Kingdom: New Lands

After having played all other games from the Kingdom franchise, I recently noticed that I had Kingdom: New Lands in my library and finally played that one. I can attest that of all the games in this series, this is the worst iteration. When buying this game you are basically paying for a buggy alpha version of Kingdom: Two Crowns. It offers exactly the same but fewer features that also exist in Two Crowns but only half-baked, it also features a stupider AI, slower gameplay and more bugs. It is basically an Early Access release of Two Crowns. It is incomprehensible to me why these two games would be sold as separate full releases. This game is in no way worth its price while it is coexisting with Two Crowns, and in my opinion it is not even worth the current generous sale price of -90% when you can just get the full relea-, sorry, I meant Kingdom: Two Crowns instead.

This game shows that you don't need a massive budget or a bunch of complex mechanics to make something genuinely fun. The pixel art is beautiful, the atmosphere is great, and there are tons of little animation details that make the world feel alive. At first it seems like a simple game, but it's easy to see how much care went into every little detail. I've seen people say this game is easy, but I really don't agree. You have to think ahead and plan your moves, especially on the last island. And if you're going for 100% completion, be ready for a pretty tough challenge. One thing I learned the hard way: don't waste your money early on. It doesn't seem like a big deal at first, but you'll definitely feel the consequences later.

Хочешь почувствовать себя королём? Вот тебе 2 золотых и три бомжа — теперь защищайся от толпы голодных тварей, которые явно умнее тебя.

O jogo é bom, vc escraviza uns pobres pra construir um forte e se proteger das hordas e depois simplesmente vai embora e deixa eles pra serem mortos pelos bichos kkkkk Com o passar do tempo fica bem difícil

Side-scroller survival game with very light colony sim elements. Plays almost identically to the first game, but over a series of increasingly difficult maps instead of just the one. Honestly, the aesthetic is nice, but it feels mechanically shallow and gets repetitive too quickly to justify finishing the whole campaign. Honestly, just play the original Kingdom if you're really itching for it.

Хватило на 10 часов, дальше духота. Неплохо, но мало!

Sorry, I'm very disappointed in this. Maybe I got the wrong idea from the trailer and the store page, but the game turned out to be a very boring rushy farming crap. Yea, tower defense, not much like it. The gameplay is very monotone and dull, no fun spikes or anything. Sorry, I'm very sorry, but I did not like this at all.

When a game makes time disappear, even after a confusing start, that usually means it is doing something right. This is the perfect game that gives you just enough energy to turn your bain off while playing, but at the same time, you'll understand when you've made a mistake. Which I think, strikes a good balance of relaxing and tension. Overall vibe is cozy strategy with surprisingly addictive "just one more day" energy. The Good - Gorgeous pixel art and lighting make the world feel peaceful and immersive. - Audio design is genuinely excellent and makes progression feel satisfying. - Simple core loop of make money by day, survive the night is easy to grasp and hard to put down. - Strong sense of discovery (and understanding) when systems do start to click for you. - Cozy atmosphere mixed with light tension hits a great balance. - Feels perfect for short sessions or mobile play (yes you can get this game on apple or android) - Addictive progression pacing makes time fly without noticing. - Hidden gem energy with a clear, focused gameplay vision. The Not-So-Good - Onboarding is weak and early confusion can feel slightly annoying. I'm not asking for them to hold my hand, but SOME guidance, would have been nice lol. - Lack of UI clarity can make it hard to understand priorities. - I betcha some players will bounce before the loop even fully clicks for them, which is a shame. This is an easy recommendation if you enjoy cozy strategy or low pressure management games. Like I said, once it clicks, it becomes extremely satisfying and hard to stop playing. The weak onboarding is real but does not meaningfully hurt the experience (in my opinion). I'd still recommend picking this game up at full price, because I personally think it's worth it. That being said, it does go on sale often! 😉

I don't want to give this game a negative review but I would recommend that if you play the Kingdom series, that you play New Lands first. If you play Kingdom Two Crowns first then it may ruin the enjoyment of this game. I stopped playing it when I realized that nothing new was going to be brought to the game as I had already played Kingdom Two Crowns first. In other words, I had already played the game with more features, if that makes sense. If you go from New Lands to Two Crowns then you'll be pleasantly surprised but it doesn't work backwards. At least it didn't for me.