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0 Hypnohead, the quirky minds behind The King Is Watching (out now on Steam), have teamed up with publishing powerhouse tinyBuild to deliver a truly unusual blend of strategy, roguelite and pixel-art kingdom micromanagement. In this kingdom, the King’s literal Gaze decides what can exist, function, and survive. But what caught our eye (pun intended?) is an adorable duck with glasses. He takes over to advise during the tutorial and the first time doing new maps, but unfortunately, that is all you see of him.
The King Is Watching — Let’s hope he is entertained.
So, before we dive into the meat of the review, drop your favourite King—real or fictional—in the comments. We want to know whether it’s King Arthur, Dedede, or King Julian. Because the King may be watching, but we’re reading.
Gameplay
The King Is Watching begins with no introduction—no lovingly narrated lore, no royal proclamation. Just you, the King, holding a lily and selecting a courtier to bestow it upon. That choice? It explodes into flowers, in a way that screams “whimsical indie game” and “mild body horror” simultaneously. Once past that odd ritual, you’re thrown into the thick of kingdom-building. You’ll build on a grid system, but here’s the twist: only structures within the “King’s Gaze” work. You can move and rotate the Gaze like a divine Tetris block, and by managing it effectively—deciding exactly where, what, and when to build on the grid, you shape the core of your strategy.
Each game session is a roguelite run where you gather resources and build an army before the enemies arrive in waves. You’ll place and rotate buildings, summon troops with unique traits (bumblebee knights and mushroom warriors, anyone?), and occasionally cast one-use spells to turn the tide. There’s plenty of choice between waves: you’ll sometimes receive prophecies, letting you adjust the upcoming battle’s difficulty for greater rewards. Traders also pop by with wares, and your cards—used to choose new buildings and upgrades—can be skipped for Denarii, though the return is laughably small (5 Denarii will get you nothing).
One issue? Before unlocking them, it’s impossible to preview what some buildings or upgrades do. Want to know what that mysterious grape bush does? Too bad, it’s yours now. Deal with it. Still, despite its quirks and frustrations, the game’s core loop is innovative, addictive, and full of surprises, such as discovering the Goose Rider is busted. There is a lot to learn, you can take notes so you know exactly what upgrades to get, without having to remember everything during a run.
The Village map is quite your standard build, gather resources and raise your army scenario, making sure to make the right choices during the run when you hit prophecy so you know what enemies are coming up. The real change is the Graveyard map, where the economy is a bit different. Instead of using Denarii (though you still do when the trader appears), you also have a relic merchant. You collect the relics by sending out “Ruin Scouts” or through fighting. This adds a whole new layer of strategy. The Ruin Scouts are optional and do add to your overall unit numbers. They are cheap at only three wheat, but still.
Graphics & Audio
The King is Watching wears its indie heart on its sleeve. The pixel art is charming, especially on the main menu, where the colours and details sing. However, the basic “Play, Options, Authors, Quit” UI somewhat breaks the immersion. The animations, characters, and even the Gaze are expressive and adorable.
But it’s the King’s advisor duck, with its round glasses and quiet competence, that steals every scene (though he is in very few). The Village is a far calmer affair than the Graveyard map, while the run is still just as stressful and challenging. Visually, the colours are far more vibrant, featuring more fantasy bosses and enemies like dragons and goblins, all of which are lovingly crafted. That said, you’ll see the same environments and bosses multiple times. Two of those bosses are just goblins with a slightly different look, which is a bit of a let-down, but the rest? Cthulhu monstrosities, dragons, snake hydras… fair play.
When it comes to audio, ‘The King Watches’ hits just right. The gentle piano music, blended with synths and digital chimes, for the village map sets a peaceful mood that turns eerie and intense when things go wrong. The Graveyard map’s music goes especially hard—like Nightmare Before Christmas in 8-bit form. Sword clashes, spell blasts, and background ambience are all clear and satisfying. There’s no voice acting, but there are little story snippets where you choose between buffs and bonuses. It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure, minus the pages and pencil.
Longevity
The King is Watching isn’t a one-and-done experience. It’s a roguelite, which means repeated runs with escalating difficulty, new leaders, and gradually unlocking powerful upgrades through your town hub. There are two settings, the village, and the graveyard, with 10 different threat levels each. There are seven different Kings to play as, with all but one, needing to be unlocked, each King has their own unique abilities. You then have 28 Advisors to unlock, including our duck friend Gustav.
The grind is real, but not unbearable. New Kings offer different playstyles, an extensive upgrade tree, and the ability to unlock all the goodies (including some game-changing abilities), which will take a few hours or days. Just one major complaint: you can’t save mid-run. Given that some levels can take an hour or so, this is odd. It’s clear their idea is that if you want to play, you would have at least an hour to do so. But that’s not everyone; there is a pause, which is helpful if you plan to leave your PC on. It’s fine for a short step away.
Still, between researching upgrades, replaying with more challenging enemies, and discovering new unit synergies, there’s a lot.
Final Thoughts
The King is Watching is a strategic gem hiding behind cute sprites and a duck with nerdy specs. It’s a roguelite builder that dares to do something different, even if that sometimes means being confusing or needlessly punishing. There’s a joy in experimenting within the King’s Gaze; rotating your influence to power a barracks before the goblins crash the gates desperately, and a real sense of satisfaction when a plan comes together. While the lack of a save system and progression hurdles are definite thorns in the crown, Hypnohead still crafted a refreshingly weird and mechanically rich experience. With tinyBuild behind them, we’re hopeful for updates, tweaks, and perhaps a few more ducks.
The King Is Watching receives a Thumb Culture Gold Award. A worthy kingdom, ruled with charm, chaos, and just a little quackery.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
If you liked this review, why not read my other medieval strategy review of Let Them Trade
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