Emberward Hub: guides for the 1.0 launch
Updated September 23, 2026 — for Emberward 1.0 (launched September 17, 2026)
Emberward is a roguelite tower defense game by Refic Games where you build twisting mazes from tetromino-style block cards, then defend your fire source against waves of monsters. This site collects practical guides for the 1.0 launch: how the towers work, which ones are worth their gold, how mazes and runes change a run, and how to unlock every character and flame.
Get Emberward on SteamBeginner Guide
New to Emberward? Start with the core loop, fire source rules and 12 launch tips.
Tower Tier List
Our launch rankings for all 36 towers, from Giant Dice down to situational picks.
Maze Guide
How block cards, wall limits and runes actually shape your defense.
All Towers
Every tower in the game by size, with upgrade costs and special behaviors.
Elements Explained
Burn, Chill, Charge, Poison and Arcane crits — how the six damage types work.
Characters & Flames
Unlock requirements and perks for all eight characters and six flames.
Endless Mode
80+ stages, event maps and leaderboards — how Endless differs from Adventure.
Relics
Starting relics per character and the element-synergy relics worth chasing.
Codes
Are there Emberward codes? Current discounts and where codes would appear.
What is Emberward?
Emberward splits a tower defense run into two phases. before the battle you draft block cards — tetromino-shaped wall pieces — and arrange a maze with a limited number of blocks. Monsters walk your path while your towers shoot them; if they reach your fire source, you lose HP. After each battle you attach runes to block cards, which can buff towers, give walls special abilities, or even double a block's size.
Every run reshuffles maps, tower pools and mazes, and between runs you spend experience on talents and work toward unlocking new characters and flames. The game launched on Steam on September 17, 2026 for $16.99 (regional pricing and discounts vary) and is single-player with full controller support, cloud saves and leaderboards.
Emberward at a glance
| Developer | Refic Games |
|---|---|
| Launch date | September 17, 2026 (Steam 1.0) |
| Genre | Roguelite tower defense / strategy |
| Price | $16.99 USD (check Steam for current discounts) |
| Towers | 36 across five footprint sizes (1×1 to 3×3+) |
| Elements | Normal, Fire, Ice, Electric, Poison, Arcane |
| Modes | Adventure, Endless, Enigma Sanctum |
| Worlds | Misty Forest, Bone Desert, Frost Ruins |
Latest Emberward updates
- September 17, 2026 — Emberward 1.0 launches on Steam. Three worlds, three game modes, eight characters (two more planned) and six flames (three more planned) go live.
- Characters Estelle the Scholar and Astra the Corruptweaver are listed as unlockable in a future patch, along with the Ancient, Ghost and Candle flames.
- Endless Mode ships with 80+ stages, special event maps and public leaderboards.