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Peek At Kingdom's Minimalist Settlement-Building Strategy

Minimalist side-scrolling strategy game Kingdom [official site] caught the eye of a young ragamuffin named Nathan back in 2013. Trotting around the land as a king atop a horse, you build and upgrade a minikingdom to fend off trolls that emerge at night - all with only three keyboard keys. It's pretty fun, and pretty pretty.

Two years later, developers Noio and Licorice have returned to show off the expanded follow-up, also named Kingdom. They're planning to release it this year, but for now have a delightful new trailer to show how far the game has come since that prototype:

Watch on YouTube

As you might have deduced, everything runs off the single resource of coins. Coins convert wandering peasants to your side. Coins buy weapons. Coins buy buildings. Coins also fall out of dead rabbits, but don't let that worry your pretty little head (or the little crown which bounces adorably atop it). Having only one resource doesn't make decisions much easier, mind: will you spend that coin on a weapon for a subject or a wall? Do you need builders or knights more?

During the day, you trot around on your horse giving simple build orders and whatnot, and admiring the pretty scenery. Isn't it pretty? At night, well, you still do the same, but you might not appreciate the scenery as hordes of 'orrible things are battering at your walls and trying to kill everyone.

The 2013 prototype is still online if you fancy a play.

Kingdom is due on Windows, Mac, and Linux some time from September to the end of the year. I believe Kingdom is on Adam's Gamescom schedule, so he might have more to tell us soon.

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