Sorcerer Tower Defense Update 31.0 — NAOYA / Culling Game

Update 31.0 [NAOYA] is the Culling Game milestone archive for Sorcerer Tower Defense. Even after Update 32.0 anniversary systems landed, colony clears, Culling Points, fragment crafts, and the Special Grade Projection Sorcerer kit remain core endgame loops. This page freezes the 31.0 fantasy so returning players know what still matters. Jump back to the Updates Hub, forward to Update 32.0, and cross-check units on Units Roster.

Peanut Butter Entertainment framed the patch around the Culling Game arc: fight culling encounters, earn points and orbs, and craft named sorcerers into your permanent roster. Official experience text highlighted new units—Projection Sorcerer, Claws Sorcerer, Explosive Sorcerer, Justice Sorcerer, Lightning Sorcerer, and Kogane—plus fresh codes at launch. The developer YouTube sneak peek embedded above (S5-fm8Q79kc) matches the Culling Game reveal cadence players watched before the number stamped 31.0.

Culling Game mode structure

Culling Game is not a single raid button. Published design notes describe a sequence of colonies that rise in difficulty (commonly discussed as a 10-colony climb). Failures cost hearts; lose your heart stock and progress resets toward the beginning. Clear the full run for a large completion reward. Along the way you bank Culling Points, open orbs, and collect craft fragments tied to specific encounters.

Practical habits that still pay off after Anniversary:

• Enter colonies with a board that can survive tempo spikes, not only lobby DPS showcases.
• Track hearts—greed resets hurt more than a slow clear.
• Spend Culling Points on the crafts you actually need; do not vacuum every shop vanity first.
• Keep orb loot sorted so Justice / Projection / Lightning fragments do not get scrapped by accident.

Mode walkthroughs and placement ideas belong under Guides; use this archive for the patch vocabulary and unit list.

Projection Sorcerer (Naoya)

Projection Sorcerer is the headline Special Grade. Community and wiki notes describe a kit built around Projection Stacks: every hit builds stacks on the target, and at 24/24 the enemy locks into a frozen frame before Frame Shatter deals massive damage plus a percent of current HP. Bigger bosses hurt harder—exactly the anti-tank fantasy Naoya players wanted.

Ability beats commonly listed across patch write-ups:

• Forced Frame — locks multiple enemies into frames (unlocks early, scales target count).
• Smash Kick — heavy hit that dumps a large stack chunk (often cited around eight stacks) onto the focus target.
• Barrage — sustained flurry that both damages and accelerates stack building at higher upgrades.

Obtainment is craft-gated through repeated Projection encounters (notes frequently cite on the order of 10 clears) plus fragment sinks. Treat him as a boss / elite specialist first and a general wave clear second until your traits and supports catch up. Compare investment order on the Tier List.

Battle pass and parallel Culling units

Claws Sorcerer

Claws Sorcerer sits on the free battle pass track for the 31.0 season. He is the accessible claw-fighter pickup for players who refuse to buy premium. Use him to fill a damage or pressure slot while you grind Projection fragments—do not skip free-pass levels during the season window.

Explosive Sorcerer

Explosive Sorcerer is the premium battle pass Mythic, known for high SPA AoE with stun utility. He is a control / tempo piece more than a pure continuous DPS tower. If you already own strong stuns, evaluate the Robux pass carefully; if your board leaks to dense packs, the stun value is the pitch.

Justice Sorcerer (Higuruma)

Justice Sorcerer anchors the Higuruma / legal-contract fantasy. Craft paths discussed in community sources include Culling encounters, Culling Point sinks such as a Justice Contract option, and Justice Fragments. Upgrade totals are steep—budget cash and points before you start the craft mid-week.

Lightning Sorcerer (Kashimo)

Lightning Sorcerer is the Kashimo-coded Special Grade damage option from the Culling era roster. Judge him on upgrade cost, placement limits, and boss value rather than trailer damage alone. He often competes with other Special Grades for the same trait crystals and board slots.

Kogane

Kogane is the odd one out: a Mythic farm / buff economy piece rather than another pure carry. Historical notes describe a high Robux limited pack at Culling launch, which means many accounts will only see Kogane through trading. If you own one, Fortune-line thinking applies—build income, then feed carries. See role framing on Units Roster.

Codes and economy leftovers

Update 31.0 shipped with three new codes at launch (exact strings rotated as seasons moved on). Later lists still reference Culling-flavored rewards such as HeadOfHei for Culling Points. Always redeem through the live Codes page instead of trusting an archive screenshot. Anniversary strings from Update 32.0 (The2ndAnniversary, PinataTowerDefence, SpinTheWheel) stack on top of whatever 31.0 leftovers remain.

Currencies to keep separate in your head:

• Coins / Gems — everyday upgrades and summons
• Culling Points — colony shop and contract crafts
• Fragments / orbs — unit-specific Special Grade unlocks
• Anniversary Crystals / Scrolls — 32.0 cauldron and event pulls (do not confuse with Culling stock)

What still matters after Update 32.0

Anniversary piñatas change end-of-stage loot and party supports, but they do not retire Projection Frame Shatter, Justice crafts, or colony heart management. A smart account runs both tracks: grab time-boxed Anniversary Traits and Wrangler/Floor/Party pieces, then dump leftover session time into Culling fragments so your Special Grade bench is ready when the candy leaves.

Cross-links

• Updates Hub — current vs archive patches
• Update 32.0 — 2nd Anniversary systems
• Codes — live redemption
• Players / Units Roster — role tags for 31.0 names
• Tier List — whether Projection outranks your current carry
• Guides — colony and raid execution
• Wiki — mode map for new players
• Links — Discord for hotfix notes when numbers shift

Update 31.0 taught the game a Culling vocabulary. Learn it once, keep the crafts warm, and let Anniversary content amplify—not replace—the Special Grade grind.