Beginner map
Skull Tweak
Daily challenges
More Beginner maps
Info
Skull Tweak is one of the newest Beginner maps, added in Version 55.0 in June 2026. It is a remake of Skull Peak from Bloons TD 5, rebuilt with new art and 3D models and a number of gameplay changes.
In a normal game, bloons enter from the left along the bottom of the map, take a couple of turns around a big nest, climb a bridge, loop through the inside of a giant rock skull across more bridges, go around the back of the skull and leave along the top. There is one entrance and one exit, and the track is about 41 RBS long, an average length for a Beginner map.
The biggest change from BTD5 is the skull itself. You can no longer place towers on the skull rock, and it now blocks line of sight, which makes the map a little harder than the original. The crevasses from Skull Peak return, and so does the lake at the top, giving you water spots that suit Monkey Buccaneers. A rock cliff at the bottom is partly high ground, but it does not see the whole track. There are no removable objects.
The map hides a secret called Party Peak. Before the first round starts, tap the four water puddles in this order: bottom left, top right, top left, bottom right. The chimes rise in pitch if you are doing it right. Then tap the nest and accept the "Do you seek Party Peak?" prompt. Two Radadactyls start a party on the nest and the skull, the music changes, and the track changes completely: bloons now enter from the skull's eyes in two lanes. The left lane turns at a right angle and exits at the top, the right lane runs straight down and exits at the bottom left, and bloons on these lanes move 20% faster. This makes the map much harder.
Compared with other Beginner maps, Skull Tweak has limited open space and a big central obstacle, so flying towers and towers that ignore vision are especially valuable.
How to beat Skull Tweak
Map overview for strategy
In its normal form, Skull Tweak is a fair Beginner map. The path is decently long, it loops around the nest and through the skull, and the lake gives you good water spots for Buccaneers. The challenge is the skull: you cannot build on it and it blocks vision, so towers that need line of sight lose part of their coverage.
That makes flying towers and towers that ignore vision more valuable than usual. Heli Pilots, Monkey Aces, Mortars and Druids all work well. A Spirit of the Forest (Druid middle path tier 5) is one of the strongest options, because its vines cover so many stretches of track at once.
The nest near the start is a good spot for medium-range towers, although it is hard to fit a Village and your main damage tower inside it together.
If you activate Party Peak, the map becomes a two-lane sprint with very short, fast lanes. Treat it as an extra challenge rather than a normal Beginner map.
Best towers
- Druid 0-5-0 (Spirit of the Forest) later on, with a cheaper Druid of the Jungle (1-3-0) in the mid-game.
- Ninja Monkey 4-0-1 and 2-0-4 near the nest.
- Alchemist 4-2-0.
- Monkey Buccaneer 3-2-0 / 2-4-0 in the lake.
- Heli Pilot 4-0-2 and Monkey Ace 2-0-4: flying towers ignore the skull.
- Mortar Monkey: ignores line of sight.
- Monkey Village 2-2-0.
Best heroes
- Obyn Greenfoot: buffs Druids and other magic towers, which suits a Spirit of the Forest plan.
- Admiral Brickell: good in the lake with Buccaneers.
- Etienne: his drones fly over the skull.
- Quincy: cheap and simple.
Easy and Medium
Start with a Dart Monkey and your hero near the nest. Add a Ninja for camo, an Alchemist or Mortar for leads, and a Buccaneer in the lake. A Destroyer and a 4-0-1 Ninja win Medium.
Hard
Farm two Banana Farms where space allows. Build a Ninja and Alchemist near the nest, a Destroyer and Monkey Pirates in the lake, and a Druid of the Jungle. For rounds 76 to 80, add Sticky Bombs and a Heli Pilot. Before buying any expensive tower that needs vision, check its range circle carefully: a Super Monkey or Sniper placed on the wrong side of the skull can miss half the track, which is an expensive mistake on a map with so little building space.
CHIMPS
- Rounds 1 to 6: hero and a Dart Monkey near the nest.
- Rounds 7 to 18: a Ninja Monkey near the nest, upgraded to 2-0-1 before round 24.
- Rounds 19 to 30: an Alchemist for the round 28 leads.
- Rounds 31 to 45: Ninja to 4-0-1, Alchemist to 3-2-0, a Buccaneer in the lake towards 3-2-0 Destroyer.
- Rounds 46 to 63: a 2-2-0 Village, a Druid placed where it sees many stretches of track, and a Sticky Bomb Ninja by round 60.
- Rounds 64 to 80: Alchemist to 4-2-0, Druid to 1-3-0 Druid of the Jungle, and a 2-4-0 Monkey Pirates boat.
- Rounds 81 to 100: take the Druid through tier 4 to Spirit of the Forest (1-5-0), plus Sticky Bombs and an Apache Dartship for 98 to 100.
Impoppable
Space is limited, so farm early in the few open spots. Spirit of the Forest is an excellent Impoppable anchor here.
Other modes
- Magic Monkeys Only: Druids and Ninjas are strong here.
- Military Only: Buccaneers, Heli Pilots, Aces and Mortars.
- Deflation: Ninja, Alchemist and a Destroyer.
Dangerous rounds on this map
- Round 24: one camo green. The skull can block your camo tower's view.
- Round 28: six leads.
- Round 40: the first MOAB.
- Round 63: 122 dense ceramics. Make sure your damage is not hidden behind the skull.
- Round 76: 60 regrow ceramics.
- Round 78: camo ceramics and purples. Purples resist fire, energy and plasma, which matters for Druid lightning.
- Round 95: camo regrow purples and fortified leads, then MOABs and DDTs.
- Round 98: 30 fortified BFBs and 8 ZOMGs.
- Round 99: 60 MOABs and 9 fortified DDTs.
- Round 100: one BAD that ignores slows.
The BTD6 Master YouTube channel has video guides for Skull Tweak.
Frequently asked questions
How do you activate Party Peak on Skull Tweak?
Before round 1, tap the water puddles in this order: bottom left, top right, top left, bottom right. Then tap the nest and accept the prompt.
What does Party Peak change?
Bloons enter from the skull's eyes in two short lanes, move 20% faster, and the music changes. It is much harder than the normal map.
Can you place towers on the skull?
No. Unlike BTD5's Skull Peak, the skull cannot hold towers and it blocks line of sight.
What is the best tower for Skull Tweak?
Spirit of the Forest is one of the best late-game choices because its vines cover many stretches of the path.
How much Monkey Money does Skull Tweak give?
First-time medals pay 75, 125, 200 and 300 Monkey Money for the Easy, Medium, Hard and Impoppable/CHIMPS tiers. Replays pay one fifth.
Is Skull Tweak harder than Skull Peak from BTD5?
Slightly. The skull no longer holds towers and now blocks line of sight, so you lose the strong central spot the old map had.
Recent challenges and events on Skull Tweak
| Date | Type | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2026 | Odyssey Event | Deflation (Medium) |
Guides for every mode
Medium4/4
Hard5/5
Impoppable2/2
