ʻO Desktop Tower Defense, a i ʻole DTD, he pāʻani pale hale kiaʻi papakaukau i hana ʻia e Paul Preece i Malaki 2007. ʻO ia kekahi o nā pāʻani Tower Defense mua i hāʻawi i ka mana i ka mea hoʻohana ma luna o ka maze ma ka ʻae ʻana i ka mea pāʻani e kau i nā hale kiaʻi ma ka palapala ʻāina hoʻokahi a nā ʻenemi e hele ai.
Hoʻokani ʻia ʻo Desktop Tower Defense ma luna o kekahi palapala ʻāina e like me ka papakaukau keʻena. Pono ka mea pāʻani e hoʻōki i kekahi helu ʻenemi i koho ʻia, i ʻike ʻia ma ka ʻano pāʻani he "creeps", mai ka hōʻea ʻana i kekahi wahi i koho ʻia ma ka kahua pāʻani. Hoʻokō ʻia kēia ma ke kūkulu ʻana a me ka hoʻonui ʻana i nā hale kiaʻi e pana ana, e hōʻino ana a e pepehi ana i nā creeps ʻenemi ma mua o ko lākou hiki ʻana i ko lākou pahuhopu. ʻAʻole like me nā pāʻani pale hale kiaʻi ʻē aʻe he nui, ʻaʻole i hoʻonohonoho ʻia ke ala o nā creeps ponoʻī; akā, ʻo nā hale kiaʻi i kūkulu ʻia ke hoʻoholo i ke ala o nā creeps, ka poʻe e lawe i ke ala pōkole loa i hiki iā lākou ke loaʻa i ka puka. ʻAʻole ʻae ka pāʻani i ka mea pāʻani e hana i kahi puka hiki ʻole ke komo loa, akā ʻo nā hoʻolālā koʻikoʻi e pili ana i ke alakaʻi ʻana i nā creeps i loko o nā alaloa lōʻihi, ʻōniʻoniʻo.