Even at its release, The King is Watching was a commendable roguelike strategy game. However, it suffered from significant flaws that hindered the overall enjoyment. Subsequent updates and the “Crowns of History” expansion have successfully addressed most of these issues. Now, the game constantly draws players back, eager to experiment with its diverse mechanics.
Pigeons Guarding Peace
In The King is Watching, your mission is to defend your kingdom against incursions from the forces of darkness. Players can customize each wave’s composition, balancing difficulty with potential rewards. A higher threat level increases enemy power but also boosts the influx of resources crucial for meta-progression. Activated advisors offer beneficial effects that synergize effectively with specific kings.
All buildings that produce resources and units initially lie dormant. To activate them, the King’s gaze must be directed upon them. Rulers are distinguished by their unique gaze shape, special abilities, passive bonuses, and morale-based buffs (kingdom morale improves through wine, special units, and specific constructions). Each king comes with a set of associated quests, such as felling trees, defeating bosses, or enhancing troop health. Completing these tasks yields rewards.
Thanks to balance refinements, constructing offensive structures has become more straightforward. With their aid, high threat levels no longer seem insurmountable. A combination of upgraded peasants and pigeon coops, for instance, proved effective against the Golden Dragon – a foe that previously caused significant issues. The “pigeon bombardment” left the colossal reptile with no chance.
The game provides a preparation phase before bosses crash into the battle. Each boss possesses unique characteristics that make encounters distinct: enemies might rain fire from above, summon reinforcements, or erect barricades. Increasing the threat level activates additional boss abilities, such as reducing production, filling army limits with useless creatures, weakening spell damage, or affecting the King’s gaze. Countering these requires building specialized structures.
Completing the game and fulfilling challenges rewards players with resources. These resources are used to purchase kingdom and troop upgrades, new units, kings, and advisors. The steady pace of meta-progression facilitates a deeper understanding of the game’s numerous mechanics.
New Locations and Kings – New Fun
The Graveyard
At the Graveyard, players can hire Grave Diggers – weak, temporary units who unearth relics. These found artifacts can then be exchanged with a charming elven trader for upgrades and unique units. This mechanic allows players, if they choose, to assemble a formidable army of the dead.
The Volcano
The Volcano is a ‘hot’ location in every sense, where a new resource can be mined. Runes are awarded for sacrificing units and materials or for increasing wave difficulty. In exchange for these runes, an alluring demoness will provide upgrades and the opportunity to raise a hellish army. However, dealing with demons often comes with unpleasant consequences, such as increased volcanic activity.
The Edge of Madness
The Edge of Madness stands out as the most unique location mechanically. Here, enemies are invulnerable until a special structure is activated. This invulnerability is balanced by the fact that most foes remain passive on the battlefield, allowing ample time for preparation before engaging in a clear-out.
King Taizong excels in this area. His specialization in offensive buildings allows for clearing most threats without incurring losses.
Kings from the “Crowns of History” Expansion
Queen Cleopatra
Her abilities enable the conversion of corpses into canopic jars, which can then be used to summon and revive Egyptian warriors. Playing as Cleopatra unlocks unique barracks for specialized units that require these canopic jars for recruitment. This ruler often utilizes clay – a resource typically useful only under specific circumstances and otherwise inert.
Taizong
A master of offensive buildings. The monarch’s primary ability places invulnerable archers on walls and grants a blueprint for a combat structure. This hero’s traits are so potent that players can confidently adopt a purely defensive strategy, conserving resources by not needing to raise large armies.
Xerxes
Transforms the army into ‘glass cannons.’ Xerxes’ passive ability significantly boosts warrior power but critically reduces their health in return. The ruler’s active skill, granting temporary invulnerability, helps units survive.
Diagnosis
The King is Watching remains a challenging yet captivating strategy game to master. Players will frequently face defeat before accumulated experience and meta-progression enable them to overcome the arduous trials. However, these efforts are well-rewarded: the depth of mechanics and the expanded tactical possibilities post-patches draw players deep into the game.
It was incredibly difficult for me to tear myself away from playing to write this review, and I intend to return to the game immediately. The new combinations of kings, advisors, and spells wonderfully refresh the gameplay. If the developers continue to add quality content and refine the balance, the project’s replayability will truly become exceptional.