Matchmaking

Matchmaking

---

Matchmaking is a system in Tower Defense Simulator that matches up players between servers. Players will be matched up with other players who selected the same mode and squad size. They are also initially matched up based on their Level and age group, however, the system will not try to find players of similar Level forever. After a certain point, it will accept players of lower Level and higher Level, creating large gaps of Level between players. In PVP ranked matches, pairing is based on ELO and age group.

Usage

Matchmaking can be activated in two ways. The main method is using the Play button in the middle of the screen. A secondary method of matchmaking is using statues placed in the lobby, though currently only PVP mode has a statue aside from limited-time events.

Matchmaking is available for all game modes except Challenge Trials. When accessed this way, in most cases a screen with multiple options will appear. These options are Hardcore, PVP, survival, special modes and Sandbox. Going into either survival, special, or PVP will have multiple additional options appear, that being Easy, Casual, Intermediate, Molten, Fallen and Frost modes in the survival section, special contains Pizza Party, Polluted Wasteland II and Badlands II, while PVP contains casual and ranked.

Upon selecting your game mode, you will be asked to select a server size, ranging from solo to squads. In Hardcore and Voidcore modes, squads is not an option and therefore you can only select up to trios. In PVP mode, you can only play by yourself (1v1) or with one other player (2v2).

There are also a few other screens. For Challenge Maps, there is no option for it in the main Matchmaking menu. Instead, it can only be accessed through the Quests menu. For events that occurred before the Ducky Revenge Event, the old Matchmaking menu will be used instead, where a small pop up window will appear with multiple difficulty options, if they exist, then a player count for the lobby.

After getting through the mode selection, player count can be chosen. Solo creates a one player match, duo creates a two player match, trio creates a three player match and squad creates a four player match. In Sandbox Mode and during the Halloween 2025 Live Events, two additional options would appear, these being another squad option for five players and a mega option for six players. In both cases, the four player squad icon is used. However, the options for five and six players in Sandbox Mode are locked unless you own the Sandbox Plus+ Gamepass. In PVP mode, the usual options are replaced with 1v1, which has the players be in teams consisting of one player only (two players total), and 2v2, where players are in two player teams (four players total).

Selecting the player count will then start a player search. If playing in solos or if the Party size is the same as selected player count, a match will be created instantly. Otherwise, Matchmaking will begin searching for players of a specific similar statistic:

• In majority of cases, it will look players of a similar Level. This applies to majority of the modes, with all exceptions being listed below. If unable to find players of similar Level quickly, players of significantly higher or lower Level will be accepted.
• Similar age groups are also considered to ensure that all players in the match are able to see each other's messages.
• Ranked PVP looks for players of similar ELO. If unable to find players of similar ELO quickly, players of significantly higher or lower ELO will be accepted.
• Sandbox mode will instantly start the match, regardless if the selected player count actually matches the Party size. However, it will not wait indefinitely until it finds such players, it will instead pick players with lower Levels/ELO. Once all players are found, every single player's loadout, level, triumph count and loss count will be displayed, alongside their username and avatar.

• 
  Match size selection.
• 
  Party list.
• 
  Party menu.
• 
  Party invites.
• 
  Party settings.
• 
  Party invite pop up.
• 
  Match search.
• 
  Match found.

Historical Matchmaking

Matchmaking Elevator

Matchmaking Elevator refers to a Matchmaking which was never actually used in-game outside of public tests. It would move the player away from the main lobby into an elevator.

Matchmaking Elevator would put the player inside an elevator with three options, survival, hardcore and event. After either one is chosen a player count would be chosen, which could be one player, two players, three players, four players or a MEGA Server. A search for players would then begin, where player avatars would start appearing inside the elevator.

It would be accessible through a "Play" button on the screen.

• 
  UI.
• 
  Mode type selection (public test).
• 
  Match type selection (teasers)
• 
  Match size selection (public test).
• 
  Match size selection (teasers).
• Elevator animation.
  Elevator animation.
• Elevator UI.
  Elevator UI.
• Elevator UI.
  Elevator UI.
• Searching for players.
  Searching for players.
• Public test music.
  Public test music.
• Unused music.
  Unused music.

Legacy Event Matchmaking

Legacy Event Matchmaking refers to an early version of Matchmaking used by the Solar Eclipse Event and Duck Hunt Event. It was a far more primitive version of Matchmaking, as it had no actual options for the player. The match size would always be the highest one available (quads), meaning that if the Party was not full, the game would fill out the rest of the slots with other players.

In v1.4.0, roughly five months after the Duck Hunt Event had concluded, the game would receive proper Matchmaking statues in the lobby which would use a slightly different UI and give the player the option to pick the match size. Because of this change, Legacy Event Matchmaking did not end up being used for the Violent Night Event.

• 
  Party pop up.
• 
  Party menu with no Party.
• 
  Party invites.
• 
  Party menu.
• 
  Searching for players.

Gallery

Mode Icons

• 
  Current Easy Icon
• 
  Current Casual Icon, Former Easy Icon
• 
  Former Casual Icon, Former Intermediate Icon
• 
  Current Intermediate Icon
• 
  Former Molten Icon
• 
  Current Molten Icon
• 
  Current Fallen Icon
• 
  Current Frost Icon
• 
  Current Hardcore Icon
• 
  Former Hardcore Icon
• 
  Current Special Icon
• 
  Former Special Icon
• 
  Current Survival Icon
• 
  Former Survival Icon
• 
  Current PVP Icon
• 
  Former PVP Icon
• 
  Current Casual PVP Icon
• 
  Former Casual PVP Icon
• 
  Current Ranked PVP Icon
• 
  Former Ranked PVP Icon
• 
  Current Sandbox Icon
• 
  Former Sandbox Icon
• 
  Null & Void Event Night 1 Easy Icon
• 
  Null & Void Event Night 1 Hard Icon
• 
  Null & Void Event Night 2 Easy Icon
• 
  Null & Void Event Night 2 Hard Icon
• 
  Null & Void Event Night 3 Easy Icon
• 
  Null & Void Event Night 3 Hard Icon
• 
  The Final Act Event Icon
• 
  Backyard Legends Event Mission 1 Easy Icon
• 
  Backyard Legends Event Mission 1 Hard Icon
• 
  Backyard Legends Event Mission 2 Easy Icon
• 
  Backyard Legends Event Mission 2 Hard Icon
• 
  Backyard Legends Event Mission 3 Easy Icon
• 
  Backyard Legends Event Mission 3 Hard Icon

Squad Size Icons

• 
  Solo Icon
• 
  Duo Icon
• 
  Trio Icon
• 
  Quad Icon
• 
  Solo Icon (Elevator Matchmaking)
• 
  Duo Icon (Elevator Matchmaking)
• 
  Trio Icon (Elevator Matchmaking)
• 
  Quad Icon (Elevator Matchmaking)
• 
  Quad Icon (Elevator Matchmaking, Backgroundless Version)
• 
  Party Icon (Elevator Matchmaking)

Backgrounds

• 
  Survival Background
• 
  Hardcore Background
• 
  Special Background
• 
  PVP Background
• 
  Sandbox Background
• 
  Easy Background
• 
  Casual Background
• 
  Intermediate Background
• 
  Molten Background
• 
  Fallen Background
• 
  Frost Background
• 
  Generic Player Count Background
• 
  Generic PVP Background
• 
  The Final Act Event Easy Background
• 
  The Final Act Event Hard Background
• 
  Backyard Legends Event Mission 1 Background
• 
  Backyard Legends Event Mission 2 Background
• 
  Backyard Legends Event Mission 3 Background

Trivia

• Although it was implied in V1.71.0 that all statues in the lobby were removed except for those of PVP, they were actually moved underneath the map as you can briefly catch them if you fall out of the Main Lobby.