Co-op
The Co-op game modes task players with combating computer controlled enemies in progressively more difficult stages, either individually or in a group of up to 4 players.
Quest
For 1 or 2 archers - Defend TowerFall from invading monsters!
Quest mode was first introduced in the Ascension update and can be played with 1 or 2 players. It features stages set across the world of TowerFall. Each stage takes place on a single level wherein players must clear a varying number of waves of enemies in order to complete it.
Lives
Players are given a set number of lives to clear each stage. Death results in the player respawning wherever their corpse lays which also creates a explosive burst that kills any enemies in the vicinity. When playing with 2 players, if a player runs out of lives they may steal remaining lives from their partner. If all lives are exhausted then Game Over occurs and players must start the stage from the beginning.
Difficulties
Quest mode has 2 difficulty settings: Normal, in which players are granted 5 lives each, and the more challenging Hardcore, which grants only 4 lives each and features a greater number of enemies for each wave. Clearing a stage on Normal awards a Grey Skull, and on Hardcore a Red Skull. A higher Gold Skull rank can be achieved for each stage by clearing it on Hardcore without dying.
The game tracks and displays the total number of attempts and deaths for each stage. The fastest completed time for each stage on Hardcore for both solo and multiplayer is recorded along with the total combined time of all stages once they have all been cleared.
Stages
Quest mode has a total of 14 stages. The later stages have special criteria to unlock which can be found in their individual pages.
Dark World
For 1-4 archers - Enter the Dark World and seek vengeance!
Dark World mode was introduced in the Dark World expansion and can be played with up to 4 players. It features stages set in the Dark World and functions similarly to Quest mode with several significant additions. Instead of a waves system, each stage takes place over 8 differing levels, concluding with a boss battle; after clearing a level a portal appears granting transit to the next.
Lives and Continues
Players are given the option to continue a stage from the beginning of the current level should Game Over occur. When playing solo the player is given 3 lives with each continue. When playing in a group players have no lives, instead a player who has died can be revived by having a teammate stand by their corpse for a number of seconds; Game Over occurs if all players are dead at the same time.
Difficulties
Dark World mode has 3 difficulty settings: Normal, Hardcore and Legendary. Higher difficulties feature a greater number of enemies and more difficult boss battles. Normal allows for unlimited continues, Hardcore allows 8 continues and Legendary allows 5 continues. Clearing a stage on Normal awards a Grey Skull, on Hardcore a Red Skull and on Legendary a Gold Skull. A higher Eye rank can be achieved for each stage by clearing Legendary without using any continues. A final Gold Eye rank is achieved by clearing Legendary without dying.
As in Quest mode, the game tracks and displays the total number of attempts and deaths for each stage. The fastest completed time for each stage on Legendary is recorded separately for 1, 2, 3 and 4 players along with the total combined time of all stages once they have all been cleared.
Variants
Before beginning a stage, players have the option of assigning various Powerups and Curses taken from the the Versus Variants which affect all players and offer differing advantages and challenges. Normal difficulty allows up to 3 Powerups, Hardcore allows only 1, and Legendary does not allow any. There is no restriction on the number of Curses and the game will track and display the highest number of Curses active (maximum of 6) when completing each stage on Legendary as an extra mark of achievement.
Powerups
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Start with Shields |
| Players start each round with a shield. | |
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Start with Wings |
| Players start each round with wings. | |
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Start with Speed Boots |
| Players start each round with Speed Boots. | |
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Super Seeking Arrows |
| Amplifies the target seeking behavior of all arrows fired by the player. | |
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Double Jumping - jump again in the air |
| The player has an extra jump that can be used while airborne and is restored only after standing on a surface or clinging to a ledge. | |
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Super Dodging |
| The player's dodge range is nearly doubled, from 3.5 tiles in length to 6.5 tiles in length. |
Curses
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Small Quivers - archers can only hold three arrows |
| Reduced from the maximum of 6. | |
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Cursed Bows - shooting with an empty quiver kills |
| The player will die when releasing the shoot button if they are holding no arrows. | |
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Always Dark |
| The Dark Orb powerup will take effect at the beginning of each round and last for its entirety. | |
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Encumbrance - arrows in inventory reduce movement speed |
| A player's horizontal movement speed when either walking or airborne is reduced when holding 2 or more arrows, with greater numbers of arrows resulting in slower speeds. | |
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Slippery Floors |
| All floors cause players to slide as if they were covered in ice. | |
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No Treasure (only available in single player) |
| Prevents all treasure chests from spawning. | |
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Exploding Corpses (only available with 2-4 players) |
| Player corpses explode a few moments after dying. Prevents players from being revived. |
Stages
Dark World mode has a total of 5 stages. The later stages require the successful completion of all the previous stages.
