾，必须先打破。
• 😈 邪恶气球 — 剩一半血时会发怒并加速。金币 1.5 倍。
• ✂️ 分裂气球 — 会分裂成两个小气球。
• 🔩 钢铁气球 — 无法减速，毒和火只有一半伤害。
• 👻 幽灵气球 — 时不时隐身——那时谁也打不到它。
• 🧟 僵尸气球 — 被打破后会再站起来一次。

Tip: fire and poison only bite half on iron balloons, so raw damage from e.g. 鹰眼神射手 or 山岭巨魔 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.

• 巨型飞艇 — 又大又结实！
• 护盾飞艇 — 停止攻击时它的护盾会恢复！
• 分裂之王 — 打破它会分成三个！
• 幽灵飞艇 — 每隔几秒会向前闪现！
• 医生飞艇 — 它会治疗周围的气球——先打它！
• 气球国王 — 每隔几秒召唤三个卫兵！
• 闪电飞艇 — 它的闪电会让最近的英雄晕 2 秒！
• 装甲飞艇 — 时不时合上装甲，只受五分之一的伤害！

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:

• 狂热
• 冰冻
• 陨石
• 黄金雨
• 力量
• 鹰眼

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

• 伤害
• 攻击速度
• 暴击率
• 暴击伤害
• 射程
• 首领伤害
• Finisher
• Spell power
• Long spells
• Quick casting
• 额外生命
• 气球金币
• 过关奖励
• 能量
• 更弱的气球
• 离线金币
• Rich soil
• 宝石

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:

• 青青草原
• 秋叶森林
• 雪山之巅
• 阳光海滩
• 月光林地
• 大沙漠
• 火焰山
• 糖果乐园
• 外太空
• 海底世界

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.