Orcs Must Die! 1 is the peak of the series for me. There is a wonderful "crunch" that comes from the traps slaying the orcs in larger and larger quantities. You feel the "crunch" with the power you hold as an individual agent and can burn/zap/pierce the skulls of orcs. You also feel that "crunch" with every gold coin/dollar earned for each Orc killed. This game can be tough as nails to get 5 skulls on but it feels rewarding while you make those attempts. It is also the most fun trap-wise in my opinion since there are so many more ways to effectively kill enemies than just damaging them that the following games didn't build on.

This game re-ignited my love for tower defense games that I hadn't taken advantage of since I was a kid. I even enjoy what "story" there is with the main character being a smart-alec goofball that makes a choice in line with his interests.