You're scrolling through Steam or checking out the latest buzz on Reddit and you see it. Two words. No Kings. At first, it sounds like some sort of political manifesto or a punk rock album title, but it’s actually one of the most intriguing blends of strategy and first-person action to hit the indie scene in years. It’s weird. It’s ambitious. And honestly? It’s kind of a mess in the best possible way.
So, No Kings: What is it exactly?
If you ask the developer, it’s a "First-person RTS." If you ask the players, it’s that game where you build a kingdom and then realize you have to actually swing the sword yourself because your AI peasants are sometimes a bit too relaxed. It’s a project that leans heavily into the fantasy trope of building an empire, but it flips the script by stripping away the "King" in the traditional sense. You aren't some distant god-figure clicking icons from the clouds. You’re on the ground. You're in the dirt. You are building something from nothing while literally staring your subjects in the eye.
The Genre-Bending DNA of No Kings
Most strategy games treat you like a celestial manager. You have a cursor. You have a bird's-eye view. In No Kings, the perspective shift is everything. Developed by Team No Kings (primarily the work of solo dev Maksym Pashanin), the game asks a very specific question: what happens when the commander is also the grunt?
It’s a hybrid. Think Age of Empires meets Skyrim, but stripped down to its rawest, most indie essentials. You start with a base, you gather resources like wood and stone, and you build structures. But you do it all from a first-person perspective. This isn't just a camera trick; it changes the entire pacing of the gameplay. When a raid happens in a traditional RTS, you just scroll your screen. In No Kings, you hear the screams, you look toward the horizon, and you run—physically, in-game—to defend your walls.
The "No Kings" title is a bit of a double entendre. It refers to the lack of a central, untouchable monarch, but it also hints at the gameplay loop where every unit matters. You can't just mass-produce "Unit A" and "Unit B" and hope for the best. You’re managing a living, breathing settlement where the distance between you and your workers is non-existent.
Why This Specific Style Is Trending
Gamers are getting tired of the same old loops. We've played the "God Sim" and we've played the "Action RPG." The middle ground is where the magic (and the frustration) happens. People are searching for No Kings because it represents a shift toward "immersive strategy."
It’s not perfect. Let’s be real. The graphics aren't going to win a beauty contest against Cyberpunk. The UI can be clunky. But there is a soul here that AAA titles often lack. You’ll find yourself genuinely stressed when a dragon appears because you can't just click "Attack." You have to aim. You have to lead your troops. You have to survive.
Mechanics That Actually Matter
Let's break down how this thing actually plays because that's where the "No Kings: What is it" question gets answered.
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- Resource Management: You aren't just clicking a button to "mine." You're directing your NPCs to specific locations. It feels more like leading a group of survivors than managing a spreadsheet.
- The Construction System: Building is modular. You place blueprints and watch them come to life. There's a tactile satisfaction in seeing a wall go up when you're standing right under it.
- Combat: It’s frantic. Because you’re in first-person, your situational awareness is limited. You can’t see what’s happening behind your castle while you’re fighting at the front gate. This creates a genuine sense of panic that StarCraft simply cannot replicate.
The game uses a "Command" system. You can issue orders to your troops, telling them to follow, hold position, or harvest. But since you're also a combatant, you're constantly balancing your time between being a general and being a soldier. If you spend too much time fighting, your economy stalls. If you spend too much time building, you get a sword through the chest.
The Solo Developer Factor
It’s impossible to talk about No Kings without mentioning its origins. It is a passion project. Maksym Pashanin has been vocal about the development process, often engaging with the community to iron out bugs that come with such a complex genre mashup.
This is "jank" in the most endearing sense.
In the gaming world, "jank" usually refers to systems that are a bit rough around the edges or animations that look a little stiff. No Kings has plenty of it. But for many players, this is part of the charm. It feels like a game made by a human, not a committee. When you see a weird pathfinding bug where a villager walks into a tree for three seconds, it’s a reminder that this whole world was built by a handful of people trying to do something impossible.
Real Examples of the Gameplay Experience
Imagine this: You've just finished your first stone barracks. You're feeling good. You’ve got five archers and a couple of swordsmen. Suddenly, the music shifts. A goblin raid is coming from the north woods.
In a normal game, you'd drag-select your army and right-click the goblins.
In No Kings, you have to find your archers—who might be scattered around the well—yell for them to follow you, run to the north wall, and manually check if they have a line of sight. While they start firing, you jump off the rampart to engage the goblin leader because your swordsmen are currently busy hauling wood on the other side of the village. It is chaotic. It is loud. It is intensely personal.
Common Misconceptions About No Kings
Because the name is a bit cryptic, people often get the wrong idea.
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First off, it’s not a multiplayer battle royale. I know, every game is a battle royale these days, but No Kings is primarily a single-player experience focused on the campaign and survival. It’s also not a pure RPG. If you go in expecting The Witcher, you’re going to be disappointed. There aren't deep branching dialogue trees or romanceable companions. Your relationship with the world is defined by what you build and what you kill.
Another big one: "Is it like Kingdom Two Crowns?"
Sorta. But only in spirit. Kingdom is 2D and minimalist. No Kings is 3D and maximalist. It tries to do everything at once. Sometimes it trips over its own feet, but it always gets back up.
How to Actually Succeed in the Game
If you're going to dive into No Kings, don't play it like a standard RTS. You will lose. Fast.
The AI is aggressive. It doesn't wait for you to find your "perfect" build order. You need to be mobile. One of the best tips from veteran players is to focus on your personal combat skills early. Since you are the most powerful unit in your "army" at the start, you have to carry the weight. Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty while your first few villagers are still figuring out which end of the pickaxe is which.
Also, verticality is your friend. Build your towers high. Because you’re in first-person, having the high ground isn't just a stat bonus—it's the only way you’ll actually be able to see where the enemies are coming from.
The Future of the "No Kings" Concept
The game has carved out a niche. It’s sitting in that comfortable spot on Steam where it has a "Mostly Positive" rating and a dedicated fanbase that writes 2,000-word guides on how to optimize wood production.
Will we see more games like this? Absolutely. The "First-Person RTS" is a frontier that hasn't been fully explored. We've seen attempts like Mount & Blade (which leans more RPG) and Natural Selection 2 (which is multiplayer-focused), but No Kings occupies a unique space of pure base-building and survival.
It reminds us that "No Kings" isn't just a title; it's a design philosophy. It's about removing the barriers between the player and the world. No menus to hide behind. No "god mode" to keep you safe. Just you, your hammer, and whatever monsters are hiding in the fog.
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Actionable Steps for New Players
If you're ready to start your own kingdom-less empire, here is how you survive the first hour without losing your mind:
Focus on the perimeter first. Don't spend your initial resources on fancy decorations. Build a basic wooden palisade. In No Kings, a wall isn't just a barrier; it's a way to funnel enemies into a "kill zone" where you can actually manage them.
Manage your stamina. Since you're in first-person, you have a stamina bar. If you swing your sword wildly like a madman, you'll be exhausted when the second wave hits. Learn the timing of your attacks. It’s more like a dance than a button-masher.
Check the Steam Workshop. The community is surprisingly active. There are mods and custom maps that can help bridge the gap if the vanilla experience feels too punishing or if you want to see what other players have built with the modular system.
Keep your villagers close. Early on, don't send your workers to the far edges of the map. If they get jumped by a lone wolf, you won't get there in time to save them. Keep your economy tight and your defenses tighter until you have enough "population" to justify expansion.
Embrace the chaos. You will fail. Your first base will probably burn down because you forgot to assign an archer to the rear gate. That’s fine. Each run teaches you more about the layout of the land and the quirks of the AI.
The beauty of No Kings lies in its unpredictability. It’s a game that demands your presence. You can't just set it to "auto" and walk away to make a sandwich. You are the heart of the machine. If you stop, everything stops. That’s a lot of pressure, but it’s also what makes finally seeing your stone fortress stand tall against a sunset so incredibly rewarding. Grab a sword, start digging, and remember: there are no kings here—only survivors.