Action
Fulcrum Defender
From the makers of FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach comes a totally different kind of game...
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Description
1.06 update! 3 new difficulty modes plus some fixes + tweaks. The full patch notes is in the link section below! From the makers of FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach comes a totally different kind of game... Find your optimal build and perfect your aiming skills to survive in this crank-powered, arcade action game! At its core, Fulcrum Defender is straightforward: Shapes advance toward the center of the screen. You must aim and fire a turret to keep them at bay. If too many reach the center, it's game over. However, as the pressure builds, you'll need to select the right upgrades and weapons to be able to hold them all back. Easy to pick up and difficult to master, Fulcrum Defender will test your focus and skill! Keys to Victory Prioritize threats carefully to manage your ammo. Maintain a high Multiplier to level up ASAP. Stay calm - your Shields will slowly regenerate!
- Crank: Required
- Tilt: Not used
- Microphone: Not used
Credits
Credits Developer - There Goes Design Primary Developer - Jay Ma Additional Coding - Mauro López Music - Aaron Cherof QA Help - Plastic Fern PR Help - popagenda
Accessibility
The game menus require the use of the D-Pad, A, and B buttons. The gameplay requires the simultaneous use of the D-Pad and the Crank. It requires a fair amount of precision with the crank.
Screenshots
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Watch before you crank
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Reviews 2 videos
Gameplay and impressions 5 videos
Roundups 1 video
review
Reviews / Weekly Game Drop
Fulcrum Defender REVIEW! Playdate's Season 2 is off to a BANG! Space Shooter from FTL Devs!
review
Reviews / dogchildwild
Playdate Season 2 - Fulcrum Defender | Useless review with big stinky
gameplay
Gameplay and impressions / RedToad64
Fulcrum Defender - Let's Playdate
gameplay
Gameplay and impressions / masofdas
Fulcrum Defender - Playdate Gameplay
gameplay
Gameplay and impressions / Destination Playdate
Fulcrum Defender - Playdate gameplay + impressions
gameplay
Gameplay and impressions / GenTen Station
Let's Wing It! Fulcrum Defender on Playdate
gameplay
Gameplay and impressions / AchieGameDev
Rotational Tower Defense Roguelike | Fulcrum Defender | Playdate Games
roundup
Roundups / Quence
Fulcrum Defender, Dig Dig Dino!, & Blippo+ | Playdate Season 2
Elsewhere in the community
Independent write-ups / not member ratings
Engadget
Playdate Season 2 review: Fulcrum Defender, Dig! Dig! Dino! and Blippo+
Cheyenne MacDonald
2025-05-31
"Survive for 10min!" sounded almost like a threat when I first started reading through Fulcrum Defender 's How To Play guide. Between all the on-screen information you need to pay attention to, the many different types of enemies that'll be attacking and the various weapon upgrades you can earn over
Kelleher Bros.
Playdate Season 2 review - Part 1
Lucas Kelleher
2025-06-25
Fulcrum Defender is a crank-controlled shooter in which the player sits at the center of a circular play field, with various geometric shapes moving toward your position menacingly. You need to shoot the enemy shapes before they make contact with your turret and damage your shields. This feels a lot
Metro
Playdate Season 2 full review – the best games on the weirdest console
Nick Gillett
2025-07-30
Engineered around aiming using the crank, Fulcrum Defender is a circular and completely manual tower defence game from Subset Games, makers of FTL and Into The Breach . Unusually, you have to prevent various shapes, that fly in from the screen edges, from reaching the core in the middle. Enemies emp
Playdate: The Unofficial Website
Fulcrum Defender
Nick Simberg
2025-06-03
Spin me right ‘round
Age note: We think this game is appropriate for everyone.
AI: This game's developer created it without the use of generative AI.