Hey, Aces!
Towerborne is co‑op at its core—success starts with knowing the lay of the land, so let’s dive into navigating the map and linking up with fellow Aces.
Let’s dive deeper on our expansive hex tile map and uncover how it steers your adventure. In a short few months – guided by Founder-feedback – the ever-expanding Towerborne world has blossomed into a sprawling realm containing over 300 missions and more than 50 ventures.
Your Ever Expanding World
Our journey started with a humble yet dynamic map and has since morphed into a vast, constantly expanding world filled with missions ranging from quick loot scouring skirmishes to intricate story-rich ventures. We don’t just want you to feel the rush of the fight – we want you to feel connected to the community as we take on the Wilds, together. Prepare your gear, rally your squad in, and swing/slice/punch confidently into Towerborne’s ever-changing world – shaped by you.
World Map Progression – How it Works
Towerborne’s world gradually unfolds as each tile is revealed, beginning from your secure refuge at the Belfry. Acting as the essential bridge between the towering sanctuary and your daring missions, this map lets you push back the shroud of mystery with every discovery. Every tile might harbor secret loot, formidable foes, or unexpected rewards that enhance your journey.
As you push deeper into the Wilds, your personal map fills in one tile at a time. When you team‑up, the party inherits the group leader’s map—every tile they’ve revealed is instantly visible to everyone else. Clear a tile while grouped and it also unlocks on your map, so no one loses progress. Every mission you complete draws new adjacent tiles into view, constantly expanding the known realm. The map is not static—it refreshes as Ventures are regularly updated, modified, and sometimes replaced entirely to keep your exploration lively.
Missions, Encounters, and Quests
In Towerborne, the path you pick and the way you play is totally up to you. Among your core choices are missions, encounters, and quests. Here’s a non-comprehensive breakdown to help you understand these unique play experiences:
- Missions: Combat-centric activities that comprise most of the world map. Each mission sends you directly into battle scenarios where your main objective is defeating enemies. While important to gameplay progression, missions typically feature minimal narrative context, focusing primarily on action and exploration.
- Ventures: A specialized type of mission offering deeper gameplay, distinct challenges, and often richer rewards. Ventures include unique gameplay modifiers like Anomalies or guaranteed mini-boss encounters called Lieutenants. Unlike standard missions, ventures frequently integrate directly with ongoing storylines and may become available only upon accepting certain quests.
- Encounters: Single-time, narrative-rich scenarios found across the map. Each encounter emphasizes story and character development, immersing you in special events and unique moments outside the standard flow of gameplay. Umbra Shrines can be considered a special type of encounter, distinct in that they often blend combat, puzzles, and exploration. Upon completing a Shrine, players will learn more about – and befriend – a powerful new companion.
- Quests: Tasks given by NPCs at the Belfry or via the Request Board. Completing quests keep the Belfry safe and shed light on humanity’s plight – and also end in rewards. They may require completing specific missions or ventures, but can also involve objectives entirely separate from standard gameplay activities.
Each of these experiences uniquely contributes to your overall journey, blending action, exploration, and narrative depth to create a tailored adventure through Towerborne’s world.
Gear Score & Danger Level
Your Gear Score is crucial for survival, guiding your choices on Towerborne’s expansive world map. If an area or mission shows a red Gear Score, it’s a clear sign that your current class, skills, and equipment might not be up to the challenge yet. Level up, upgrade your gear, and hone your abilities to turn previously intimidating battles into achievable victories.
To further tailor your experience, you can dynamically adjust Danger Levels from 1 to 5 as you explore. Higher Danger Levels introduce tougher, more numerous foes and greater threats—but also offer significantly better loot and rewards. Increasing Danger Levels requires clearing specific Danger License Trials, pushing your limits and confidence as you climb.
Group Finder: Squad Up from Anywhere
What’s better than landing a perfectly timed dropkick or slicing through foes with style? Doing it alongside friends, of course! Sure, you’ve probably got a go-to crew dialed in already, but every new Ace you encounter is another chance for a new legendary story.
Group Finder is the in‑game matchmaking tool that keeps those stories rolling by pairing you with players who share your goals. To access, from the in game menu navigate to Social → Group Finder, where you can filter by goal and Danger Level. When the group is full, the leader must be on the World Map to launch the mission.
ICYMI – Towerborne hits Xbox Game Preview / Game Pass on April 29th, bringing a whole new way to team up and tackle the Wilds. On console, you’ll be able to squad up with some nostalgic couch-co-op action (only on console for now).
Your voice helps shape the Belfry, Aces. So don’t hold back—let us know what’s hitting the mark and what needs tweaking. Together, we’re building the best adventure we can.
See you out there!