Kingdom is a 2D sidescrolling strategy/resource management hybrid with a minimalist feel wrapped in a beautiful, modern pixel art aesthetic.
My colleague Oliver Joyce brought this indie game to my attention a few days ago. After reviewing the Steam screenshots and video, Oliver and I had a lengthy discussion about Kingdom’s lovely aesthetic and atmospheric ambiance. Last night I finally had a chance to play this game, and though it was not exactly what I thought it would be initially, I was not disappointed.
Kingdom is a side scrolling resource management / survival game where you take control of a lone princess thrown into a dark and ominous landscape.
After a short horse ride you come across a wandering man, I drop a gold coin for him. He pledges his allegiance to me and joins my side, a few strides later various interaction points are presented where you can drop coins in exchange for goods and services. Hire more followers, buy building tools, and slowly start building the foundations of your new glorious kingdom.
But the night is dark and full of terrors.
When the sun eventually falls and the moon rises, with it so do attacking hordes of foul monsters, intent on capturing the crown worn by the princess. Camp fortification is the name of the game.
And that’s pretty much how the game loop flows.
Build your kingdom during the day, arm your men, build walls and hope they last the night.
When dawn eventually comes, repair the damage, expand your keep. Rinse repeat.
It’s a simplistic logic flow, but it works quite well in the context, especially when wrapped by such gorgeous pixel art.
The game designers attention to detail is immediately evident. There are subtle environmental effects that are carefully crafted to give the games environment an organic feel.
I underestimated this aspect when I first started playing, I looked at the trees for movement but disappointingly found non. However, as the day/night cycle progressed, I started seeing the trees awaken with movement. So unlike most games where tree/grass movement is either constant or completely non existent, Kingdom has differing wind patterns throughout the day!
For that I can only raise my hands in praise.
Don’t expect a massive amount of depth here, that’s not the kind of game it is. With a permadeath system it’s inherently casual, and with mid-core RPG elements it will cater to both casual players and RPG fans alike.
Very nice work indeed.
Check out the webpage and Steam pages for more info:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/368230/
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