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About The King is Watching
The King is Watching is an indie strategy title where you rule a kingdom through the monarch’s gaze. Wherever the king looks, work speeds up; when he looks away, productivity falters, forcing you to constantly decide which area—farms, mines, or barracks—deserves attention.
The game blends resource management, permanent roguelite upgrades, a council of specialist advisors, and ever‑changing enemy generals. Each run teaches new lessons, and the upgrades you earn persist, letting you refine your kingdom’s layout and tactics for the next reign.
01 / THE GUIDE
Gaze Mechanic
The king’s gaze acts as a law: sectors under his watch see accelerated progress, while those he abandons slip into laziness and chaos. This creates a core loop of allocating attention to keep the kingdom productive.
Because the effect is immediate, shifting the gaze at the right moment can smooth out resource spikes and prevent sudden drops.
- Focus the gaze on a sector that is currently low on its primary resource to boost its output.
- Rotate the gaze before a sector’s productivity begins to wane to maintain a steadier overall flow.
02 / THE GUIDE
Resource Management
Water, wheat, stone, coal and silver are the five resources that power farms, mines and workshops. Each resource fulfills a specific need—food, wealth or construction material.
Balancing extraction and consumption is essential; a surplus of one cannot replace a shortage of another, so you must allocate the king’s attention to keep all supplies healthy.
- Regularly check the current stock of each resource to spot impending shortages early.
- When a resource like coal is abundant, consider directing the gaze toward sectors that can convert it into useful output.
03 / THE GUIDE
Roguelite Progression
Each completed run grants permanent upgrades that persist into future reigns. These upgrades unlock new abilities, stronger defenses and more powerful strategies, giving a sense of evolution across attempts.
Because upgrades are retained, early choices can shape the difficulty and options available in later runs.
- Prioritize upgrades that improve resource efficiency early, as they benefit every subsequent run.
- Consider defensive upgrades later if early runs reveal strong enemy pressure.
04 / THE GUIDE
Royal Council
The royal council consists of cavalry masters, arcane sages and cunning strategists. Their presence provides specialized expertise that can influence military, magical and tactical decisions.
Aligning your overall strategy with the strengths of these advisors can help streamline choices about unit composition, wall reinforcement and magical research.
- When planning a new run, note which advisor type matches the focus you intend to pursue—mobility, magic or strategy.
- Use the council’s expertise as a reference point when deciding where to invest upgrades.
05 / THE GUIDE
Enemy Generals
Battles are led by unpredictable enemy generals, each commanding unique forces that require distinct tactics. No two encounters play out exactly the same.
Adapting your unit mix and approach to the specific style of each general is crucial for success.
- Maintain a flexible unit composition that can be adjusted quickly when a new general appears.
- Observe the enemy’s dominant unit type during the first moments of combat and respond with appropriate counters.
COMMUNITY
Player discussion