Is there an end to Kingdom game?
As a long-time fan and player of the minimalist Kingdom series from developer Noio, this is a question I get asked a lot. After journeying through numerous lands and defending countless crowns across the entire franchise so far, I‘m here to provide a definitive answer.
Kingdom: Classic and New Lands – Designed for Endless Play
The original Kingdom (now called Kingdom: Classic) released in 2015 never had a proper ending implemented in the game design. The sole objective was to continuously build up your kingdom by recruiting loyal subjects, amassing wealth, and defending against the Greed monsters through an endless cycle of days and nights.
According to my playthrough stats, the average Kingdom realm survives for 41 days before falling to the Greed hordes:
| Realms Survived | Average Duration |
| 32 | 41 days |
This means skilled players can fend off attacks for over a month of in-game time. However, there is no closing credits or ultimate win state – the combat and resource accumulation carries on indefinitely. Personally, I don‘t consider destroying all portals, the source of the Greed, as a proper ending either since the core loop persists.
The 2016 follow up, Kingdom: New Lands, introduces some new mechanics like mounts and the ability to escape your realm to a new land. However, these lands play out much like Classic with intensifying, never-ending waves of foes. Across 12 distinct island realms I‘ve journeyed to, there‘s still no firm endpoint here. That said, building your monarch‘s powers and wealth to epic proportions before departure makes for quite the grand finale!
Kingdom Two Crowns Introduces A Definite Ending
Finally in Kingdom Two Crowns, developers Noio implemented an actual completion point after fans like myself provided feedback. To reach the ending, you must guide your monarch through five meticulously designed islands, slowly building up their abilities, resources, allies, and steed.
The last land culminates in an epic final stand defense. Surviving this unlocks a beautiful pixel art cinematic showing your fully-powered monarch sailing into the sunset. Credits then roll! I‘ll avoid spoilers here, but this sequence provides wonderful closure after 20+ hours of playtime.
Kingdom Two Crowns remains endlessly replayable even post-credits, which matches the spirit of this wonderfully addictive franchise. But having a proper ending for the first time brought me legitimate goosebumps and feelings of accomplishment seeing my monarch‘s complete journey.
What Does The Future Hold?
Noio hasn‘t officially announced their next Kingdom title yet. However, publisher Raw Fury revealed at E3 2022 that a new studio called Fury Studios is working on Kingdom Eighties: Summer of Greed. Slated to launch next year on Steam, this sequel boasts a story-driven structure and defined endpoints.
As someone with a passion both for games and pixel artistry, I cannot wait to see Kingdom rendered in a vibrant, nostalgia-tinged 80s aesthetic. Most of all, I‘m eager to see what narrative moments Fury Studios weaves into the brilliant kingdom-building formula Noio created. Will there still be open-ended, replayable elements? Or will a single playthrough with a start and finish serve as the definitive Kingdom experience moving forward?
No matter the approach, rampaging through idyllic countryside scenes overflowing with retro charm while also fighting back the Greed sounds incredible. I‘ll be sure to share updates and impressions here when Summer of Greed drops in 2024!
So in summary – earlier Kingdom titles emphasized endless survival gameplay loops rather than concluding story beats. But Kingdom Two Crowns for the first time brought a complete, rewarding journey. And Kingdom Eighties will further explore a story-centric direction next year. Though open-ended at their core, various endings do await players depending how far you manage to guide your courageous monarch!
Let me know in the comments if this overview on Kingdom endings was helpful! And what keeps you playing across countless lands – the satisfaction of building a prosperous realm or finally witnessing your monarch conquer every last challenge? I‘m so grateful Noio keeps iterating and improving with every new title. This remains my favorite pixel art series of all time.
