The King is Watching news & patch notes

Noble Kings,

Thank you to everyone who has already ventured into the Shifting Sands update! We've been thrilled to see so many of you exploring the new content, and we're especially happy to hear that the Danger Modifiers mechanic has been such a hit with the community.

We've also released a small patch to address a handful of issues. Here's what's included:

Patch 1.3.2 Notes

• Fixed the crash that could happen when raising new bodies with Alucard's ability.

• Fixed the crash that could happen when units resurrected infinitely with the One More Life modifier.

• Fixed the Deforestation spell incorrectly showing which trees it would cut in some situations.

• Fixed the exploit where rewards for beating Threat Levels 1–3 could be received by abandoning the run.

• Fixed an issue where the game could incorrectly grant an extra Advisor slot.

But that's not all...

The throne room is about to welcome new rulers.

We're delighted to announce that The King is Watching arrives on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Nintendo Switch on July 29th!

Soon, noble sovereigns across every realm will command their kingdoms with nothing but their royal gaze.

Watch over your loyal subjects as they gather resources, forge mighty armies, and defend the crown against relentless invaders. Just don't blink at the wrong moment...

Whether you've already proven yourself worthy on PC or have been patiently awaiting your royal invitation on consoles, the kingdom is nearly ready to receive you.

We shall see you on the throne!

— Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings, 

The gates to the Shifting Sands now stand open. 

Available now as a free update for all owners of The King Is Watching, the Shifting Sands expansion brings a wealth of new content to the realm. Customize your adventures with Danger Modifiers, face new bosses and enemies, discover powerful artifacts and spells, experiment in the new Free Reign Mode, and enjoy improvements to Endless Mode, progression, balance, and overall gameplay.

Before you march your troops into the dunes, watch the launch trailer and witness the wonders (and horrors) that await beyond the shifting horizon:

Short Update Summary

• The Shifting Sands – a brand-new map where ancient magic pulls enemies, bosses, and events from all previously conquered lands into a single realm. Shape each run with 36 Danger Modifiers and face four new bosses, the mysterious Fennec tribe, and other desert horrors.

• King Personas – unlock cosmetic appearances to give your rulers a fresh and regal look.

• 3 new dwarven units and 2 advisors to strengthen your kingdom and expand your strategic options.

• 10 new artifacts offering powerful effects and new build possibilities.

• 3 new spells added to your royal grimoire.

• Improved Endless Mode with wave rewards and enhanced difficulty scaling.

• Free Reign Mode – use Danger Modifiers on any map to create your own challenges and adventures.

• Onboarding and progression improvements for newly crowned kings.

• Numerous balance changes and quality-of-life improvements across the realm.

New Map: Shifting Sands

Before we delve into the latest affairs of the realm, a brief reminder: the official Hydragoose plushie remains available for pre-order. Should your court be in need of a loyal guardian, vigilant overseer, or exceptionally regal honker, now is the time to secure one.

Pre-Order Hydragoose Now

The Shifting Sands are no ordinary desert. Ancient magic twists space and time as rifts tear open across the dunes, drawing enemies and allies from distant lands and forgotten ages. Here, the past, present and future exist side by side beneath an eternal, unforgiving sun.

In the Shifting Sands, you may encounter enemies and events from any land you have already conquered. As always, a prophecy at the start of each run will reveal the boss awaiting you. It may be a familiar foe from your past campaigns or one of four new bosses created exclusively for this map. Only the Kraken remains absent, too immense even for the rifts of the Shifting Sands to drag from the Dark Realm. After all, even magic has its limits.

Danger Modifiers

Instead of Threat Tiers, Shifting Sands uses 36 Danger Modifiers that can increase or decrease difficulty. Completing runs at higher Danger Levels unlocks rewards including:

• New Units

• New Advisor

• New Spells

• New Artifacts

• King Personas

List of Modifiers

• Each boss summons all previous bosses when entering the battlefield

• Buildings cannot be demolished

• Unit damage reduced by 25%

• Unit health reduced by 25%

• Add one Gold Seal to the castle

• Receive 1 gold for each enemy killed

• Get free non-legendary spells in each spell slot

• +10 to unit limit

• Start with Basic Construction

• At the start of the run, choose one: 45 meat / 45 oil / 45 metal

• Wine is consumed 50% slower

• After defeating the first boss, receive an extra legendary artifact

• Start the run with a temporary Goose Hydra

• Spell damage increased by 100%

• Wine provides 50% less morale

• Start in debt: -30 to all resources

• Two fewer Well blueprint at the beginning

• New units spawn with 30 seconds of Weakness. The same applies to units leaving the Barracks

• Marketplace works 75% slower

• Using the King’s ability temporarily slows down a random building

• Your people are unhappy: start with -20 morale

• Unit cap upgrades provide smaller increases

• If the player has more than 300 wheat, ravens will surround the castle and eat the excess

• The 3 central tiles of the castle are blocked by a lake

• Allied units are on fire and lose 0.5% HP per second

• The castle has only 1 HP, but you start with a Brick Factory blueprint

• All buildings are 25% more expensive

• You cannot send troops to the Barracks

• All enemy units resurrect once after death

• Units are produced 50% slower

• At the start of each wave, lightning strike deals 100 HP to your enemy

• Enemy units explode after death

• The castle loses 1 HP each time you build something

• All corpses on the level turn into zombies at the start of each wave

• Fewer spell slots

• If you have wine, all units have a 20% chance to miss

King Personas

• King Baldwin → King Baldwin

• King Leonid → King Leonid of Sparta

• King Leo the Wise → Leonardo da Vinci

• King Spellus → White Archmage

• King Brezhnius → Ivan the Terrible

• King Saladin → Grand Vizier

• King Alucard → Lord Alucard

• Queen Cleopatra → Queen Cleopatra

• King Xerxes → King Xerxes

• King Taizong → Emperor Taizong of Tang

These personas are cosmetic only and don’t affect gameplay.

New Bosses

Four new bosses will challenge your reign:

Monkey King

Drentlyr, Ancient Leshen

Greedscale, Matriarch of Dragons

Goruk, The Chainbound

New Enemies

The Fennecs are an ancient desert tribe shrouded in legend. Whether born of flesh or shaped by the spirits of the sands, they have survived where countless others have perished. Masters of warfare and desert survival alike, they strike swiftly and vanish just as quickly, leaving little behind save ruined camps, unanswered questions, and unfortunate kings who underestimated them.

New Events

Shifting Sands introduces twelve new region-exclusive events, including:

• A cult leader preaching devotion to the Eye

• An advisor discussing work stress with a cat

• Mysterious omen appearing in the sky

New Units

• Dwarf Drunkard (Tier 1)

• Dwarf Polymorphist (Tier 2)

• Dwarf Shotcaller (Tier 2)

New Artifacts

• Bone Tomahawk – Grunts can become Small Bones on death

• Super Glue – Riders slow enemies after attacking

• Smoke Bomb – Meteors strike if you have 3+ Arcane

• Binoculars – Increased ranged attack radius

• Valor Drum – Warriors provide Morale

• Signal Horn – Flying units increase ranged attack speed

• Lightning in the Bottle – Champion units cast Chain Lightning on death

• Lumberjack's Kit – Grants Deforestation spells

• Vital Energy Flask – Units gain Health each wave

• Wicker Basket – Units provide Wheat on death

New Spells

• Grave Grind — Turns corpses into Flour.

• Black Hole — Pulls enemies together and deals damage over time.

• Venom Mire — Slows and infects enemies. Infected enemies grant Fuel when they die.

New Advisors

Spectral Knight

Grants a Troop Training reward for every 4 enemy waves defeated.

Deck Builder

Choose three barracks blueprints, one of each tier, at the start of the run.

Endless Mode Improvements

Endless Mode has a special place in our hearts.

While it may not be every king’s favorite pastime, those who embrace it often create builds so outrageous that even we never saw them coming. However, Endless Mode had its shortcomings: rewards stopped once you entered it, and enemy scaling eventually struggled to keep pace.

To address this, Endless Mode now grants rewards for clearing waves, just like the rest of your run. We have also reworked difficulty scaling. Enemy HP and Damage modifiers now increase with every wave, with their growth accelerating every 20 waves.

Enemy numbers and base strength will continue to rise, but only up to a limit. Beyond that, waves will feature up to 60 of the strongest available enemies, ensuring that difficulty scales through quality rather than quantity. The challenge will keep growing, while performance remains stable.

Free Reign Mode

We are delighted to introduce Free Reign Mode, a new way to experience The King is Watching.

By allowing Danger Modifiers on any map, Free Reign Mode places the design of the realm firmly in your hands. Create brutal challenges worthy of legends, craft a more leisurely royal experience, or experiment with combinations that would never appear in a standard run.

Even familiar lands may feel entirely different when viewed through the lens of your own rules. 

Onboarding & Progression Improvements

Tutorial Updates

• Expanded tutorial coverage

• New tutorial ending with a boss encounter included

Threat Tier 0

• Reduced from two bosses to one

Yellow Eye Upgrade Tree

• No longer requires Town Denarii

• Unlocks are earned by completing maps on Threat Tiers 1–3

Red Eye Upgrade Tree

• Banish and Re-Roll upgrades split into separate branches, with earlier access to both systems

• Additional upgrades added to the Research Table, each unlocking new blueprint options

• Banish upgrades now grant 2 banishes instead of 1

• Earlier access to Noble banishing and extra building slots

• Araknor’s brother provides you with resources before the boss fight

Map Progression

• New maps unlock by completing the previous map on Threat Tier 1

Quality of Life Improvements

• Added "Send All Troops to Barracks" button

• Artifacts and building upgrades can now be banished during a run

Balance changes

Buildings:

Hospital:

- Amount healed 10 → 70

- Time to heal 1 sec → 3 sec

- Resources consumed: 1 wheat

Explosive cart factory:

 - Build cost: 40 metal, 120 wood → 40 metal, 100 wood

 - Production time: 20s → 15s

 - Production cost: 30 ore, 20 wood → 30 ore, 10 wood

Barbarian Tent:

 - Upgrade Weapon melting: Metal received from death 8 → 20

Firing Range:

 - Upgrade: Critical shots: crit damage 500% → 800%

Catapults Factory

 - Catapult trait: bonus HP of Grunt troops 10% → 20%

Academy of Lightning:

 - Starting capacity 3 → 2

 - Production time 25s → 22s

Academy of Fire

 - Upgrade Combustion: bonus damage 6 → 12

Pangolin Stump

 - Build cost: Meat 70 → 90, Wood 100, Grapes 150

Ram Pasture:

 - Upgrade Twins: chance to produce an extra Ram 10% → 20%

Execution Ground:

 - Production time 8s → 4s

Sacrificial Stone:

 - Resource cost 40 gold, 40 clay → 80 clay

Dove Cote:

 - Pigeon damage 15 → 10, Pigeons cost 4 wheat → 3 wheat.

Wheel of Fortune:

 - Production time 110s → 130s, Now consumes 20 water

 - Build cost 100 gold → 80 gold

Fairy Fountain

 - Upgrade Anti-Goblin Dust: damage dealt 15 → 100

Troops:

Anubis Saber Masters:

- Damage decreased 12 → 8

- The blades now fly further and pierce enemies

Enchanted Stump:

 - Centaurs' trait: flying troops' poison chance 5% → 10%

Goose Hydra Nest:

 - Goose Hydra trait: bonus HP to all troops 5% → 10%

Academy of Nature:

 - Healer Mage trait: bonus to Arcane troops’ HP 5% → 10%

Ballista Factory:

 - Ballista trait: bonus HP to Flying troops 10% → 20%

Artifacts:

Old Dice: resource given per wave 40 → 50

Wood Pile, Golden Bull, Miner's Lamp, Porcelain Chip: resource given per wave 25 → 35

Wooden Key: wood given 3 → 4

Sacrificial Vessel: spell damage bonus per enemy killed 0.1% → 0.2%

Memento Mori: healing 1 → 2 HP per second

Iron Hoe: extra production limit 100% → 75%

Mage's Robe: spell damage per Arcane unit 3% → 5%

Mystic Stone: damage 12 → 16

Kings:

- Xerxes damage from morale 0.5% → 0.25%

- Increased Immortals' invincibility time 5s → 6s

- Reduced Immortals' damage by 15%

- 1st ability cost 10 gold → 10 wheat

- 1st ability cooldown 240s → 220s

- 2nd ability cost 20 wheat → 15 gold

Other:

- Wine consumption speed reverted back to 1 wine per second 

We wish you the best of fortune in your conquest of this new realm. May your walls stand firm, your coffers remain full, and your banners fly proudly above every victory.

Once you have ventured into the Shifting Sands, we invite you to share your thoughts, strategies, and discoveries with your fellow rulers. Which boss proved the greatest challenge? What rewards have you uncovered? Join the discussion and let us know how your kingdom fares.

Good luck — the conquest begins now.

— Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings,

The Shifting Sands free update arrives for all owners of The King Is Watching tomorrow!

This major content update introduces a brand-new map featuring the Danger Modifiers mechanic, alongside new ally and enemy units, spells, artifacts, King Personas, the all-new Free Reign Mode, and a host of balance changes and improvements.

To ensure your court is ready when the sands begin to shift, we've prepared a release map showing when the update will arrive across the world. Consult it below to see when Shifting Sands reaches your kingdom:

Thank you for your continued support. May your banners fly proudly, your granaries remain full, and your kingdom stand strong!

— Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings,

The hour draws near — only two days remain until we march for the Shifting Sands. Today, our royal scribes bring tidings concerning the improvements coming to Endless Mode and, at long last, the long-awaited introduction of Free Reign Mode.

Seek the chronicles of former tidings through the royal passages provided below:

Endless Mode

Endless Mode holds a special place in our hearts.

While it is not a mode every player enjoys, those who do often create builds so absurd and powerful that even we never expected them. However, Endless Mode did not fully function as a complete gameplay experience. Rewards stopped once the mode began, and enemy scaling eventually failed to keep pace with player power.

So, we decided to improve it.

First, you will now continue receiving rewards for clearing waves, just as you do during the rest of a run.

Second, we reworked how difficulty scaling functions:

• Each wave now applies HP and Damage modifiers to enemies — these modifiers increase every wave and their growth speed increases further every 20 waves

• Enemy numbers and base troop strength will continue scaling, but only up to a certain limit — after that point, waves will contain no more than 60 enemies using the strongest available enemy types

As a result, later waves will scale through enemy quality rather than sheer quantity. Battles should remain challenging without causing performance issues from overwhelming unit counts.

Free Reign Mode

Alongside the update, we are also introducing Free Reign Mode.

If you are tired of standard Threat Tiers, or simply wish to create a more relaxed experience, Free Mode will allow you to use Danger Modifiers on any map.

We hope this mode gives players more freedom to experiment, customize their runs, and discover new ways to play. Even experienced Kings may find fresh challenges while revisiting maps such as the Village or the Graveyard.

That is all for today, Noble Kings.

Tomorrow, the royal court shall unveil the release time map, allowing rulers across the realm to learn the exact hour at which their journey to the Shifting Sands may begin.

— Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings,

The royal court has carefully considered the counsel and feedback delivered by rulers across the realm. Today, we would like to present several improvements shaped directly by your voices — changes aimed primarily at easing the first steps of newly crowned monarchs, particularly during onboarding and the early stages of their reign. When the Shifting Sands conquest begins on June 11th, these changes will stand ready to guide new rulers on their journey.

Should you wish to revisit the chronicles that came before, the royal records may be found here:

Onboarding

We believe the game already does a solid job of explaining the basics, but the overall process of learning The King is Watching could still be improved in several ways. With that in mind, we dedicated additional time to refining the onboarding experience.

First, we expanded the tutorial. It now explains more mechanics that players will encounter throughout the game. The tutorial also features a proper ending, including a special boss encounter designed to introduce both the tone of the game and the structure of a full run.

Additionally, Threat Tier 0 will now feature only one boss instead of two. This should make first runs shorter and allow players to unlock upgrades more quickly.

The upgrade system itself has also been revised. Most notably, the Yellow Eye Upgrade tree has changed. You no longer need to spend Town Denarii to unlock these upgrades. Instead, they are earned by completing each level on Threat Tiers 1, 2, and 3.

The progression logic is now more intuitive:

• Easier-to-use buildings are unlocked first for each Tier on every map

• Artifacts and spells follow afterward

• The final unlocks usually contain buildings that are more specialized or require stronger synergies

We also rebalanced the Red Eye Upgrade tree. Banishing and Re-Rolling upgrades now have separate branches, allowing you to unlock these abilities earlier in your progression.

In addition, we:

• Added extra unlocks to both branches

• Increased the number of banishes gained per upgrade from 1 to 3

• Reorganized several upgrade unlock orders - for example, you can now banish Nobles and unlock additional building slots earlier than before.

Finally, we adjusted map progression. New maps are now unlocked by completing the previous map on Threat Tier 1.

We hope these changes make onboarding smoother, clearer, and more enjoyable for both new and returning Kings.

We shall soon return with the final royal chronicle covering the Shifting Sands update. According to our court mages and trusted advisors, the tidings yet to come should prove especially exciting for both newly crowned rulers and seasoned monarchs alike. 

— Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings,

The Hydragoose has flown from the battlefield and into the real world. The official Hydragoose plushie is now available for pre-order on Youtooz.com!

PREORDER NOW

A creature of unmatched majesty, questionable temperament, and extraordinary honking power can now serve in your court. Whether defending your castle, supervising your kingdom, or simply demanding snacks, this fearsome three-headed companion is ready for duty. Plushie Details

• Price: $29.99 USD

• Height: 9 inches

• Three poseable heads with internal wiring

• Soft minky material with 100% PP cotton filling

• Estimated shipping: November 2026

Long may it honk! 🪿

Noble Kings,

Welcome to the third royal chronicle detailing the upcoming free Shifting Sands update, which begins on June 11th. Our loyal scribes and court mages once again bring tidings from the dunes, this time unveiling a wealth of new additions coming to the kingdom — including new Units, Artifacts, Spells, Advisors, and various improvements to the royal interface itself.

Should you wish to revisit the previous chronicles concerning the Shifting Sands campaign, they may be found here:

New Units

We are adding new units to unlock for your roster. And yes — that means MORE DWARVES.

Dwarf Polymorphist — Tier 2 

All allied units gain a chance to be reborn as Black Sheep upon death.

The Dwarf Polymorphist can also be upgraded to temporarily transform Black Sheep into Unicorns.

Dwarf Drunkard — Tier 1

Always drunk and always eager to share a drink with the enemy, the Dwarf Drunkard intoxicates foes and disrupts their effectiveness in battle.

With upgrades, Dwarf Drunkards can also provide Morale and Wood at the start of each wave.

Dwarf Shotcaller — Tier 2

Each Dwarf-Shotcaller increases the attack radius of all Ranged units.

Additional upgrades allow him to increase the damage of Warrior units as well.

New Artifacts

The following artifacts will be available to further improve and diversify your builds:

• Bone Tomahawk — All Grunt units, except Undead units, have a 20% chance to be reborn as Small Bones upon death

• Super Glue — Rider units slow enemies by 20% after attacking

• Smoke Bomb — If you have at least 3 Champion units on the field, a meteor strikes your enemies at the start of each wave

• Binoculars — Increases the attack radius of Ranged units by 30

• Valor Drum — Warrior units on battlefield provide 1 Morale

• Signal Horn — Each Flying unit increases the attack speed of Ranged units by 3%

• Lightning in the Bottle — Upon death, Arcane units cast Chain Lightning on nearby enemies

• Lumberjack’s Kit — Receive 3 Deforestation spells

• Vital Energy Flask — At the start of each wave, allied units on the field gain 10 Health

• Wicker Basket — Your units provide 5 Wheat upon death

New Spells

We have added three new spells to expand your magical arsenal: 

Grave Grind

Turns all corpses in the targeted area into Flour.

Black Hole

Pulls enemies together for a short duration and deals damage over time.

Venom Mire

Summons spectral hands that slow and infect enemies in the targeted area. When an infected enemy dies, you receive 1 Fuel.

New Advisor

New advisor is joining your royal council:

• Spectral Knight — Grants a Troop Training reward for every 5 enemy waves defeated

Other Changes

Many Quality of Life improvements are being forged for the coming journey. Though the royal craftsmen still work upon them, the full list shall be revealed at release. Until then, here is a glimpse of what is to come. 

• Added a Send All Troops to Barracks button

• Artifacts and Building upgrades can now be banished from the current run

We shall see you again soon, Noble Kings!

— Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings,

As the dunes continue to shift beyond the borders of the kingdom, whispers of dark new adversaries reach the royal court. Today, our loyal mages present a glimpse into the dangers awaiting your conquest in the lands of Shifting Sands. 

Those seeking knowledge from past royal chronicles may find the previous Shifting Sands update article here:

Bosses of the Shifting Sands

The Desert itself is home to four new bosses who may rise to challenge your reign.

Behold: Monkey King, Greedscale, Matriarch of Dragons, Goruk, The Chainbound, and Drentlyr, Ancient Leshen.

Monkey King

He is not evil — merely rebellious. And he has little love for any man bold enough to climb his mountain and call himself king. Only he is king here, and the monkeys follow him with unwavering devotion. Well, as much devotion as monkeys are capable of.

A master of trickery, the Monkey King floods the battlefield with illusions, making it difficult to distinguish real danger from distraction. While your gaze shifts between false threats and moving shadows, his devoted monkeys slip into your kingdom to wreak havoc on your economy and defenses.

Watch closely, Your Highness. The moment you lose sight of the true threat, the Monkey King has already won.

Drentlyr, Ancient Leshen

Long before you raised your banners here, the forest had its own ruler. Old and patient, Drentlyr nurtured and guarded the woods for centuries.

Unfortunately, your royal construction plans required wood — and a great deal of it. Every tree felled and every stump left behind was an offense against the forest. Its ancient protector followed the trail of axes all the way into the Shifting Sands.

Even where no forest should exist, the Ancient Leshen bends nature to his will, shaping towering Ents to tear down your fortifications. He seeks no tribute and offers no bargains. Only vengeance. Your kingdom must fall so that something greener may grow upon its ruins.

Greedscale, Matriarch of Dragons

Every fire-spitting lizard, winged terror, and treasure-hoarding wyrm can trace its bloodline back to her. She has heard tales of your kingdom. More importantly, she has heard of your treasure.

The Matriarch is the oldest, greediest, and most fearsome of her kind. She believes all gold belongs beneath her claws. She does not invade for conquest, vengeance, or glory. She comes to claim every shining thing she can carry — and burn whatever remains.

Goruk, The Chainbound

Once, he was nothing more than a prisoner — a giant goblin buried beneath layers of iron and stone. Then he escaped.

But the prison never released him.

Chains, cages, shackles, and locks fused to his body and followed wherever he walked, clinging to him like a curse.

Now Goruk marches toward your kingdom to bind every living thing in iron. Peasants, soldiers, workers — none shall escape his chains. To him, your kingdom is merely another prison waiting for its bars.

Enemy Units

The Fennecs are a tribe that dates back to times immemorial. According to some royal historians and sages, the tribe originated from the possession of the lost wanderers with the spirits of the desert. What other explanation can there be about a tribe that boasts a host of knights, mages, and cavalry that can give any kingdom in the realm a tough run but leaves nothing in its wake except the ruins of its temporary camp

The leading edge of their army consists of highly trained fencers who fight with the precision of hired mercenaries of the Free Cities. Alone, these swordsmen are fearsome. Paired up with the Magi of the Fennecs, however, that unleash raw power of fire, they are deadly.

There are also the Javelin Masters, ranged fighters who are skilled at throwing javelins which are almost as long as a horse. While you pray for victory, your soldiers pray for the luck for these long javelins to miss or at least impale their neighbors instead. Then comes the cavalry which rides in with fury, breaking up the ranks and tearing straight through your backlines to create chaos in place of organized firing lines. And if that’s not enough, Fennec Knights will finish the job, challenging your mightiest champions that will stay alive long enough for them to arrive on the battlefield.  

Though Fennecs are not the only ones that don’t like your presence in Shifting Sands. Jugs, Sand Worms and Sand Slimes will chew through your troops in order to sate their hunger. And their hunger is neverending, unlike your potential rule!

Events

While Shifting Sands will reintroduce events familiar from other maps, we have also prepared over a dozen new, unique encounters exclusive to this region. Here are some of the challenges and curiosities awaiting your kingdom:

• A silver-tongued cult leader arrives at court, promising enlightenment through the sacred Eye,

• Concern grows within the royal court after an advisor was overheard explaining his work-related stress to a cat 

• A mysterious omen emerges in the skies above the kingdom.

That is all for today, Noble Kings.

May your banners fly proudly over the dunes. 

— Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings!

Summer draws near, and with it, the next grand update from our Royal Roadmap!

Throughout the coming week, your loyal minstrels will tell you about everything arriving in the update, following this schedule:

• Shifting Sands Map and King Cosmetics

• New Map’s Bosses, Enemies, and Events

• New Units, Artifacts, Spells, Advisor

• Onboarding Improvements

• Free Reign Mode Introduction and Endless Mode Improvements

So, let us begin!

Shifting Sands

The Shifting Sands are not just another desert. Here, reality is bent to the will of the magic that inhabits this land, warping space and time as rifts tear open across the shifting sands, sucking enemies and allies from every corner of the world and beyond. The past, the present, and the future coexist in these cursed lands under an eternal and unforgiving sun.

To put it briefly, Your Highness, this is the perfect land for honing your royal skills.

Some of you have requested the implementation of a random mode, complete with random map, king, and modifiers. We proposed your idea to the royal council, but decided to implement it into our game on our own terms - through a new map featuring enemies, bosses, and events chosen from all of the lands you have already conquered.

In Shifting Sands, you may encounter enemies and events from every other map available in the game. As always, at the start of the run you will receive a prophecy revealing which boss awaits you. It may be any boss from the lands you have already discovered, or one of four new bosses created specifically for Shifting Sands. Only the Kraken is simply too heavy to be dragged from the Dark Realm into these lands, so he remains where it is. Even magic has its limits.

You will also encounter a new enemy race: the Fennecs. They have adapted to harsh conditions of the desert – extreme temperatures and lack of water have taught them how to survive. They are specifically dangerous, when accompanied by your foes from other maps.

We will reveal more about the new bosses and the Fennecs in the next Royal Decrees. For now, let us speak of what makes this map truly unique.

Danger Modifiers

Shifting Sands will not use the usual Threat Levels found on other maps. Instead, it will feature a new system: Danger Modifiers. Most of the modifiers will be malevolent, but some may actually benefit your reign.

There will be 40 of them in total. Enabling them will increase or decrease the map’s Danger Level. By conquering Shifting Sands above certain Danger Level thresholds, you will unlock new content, including King skins, spells, advisors, and units.

List of Modifiers

• Unit damage reduced by 25%

• Unit health reduced by 25%

• Add one Gold Seal to the castle

• Receive 1 gold for each enemy killed

• Get free non-legendary spells in each spell slot

• +10 to unit limit

• Start with Basic Construction

• At the start of the run, choose one: 40 meat / 40 oil / 40 metal

• Wine is consumed 50% slower

• After defeating the first boss, receive an extra legendary artifact

• Start the run with a temporary Patricius

• Spell damage increased by 100%

• Araknor’s brother provides you with resources before the boss fight

• Wine provides 50% less morale

• Start in debt: -20 to all resources

• One fewer Well blueprint at the beginning

• You no longer receive denarii from selling blueprints

• New units spawn with 30 seconds of Weakness. The same applies to units leaving the Barracks

• Marketplace works 50% slower

• Using the King’s ability temporarily slows down a random building

• Your people are unhappy: start with -20 morale

• Unit cap upgrades provide smaller increases

• If the player has more than 400 wheat, ravens will surround the castle and eat the excess

• The 9 central tiles of the castle are blocked by a lake

• Allied units are on fire and lose 1% HP per second

• The castle has only 1 HP, but you start with a Brick Factory blueprint

• All buildings are 25% more expensive

• You cannot send troops to the Barracks

• All enemy units resurrect once after death

• Units are produced 50% slower

• At the start of each wave, two lightning strikes hit your troops

• Your units explode after death

• The castle loses 1 HP each time you build something

• All corpses on the level turn into zombies at the start of each wave

• Fewer spell slots

• If you have wine, all units have a 20% chance to miss

King Cosmetic Skins

This is something many of you have requested and we finally got time to satisfy your royal vanity.

By overcoming the challenges of Shifting Sands, you will unlock not only new spells, artifacts, advisors, and units, but also cosmetic skins for your Kings.

New King Skins

• King Baldwin → King Baldwin

• King Leonid → Spartan King

• King Leo the Wise → Leonardo da Vinci

• King Spellus → White Archmage

• King Brezhnius → Ivan the Terrible

• King Saladin → Sultan Saladin

• King Alucard → Vampire Noble

• Queen Cleopatra → Sarcophagus Cleo

• King Xerxes → Historical Xerxes

• King Taizong → Dragon Emperor Taizong

These skins are purely cosmetic and do not affect gameplay in any way. No hidden buffs, no secret royal taxes, no suspicious +500% damage modifiers. Just a little extra fun for those who wish to rule in style.

We plan to expand customization further in the future.

Let your rule be sharp, Noble Kings - and may your gaze never blink.

With warm respect to you all ~ Hypnohead team

Noble Kings!

We’ve released a small update with a few important fixes and improvements.

Changes & Fixes

• DLC Kings are now automatically unlocked if you own the DLC

• Fixed an issue where Cannon buildings would stop firing after accumulating charges

• Fixed the Exorcist Sanctum not producing spells when all spell slots were full, even if a banish spell was available - Fixed inconsistent resource production over time caused by different game speeds

• Fixed an issue where the cursor could get stuck in a “grab” state

Thank you for your continued support - and keep your gaze steady on proper buildings

~ Hypnohead team

Noble Kings!

We’ve just released a small hotfix focused on improving stability and addressing a few issues reported by the community. Thank you for your continued feedback — it helps us keep the kingdom running smoothly.

Fixes

• Fixed a crash that could occur when certain troops died while playing as Cleopatra

• Fixed a crash related to damaging certain terrain objects

• Fixed an issue where players did not receive achievements for previously completed levels

• Fixed a bug where Egyptian units did not properly benefit from their upgrades

• Updated the Banker description in some languages for better accuracy

• Fixed an incorrect resource icon in the Basic Construction description

We’ll continue monitoring your reports and polishing the experience.

Reign firm, Noble Kings 👑 ~ The Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings!

Today we are proud to release two major additions to The King Is Watching:

• The Dark Realm Free Update, introducing a brand-new map with unique mechanics, enemies, bosses, and a large collection of quality-of-life improvements.

• The Crowns of History DLC, which expands your royal roster with three new Rulers.

Here is the trailer for the update:

Crowns of History DLC

The Crowns of History DLC introduces three new rulers, each with unique mechanics and playstyles.

Cleopatra - Queen of Death

Cleopatra commands the power of death and rebirth. She introduces a unique resource called Canopy, gathered whenever friendly units fall in battle.

Canopy allows Cleopatra to summon powerful Egyptian units, each with abilities that trigger upon death. Her abilities allow those units to return to life, creating powerful chains of sacrifice and resurrection - proving once again that death is only the beginning.

Taizong of Tang - Master of Offensive Structures

Taizong excels at defending the castle with devastating firepower. His abilities allow him to man castle walls with loyal Crossbowmen while boosting the damage of the newly introduced Offensive Structures.

These structures weaken enemy waves before they reach the walls, allowing Taizong to finish them with precise and devastating cavalry charges of your Rider units.

Xerxes - The Glass Cannon King

Xerxes commands an army unlike any other. All his units have only 10% of their normal HP, but deal 400% damage. His abilities allow him to temporarily grant invincibility to his army and summon the legendary Immortals, creating brief windows of overwhelming power.

Under Xerxes, battles are decided in seconds - victory or total annihilation.

You can learn more about the DLC on its store page.

Dark Realm Free Update

The Dark Realm free update brings a wealth of new content for all players:

• A new map with unique gameplay mechanics

• A completely new enemy faction and bosses

• Narrative events with unusual choices

• New artifacts that expand build variety

• New advisors for your royal council

• Numerous balance updates and quality-of-life improvements

Below you can find the full update notes. But before you go into reading them, we wanted to let you know that we've launched our first merchandise line - it's six different T-Shirts you may buy at tinyBuild shop, operated by our partners from Tinybox.

The Dark Realm

The Dark Realm is a dark and dangerous map. It’s inspired by the works of Lovecraft and is centered around the theme of cosmic horrors. Here you will face The Kraken and its deadly tentacles. This map brings new dynamics, since enemies stay out of your reality and invisible to your armies. Only by focusing your Royal Gaze upon a specific building you may attack them. So you are free to choose the right time to cleanse the waves of eldritch offspring

New Enemies and Bosses

Four new bosses were added to the map

• O’Chtulpus

• Vesper, Keeper of Seals

• Alexia, the Cursed Princess

• The Kraken

The Kraken will be a unique boss that plays completely differently from anything you’ve faced before. We really wanted it to feel like you’re slaying a true eldritch monstrosity - one piece at a time. Don’t prepare for a blitz - prepare for a prolonged siege. Defeating it will take longer than any other boss in the game, so to keep the overall playtime within reasonable limits, we decided to skip Tier 2 bosses on this map entirely. The Kraken will summon troops and retreat into hiding until you’ve dealt with them all. Its HP bar is longer than a highway, and its attacks can one-shot your troops if you’re not careful. Stay sharp.

The map will feature tentacles as main enemies. They do not march like goblins. They do not swarm like undead. Some wait motionless until you get close and others set to work spawning living bombs. Some evolve into siege tendrils and others combine with corrupted souls to create spell-casting hybrids to attack your troops. 

You may ignore a few, you will not ignore all.

Events of the Abyss

No new map would be complete without new choices.

• You may allow a deadly cat within your walls.

• You may host an emperor riding a bear.

• You may sell an artifact that makes you unnaturally attractive.

Each choice has consequences. Some subtle. Some catastrophic.

Offensive Structures

This update introduces a new category of buildings: Offensive Structures. Existing buildings such as Tesla Tower, Cannon, and Balloon Bomber Hangar have been moved into this category. In addition, six new structures have been added:

• Timber Launcher. Launches a wooden log at an incoming enemy.

• Fuel Launcher. Launches a fuel barrel at incoming enemies. 

• Great Slingshot. Attacks incoming enemies with a giant stone.

• Firebomb launcher. Launches napalm bombs at incoming enemies. 

• Poison Tower. Attacks incoming enemies with a beam of light that poisons them, dealing damage over time.

• Dovecote. Releases several birds that circle over the battlefield and poop on enemies.

We’ve also rebalanced the damage and economy of the offensive structures, so you can use them more efficiently. Some upgrades further help with this. E.g., one of Poison Tower’s upgrades, will allow you to extract fuel from killed enemies. 

We’ve also added a new Elite Unit: Cannons. It’s similar to Catapults and Ballistas in terms of long ranged attacks, but its trait increases the damage of all Offensive Structures.

Quality of Life Improvements

We’re also introducing several quality-of-life improvements in this update. First two are delivered as two unlockable upgrades.

Starting Blueprint adds one extra blueprint for each King, letting you kick off your build earlier:

• Baldwin — Gold Mine

• Leonid — Fisherman’s Hut

• Leo the Wise — Buddhist Temple

• Spellus — Tile Enchanter (Epic)

• Brezhnius — Arena

• Alucard — Bone Pit

• Saladin — Big Well

• Taizong of Tang — Brick Factory

• Xerxes — King Statue

• Cleopatra — Winery

For the second upgrade, we know some of you have amassed quite a stockpile of Town Denarii. We can’t just keep adding permanent upgrades to spend them on - that would push your power level too far. And we don’t want to reduce Denarii income either, since that would make the game feel grindier.

So we came up with a solution: Special Goods. This upgrade unlocks a new section in the trader, letting you purchase rewards with Town Denarii. It does make you stronger - but only for the current run. We've also increased amount of Town Denarii you receive as bonus for higher Threat Levels.

We’ve also improved the unlock of new Threat Levels following your feedback on the release of Volcano. Beating any Threat level up to 5 included, will unlock the same Threat level on all other maps. To unlock the next map you still need to beat Threat level 3 on the previous map. Beating a Threat level automatically collects all Ascension crystals from lower Threat levels on that location. Starting from Threat level 6 each you would need to beat levels 6-10 on each location separately.

We hope the above change will allow you to enjoy new maps faster. Also we made a slight changes to Threat level modifiers order, Second boss mod appears on Threat level 6 instead of 5. 

Wine consumption and production has also been slightly improved:

• We reduced general wine consumption by 25%

• Winery production changed: 2 grapes to 1 wine -> 3 grapes to 2 wine

New Artifacts

• Summoning Sphere — Using any King ability summons a temporary standard unit.

• Butcher’s Cleaver — When an enemy dies, another may flee in fear (excluding bosses).

• Nail of Self-Mortification — Damage increases, HP decreases.

• Nutritious Meal — Boosts damage and HP of all unit classes.

• Family Portrait — When castle HP is low, all troops deal increased damage.

• Last Will — Troop deaths temporarily increase building production speed.

• Crown of Thorns — Converts all water into wine.

• Book of Poisons — Doubles poison duration.

• Recycling Manual — Troop deaths grant random resources.

New Advisors

• Village Head — Start with a fully upgraded Peasants’ Hut.

• Trader — Exchange resources for rewards on cooldown.

• Banker — Gain +1 morale per 10 Denarii.

• Nurse — Begin with the first Gaze upgrade, taken as debt.

Balance and Other changes

• New upgrade added for Peasants’ Hut, increasing their HP and damage

• Solvurm: spawn time for small worms increased from 10s → 18s

• Gorzog Alchemists throw bottles less frequently, but the debuff lasts longer

• Volkar now uses fire breath 2 times instead of 3

• Acid Rain modifier now deals damage based on % of troop max HP instead of a flat value

• Freezing Meteorite from Lich modifier no longer deals damage

• Volcanic Power combustion now deals more damage but triggers less often

• Hungering Maw flee duration increased from 1.5s → 2.5s

• Spell Health Boost HP increased from 40 → 70

• Research Table meta upgrade now allows Veteran Barracks blueprints

• Sophy’s Research Lab blueprint time reduced from 140s → 120s

• Several upgrade prices slightly reduced

• Tutorial difficulty reduced

• Victory and defeat now trigger castle animations before the ending screen Invincible troops now have a distinct visual effect

• Partial support added for non-16:9 resolutions with custom artwork instead of black bars

• You can now destroy or sell multiple buildings by holding Shift

• 12 New Steam Achievements added

• Boss corpses can now be resurrected as Undead units via Necromancy or Alucard’s ability

And some other small UI and quality of life changes and fixes.

We hope you’ll enjoy the update! Let us know your feedback on Steam and in our social media!

• Discord

• Reddit

• Twitter

Have fun!

~ Hypnohead team

Noble Kings!

Before we release the update tomorrow, we have one more royal decree to share: our very first merchandise line is now available! We’ve launched a Royal Apparel Collection featuring six different T-shirts, now available in the tinyBuild shop, operated by our partners at Tinybox.

So if you’ve ever wanted to rule your kingdom in proper attire, now is your chance to dress like true royalty — even away from the throne.

Take a look at the collection and choose the garment most worthy of your gaze!

With love,

~Hypnohead team

Noble Kings!

Last week we talked about terrible enemies and bosses waiting for you in the Dark Realm - a free update that’s releasing along with the Crowns of History DLC. By the way, we have just announced the release date - both the DLC and the update will be released on March 16th! 

Today we will touch upon events, artifacts, advisors and quality of life improvements you can expect in this update. 

Events of the Abyss

No new map would be complete without new choices.

• You may allow a deadly cat within your walls.

• You may host an emperor riding a bear.

• You may sell an artifact that makes you unnaturally attractive.

Each choice has consequences. Some subtle. Some catastrophic.

Quality of Life Improvements

We’re also introducing a couple of quality-of-life improvements in this update, delivered as two unlockable upgrades.

Starting Blueprint adds one extra blueprint for each King, letting you kick off your build earlier:

• Baldwin — Gold Mine

• Leonid — Fisherman’s Hut

• Leo the Wise — Buddhist Temple

• Spellus — Tile Enchanter (Epic)

• Brezhnius — Fairy Fountain

• Alucard — Bone Pit

• Saladin — Big Well

• Taizong of Tang — Brick Factory

• Xerxes — King Statue

• Cleopatra — Winery

For the second upgrade, we know some of you have amassed quite a stockpile of Town Denarii. We can’t just keep adding permanent upgrades to spend them on - that would push your power level too far. And we don’t want to reduce Denarii income either, since that would make the game feel grindier.

So we came up with a solution: Special Goods. This upgrade unlocks a new section in the trader, letting you purchase rewards with Town Denarii. It does make you stronger - but only for the current run.

New Artifacts

The Dark Realm update introduces new artifacts to reshape your builds:

• Summoning Sphere — Using any King ability summons a temporary standard unit.

• Butcher’s Cleaver — When an enemy dies, another may flee in fear (excluding bosses).

• Nail of Self-Mortification — Damage increases, HP decreases.

• Nutritious Meal — Boosts damage and HP of all unit classes.

• Family Portrait — When castle HP is low, all troops deal increased damage.

• Last Will — Troop deaths temporarily increase building production speed.

• Crown of Thorns — Converts all water into wine.

• Book of Poisons — Doubles poison duration.

• Recycling Manual — Troop deaths grant random resources.

New Advisors

Your court expands with four new advisors:

• Village Head — Start with a fully upgraded Peasants’ Hut.

• Trader — Exchange resources for rewards on cooldown.

• Banker — Gain +1 morale per 10 Denarii.

• Nurse — Begin with the first Gaze upgrade, taken as debt.

That’s everything coming in the Dark Realm update, which will be available to everyone for free on March 16th, alongside the release of the Crowns of History DLC.

Reign firm, Noble Kings.

~ The Hypnohead Team 👑

Noble Kings!

We’ve already spoken at length about the Crowns of History DLC. If you wish to familiarize yourself with all the details, now you can visit the DLC page, which we launched today. And, of course, if the upcoming rulers have sparked your interest, do not forget to add the DLC to your wishlists to be the first to learn about the release date and price.

But today, we turn our gaze toward something every ruler will receive.

Alongside the DLC, we are releasing a free content update — Dark Realm. It includes

• A new map, with mechanics unlike anything we have added before

• A completely new set of enemies

• New bosses

• Interesting narrative events

• Artifacts to expand your builds

• New advisors to join the council

• And quality of life improvements

Today we will discuss the first three topics. Let us descend into the abyss.

The Dark Realm

The Dark Realm is a dark and dangerous map. It’s inspired by the works of Lovecraft and is centered around the theme of cosmic horrors. 

Rumors speak of the Abyss taking form long before gods, goblins, or men. A devouring presence waiting for reality’s seams to tear open wide enough to consume the world. That presence has a name.

The Kraken.

And naturally, Your Majesty has no intention of allowing such competition to exist near your kingdom.

On this map your city will begin with the central tile already occupied. Your agents have severed one of the Kraken’s tentacles, and your mages have bound it to ancient rune pillars. Only by focusing your Royal Gaze upon this imprisoned fragment can you force enemies to phase fully into reality. Otherwise, they remain partially beyond your realm — untouchable by your army, yet fully capable of attacking your walls and soldiers.

This mechanic creates an entirely new dynamic. You may choose to ignore a wave or two, letting them linger beyond reality. Yet the consequences will wait for you.

It also allows for different dynamics of boss encounters.

Enemies of the Abyss

The Dark Realm brings with it an entirely new set of enemies: tentacles of all horrible shapes and sizes.

They do not march like goblins. They do not swarm like undead. Some wait motionless until you get close and others set to work building spawners. Some evolve into siege tendrils and others combine with corrupted souls to create spell-casting hybrids to attack your troops. 

You may ignore a few, you will not ignore all.

Bosses of the Dark Realm

Four bosses await within this map:

• O’Chtulpus

• Vesper, Keeper of Seals

• Alexia, the Cursed Princess

• The Kraken

One of the first three will appear as your opening boss, each demanding a different army composition and strategy.

O’Chtulpus

Part pirate, part eldritch abomination. O’Chtulpus stared into the abyss and decided it needed better revenue streams. He enters battle like a sea captain boarding a coast, cannons strapped to writhing limbs.

He bombards your forces from afar, but should you close the distance, he slams the ground to scatter your troops and resume firing. Once weakened, he takes to the skies and crashes down in devastating impact strikes.

Prepare to be raided by the sea itself.

Vesper, Keeper of Seals

Vesper, on the other hand, is a beast of a different kind, a master of all the spells known to humankind. Sorcerers talk of him as a dark god of magic, a patron deity who responds to desperate pleas, a hooded miracle who appears when all other magic fails and reality seems to unravel. Many have tried to worship him, many have begged, a few have even tried to bind him, but none have managed to retain their souls.

Vesper has learned all the secrets worth knowing, all the true names of the spells, all the hidden locks in a human brain, all the shortcuts to make even the impossible spell feel almost effortless. And he is ready to use all of this in a fight. He will rain down on your troops all spells that you enjoyed before. Be especially careful when dropping his health below thresholds

Alexia, the Cursed Princess

Once a princess of a forgotten court, now an eternal wraith crowned in thorns. Her curse did not end her life - it elevated her beyond it.

Ghosts answer her call. Spirits swarm your troops. She stands serene while your army is dragged into a haunted procession.

The Kraken

This will be a unique boss that plays completely differently from anything you’ve faced before. We really wanted it to feel like you’re slaying a true eldritch monstrosity - one piece at a time. The map mechanic also gives the player indirect unit control, and we’ve leaned into that to the fullest with the Kraken.

Don’t prepare for a blitz - prepare for a prolonged siege. Defeating it will take longer than any other boss in the game, so to keep the overall playtime within reasonable limits, we decided to skip Tier 2 bosses on this map entirely. The Kraken will summon troops and retreat into hiding until you’ve dealt with them all. Its HP bar is longer than a highway, and its attacks can one-shot your troops if you’re not careful. Stay sharp.

We don’t want to spoil too much - you’ll have more fun discovering it for yourself once the update is live.

That’s all we wanted to share with you today - more coming next week!

We wish your kingdoms to prosper and your enemies to tremble in fear. ~ Hypnohead team.

Noble Kings,

The final ruler in the Crowns of History DLC makes his grand entrance, accompanied by servants and gold sand. 

Xerxes. 

He is the only King in this DLC equally inspired by both a legendary ruler from history and his dramatic portrayal in modern media. He is an emperor, a warlord, and above all, a ruler of risk and overwhelming power. 

In Xerxes' hands, victory is total. Defeat is instant. 

The Ultimate Glass Cannon 

Xerxes brings us one of the most daring game experiences we've ever made. 

All of the ruler's armies suffer from a crippling 90% reduction in maximum health. On the flip side, their damage output is multiplied several times over. With Troop Trainings, this damage output increases exponentially, making this army the ultimate Glass Cannon. 

In theory, this makes them unstoppable, especially if executed flawlessly. An entire army or even a boss can be eliminated before it even gets a chance to retaliate. 

But one mistake… and your army shatters in an instant.

Royal Abilities 

To control this power, Xerxes wields three tools of precision. 

His first ability, Ephemeral Existence, grants temporary invincibility to your troops — a brief moment where glass becomes unbreakable.

His second ability, Summon Reflection, calls forth temporary elite units known as Immortals in the location of your choice. They can distract enemy forces, reinforce collapsing lines, or surgically eliminate backline threats.

His third ability, Sands of Time, resets all cooldowns, including those from Advisors. With this, you can execute powerful combinations of abilities, potentially changing the tide of the whole run.

Under Xerxes, combat is not sustained. It is explosive.

Surviving the Edge

Completing Xerxes’ quests will grant you more power for your fragile legions. Once you have gathered 300 Wine, all of your units will have a 25% Evasion Chance, which greatly improves their survivability. Should you be lucky enough to survive several consecutive waves without losing any unit, your army’s attack range will increase, making them even more dangerous.

The fragile empire can become terrifyingly efficient with the right artifacts and the right advisors, for example, the Phoenix.

Historical Inspiration

Xerxes I ruled the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the 5th century BCE. He is most famous for his massive military campaigns against the Greek city-states, including the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis.

Historical records portray him as both a powerful monarch commanding one of the largest armies of his time and a ruler whose ambitions pushed the limits of empire. Modern media, particularly film adaptations, amplified his image into something larger-than-life - stylized, theatrical, and intimidating.

The version of Xerxes you command in The King Is Watching pulls from both inspirations, mixing historical grandeur with a touch of cinematic flair, all shaped first and foremost around what feels best to play.

With Xerxes revealed, the Crowns of History stand complete.

You can read about other rulers in our previous announcements about Cleopatra and Taizong of Tang

Three rulers.

Three philosophies.

Three entirely different ways to conquer - or collapse.

The choice, as always, is yours.

~ The Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings,

Previously, we revealed the first ruler from the upcoming Crowns of History DLC, and today, we’re pleased to share the second: the king of discipline, order, and fortifications – Taizong of Tang.

Where others rely on chaos or sacrifice, Taizong relies on fortifications that will never fall.

Master of Offensive Structures

As we prepare the upcoming update, we're introducing a new building type – Offensive Structures. This type will include familiar buildings like the Cannon and Tesla Tower, as well as a few new additions, all designed to destroy your enemies from the safety of your castle walls.

Under the guidance of Taizong, these structures will become the core of your strategy, with the bonus of Taizong's Morale ability increasing the effectiveness of all Offensive Structures by 2% per point of Morale.

To additionally bolster defences, he may recruit Crossbowmen to man gates and walls. These recruits will not use any of the unit limit however, allowing him to fortify without sacrificing the effectiveness of the army.

From the very start of a run, Taizong will have the Brick Factory blueprint, ensuring that any breach will always be temporary. Taizong's quests will enhance his style of ruling, improving Crossbowman damage output and rewarding the player with Fuel upon completion.

Imperial Abilities

Taizong's abilities demonstrate the characteristics of careful and escalating power.

His first ability, More Firepower, grants an Offensive Structure blueprint and recruits an additional Crossbowman to guard the castle.

His second ability, Emperor’s Wrath, temporarily increases the attack speed of all Offensive Structures, transforming your defenses into a storm of steel and lightning.

And when the enemy lines finally falter, his third ability, Divine Punishment, calls down devastating lightning strikes across the battlefield - a celestial verdict delivered with precision.

Under the guidance of Taizong, the castle does not survive or endure sieges - it wins them.

Historical Inspiration

Emperor Taizong of Tang was one of the greatest rulers of the Tang Dynasty in 7th-century China. Known for his military campaigns, administrative reforms, and strategic brilliance, he helped shape one of the most prosperous and culturally influential periods in Chinese history.

Taizong was both a formidable general and a pragmatic reformer, strengthening borders while consolidating internal governance.

The Taizong you command in The King Is Watching is a fictional interpretation inspired by this historical legacy - adapted to fit the mechanics, balance, and tone of the game world.

The empire grows.

And the final Crown of History approaches from the eastern realms.

Stay vigilant, Noble Kings. 👑 ~ The Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings,

The first ruler to step forward from the Crowns of History DLC is one whose name has echoed through centuries:

Cleopatra

Inspired by legend, myth, and the cultural memory of ancient Egypt, she arrives not as a mere monarch - but as the embodiment of death harnessed into power.

Queen of Death and Rebirth

Cleopatra’s reign revolves around a new resource: Canopy.

Unlike gold or grain, Canopy is harvested from loss itself. Whenever a friendly unit falls in battle, Cleopatra passively gathers Canopy. With her second ability, Harvest Bodies, she may extract it directly from corpses across the battlefield, using both friend and foe.

Under Cleopatra’s rule, death is not failure. It is preparation.

Canopy fuels her ability to recruit a unique roster of eleven Egyptian units, some of which include:

• Anubis Saber Masters

• Sphinxes

• Jinns

• Pharaohs

• Horus

Nearly all Egyptian units share a defining trait: they trigger powerful effects upon death. Scarabs explode in violent bursts. Cobra Mages grant random non-legendary spells as their final act. Others leave lingering blessings or curses behind.

Her third ability, Pharaoh’s Blessing, transforms the battlefield into a ritual ground. Selected Egyptian units are granted rebirth - when they die, their death effects trigger, yet they rise again anew to continue the fight.

Her first ability, Ancient Call, initiates the cycle by summoning a random Egyptian unit directly to her side. It will bolster your armies, while you slice enemies to get the Canopeconomy going.

Cleopatra’s quests further reinforce this philosophy of sacrifice and resurrection, rewarding players who master the delicate balance between destruction and renewal.

Under her command, the battlefield becomes a harvest field - and every fallen soldier a seed.

Historical Inspiration

Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. Renowned for her political intelligence, linguistic skill, and strategic alliances with figures such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, she ruled during one of the most turbulent periods of ancient history.

While popular culture often associates her with romance and intrigue, Cleopatra also was a formidable stateswoman who sought to preserve Egyptian sovereignty against the expanding Roman Republic.

The Cleopatra you command in The King Is Watching is inspired by this historical figure and the mythology surrounding ancient Egypt, but she is a fictional interpretation designed for the world and mechanics of the game.

Cleopatra is only the beginning.

Next week, another Crown of History rises.

Until then, Noble Kings - may even your defeats serve a greater purpose.

~ The Hypnohead Team

Noble Kings!

Today, we step before the court with news of what lies ahead.

Your response to The King Is Watching has been nothing short of overwhelming. The feedback, the screenshots, the strategy discussions, the creative builds - the sheer attention the game has received continues to astonish us. And recently, we crossed a milestone fit for a coronation: 500,000 copies sold.

Half a million Kings and Queens ruling with their gaze.

For that, we bow in gratitude.

We want The King Is Watching not only to endure, but to grow - to improve, expand and offer new experiences worthy of your continued attention. In this article, we’d like to share what you can expect from 2026.

Please note that what follows is a preliminary roadmap. Plans may shift as development progresses. Yet this is the direction in which the Crown is currently gazing.

The Crowns Continue

Let us begin with the DLCs.

In 2026, both Crowns of History and Crowns of Fiction will expand the royal roster. These DLCs introduce new Rulers inspired by real historical figures and their legendary or fantasy counterparts. As always, they are creative interpretations rather than direct portrayals - designed first and foremost to serve gameplay.

Each King will feature a distinct set of abilities and quests, and our goal is to ensure that they feel different from existing rulers. We want you to approach them as entirely fresh strategic experiences - rulers that change how you play the game.

These DLCs will also help support continued development of the game. Expanding the kingdom takes time and resources, and your support allows us to keep building what we love.

Free Content for All Kings

Alongside the DLCs, we will continue delivering free content updates. We believe everyone who owns the game should have something new to explore, whether or not they choose to expand their crown collection.

The first of these updates will center around the Dark Realm - a new map that deliberately shifts the established formula. It introduces a different pace, new enemies, and a distinct atmosphere designed to challenge expectations. Rather than simply adding more of the same, this map aims to offer a new flavor of chaos.

We’ll be sharing more detailed information about both Crowns of History and the Dark Realm in the coming weeks. The first King reveal arrives next week.

Refining the Crown

You may have also noticed UI/UX improvements in the roadmap.

While many of you are comfortable with the current interface, we see clear room for refinement. In particular, we want to focus on improving gamepad support and ensuring that the experience feels natural on handheld devices like the Steam Deck.

We also play the game on Steam Deck ourselves, and we know first-hand that certain elements - especially text readability - could be improved. This is something we are actively addressing. The goal is simple: smoother interaction, clearer information, and better usability across devices.

Experiments and Unknown Paths

Beyond these major pillars, we have additional ideas planned for 2026. However, we’re intentionally holding back on specifics for now.

We want to experiment. We want room to test bold ideas, refine them, and decide what truly improves the game before making firm promises. Creative freedom is essential, and we’d rather surprise you with something great than commit prematurely to something uncertain.

That is the road ahead - at least as it stands today.

Thank you again for the astonishing support of our small game. You’ve helped it grow far beyond what we imagined possible.

And next week we will introduce you to the first of our planned Kings.

~ The Hypnohead Team

Greetings!

The King is not only watching... He's also listening!

Noble Kings!

First of all, an update with festive decor is now live. Enjoy!

Secondly, as the year draws to a close, we want to pause for a moment and simply say: Thank you. What started as a small Ludum Dare prototype has grown into something we never could have imagined. Thanks to your support, The King Is Watching is closing the year having crossed an incredible milestone - 400,000 Steam copies sold. It’s honestly mind-blowing to know that so many people are enjoying the realm we have built. We WATCH you: read your reviews, follow discussions and ideas on Discord and Steam, smile at your stories from chaotic playthroughs - and yes, we absolutely love the masterpiece screenshots you keep sharing. Your passion is what keeps this kingdom alive.

A Year of Updates

Since July, when we began our post-release journey in earnest, we have shipped 7 updates, bringing a lot of new content and improvements to the game, including:

• The Volcano map, with unique mechanics, enemies, and bosses

• Mid-run saves, the in-run Encyclopedia, and many quality-of-life improvements

• Numerous balance and content changes driven directly by your feedback

• 13 new units, 19 new artifacts, 4 new advisors, and 4 new spells

And this is only the beginning.

What Comes Next

We fully intend to continue developing The King Is Watching throughout the coming year. You may have noticed that one type of content has been missing so far: new Kings. That’s about to change. Next year, we’re planning two DLCs focused on expanding the roster of Kings, with the first one currently planned for February–March. Below, we’re sharing a small glimpse into our concept art process. Please keep in mind that these are early explorations. Some concepts may change, while others may never make it into the game, and some may evolve in unexpected ways.

Alongside the aforementioned DLCs, we will continue releasing free content updates for everyone, expanding and refining the base game. And yes, on top of that, we’re also planning another free update with a brand-new map, one that will feel distinctly different from anything currently in the game!

Looking Forward to 2026

This is just a glimpse of what awaits The King Is Watching in the year ahead. We will return in January with more detailed plans on the next update. We are also planning on exploring more options for creating bundles with other fantastic indie titles. That said, behold this new bundle with Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, a colourful action-RPG with roguelike elements.

For now, we want to wish you a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Noble Kings! May your gaze stay sharp and your kingdom prosper. All the best, ~ The Hypnohead Team

• Soulwurm associated crash is fixed
• Fixed a localization bug associated with the new buildings unlock in Upgrades menu
• Changed Sophy's Research Lab building:
• Time to produce blueprint 160 sec -> 140 sec
• Build cost 100 wood 80 gold -> 50 wood 50 gold
• The laboratory can produce any type of blueprint as before, including Tier 1 Resources and Troops

Greetings, Noble Kings!

We have many astounding news for you today. First and foremost, the greatest discount in the kingdom’s history has arrived: -35% until December 16th!

If you seek more options, cast your eyes on our bundles with other marvellous games, like this one here with a roguelite colony sim, Drill Core:

And secondly, we have just released a massive free content update, focusing on a new map: Volcano.

Behold this new overview trailer:

SHORT UPDATE SUMMARY:

• The new Volcano map centered around deals with Inferno. Hire nine new demon troops, fulfill the Worship Meter, and unlock Hellish rewards. You might need them to fight a new set of enemies, Scarlet Goblins and Lava Creatures, commanded by six new bosses. We've also added 20 new, unique themed narrative events. All of the above is exclusive to the Volcano map!

• Trader discounts, banning of buildings, upgrades for re-rolls, and many other new additions

• We've added 17 new artifacts to enhance your builds.

• 4 new advisors and improvements to a dozen existing ones.

• 4 new troops will be available throughout the entire game, and give necessary spice to some of the builds

• The game’s soundtrack is being updated with the tracks from the fresh update.

FULL UPDATE NOTES

A new map, Volcano, has been added to the game. It’s accessible to everyone who has completed the Graveyard map on Threat Level 2.

The Volcano map exclusively features:

Six new Bosses:

• Ignahog, King of Cinderwilds

• Smokeeye, the Goblin Marksman

• Ashfeather, the Eternal Phoenix

• Skarkh, the Inferno Brood

• Goblark the Bellringer

• Solvurm, the Worm-Father

• Exclusive resource - Nether Runes. These runes can be gathered through sacrificial altars, battle challenges, or from the rune enchanter building. Runes fill up a Worship Meter, which unlocks your rewards, some exclusive to just the Volcano map, as you pass certain thresholds.

• 20 new narrative events and new functionality in these events (e.g., convert all blueprints into troops)

  9 new infernal barracks you can build if you claim a specific reward (only three barracks (one per tier) can be unlocked during one run):

• Fetus Field T1. Recruits Hellhounds. Upon death, heals 10% max HP of all allies.

• Nether Portal T1. Recruits Infernal Brutes. Upon death, gives a random non-legendary spell.

• Caludron T1. Recruits Hellpigs. At the start of each wave, it eats your weakest Grunt unit, increasing own health by 100 and giving you 30 gold.

• Hellish Tome T2. Recruits Cacodeamons. Consumes a body on the ground, giving all your troops 5/s regeneration for 3s and increasing their maximum HP by 1% permanently.

• Infernal Outpost T2. Recruits Infernal generals. All units have a chance to explode for 50 damage, 10% chance per Infernal General.

• Beholder’s Swamp T2. Recruits Beholders. Periodically enrages friendly troops, giving them extra attack and move speed for 3s and increasing their damage by 5% permanently.

• Fiend’s Skull T3. Summons Bone Fiends. All troops have a 10% chance to be resurrected per Bone Fiend.

• Torture Square T3. Summons Goliaths. Provides 2 Denarii per enemy hit.

• Bottomless Pit T3. Summons Hellheads. All troops' attacks burn enemies for 5 extra damage per Hellhead.

• A new enemy factions that oppose you - Scarlet Goblins and Lava Creatures - featuring unique skills and tactics in combat.

• New Threat Level progression. One of the modifiers is Volcanic Activity - the more severe it is, the earlier the effects of volcanic eruptions will appear as the worship meter fills.

Features added throughout the whole game

• The trader will now have one good item always on discount. The number of discounts and how deep they are can be increased with artifacts and Councilors. For example, one of the councilors will now allow you to get one random item from the shop for free.

• You can now ban certain buildings from appearing in the rewards pool. You can unlock this ability and increase the number of uses through permanent kingdom Upgrades

• An upgrade that adds a free re-roll has been expanded into three updates at the Kingdom Upgrades tree, each giving a re-roll.

• Added an upgrade that allows for rerolling the artifacts (except legendary).

• Artifacts can now be exclusive to certain maps, like Nether Contract, which gives you 2 Nether runes when your unit dies.

• The research table can now also generate blueprints for Tier 1 troop buildings. To follow up on this change in the whole game, we reduced the chance of appearance of T1 troop buildings in optional waves. At the same time, we have increased the likelihood of other rewards appearing there.

• Most morale upgrades now provide morale passively, rather than when the building is observed.

• The Morale pop-up provides more info on where the bonus morale comes from.

• Newly unlocked paintings show an eye symbol to distinguish them from the ones you have seen already.

• New challenge and achievement given for defeating every boss of the Volcano

New Buildings

• Pangolin Stump – Poison specialists assisting your Riders whose upgrades add crippling debuffs.

• Paladin Campus – Warrior-mages who scale with your spell damage.

• Barbarian Tent – A furious leader who buffs your ranged units while smashing foes himself.

• Minotaur Camp – Tough bruisers who also empower your flying troops.

17 New Artifacts

• Tome of Restless Souls. When one of your troops dies, it rises from the dead as a ghost and fights on your side for 7 seconds.

• Bandage of Dexterity. All units receive a 4% chance to evade the attacks. After evading an attack, units gain a temporary 50% damage bonus.

• Filtered Fuel. Each 1 water produced has 4% chance to produce 1 fuel.

• Super Metal. Every 1 metal produced increases all players' units’ damage by 0.05%.

• Healer Banner. Gives a 20% chance for friendly units to leave a lesser healing pool under them upon death. Healing per second 5 HP, duration - 4 seconds.

• Boiling Rage. Enrages 3 random Infernal units for 20s at the beginning of a wave (Volcano exclusive)

• Demon Wings. Increases damage dealt by all Infernal units by 30% (Volcano exclusive.)

• Clay Treasure. Producing 1000 clay after equipping this artifact grants a legendary artifact.

• Wine Cup. Every 30 wine spent permanently grants 1 morale.

• Sacrificial Vessel. Increases spell damage by 0.1% per enemy killed.

• Free Coupon. Grants a 100% discount for one good at the trader.

• Magic Acorn. Producing 1000 wood after picking up this artifact grants an extra 500 wood.

• Nether Contract. Gain 2 Nether Runes when your unit dies. (Volcano exclusive)

• Cheaper Housing. -25% to the construction cost of all buildings.

• Flour Deity. Every 1 flour produced increases all player units’ HP by 0.05%.

• Comfortable Handle. All wells have a 10% chance of producing one piece of furniture.

• Unexpected Finding. When an excavation is completed, a weak undead unit rises to join your army. (Graveyard exclusive)

Advisors

In this update, we’ve added 4 new advisors:

• Moralin: increases morale by 1 for the rest of the run for each spell cast

• Chicken basket: Summons a temporary chicken rider to fight for you at the start of every wave

• Doctor: Your troops and buildings heal 20% more. Receive 1 Healer mage and Hospital blueprint at the start of the run

• Gold digger: Places a Small gold mine in your castle at the start of the run

We’ve also changed how some of the existing advisors work to make them more viable in the game and remove unintended behaviour from Betty and Wise Tree.

• Twins: Receive 1 Basic construction. Developing Basic construction is free.

• Zeus: now strikes the enemy with the most HP. Damage increases after each strike. Bosses receive reduced damage.

• Wise Guy: choose 1 spell at the start of the run and 1 spell every 5 waves

• Sophy: Grants a separate building "Research laboratory", which costs more than a Research table and generates blueprints more slowly, but can still generate blueprints in the category of your choice

• Golem: Increased building cost discount 10% -> 20%

• Phoenix: Ressurection chance 7% -> 10%, all resurrected troops become enraged for 5 seconds. Buff is granted if resurrection is performed by other means as well.

• Panther: Bonus increased 10% -> 15%

• Jacques: A random item at the trader becomes free

• Court Harpy: See all upcoming bosses. Summons harpies to aid you at the start of each boss fight

• Jester: places a Wheel of Fortune building in your castle at the start of the run.

• Accountant: Increases the selling price of furniture on the market from 1 -> 2. Receive a carpentry at the start of the run.

• Wise tree and Betty: Basic construction no longer offers correlated buildings with these advisors equipped.

Threat Levels

We’ve heard your feedback that the difficulty curve from Threat Level 5 to Level 6 is a bit too steep, while the final threat levels feel relatively similar in terms of difficulty. We will implement the following changes to address this issue.

• Dark Rites' amount of tiles covered changed from 100% to 80%

• Modifier Enemies Damage II now gives a 40% bonus instead of the previous 60% bonus

• On the contrary, the enemies' HP III modifier was slightly buffed and now gives a 70% HP bonus instead of 50%

• Additional changes to the Enemies Damage modifier on different Tiers

Balance changes: General

• Some underused buildings have been made cheaper or stronger

• Slightly decreased build costs for some tier 1 troop buildings

• Buffed some building upgrades to provide more stats

• Buffed both fireworks spells' duration

• The tile enchanter cost has been changed from gold to crystals

• Tavern changed: While the building is active reduces wine consumption by 50%. Increases morale received from wine by 20. Only one Tavern can take effect.

• Added a trait for Relicts. They now give 1% hp, damage, and attack speed to all troops on the battlefield. The endless mode enemy wave generation has changed: it will now start with easier enemies and progress more smoothly. Units that appear early have been nerfed, and the ones that appear later have been buffed. Overall, the endless mode is made easier.

• Endless mode is now accessible after beating Threat Level 2.

Balance changes: Bosses

All bosses are affected by pushing forces a lot less now.

Malathrax

• Increased damage from his fire slam by 100

• His modifier for gaze movement changed; the movement is less frequent now, and the tiles in the moved area are temporarily cursed with lower production speed.

• His scream now only frightens half of the troops, allowing him to keep hitting his enemies while not receiving as much damage.

Volkar

• Attack damage decreased from 250 to 200, slightly decreasing his flame damage.

Lich

• The amount of HP decreased from 4000 to 3500.

• Damage and attack speed have been slightly reduced; his attacks push your troops 75% less.

Graveyard golem

• No longer spawns regular zombies; instead, it spawns Necro Horsemen.

Balance changes: Kings

Baldwin

• The number of trees required in First Quest has been reduced from 15 to 10. The reward was also reduced from 400 wood to 300 wood.

• The second ability duration increased from 10 seconds to 20 seconds.

Leonid

• The second ability cost changed from 10 wine to 20 gold, and the duration increased from 10s to 15s.

Spellus

• Third quest spell requirement changed from 100 to 80, while the number of summoned mages decreased from 12 to 10.

Alucard

• The second Quest requirement to lose 150 units decreased to 120 units.

Leo

• The first ability costs 20 water and starts granting 30 resources instead of 40.

• Second ability cost is now 15 wheat.

• Amount of morale received per upgrade of the first ability reduced: 1 -> 0.5.

Noble Kings!

The moment draws near - the gates to the Volcano will open on December 9th at 19:00 CET! This entire update, including the new map and all Infernal content, will be completely free for everyone. We are incredibly excited to share it with you and can’t wait to read your impressions, strategies, and glorious tales of lava-fueled disaster.

Alongside the update, we will also expand the Official Soundtrack with brand-new tracks composed specifically for the Volcano. Prepare your ears for fire and fury.

But today’s decree focuses on everything arriving outside the Volcano - the improvements, refinements, and new features coming to the entire game.

If you wish to revisit our previous Volcano reveals, here they are once more for your royal convenience:

Build Predictability

One of the bigger complaints we see in the reviews is how difficult it is to create certain builds. We have some interesting long-term solutions for that cooking and we are ready to start implementing some of them. The Volcano already introduces a more predictable structure (for example, Infernal Barracks appear at fixed rune thresholds rather than as random rewards). We have also prepared some additional mechanics and changes that will improve this.

Banning Rewards

You will now be able to ban specific buildings from appearing in the reward pool after unlocking this power via permanent Kingdom upgrades.

Free Reroll Upgrade

New permanent upgrades will grant you a free reroll, giving more chances to find the building you actually want.

Research Table Improvements

The Research Table will now be able to generate Levy Barracks (Tier 1 troop building) blueprints in addition to Basic Production (Tier 1 resource buildings) blueprints. To follow up on this change in the whole game, we will reduce the chance of the appearance of T1 troops buildings in optional waves. At the same time, we increased the likelihood of other rewards appearing there.

Advisor Sophy now allows you to construct a separate building - Research Laboratory - where you can roll any blueprint reward of any tier, instead of just upgrading the Research Table.

Together, these changes give you more strategic control while preserving the sweet unpredictability of a roguelite kingdom.

Mechanics changes

Morale

First off, let’s talk about Morale. We felt like Morale buildings are somewhat underused, aside from some specific Spellus runs. We want them to matter more. Most upgrades in these buildings will now grant passive morale bonuses, ensuring they remain valuable even when you aren’t staring at them.

Tavern will be changed even more: 

While the building is active, it reduces wine consumption by 50%. Increases morale received from wine by 20. Only one Tavern can take effect.

You will also see more detailed information on what’s influencing your morale.

Trader Improvements

To make the trader more exciting, each visit will now feature one discounted item. Certain advisors, events, and artifacts will allow you to push those discounts even further - sometimes all the way down to free. A true delight for Kings who love bargains almost as much as victory.

New Troops

Four new troop buildings will join the kingdom in the Volcano update:

• Pangolin Stump – Poison specialists assisting your Riders whose upgrades add crippling debuffs.

• Paladin Campus – Warrior-mages who scale with your spell damage.

• Barbarian Tent – A furious leader who buffs your ranged units while smashing foes himself.

• Minotaur Camp – Tough bruisers who also empower your flying troops.

Fresh strategies await with each of these additions.

Advisors

Four new advisors join your royal council:

• Moralin: increases morale by 1 for the rest of the run for each spell cast

• Chicken basket: Summons a temporary chicken rider to fight for you at the start of every wave

• Doctor: Your troops and buildings heal 20% more. Receive 1 Healer mage and Hospital blueprint at the start of the run

• Gold digger: Places a Small gold mine in your castle at the start of the run

We have also adjusted several existing advisors to improve their viability and remove unintended interactions (looking at you, Basic Construction, Betty and Wise Tree). Full details will be in the complete patch notes.

Threat Levels

We’ve heard your feedback that the difficulty curve from Threat Level 5 to Level 6 is a bit too steep, while the final threat levels feel pretty similar to one another in terms of difficulty. We will make the following changes to address this.

• Dark Rites amount of tiles covered changed from 100% to 80%

• Modifier Enemies Damage II now gives a 40% bonus instead of the previous 60% bonus

• Enemies HP III modifier was, on the contrary, slightly buffed and now gives 70% HP bonus instead of 50%

• Some modifiers removed from Threat Level 5

• Enemies damage I modifier gives 20% bonus damage instead of 30%

Until the Volcano Erupts…

Now you know almost everything that awaits you. The full update, with all the Infernal content and game-wide improvements, arrives December 9th at 19:00 CET.

Stay sharp, Kings — the mountain trembles, the lava stirs, and a new age of fire approaches.

With love

~ The Hypnohead Team

Greetings, noble kings.

Royal Majesties!

In our previous royal decrees, we spoke of two mighty pillars of the upcoming Volcano update:

• The fearsome bosses that rule the fiery slopes, and

• The unique mechanics that shape this ever-changing battlefield.

Today, we turn our gaze to what fills these lands between each eruption: the enemies, the events, and the artifacts that will define your journey into the heart of the Inferno.

Scarlet Goblins

The Volcano is an ancient land once tamed by human ritual - where shamans and sages bound the Inferno’s wild power beneath stone and flame. But nothing holds forever.

After decades of relentless raids, the goblins have claimed the Volcano for themselves, guided by their Phoenix demigod. Yet, even goblins cannot dwell near the gates of Hell without being changed. The Infernal energy seeped into their blood, twisting them into a new and more sinister tribe: the Scarlet Goblins, clever, ruthless, and hating fair combat even more than they hate humans.

Scarlet Rogues are the backbone of the tribe's army. Masters of dishonor, these tricksters strike and vanish into the infernal mist to continue harassing your army from the safety of invisibility.

Scarlet Shieldsmen are the frontline-breaking chariots of the tribe.  They barrel through your ranks with brutal momentum and, if shamans accompany them, their momentum becomes outright devastation.

But the Scarlet tribe does not rely on crude goblin nonsense.Their Fire Shooters rival the kingdom’s finest musketeers and will kill your soldiers one by one, while Goblin Mortars will be used for a more… crowd-controlling approach. And Dethclaws, enormous brutes serving as walking walls of meat and stubbornness, will make sure you won’t get to the goblin backline easily

When the situation becomes dire, the goblins summon their strongest allies like Hellclops, giant demon-blooded ogres with maces the size of wagons, or Lava Wraiths, manifestations of volcanic fury. So if you thought goblins were annoying before… you’ve seen nothing yet.

Infernal Situations

The Volcano features a series of brand-new narrative events - each one a dilemma wrapped in fire, sin, and questionable judgment.

Our goal was to create events that both offer new and interesting rewards, and present real moral choices while still being entertaining. You can see WIP some examples below

So what will you choose?

• Do you convert all your blueprints into units, or simply surrender to wine-fueled bliss?

• Is sacrificing a national hero truly a terrible act… or just a bold move in service of demon-approved efficiency?

• And what about signing an infernal contract that drains your resources but drastically increases your army morale?

Decisions, decisions…

Artifacts

With new challenges come new ways to switch up the game. The Volcano update will introduce at least a dozen of new artifacts, some of them with Infernal theme. Here are just a few your Majesty may discover:

• Sacrificial Vessel. Increase spell damage by 0.1% per enemy killed 

• Wine Cup. Every 30 wine spent provides permanent 1 morale 

• Clay Treasure. Earn 1000 clay after picking it up to gain a legendary artifact 

• Flour Deity. Every 1 flour produced increases all player units’ HP by 0.1%. Gives a Mill

• Demon Wings. Increases damage of all infernal units by 30% 

• Nether Contract. Gain 2 Nether runes when your unit dies.

In this update, some artifacts will also become map-exclusive (like the Nether Contract), ensuring you don’t receive items that make no sense in your current campaign.

Coming Next

In the next article we will talk about content that it’s not thematically tied to the Volcano and will be usable for all maps, like new advisors, and also touch upon new in-game mechanics like trader discounts.

Stay vigilant, Kings - the mountain is waking. ~ The Hypnohead Team

Greetings, Noble Kings!

Our royal scouts have returned, bearing word of a new realm soon to open to your realm — the Volcano. In our previous article, we spoke of the monstrous bosses who roam there.

Today, we turn our gaze to the mechanics and rewards that will test your rule, tempt your ambition, and perhaps, your soul.

The Volcano map is built on one dangerous theme: pact with the Inferno.

You may remember Malathrax from the Village? Well, Your Majesty, he has not forgotten you either. This time, he offers you a proposal: prove your devotion to the Infernal cause, and he shall rise again to fight by your side as your most loyal (and least trustworthy) subject.

To summon Malathrax’s aid, you must amass a new resource: Nether Runes — glowing sigils of pure Infernal energy, found only within the Volcano’s domain.

What Are Nether Runes?

Nether Runes fuel your Worship Meter, which measures your growing allegiance to the forces below. The more you gather, the greater your Infernal rewards.

There are several ways to obtain them

Battle Prowess

During the Fortuneteller Event, you may choose a modifier that makes your next wave significantly tougher: - enemies deal +50% damage, - have +50% HP, - double their numbers entirely. Survive this glorious massacre, and the Inferno will reward your audacity with Nether Runes.

Sacrifice

No pact with demons comes without sacrifice. Across the map, two Infernal Altars will await your offerings. One demands mere resources. The other craves flesh — one of your soldiers, surrendered in exchange for runes. After all, what is the life of a peasant compared to the promise of hellish power?

Nether Rune Enchantery

Once you’ve proven your seriousness about this whole worshipping the Inferno thing, you’ll unlock a special building: the Rune Enchanter. This infernal workshop will steadily grant up to 500 Runes, roughly one-third of what’s needed to call Malathrax into battle.

Rewards of the Faithless

As your Worship Meter rises, so too do your rewards. Each threshold unlocks new spoils for the faithful: - 30 Runes: unlocks the Nether Rune Enchantery itself. - 180, 450, and 900 Runes: grant Infernal Barracks (T1–T3) and access to new fiery recruits. - 1,500 Runes: summons Malathrax, the Infernal General.

Though weakened after the rather humiliating thrashing you gave him back in the Village, Malathrax remains a towering force of destruction, boasting thousands of health points and a tendency to destroy everyone who opposes him.

The Infernal Legions

Nine new Infernal Units will be available for recruitment. However, during a single playthrough, you’ll only be able to acquire blueprints for three of them — a choice that will define your strategy and army composition.

As you learn their strengths, you’ll be able to plan which ones best suit your royal ambitions:

• Craving more Denarii? The Hellpigs might just be your new accountants.

• Need a boost in damage output for your Grunt army? Perhaps a Bottomless Pit is the answer (don’t ask how it works).

Providing predictable access to certain barracks is one of our first steps toward giving players greater control over build predictability, while keeping all the chaos and randomness that make roguelite strategy fun.

Everything Has a Price

Dealing with the Inferno never comes cheap. The more Nether Runes you gather, the more the world itself will rebel against you. Each threshold of worship awakens the volcano further — the skies darken, the earth cracks, and the very mountain begins to rage.

At the highest tiers, expect the heavens to rain fire as meteors fall upon friend and foe alike. When you deal with demons, even victory burns.

What’s Next?

In our next royal address, we’ll delve into:

• The enemies and events that will test your leadership and strength, as well as artifacts we plan to add

• The game-wide improvements and new councilors arriving alongside the update.

Until then, Your Majesty, keep your altars warm and your crown untarnished — for soon, even kings must decide how much of their soul they’re willing to sell. ~ The Hypnohead Team

Two distinct kingdoms, each with their own memorable journeys. 

The King is Watching has joined forces with Of Ash and Steel to bring you an unforgettable medieval experience in a brand new bundle. 

Whether you’re ruling by the power of your royal gaze or fighting for survival in a fallen kingdom, you’ll need to keep your eyes open and your wits about you. 

Claim this royal bargain today!

From all of us on the team — thank you.

Your support, your passion, and the sheer enthusiasm you’ve shown for The King Is Watching over this past year have meant the world to us. Watching the community grow, share strategies, celebrate victories, and laugh at the wonderfully chaotic defeats has been one of the greatest joys of the last months.

As the Steam Awards 2025 approach, we wanted to humbly ask for your support and nomination.

But regardless of awards or titles, thank you for making this kingdom alive with your gaze.

With appreciation, The Hypnohead Team