A wave game is a type of esports or multiplayer video game competition where players or teams compete in successive rounds or waves against increasingly difficult computer controlled opponents or challenges. The goal is to survive as many waves or rounds as possible before being eliminated.
What is a wave game?
Wave games, also sometimes called horde games or survival games, are a genre of video game where players face off against waves of enemies that become progressively more difficult over time. The core gameplay loop involves surviving as long as possible against endless waves of foes.
Some key characteristics of wave games include:
- Waves or rounds of enemies
- Enemies get tougher and stronger each wave
- Focus on survival and lasting as long as possible
- Resource management and upgrading skills/abilities between waves
- Usually co-op or single player, rather than competitive
Popular wave games span a variety of genres and settings, from sci-fi shooters like Gears of War’s Horde mode to fantasy action games like Orcs Must Die! to tower defense like Plants vs. Zombies. But they all share core wave survival gameplay.
History of wave games
One of the earliest wave-based survival games was the arcade game Space Invaders, released in 1978. Players had to defend themselves against an endless onslaught of descending aliens, getting faster and faster each wave.
The wave shooter genre saw huge growth and popularity in the 2000s and 2010s. Some key titles in the evolution of wave games include:
- 1990s – Arcade shooters like Smash TV featured simple wave-based play.
- 2008 – Call of Duty: World at War introduced a 4-player zombie survival mode.
- 2009 – Tower defense game Plants vs. Zombies defined the modern tower defense genre.
- 2009 – Horde mode in Gears of War 2 helped popularize wave survival in action games.
- 2010 – Halo: Reach’s Firefight mode became hugely popular on Xbox 360.
- 2011 – Orcs Must Die! blended action and tower defense wave gameplay.
- 2017 – Fortnite: Save the World mode combined wave defense with building.
The addictive, high intensity gameplay loop of facing endless enemies in waves has made wave survival games a staple genre in gaming today across consoles, PC, and mobile.
Gameplay elements
While wave games span many genres, they tend to share some common gameplay elements and mechanics:
- Waves or rounds – The game is divided into discrete stages called waves or rounds. Each one has a set number and type of enemies.
- Escalating difficulty – Each wave gets progressively harder with more, faster, and stronger foes.
- Survival – The goal is to survive as long as possible against the unrelenting assault of enemies.
- Resources – Players collect resources like cash between waves to upgrade defenses, weapons, or abilities.
- Base defense – Players often defend a base or location from attack by enemies.
- Progression – High scores and leaderboards provide motivation to keep playing to get further each time.
Within this basic framework, wave games include a wide variety of specific gameplay styles:
- Action – Fast-paced shooter, hack & slash, or beat ’em up gameplay.
- Tower defense – Building and upgrading stationary defenses.
- Strategy – Complex strategic unit control and base building.
- Survival crafting – Gathering resources and crafting tools and weapons.
- Hero abilities – Unique hero characters with upgradable powers.
This variety allows for wave-based gameplay to be applied in many different game genres and settings.
Types of wave games
Some of the most common types and genres of wave survival games include:
Horde modes
Horde modes are wave survival modes that are added onto existing multiplayer shooter games, like Gears of War, Halo, and Call of Duty. Players cooperatively fight off waves of enemies that keep getting tougher. Teamwork, class roles, base building, and resource management are common elements.
Tower defense
Tower defense games task players with building defenses like turrets, traps, and walls to withstand incoming waves of creeps. Maze-like paths are used to control enemy movement. Players upgrade defenses between waves. Popular examples are Plants vs. Zombies and Bloons TD.
Action wave shooters
Top-down or side-view arcade style shooters with waves of enemies. Emphasize dodging, shooting, and weapon upgrades. Examples include Smash TV, Metal Slug, and Binding of Isaac.
Boss rush modes
Boss rushes feature series of consecutive boss fights rather than waves of normal enemies. Upgrades or recovery time between bosses provides progression. Often included as extra modes in action games.
Real-time strategy
RTS games like Starcraft 2 have incorporated wave defense modes where players build bases and armies to defeat waves of enemies and complete objectives. Requires balancing offense and defense.
Survival crafting
Open world survival games like Fortnite Save the World and 7 Days to Die combine wave defense with crafting, building, resource gathering, and exploration. Preparing defenses is interspersed with scavenging.
Blending wave survival elements with other mechanics like hero abilities, loot progression, or puzzle solving creates even more variety in wave games.
Game length
Wave games are generally designed to be played over multiple attempts, with each run lasting anywhere from a few minutes to over an hour depending on the game. A few key factors determine how long a wave game session will last:
- Number of waves – Some games have fixed waves, others go infinitely.
- Wave duration – Waves can be short 30-60 second bursts or drawn out multi-stage battles.
- Difficulty curve – Steep spikes in enemy strength will end games faster than gradual ramp-ups.
- Game mode – Endless modes last longer than campaigns with set waves.
- META trange and skill – Player upgrades and skill potential heavily impact how long runs last.
Some example wave game lengths include:
Game | Run Time |
Call of Duty Nazi Zombies | ~20-60 minutes |
Gears of War Horde Mode | ~10-30 minutes |
Fortnite Save the World | ~30-90 minutes |
Plants vs Zombies | ~30-90 minutes |
League of Legends Nexus Siege | ~15-30 minutes |
DOTA 2 Mutations | ~45-60 minutes |
For arcade-style shooters and tower defense, runs might only last 5-15 minutes. Open world survival games can go for hours. Competitive scoring modes encourage multiple rapid plays while co-op modes favor lengthier games.
Scoring
High scores and leaderboards are a key part of wave games’ appeal and replayability. Scoring mechanisms vary widely but usually involve:
- Survival time – How many waves or how long in minutes survived.
- Enemies defeated – Points for each kill.
- Damage dealt – Earn points for damage, combos and headshots.
- Remaining health – Bonus points for finishing a wave with high health.
- Difficulty modifiers – Higher scores on harder difficulties.
- META bonuses – Additional points for skillful play.
Other scoring extends beyond just gameplay metrics:
- Leaderboards – Ranked standings against other players for bragging rights.
- Achievements – Challenges and trophies for specific feats.
- Progression – Leveling up your character or account.
Scoring gives players short term goals each game as well as long term goals across many games to keep wave mode gameplay engaging over time. Regular content and meta updates prevent the formula from getting stale.
Strategy and meta
Wave games often feature considerable strategic depth, especially in how defenses, characters, and upgrades are managed between waves. Key strategic decisions include:
- Resource allocation – Optimizing spending money on the most efficient upgrades.
- Loadouts – Selecting appropriate heroes, classes, or units.
- Positioning – Finding the best spots to place towers or defend from.
- Ability timing – Knowing when to use powerful abilities for maximum impact.
- Economy – Balancing spending versus saving resources.
- Technology tree – Planning smart upgrade paths for defenses or skills.
The most skilled players analyze enemy wave composition, bosses, and patterns to carefully plan their build, defense, and upgrade strategies. Combinations like slowing then burning enemies or mixing ranged and melee units demonstrate strategic depth.
As players become more experienced, popular wave games develop their own evolving metagame. Optimal team compositions, ability combinations, tower placements, and other emerging strategies define the competitive wave game meta at high levels of play.
Social aspects
Wave games commonly feature cooperative multiplayer, which facilitates enjoyable social gameplay:
- Communication – Teams can coordinate loadouts and strategy verbally.
- Roles – Different players can specialize into attacker, defender, healer etc roles.
- Clutch saves – Last second rescues of teammates about to die feel heroic.
- Comebacks – Overcoming huge waves after nearly losing feels extremely satisfying.
Playing with real people makes winning more rewarding and losing more meaningful compared to just playing against AI. Friendly competition to top the scoreboards adds extra motivation and engagement.
Reasons for popularity
Some key factors that make the wave survival format so popular in gaming include:
- Addictive gameplay – Highly enjoyable core mechanics keep players coming back.
- Short sessions – Easy to play just a few quick rounds.
- Progress and mastery – Getting further and better is very satisfying.
- Cooperative – Enjoyable to overcome challenges as a team.
- Variety – Many different enemy types, maps, and modes prevent repetition.
- Customization – Builds, loadouts, and playstyles provide player expression.
The wave survival structure crafts an intense risk-reward gameplay loop perfect for compelling competitive and cooperative experiences across a variety of genres and platforms.
Key takeaways
- Wave games involve surviving endless enemy waves that get progressively harder
- The genre became hugely popular through games like Plants vs Zombies and horde modes
- Core gameplay focuses on survival, but can be blended with many mechanics
- Run lengths vary from a few minutes to over an hour based on difficulty and design
- High score systems and competitive community metas foster motivation and engagement
- Cooperative multiplayer enhances the experience through communication and team roles
- The highly replayable, addictive core loop is key to the popularity of wave games
Conclusion
Wave survival games have carved out a hugely popular niche in gaming across genres by crafting intense, addictive gameplay loops of overcoming endless escalating odds. Their flexible formula has given rise to great strategic depth through metagames and complex tower defense while also facilitating pick up and play cooperative experiences for all skill levels. With countless ways to implement enemy waves and complementary mechanics like hero abilities, tower building, and crafting, wave games look poised to remain a staple of competitive and cooperative PvE gaming for years to come.