Bardbarian is a fantasy tower defense game, primarily an action game with minor strategy elements. The player takes the role of Brad, a hero and local barbarian for hire, who awakes to the sounds of his town under siege. Brad, however, has grown tired of the usual lifestyle of XP grinding, saving useless non-player characters (NPCs), and living only to destroy. This time, Brad has decided to use his misplaced crafting skills to fashion a lute out of an old war axe.