Knifing Mantis Announced Houston, We Have a Spungus
Developer Studio Knifing Mantis has revealed its upcoming tower defense title set for a 2027 release on PC.
Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Gaming
Live Poll
Would you choose to play a tower defense game featuring a giant alien mushroom?
Studio Knifing Mantis announced its new tower defense game, Houston, We Have a Spungus, alongside an official trailer and Steam page. Players must defend against a rapidly expanding space organism until they can trigger a nuclear strike.
Why it matters
The game challenges players to balance strategic defense placement with long-term progression. The goal is to survive waves of the organism while accumulating resources for permanent upgrades.
The game features 15 total turrets across five categories, though players are limited to six turrets per run. It also includes nine orbital abilities and four distinct enemy types.
The players
Studio Knifing Mantis
This is the independent game development studio responsible for creating and publishing the title.
The details
Players earn money by destroying biomass cells to fund a library of 400 permanent upgrades. The core gameplay loop focuses on managing the expansion of the space organism while setting up defensive lines.
Timeline
October 7, 2026: Announcement of the game.
Early 2027: Planned PC release on Steam.
Culture Shift
This title follows in the footsteps of established entries in the tower defense genre by focusing on lane management and resource-based progression. It highlights the continued popularity of incremental upgrade loops in independent strategy gaming.
Interested players can visit the game's official Steam page to add the title to their wishlist. This allows users to track the development progress and receive notifications ahead of the 2027 release date.
The takeaway
Players should focus on optimizing their turret loadouts to effectively counter different enemy types throughout the session. Early management of the organism expansion is critical to building enough wealth for late-game permanent upgrades.
Further reading
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Live Poll
Would you choose to play a tower defense game featuring a giant alien mushroom?
