Kingdom (Classic, Two Crowns, and New Lands)

[Carpet_pissr]

I think there is a thread on this game somewhere on OO, but after doing a search on "Kingdom" and seeing the number of hits, well...

So just pasting the review I left on Steam for Kingdom: New Lands. I had played "Classic" a year or more ago, and absolutely loved it in the way I loved Kingdom Rush and the original Plants vs. Zombies. Have not yet played "Two Crowns" yet. Just pure, unadulterated "gaming goodness" (ugh) with some SERIOUS heart, where making tons of money seems secondary. How many games successfully combine more than one genre? Not that many I would guess...I seem to always read reviews of games where the strongest complaints are that the game tries to do to much, or too many things, and as a result does nothing really well. This could be considered a hybrid between a 2D platformer and a city builder, I guess, but with strong strategic elements. My point here is this is unique, and it works, unbelievably (on paper it sounds horrible, to me).

Thought I would post here as you guys are the gamiest of the gamers I know, who can often see gems of gaming in indie wrappers:


OK, after having put 30+ hours into this version of Kingdom recently, I still just can't believe the depth this game has. I'm not talking "Crusader Kings" or "Civilization" depth, but just the choices, and the timing and the seemingly infinite options you have, that are not apparent until you play for quite a while.

For me, this KIND of game, and this game in particular represents (and is) the rare gem that is so totally about core gameplay, fun, balance, and difficulty vs shine, graphics, name recognition and polish (though it is VERY polished - I've come across no bugs or weird sh*t in all my hours of play), etc.

I guess you COULD call this a "casual" game but I think that does it injustice. Those crappy "hidden item" games are casual. Or Candy Crush, et al.

This is a beautiful, crafted GAME in a "casual" looking wrapper. If you are a true game lover, and really appreciate the craft, you have to check this out, I think you will appreciate it's subtlety and brilliance.

[Chraolic]

Have you tried Until We Die? I've heard it described as Metro 2033 + Kingdom, and based on what I've seen so far that sounds about right.

[Carpet_pissr]

Nope, but doing it now!

Edit: OK, looks like I will be waiting.

"Cannot recommend this game at this point of time. This game SHOULD BE in EARLY ACCESS... it is FAR from completed. Especially the fact that there is no Save function."

Multiple similar comments.

Looks great, and right up my alley, though. Nice that they have a demo!

[Hipolito]

Thanks for the tip. This does look very good.

Looks like Two Crowns is the newest in the series, so I guess I should just skip to that.

Do these games have stories, and if so, are they good?

[Hipolito]

I recently gave Kingdom Two Crowns a try on my iPad via Apple Arcade. I very much agree that this is a polished game that's about core gameplay, not flash 'n' sizzle. The fun is in discovering how things work, and it's rewarding when you get it right. I also like the largely peaceful vibe. When things get violent, I want to deal with it ASAP so I can relax again.

Still, I had some of the same frustrations expressed in the other thread. There were a few things that went over my head and certain upgrades I couldn't figure out how to unlock. I kept getting overwhelmed and killed on the second island. I tried to learn from mistakes and do things a little differently, but still kept getting overrun at about the same time. It was frustrating to lose progress repeatedly and not gain ground.

So I've put this game aside, but I do think it's a cool and unique experience to try. And I see there's a Kingdom Eighties expansion now ...

[Carpet_pissr]

There’s also a Vikings version of the game, but IIRC at least the 80’s version was panned pretty hard, and I think also the Vikings.