The King is Watching News

[h3]Noble Kings![/h3][p]Last week we talked about terrible enemies and bosses waiting for you in the Dark Realm - a free update that’s releasing along with the Crowns of History DLC. By the way, we have just announced the release date - both the DLC and the update will be released on March 16th! [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]Today we will touch upon events, artifacts, advisors and quality of life improvements you can expect in this update. [/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h2]Events of the Abyss[/h2][p]No new map would be complete without new choices.[/p]

• [p]You may allow a deadly cat within your walls.[/p]
• [p]You may host an emperor riding a bear.[/p]
• [p]You may sell an artifact that makes you unnaturally attractive.[/p]

[p]Each choice has consequences. Some subtle. Some catastrophic.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][carousel][/carousel][p][/p][h2]Quality of Life Improvements[/h2][p]We’re also introducing a couple of quality-of-life improvements in this update, delivered as two unlockable upgrades.[/p][p]Starting Blueprint adds one extra blueprint for each King, letting you kick off your build earlier:[/p]

• [p]Baldwin — Gold Mine[/p]
• [p]Leonid — Fisherman’s Hut[/p]
• [p]Leo the Wise — Buddhist Temple[/p]
• [p]Spellus — Tile Enchanter (Epic)[/p]
• [p]Brezhnius — Fairy Fountain[/p]
• [p]Alucard — Bone Pit[/p]
• [p]Saladin — Big Well[/p]
• [p]Taizong of Tang — Brick Factory[/p]
• [p]Xerxes — King Statue[/p]
• [p]Cleopatra — Winery
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[p]For the second upgrade, we know some of you have amassed quite a stockpile of Town Denarii. We can’t just keep adding permanent upgrades to spend them on - that would push your power level too far. And we don’t want to reduce Denarii income either, since that would make the game feel grindier.[/p][p]So we came up with a solution: Special Goods. This upgrade unlocks a new section in the trader, letting you purchase rewards with Town Denarii. It does make you stronger - but only for the current run.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]New Artifacts[/h2][p][/p][p]The Dark Realm update introduces new artifacts to reshape your builds:[/p]

• [p]Summoning Sphere — Using any King ability summons a temporary standard unit.[/p]
• [p]Butcher’s Cleaver — When an enemy dies, another may flee in fear (excluding bosses).[/p]
• [p]Nail of Self-Mortification — Damage increases, HP decreases.[/p]
• [p]Nutritious Meal — Boosts damage and HP of all unit classes.[/p]
• [p]Family Portrait — When castle HP is low, all troops deal increased damage.[/p]
• [p]Last Will — Troop deaths temporarily increase building production speed.[/p]
• [p]Crown of Thorns — Converts all water into wine.[/p]
• [p]Book of Poisons — Doubles poison duration.[/p]
• [p]Recycling Manual — Troop deaths grant random resources.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]New Advisors[/h2][p]Your court expands with four new advisors:[/p]

• [p]Village Head — Start with a fully upgraded Peasants’ Hut.[/p]
• [p]Trader — Exchange resources for rewards on cooldown.[/p]
• [p]Banker — Gain +1 morale per 10 Denarii.[/p]
• [p]Nurse — Begin with the first Gaze upgrade, taken as debt.
  
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[p]That’s everything coming in the Dark Realm update, which will be available to everyone for free on March 16th, alongside the release of the Crowns of History DLC.
[/p][p]Reign firm, Noble Kings.[/p][p]~ The Hypnohead Team 👑[/p][p]
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[h3]Noble Kings![/h3][p]We’ve already spoken at length about the Crowns of History DLC. If you wish to familiarize yourself with all the details, now you can visit the DLC page, which we launched today. And, of course, if the upcoming rulers have sparked your interest, do not forget to add the DLC to your wishlists to be the first to learn about the release date and price.[/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p]But today, we turn our gaze toward something every ruler will receive.[/p][p]Alongside the DLC, we are releasing a free content update — Dark Realm. It includes[/p]

• [p]A new map, with mechanics unlike anything we have added before[/p]
• [p]A completely new set of enemies[/p]
• [p]New bosses[/p]
• [p]Interesting narrative events[/p]
• [p]Artifacts to expand your builds[/p]
• [p]New advisors to join the council[/p]
• [p]And quality of life improvements[/p]

[p]Today we will discuss the first three topics. Let us descend into the abyss.[/p][p][/p][h2]The Dark Realm[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]The Dark Realm is a dark and dangerous map. It’s inspired by the works of Lovecraft and is centered around the theme of cosmic horrors. [/p][p]Rumors speak of the Abyss taking form long before gods, goblins, or men. A devouring presence waiting for reality’s seams to tear open wide enough to consume the world. That presence has a name.[/p][p]The Kraken.[/p][p]And naturally, Your Majesty has no intention of allowing such competition to exist near your kingdom.[/p][p]On this map your city will begin with the central tile already occupied. Your agents have severed one of the Kraken’s tentacles, and your mages have bound it to ancient rune pillars. Only by focusing your Royal Gaze upon this imprisoned fragment can you force enemies to phase fully into reality. Otherwise, they remain partially beyond your realm — untouchable by your army, yet fully capable of attacking your walls and soldiers.[/p][p]This mechanic creates an entirely new dynamic. You may choose to ignore a wave or two, letting them linger beyond reality. Yet the consequences will wait for you.[/p][p]It also allows for different dynamics of boss encounters.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Enemies of the Abyss[/h2][p]The Dark Realm brings with it an entirely new set of enemies: tentacles of all horrible shapes and sizes.[/p][p]They do not march like goblins. They do not swarm like undead. Some wait motionless until you get close and others set to work building spawners. Some evolve into siege tendrils and others combine with corrupted souls to create spell-casting hybrids to attack your troops. [/p][p]You may ignore a few, you will not ignore all.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Bosses of the Dark Realm[/h2][p]Four bosses await within this map:[/p]

• [p]O’Chtulpus[/p]
• [p]Vesper, Keeper of Seals[/p]
• [p]Alexia, the Cursed Princess[/p]
• [p]The Kraken[/p]

[p]One of the first three will appear as your opening boss, each demanding a different army composition and strategy.[/p][p][/p][h3]O’Chtulpus[/h3][p]Part pirate, part eldritch abomination. O’Chtulpus stared into the abyss and decided it needed better revenue streams. He enters battle like a sea captain boarding a coast, cannons strapped to writhing limbs.[/p][p]He bombards your forces from afar, but should you close the distance, he slams the ground to scatter your troops and resume firing. Once weakened, he takes to the skies and crashes down in devastating impact strikes.[/p][p]Prepare to be raided by the sea itself.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Vesper, Keeper of Seals[/h3][p]Vesper, on the other hand, is a beast of a different kind, a master of all the spells known to humankind. Sorcerers talk of him as a dark god of magic, a patron deity who responds to desperate pleas, a hooded miracle who appears when all other magic fails and reality seems to unravel. Many have tried to worship him, many have begged, a few have even tried to bind him, but none have managed to retain their souls.[/p][p]Vesper has learned all the secrets worth knowing, all the true names of the spells, all the hidden locks in a human brain, all the shortcuts to make even the impossible spell feel almost effortless. And he is ready to use all of this in a fight. He will rain down on your troops all spells that you enjoyed before. Be especially careful when dropping his health below thresholds[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Alexia, the Cursed Princess[/h3][p]Once a princess of a forgotten court, now an eternal wraith crowned in thorns. Her curse did not end her life - it elevated her beyond it.[/p][p]Ghosts answer her call. Spirits swarm your troops. She stands serene while your army is dragged into a haunted procession.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]The Kraken[/h3][p]This will be a unique boss that plays completely differently from anything you’ve faced before. We really wanted it to feel like you’re slaying a true eldritch monstrosity - one piece at a time. The map mechanic also gives the player indirect unit control, and we’ve leaned into that to the fullest with the Kraken.[/p][p]Don’t prepare for a blitz - prepare for a prolonged siege. Defeating it will take longer than any other boss in the game, so to keep the overall playtime within reasonable limits, we decided to skip Tier 2 bosses on this map entirely. The Kraken will summon troops and retreat into hiding until you’ve dealt with them all. Its HP bar is longer than a highway, and its attacks can one-shot your troops if you’re not careful. Stay sharp.[/p][p]We don’t want to spoil too much - you’ll have more fun discovering it for yourself once the update is live.[/p][p][/p][p]That’s all we wanted to share with you today - more coming next week![/p][p]We wish your kingdoms to prosper and your enemies to tremble in fear.
~ Hypnohead team.[/p][p]
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[h3]Noble Kings,[/h3][p][/p][p]The final ruler in the Crowns of History DLC makes his grand entrance, accompanied by servants and gold sand. [/p][p]Xerxes. [/p][p]He is the only King in this DLC equally inspired by both a legendary ruler from history and his dramatic portrayal in modern media. He is an emperor, a warlord, and above all, a ruler of risk and overwhelming power. [/p][p]In Xerxes' hands, victory is total. Defeat is instant. [/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h2]The Ultimate Glass Cannon [/h2][p]Xerxes brings us one of the most daring game experiences we've ever made. [/p][p]All of the ruler's armies suffer from a crippling 90% reduction in maximum health. On the flip side, their damage output is multiplied several times over. With Troop Trainings, this damage output increases exponentially, making this army the ultimate Glass Cannon. [/p][p]In theory, this makes them unstoppable, especially if executed flawlessly. An entire army or even a boss can be eliminated before it even gets a chance to retaliate. [/p][p]But one mistake… and your army shatters in an instant.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Royal Abilities [/h2][p]To control this power, Xerxes wields three tools of precision. [/p][p]His first ability, Ephemeral Existence, grants temporary invincibility to your troops — a brief moment where glass becomes unbreakable.[/p][p]His second ability, Summon Reflection, calls forth temporary elite units known as Immortals in the location of your choice. They can distract enemy forces, reinforce collapsing lines, or surgically eliminate backline threats.[/p][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]His third ability, Sands of Time, resets all cooldowns, including those from Advisors. With this, you can execute powerful combinations of abilities, potentially changing the tide of the whole run.[/p][p]Under Xerxes, combat is not sustained. It is explosive.[/p][p][/p][h2]Surviving the Edge[/h2][p]Completing Xerxes’ quests will grant you more power for your fragile legions. Once you have gathered 300 Wine, all of your units will have a 25% Evasion Chance, which greatly improves their survivability. Should you be lucky enough to survive several consecutive waves without losing any unit, your army’s attack range will increase, making them even more dangerous.[/p][p]The fragile empire can become terrifyingly efficient with the right artifacts and the right advisors, for example, the Phoenix.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Historical Inspiration[/h2][p]Xerxes I ruled the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the 5th century BCE. He is most famous for his massive military campaigns against the Greek city-states, including the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis.[/p][p]Historical records portray him as both a powerful monarch commanding one of the largest armies of his time and a ruler whose ambitions pushed the limits of empire. Modern media, particularly film adaptations, amplified his image into something larger-than-life - stylized, theatrical, and intimidating.[/p][p][/p][p]The version of Xerxes you command in The King Is Watching pulls from both inspirations, mixing historical grandeur with a touch of cinematic flair, all shaped first and foremost around what feels best to play.[/p][p]With Xerxes revealed, the Crowns of History stand complete.[/p][p]You can read about other rulers in our previous announcements about Cleopatra and Taizong of Tang[/p][p][/p][p]Three rulers.[/p][p]Three philosophies.[/p][p]Three entirely different ways to conquer - or collapse.[/p][p]The choice, as always, is yours.[/p][p]~ The Hypnohead Team[/p][p]
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[h3]Noble Kings,[/h3][p]Previously, we revealed the first ruler from the upcoming Crowns of History DLC, and today, we’re pleased to share the second: the king of discipline, order, and fortifications – Taizong of Tang.[/p][p]Where others rely on chaos or sacrifice, Taizong relies on fortifications that will never fall.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][h2]Master of Offensive Structures[/h2][p]As we prepare the upcoming update, we're introducing a new building type – Offensive Structures. This type will include familiar buildings like the Cannon and Tesla Tower, as well as a few new additions, all designed to destroy your enemies from the safety of your castle walls.[/p][p]Under the guidance of Taizong, these structures will become the core of your strategy, with the bonus of Taizong's Morale ability increasing the effectiveness of all Offensive Structures by 2% per point of Morale.[/p][p]To additionally bolster defences, he may recruit Crossbowmen to man gates and walls. These recruits will not use any of the unit limit however, allowing him to fortify without sacrificing the effectiveness of the army.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]From the very start of a run, Taizong will have the Brick Factory blueprint, ensuring that any breach will always be temporary. Taizong's quests will enhance his style of ruling, improving Crossbowman damage output and rewarding the player with Fuel upon completion.[/p][p][/p][h2]Imperial Abilities[/h2][p]Taizong's abilities demonstrate the characteristics of careful and escalating power.[/p][p]His first ability, More Firepower, grants an Offensive Structure blueprint and recruits an additional Crossbowman to guard the castle.[/p][p]His second ability, Emperor’s Wrath, temporarily increases the attack speed of all Offensive Structures, transforming your defenses into a storm of steel and lightning.[/p][p][/p][p]And when the enemy lines finally falter, his third ability, Divine Punishment, calls down devastating lightning strikes across the battlefield - a celestial verdict delivered with precision.[/p][p]Under the guidance of Taizong, the castle does not survive or endure sieges - it wins them.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]
Historical Inspiration[/h2][p]Emperor Taizong of Tang was one of the greatest rulers of the Tang Dynasty in 7th-century China. Known for his military campaigns, administrative reforms, and strategic brilliance, he helped shape one of the most prosperous and culturally influential periods in Chinese history.[/p][p]Taizong was both a formidable general and a pragmatic reformer, strengthening borders while consolidating internal governance.[/p][p][/p][p]The Taizong you command in The King Is Watching is a fictional interpretation inspired by this historical legacy - adapted to fit the mechanics, balance, and tone of the game world.[/p][p]The empire grows.[/p][p]And the final Crown of History approaches from the eastern realms.[/p][p]Stay vigilant, Noble Kings. 👑
~ The Hypnohead Team[/p][p]
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[h3]Noble Kings,[/h3][p]The first ruler to step forward from the Crowns of History DLC is one whose name has echoed through centuries:[/p][p]Cleopatra[/p][p]Inspired by legend, myth, and the cultural memory of ancient Egypt, she arrives not as a mere monarch - but as the embodiment of death harnessed into power.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][p][/p][h2]Queen of Death and Rebirth[/h2][p]Cleopatra’s reign revolves around a new resource: Canopy.[/p][p]Unlike gold or grain, Canopy is harvested from loss itself. Whenever a friendly unit falls in battle, Cleopatra passively gathers Canopy. With her second ability, Harvest Bodies, she may extract it directly from corpses across the battlefield, using both friend and foe.[/p][p][/p][p]Under Cleopatra’s rule, death is not failure. It is preparation.[/p][p]Canopy fuels her ability to recruit a unique roster of eleven Egyptian units, some of which include:[/p]

• [p]Anubis Saber Masters[/p]
• [p]Sphinxes[/p]
• [p]Jinns[/p]
• [p]Pharaohs[/p]
• [p]Horus[/p]

[p]Nearly all Egyptian units share a defining trait: they trigger powerful effects upon death. Scarabs explode in violent bursts. Cobra Mages grant random non-legendary spells as their final act. Others leave lingering blessings or curses behind.[/p][p][/p][p]Her third ability, Pharaoh’s Blessing, transforms the battlefield into a ritual ground. Selected Egyptian units are granted rebirth - when they die, their death effects trigger, yet they rise again anew to continue the fight.[/p][p]Her first ability, Ancient Call, initiates the cycle by summoning a random Egyptian unit directly to her side. It will bolster your armies, while you slice enemies to get the Canopeconomy going.[/p][p]Cleopatra’s quests further reinforce this philosophy of sacrifice and resurrection, rewarding players who master the delicate balance between destruction and renewal.[/p][p]Under her command, the battlefield becomes a harvest field - and every fallen soldier a seed.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][h2]Historical Inspiration[/h2][p]Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. Renowned for her political intelligence, linguistic skill, and strategic alliances with figures such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, she ruled during one of the most turbulent periods of ancient history.[/p][p]While popular culture often associates her with romance and intrigue, Cleopatra also was a formidable stateswoman who sought to preserve Egyptian sovereignty against the expanding Roman Republic.[/p][p]The Cleopatra you command in The King Is Watching is inspired by this historical figure and the mythology surrounding ancient Egypt, but she is a fictional interpretation designed for the world and mechanics of the game.[/p][p]Cleopatra is only the beginning.[/p][p]Next week, another Crown of History rises.[/p][p]Until then, Noble Kings - may even your defeats serve a greater purpose.[/p][p]~ The Hypnohead Team[/p][p]
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