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Game page9 Kings: choose rivals with their cards in mind
Combine buildings, troops and spells to grow a kingdom and prepare for attacks from rival kings in this roguelike.
Your starting deck is not the limit: war and peace help shape which rivals’ cards you can bring into the kingdom.
What makes it fun
Build with rival kings’ cards
Cards won from rival kings can join your kingdom. Mixing their troops and buildings with your starting deck lets you build across the kings’ distinct arsenals.
Make placement pay off
Where you put troops and buildings changes how support structures and buffs work together. Your card choices take shape on the board as you strengthen a chosen troop to repel an attack.
Solve a build in Quest Mode
Quest Mode gives you conditions to work around with your cards and placement. Finding a combination that breaks through feels like solving a puzzle.
Game details
As of Oct 29, 2026- Steam Deck
- Verified
- Release date
- May 23, 2025
- Developer
- Sad Socket
- Languages
- Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Korean ／ 30 languages total
A typical run
Choose a king and begin with a distinct starting deck of buildings, troops and spells.
Recruit and strengthen units in your capital, developing the kingdom with positioning in mind.
Rival kings who attack your lands can provide cards from their own decks.
You can make peace with kings whose units do not fit your approach and declare war on those with powers or troops you want.
Incorporate cards taken from enemies and stack enhancements to prepare for further attacks.
Quest Mode offers challenges with distinctive conditions, while Endless Mode tests how long you can withstand continuing attacks.
Core systems
Starting decks
Each king starts with a different deck of buildings, troops and spells.
Treat the king’s deck as a starting point and consider the enemy cards you can acquire afterward.
Make peace and declare war
Attacking kings provide access to cards, and you can choose peace or declare war.
Connect your choice of rival with your build by considering whether their troops fit your approach.
Positioning and stacking buffs
Buildings, troops, spells, positioning and stacked enhancements combine to develop the kingdom.
Consider not just what you own, but where it goes and which direction your enhancements should support.
What sets it apart
A rival is more than an enemy to defeat: it is also a source of cards for your own build.
The starting king’s deck develops through combinations with buildings, troops and spells acquired from enemies.
Learning curve and difficulty
Working backward from the cards you want makes declaring war part of building the kingdom.
Distinguish between making peace with a king whose troops do not fit and fighting one whose powers you need.
Consider placement and enhancements together when deciding how an acquired card fits into the kingdom.
Builds and playstyles
Choose an opponent for its cards
The official approach is to make peace with kings whose units do not fit and fight those with troops or powers you want. Build planning therefore begins with choosing rivals, not only after receiving a card.
A mercenary direction
Stockpiling gold to hire mercenaries is one available direction. It connects the kingdom’s funds with recruiting troops to build its fighting strength.
What players like
Combining cards and troops to try different builds earns praise.
An understandable starting point makes the game approachable, according to these reviews.
The kings’ distinct identities and play styles are well received.
Updates that expanded what there is to play also earn praise.
The appeal of stacking enhancements and growing numbers is also acknowledged.
Reviewers recognize the appeal of tackling quests as puzzles.
Common complaints
Quest difficulty is described as harsh or overly dependent on luck.
Large growth differences are also criticized for making battles one-sided.
Players describe effective builds as limited, leaving less strategic variety.
Slowdowns or freezes after creating large armies are reported, including in otherwise enthusiastic accounts.
Insufficient explanations or information for understanding effects and battle outcomes are another criticism.
Who it’s for
For players who want acquiring enemy cards and choosing war or peace to inform one another.
For players who enjoy combining buildings, troops, spells and positioning while stacking enhancements.
Who might not enjoy it
Less suitable if clearly understanding why a battle ended as it did, or how every effect works, is a priority.
FAQ
- Can I use another king’s cards?
- Yes. Rival kings attacking your lands can provide cards from their own decks.
- Is multiplayer simultaneous?
- The official description calls it asynchronous multiplayer, with kingdoms competing to survive the longest.
- Is streaming permitted?
- Official streaming permission has not been verified for this manuscript. These materials cannot establish whether streaming is permitted.
These impressions are based on 100 Steam reviews sorted by “Most Helpful.” They do not represent the views of all buyers.
Image: 9 Kings on Steam