The King is Watching News

[p]Loyal rulers of the realm, rally your Advisors, dust off your thrones, and ready your eyes: The King is Watching shall release on July 21st![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]The kingdom has grown strong since the days of the first demo. Your liege and his scribes have been hard at work preparing a royal bounty of new content, features, and noble challenges. So lend us your ears (or, we suppose, your eyes), for here’s what awaits you in this full release:[/p][p][/p][h3]👑 Into the Graveyard: New Level & Bosses[/h3][p]Brave rulers may now venture into the cursed mists of the Graveyard, a new realm where the dead walk and treasure lies buried![/p][p]But that is not your only peril. Each run now features three powerful bosses, chosen at random from a growing bestiary of 12 deadly enemies, each more dangerous than the last. These formidable enemies will force you to adapt your strategy mid-run, but once defeated, they’ll reward you with new tools and relics to make your reign even stronger![/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]👑 New Buildings and Troops[/h3][p]New Buildings[/p]

• [p]Fuel Pump: Converts wood and water into petrol to power advanced units and structures.[/p]
• [p]Archmage University: Casts even mightier spells than your puny wizard towers.[/p]
• [p]Tile Enchanter: After 30 seconds, enchants the tile it’s built on, granting a production bonus for the rest of the run.[/p]
• [p]Sacrificial Stone: Sacrifice Black Sheep units on this ancient stone to receive spell rewards in return.[/p]
• [p]Hero's Statue: Consumes 200 wood to grant permanent stat upgrades to all your troops.[/p]
• [p]Fisherman's Hub and Animals Farm: Gather fresh meat for your more... carnivorous forces.[/p]

[p][/p][p]New Recruitment Structures for New Troops[/p]

• [p]Academy of Nature: Enroll Healer Mages to boost your arcane army’s vitality.[/p]
• [p]Ninja Temple: Strike your enemies with deadly ninjas.[/p]
• [p]Druids' Camp of the Bear: Watch your druids transform into hulking beasts mid-battle.[/p]
• [p]Lion Circus: Summon majestic Griffins, airborne terrors at your command.[/p]
• [p]Balloon Bomber: Recruits a flying Balloon that cannot be attacked, uses petrol to drop bombs damaging multiple enemies. Requires player attention to continue its assault.[/p]
• [p]Firing Range: Produces Musketeers, reliable Ranged soldiers.[/p]
• [p]Geese Training Field: Trains Goose Riders, powerful Rider/Champion units.[/p]
• [p]Goose Hydra Nest: Mutates a Goose Rider into a terrifying Goose Hydra, a Rider/Arcane unit hungry for enemies (and bread).[/p]
• [p]Explosive Carts Factory: Creates carts that explode upon engaging with enemies.[/p]

[p]As you progress through the game, you’ll gain access to three tiers of buildings, with increasingly rare and powerful options becoming available in later stages of your reign.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]👑 New Kings & Royal Progressions[/h3][p]Choose from a noble roster of seven monarchs, each with their own unique royal abilities. Some focus on increasing troop morale, others improve your kingdom’s productivity, and others specialize in unlocking additional magic spells.[/p][p][/p][p]These abilities are unlocked by completing Challenges that ask each King to prove their worth, such as defeating the first, second, and third bosses using that King in a single run.[/p][p]Want an example? The first king, King Baldwin, abilities are:[/p]

• [p]Raise Militia: Summon 3 Peasants to fight for your cause.[/p]
• [p]Boost Production: Increases all building production by 40 percent for 10 seconds.[/p]
• [p]Request Tribute: Grants you 90 resources of your choice.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]👑 Summon the Council: Meet Your Advisors[/h3][p]Before each reign, you may now choose up to 8 from 21 Advisors to serve in your Royal Council. Each brings unique bonuses that alter your path to victory. Rule with the aid of:[/p]

• [p]Gustav: All building production increased by 5%.[/p]
• [p]Phoenix: 7% chance for fallen troops to rise again.[/p]
• [p]Unicorn: Gain 3 additional spell slots.[/p]
• [p]Golem: Building costs are reduced by 10%.[/p]
• [p]Felix the Cat: Begin your reign with a random powerful artifact.[/p]

[p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]👑 …And much More![/h3][p]We revealed only a few of the new elements, so stay tuned in the next weeks taking us to release to find out in deeper details what expects your royal kingdom![/p][p][/p][h3]👑 Prepare Thyself for July 21st![/h3][p]Whether you’re a hardened veteran of the demo or a wide-eyed newcomer, The King is Watching is about to become a true royal campaign of survival, strategy, and glory![/p][p][/p][p]We thank you all for marching alongside us through waves, goblins, and spells. Now, the throne awaits: The King is Watching, and he shall see you on July 21st![/p][p][/p][p]HUZZAH! 👑[/p]

Loyal rulers, gather around!

We’re thrilled to announce that The King is Watching has been featured at tB Connect 2025, with a brand-new animated trailer now available for your royal eyes, crafted by the expert hands at Carbot!

[h3]If you haven’t, we royally invite you to check it out:[/h3]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiL9T48aY6c

But now, let’s get to the part you’ve all been waiting for… The King is Watching will officially release this July!

The kingdom’s artists and crafters have kept you waiting, but it is finally all ready for you to sit on your throne and take up your royal role! So mark your calendars, prepare your council, and sharpen your royal eyes!

Thank you again for marching with us through all the waves, goblins, spells, and dragons. We can’t wait to start this journey officially with all of you!

HUZZAH!

Loyal rulers, gather around!

Thanks to everyone who's been playing the demo, leaving feedback, and helping us shape the game. We've been getting a lot of questions lately, so we thought it’d be a good idea to put together a little Q&A with the most frequently asked ones to share what’s going on behind the scenes. Let’s get into it!



When will the game be released?
We’re aiming to release it this summer, but it really depends on how development progresses. We're not quite ready to commit to a specific date yet, so no official announcement for now!

How has demo feedback influenced development?
We gathered a lot of great ideas and feedback from everyone who played the demo. First of all: thank you! We wrote a longer article about it, so feel free to check that out here: New Demo Results.
Short version? We were moving in the right direction overall, but your feedback helped us focus even more on what really matters.

(what really matters? Little goblin fishing animations, that’s what hahaha! Nah, we are joking… just a bit)

How do you feel about the current game balance?
We think it’s in a pretty good place for the current amount of content! That said, we’re keeping an eye on the wild builds you all are creating and sharing in Steam Communities and Discord. And that’s totally fine: in a roguelike, there should be ways to break the game and feel overpowered! Our goal is to make multiple strategies viable and ensure the process of discovering them through trial and error stays fun. Expect some balance tweaks in version 1.0!

Will the demo be updated again?
Right now, we're focused entirely on preparing the game for release. Updating the demo would slow us down, and we feel the current version already gives a solid idea of what to expect from the game.



Will you add more keybinding options?
Yes!

Why can’t you cast spells while paused?
At the moment, that’s a technical limitation. We’re considering it as a quality-of-life improvement after launch.



Is this a remake of a web game? I saw it on Itch.io before.
That version was a prototype for The King is Watching! The project originally started as a Ludum Dare game jam entry: Ludum Dare Page.
We liked it enough to create a Steam page and release it as our first demo. You can still find older versions on Itch.io, but the game has improved a lot since then. Because both we and the players enjoyed the idea, we decided to expand it into a full game.

Will it be playable on Steam Deck?
We’re aiming to support Steam Deck by release, but if not, it should come in one of the first updates.



Will you continue supporting the game after launch?
We think almost all developers, who love what they are doing, would like to support their games after release. We are not an exception here. We’re planning at least 2–3 content updates after 1.0, adding new content based on what players are enjoying most. Whether we support it beyond the first few months will depend on how the game is received.

Thanks again for all the love, feedback, and support so far. We're super excited about what's coming next for The King is Watching, and we can’t wait to share more with you soon!

Loyal rulers, gather around!

We are overwhelmed (like by an enemy invasion, but in a good way!) by the sheer amount of feedback we received after Steam Next Fest. Not only have you shared your thoughts and strategies, but over 180,000 of you have wishlisted the game. I would bow to you but the crown would fall (and we don’t want that, do we?)

Our goal today is to share with you what's coming in the 1.0 version. We will also discuss what we want to add to the game after release. To put it simply: more content, more choices, and more ways to rule your kingdom. With the core of the game polished and stable, we’re expanding and refining it based on your feedback.

Our focus right now is fully on 1.0, but we want to make it clear: this won’t be the end of the journey. While this article is all about what’s coming in the full release, we also plan to continue developing the game beyond launch, so more on that when the time comes!

Let’s dive into the details at once!



[h2]A New King, A New Playstyle[/h2]

The King’s current power is to move blocks across the battlefield. With the release version we will introduce at least one new playable King, each with his own unique powers that evolve the gameplay and change the way you strategize!

[h2]The Royal Council: More Than Just Advisors[/h2]

Advisors will be a major feature in the full game, not just for passive bonuses but as a way to shape your playthrough. While the core set of buildings and units remains the same, advisors will determine which blueprints and soldiers you can access, allowing you to avoid those that don’t suit your strategy. Think of them as a way to customize your kingdom’s loadout. Choose wisely, as their influence will define your reign!



[h2]Ascension: The Challenge Awaits[/h2]

Think you’ve mastered the kingdom? Think again! Once you finish with the base difficulty, you’ll unlock Ascensions, extra challenge modifiers that will push even the most seasoned rulers to their limits. Our goal is to have at least 7–8 Ascensions, including brutal changes like facing three bosses in a single run instead of two. Now THAT’s a challenge worthy of the most wise Kings!

[h2]A New Level: The Undead Rise![/h2]

By 1.0, we’ll be adding at least one more level, and this one comes with a chilling theme: necromancy and the undead. This cursed land will allow you to mount expeditions to unearth powerful artifacts, all while dealing with new threats, unique bosses, and dark magic. Me? Afraid? Of course not, but we will still look from a safe distance…



[h2]More Bosses, More Surprises![/h2]

Currently, the demo has two fixed bosses… but we want more! In the full game, your opponent will be randomized at the start of each run, adding new challenges and twists. A fortune teller will even forewarn you of the enemy general you’ll face, each one bringing special modifiers to your playthrough. Some may freeze your buildings. Others will make each wave stronger. And some? They might just resurrect fallen enemies as skeletons. How rude of them!



[h2]Expanded Events System![/h2]

We’re also enhancing our event system to provide clearer resolutions to your choices. Spared an enemy? Had them “removed” from the equation? The consequences of your royal decrees will be spelled out in greater detail, so you’ll always know exactly what fate you’ve sealed!
We’ve also heard your love for the witty, varied events (and their charming illustrations!), so rest assured: more are on the way!



[h2]And Of Course More… Everything![/h2]

Expect tons of additional buildings, units, and spells to expand your tactical options. This is just a glimpse of what we’re planning, so rest assured, there’s much more to come.

We’ll share more details in future updates, but for now, thank you for your support, feedback, and enthusiasm. Your kingdom awaits, and the future of The King is Watching has never looked brighter! HUZZAH!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2981670/The_King_is_Watching_Demo/

Loyal rulers, gather ‘round! The kingdom has never been more bustling! Over 240,000 of you have played the demo. That's a lot of ruling, strategizing, and, let’s be honest, occasional catastrophic mismanagement. But fear not! We’ve been watching (as always) and gathering your feedback to shape the future of the game.



[h3]The People Have Spoken (And We’re Listening, not only Watching!)[/h3]

• Loop Hero Comparisons: Many of you have compared us to Loop Hero, which is a massive honor. While we’re thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive reviews (97% positive!), we also know there’s still work to do.
  
• Difficulty Adjustments: Only 30% of surveyed players managed to defeat the boss. We've seen some crazy survival records, but we acknowledge that reaching the end is a bit difficult right now. We'll work on game balancing. But don’t worry, true masochists, we’ve got you covered: the full release will include Ascensions, with extra challenge modes for those who crave suffering.
  
  
  
  
• More Buildings, More Content, More Music: more buildings, more mechanics, more units, and more levels are on the way. And yes, your ears will be pleased with more music tracks!
  
• Resource Management Tweaks: We designed resource gathering to push players toward different strategies, but we understand that it can feel frustrating. We’ll be looking into improvements and adding clearer explanations in the tutorial and tooltips.
  
• Spells & Power Scaling: Ah yes, the Bladefall. We know it wasn’t exactly a fan favorite, and spell damage currently doesn’t scale well. Expect more powerful spells and better ways to increase their effectiveness as the game progresses.
  
• Encounters: You liked them! So we’ll be expanding on them. At the very least, we’ll add clearer descriptions of the consequences of your choices. Maybe even some long-term effects!
  
• Meta-Progression: This will be expanded significantly! Beyond purchasing upgrades, you’ll have to complete specific challenges to unlock new features. And of course, councilors will play a major role: you won’t be able to choose them all at once, meaning each playthrough will force tough decisions.
  
• More Enemies, More Bosses, More Mayhem: Expect a greater variety of enemies and multiple bosses per level. Your final showdown will be decided randomly from a pool of level-specific bosses, each bringing their own unique challenge modifier. Some will debuff extra tiles, others will try to set everything on fire (literally).
  

[h3]What’s Next?[/h3]

We will be revealing more details about our plans for the full release very soon, so stay tuned! Right now, we’re still collecting your feedback and fine-tuning our vision for the game accordingly. If you haven’t yet filled out the survey, now’s your chance:

Fill out the survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-bTlRxqGEgtMkxMEutqNaagRYPJ2pb2BsDYjdVAcfNwOOkw/viewform?usp=sharing

We’re also keeping a close eye on the Steam Community Hub and especially our Discord, where discussions, debates, and the occasional kingdom-wide conspiracy unfold.

Join us here: https://discord.gg/7yf97dNPV2



[h3]Thank You for Playing![/h3]

Your feedback is shaping the game’s future, and we’re beyond grateful. Follow the game to stay updated, and join the community to share your thoughts, strategies, and kingdom-wide conspiracies. HUZZAH!

[h2]Play the demo & wishlist the game here: [/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2981670/The_King_is_Watching_Demo/