The kinds of randomized options you’ll have to choose between waves.
Those inter-wave upgrades are also randomized in each run, adding some roguelike unpredictability that means no two play sessions develop quite the same way. You have to be flexible, adapting to the blueprints and units you’re given, while being willing to abandon plans that are no longer feasible.
Between waves, you’ll often get the opportunity to buy emergency resource drops, useful upgrades that last through the whole run, or one-time spells that can strengthen your units or hinder the opposition. Figuring out the best potential upgrade paths requires a lot of trial and error, and you’ll need a little luck in drawing some of the more powerful upgrade options. While experience and skill can make things more manageable, some runs end up a lot more winnable than others.
Playing through successful waves also earns you tokens you can spend between runs on permanent upgrades (including crucial expansions of that 4×4 grid) and new selectable kings with their own unique gaze shapes and special powers. But even as these upgrades make it easier to succeed in successive runs, the game cranks up the “threat level” in turn to raise the enemy strength level (and the stakes) accordingly.
That kind of self-balancing means The King is Watching always manages to feel engaging without coming off as totally unfair. And individual runs are zippy enough to not wear out their welcome; you can make it through a full run of two or three bosses in about 30 minutes or so, especially if you use the “fast forward” option to speed up the routine resource production between enemy waves.
Best of all, those 30 minutes are so dense with important decisions and split-second management of your kingly gaze that you never have time to feel bored. The King is Watching perfectly rides the fine line between engrossing and overwhelming, making it perfect for quick, lunch-break-sized brain breaks that combine positional reasoning, reflexes, and strategic planning.
