# Circuit Siege > Circuit Siege is a free tower defense game. You place Pulse, Burst and Frost towers on build pads across three lanes, upgrade or sell them, and use a charged EMP to stop ten waves of invaders, including two bosses, from reaching the city within two minutes. - Play it free: https://taprusharcade.com/games/circuit-siege.html - Guide updated: 2026-10-19 - Categories: Strategy games ## Circuit Siege at a glance - **Type:** Tower defense strategy - **Players:** 1 - **How long:** 2-minute rounds - **Skills:** Resource planning, prioritising - **Daily puzzle:** No, play any time - **Controls:** Keyboard, mouse or touch - **Works on:** Phones, tablets and computers in a web browser - **Price:** Free, no download or account ## Controls - 1 2 3: Choose a tower type - E: Fire a charged EMP - Esc: Close the tower menu - Touch: Tap an empty pad to build. Tap a tower to upgrade or sell it. ## How to play Circuit Siege Choose Pulse, Burst or Frost, then tap a build pad in one of three lanes. You start with 80 credits. Tap an occupied pad to select it, then choose Upgrade or Sell. Enemies enter from the right and damage the city if they cross the left edge. Clear all ten waves before the two-minute limit with at least one of five city health points remaining. ## Circuit Siege scoring Stopped enemies earn 20 points; a boss earns 100. Defeated enemies add credits for more towers, while every five kills charge one EMP. The EMP freezes enemies for three seconds. Waves grow larger, fast runners and armored invaders arrive, and bosses appear at waves five and ten. A bar beneath each enemy shows its remaining health. ## Circuit Siege strategy and tips #### Pick the right tower Pulse costs 20 credits and fires quickly. Burst costs 40 and hits harder. Frost costs 30 and slows targets after it fires. Cover all lanes before investing everything in one tower. #### Upgrade existing pads Tap an occupied pad to open its actions. Upgrade it up to level three for more damage and a faster attack. Or sell it for 65% of the credits invested so you can rebuild in another lane. Towers automatically prioritize the enemy closest to the city within their forward range. #### Save the EMP The EMP charges after five kills and stops all active enemies briefly. Use it when a boss and smaller invaders converge near the city rather than spending it on one distant target. ### How to defend ten waves #### Opening: cover the whole field With 80 starting credits, three Pulse towers cost 60 total and let you put one in each lane. Choose a pad toward the right of a lane: enemies travel from right to left, so a right-side tower gets an earlier chance to fire. A tower never shoots into another lane. You can select a tower with the buttons or press 1 for Pulse, 2 for Burst, and 3 for Frost. #### Midgame: use kills to fund a stronger lane Each regular kill earns 12 credits and a boss earns 40. An upgraded occupied pad gains damage and attacks faster; the first upgrade costs 35 credits. Armored kills earn 16 credits and ordinary kills earn 12. When armored enemies survive ordinary hits, add Burst damage or upgrade a tower that already sees traffic. Frost slows its target for two seconds, extending the time other towers in that lane can shoot it. #### Boss waves: spend the EMP deliberately A boss arrives at the end of waves five and ten. Fast runners appear from wave three; watch their health bars and reinforce the lane they enter. Every five kills charge an EMP. It freezes active enemies for three seconds, and pressing E also activates it when ready. Wait until a boss and its escorts are in tower range before using the freeze; an EMP by itself deals no damage. The city can take four hits and survive, but the fifth ends the run. ### Common placement mistake Stacking expensive towers in one lane leaves the others open. If a lane is undefended, place a basic tower there before upgrading a different lane. A tower near the left edge has less time to fire before an enemy reaches the city. ## Common Circuit Siege mistakes - **Leaving a lane empty.** Every lane needs at least one tower before you upgrade anything. - **Building near the left edge.** Enemies travel right to left, so towers on the right get more time to fire. - **Firing the EMP early.** It deals no damage; save it until a boss and its escorts are in range. - **Selling in a panic.** Selling returns 65% of what you spent, so a late sell-and-rebuild loses credits. ## About Circuit Siege Circuit Siege is a Tap Rush Arcade original that fits a full tower defense run into two minutes. Three lanes, three tower types and ten waves keep the choices simple enough for a phone screen, while upgrades, selling and the EMP give experienced players room to plan. Each tower only fires along its own lane, so the game is about covering every lane early and then reinforcing the lane that sees armoured enemies and bosses. ## Circuit Siege: questions and answers ### Can I move a tower after placing it? Yes. Tap an occupied pad, then Sell to recover 65% of the credits spent on it. Choose an empty pad to rebuild in another lane. ### What does Frost do? A Frost hit slows that enemy for a short time, giving every tower in the lane more time to fire. ### When do I win? Clear every enemy in wave ten before the two-minute limit while keeping at least one city health point. Clearing the final wave grants a health-based score bonus. ### Why is my tower not firing? It attacks only enemies in its lane that are within its forward range. An enemy in another lane or behind the tower will not be targeted. ### How do I earn more credits? Stop enemies before they reach the left edge. Regular kills grant 12 credits, armored kills grant 16, and bosses grant 40. ### Does EMP damage a boss? No. EMP freezes every active enemy for three seconds, letting your towers land more hits. ## Play next - [Pocket Market](https://taprusharcade.com/games/pocket-market.md): Restock shelves and serve the lunch rush. - [Neon Swarm](https://taprusharcade.com/games/neon-swarm.md): Survive three waves and build your ship. - [Star Forge](https://taprusharcade.com/games/star-forge.md): Collect starlight and time your Overdrive.