[Partially Lost] TapWars: EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 (Mobile Spin-off Game)
Media Name: TapWars: EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 (or in JP: TAP WARS :地球防衛軍4.1)
Who made it: The game was developed by Esquadra, based on Earth Defense Force franchise created by Sandlot and published by D3 Publisher
Summary of the media: Released around December 2016 for iOS and Android, TapWars: Earth Defense Force 4.1 was an official mobile spin-off of the main EDF 4.1 game.
It was a clicker/tap RPG where players tapped the screen to defeat the aliens "Ravagers", you commanded the EDF troops and could continuously upgrade your units to fight off endless waves of enemies.
Current Situation: Like many mobile spin-offs, the game required a server connection to function. Eventually, it was quietly removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, and its servers were officially shut down. While the base game exists as an APK file, the game is entirely unplayable today because the backend servers are dead. No one has created a private server or an offline patch to my knowledge, meaning the actual gameplay experience is inaccessible.
Where I have looked: I have checked the Internet Archive and various third-party APK hosting sites, the APK are preserved and floating around, which is why I am classifying this as [Partially Lost] rather than [Fully Lost]. However, any server-side data, special event content, or the ability to progress past the initial loading/title screen is completely gone.
I've also searched Reddit and preservation forums for comm unity patches, emulation projects, or server dumps, but found nothing for this specific title.
Links/Sources:
Esquadra website (Japanese): https://esquadra.co.jp/archives/works/2741
YouTube trailer: https://youtube.com/shorts/0eWCHJk4DkE?is=P9vZBQ0AGLY0KV_-