9 Kings delivers a simple but engaging gameplay loop where selecting a king grants access to a set of cards used to place buildings and troops. Battles reward new cards, and strategic variety is encouraged through random blessings, perks, and different kings. The pixel art style and evolving buildings add visual clarity and satisfaction as you expand your kingdom. While more unique kings and game modes would enhance replayability, the Early Access launch is a promising start for developer Sad Socket. [Early Access Score = 80]

The game is a rather short, progressively difficult roguelike about building towns and waging little wars. The game is incredibly interesting, fun to play, and in a surprisingly solid state, given that it’s only releasing into Early Access. I didn’t experience any bugs, and there’s very little I would change or improve upon. If 9 Kings has caught your interest, it is absolutely a buy in my book. [Early Access Review]

Much more important is that Sad Socket has already nailed the core formula in terms of making it fun, engaging, and satisfying to play — it’s been ‘just one more run’ for me consistently since I got access and I have a feeling I’ll spill yet more blood for the Blood King in the future. [Early Access Review]