Info about Kingdom Two Crowns:

Official game description:
**_Build - Explore - Defend - Conquer_**
A shroud of mystery envelops these uncharted medieval lands where ancient monuments, relics and mythical creatures await. Echoes of bygone eras speak of past greatness and in Kingdom Two Crowns, part of the award-winning franchise Kingdom, you embark on an adventure as the Monarch. In this side-scrolling journey atop your steed, you recruit loyal subjects, build your kingdom and protect your crown from the Greed, monstrous creatures looking to steal your kingdom's treasures.
Journey alone or together - in Kingdom Two Crowns, a duo of Monarchs can work cooperatively to build and forge a Kingdom that stands the test of time.
Lay the foundation of a mighty Kingdom with towering walls and protecting towers while cultivating prosperity through building farms and recruiting villagers. In Kingdom Two Crowns expanding and growing your Kingdom grants access to new units and technologies.
Venture into the unknown beyond the protection of your borders, through secluded forests and ancient ruins to seek treasures and hidden knowledge to aid your quest. Who knows what legendary artifacts or mythological beings you will find.
As the night falls, shadows come to life and the monstrous Greed assaults your kingdom. Rally your troops, muster your courage, and steel yourself, for each night will demand ever-growing feats of tactical mastermind. Deploy archers, knights, siege weapons, and even newfound Monarch abilities and artifacts to hold against the waves of Greed.
As the monarch, lead assaults against the source of the Greed to secure your islands. Send your groups of soldiers to clash with the enemy. A word of caution: make sure your troops are prepared and sufficient in numbers, as the Greed will not go down without a fight.
Kingdom Two Crowns is an evolving experience that includes several free content updates:
*   **Shogun:** Journey to lands inspired by the architecture and culture of feudal Japan. Play as the mighty Shogun or Onna-bugeisha, enlist the ninja, lead your soldiers to battle atop the mythological Kirin, and form new strategies as you brave the Greed hiding in thick bamboo forests.
*   **Dead Lands:** Enter the dark lands of Kingdom. Play as unique Monarchs, including the Shardbinder Miriam, with powerful traits from the gothic horror action-RPG Bloodstained. Ride the gigantic beetle to lay out traps, the eerie undead steed that summons barriers impeding the progress of the Greed, or the mythical demon horse Gamigin from Bloodstained, with its powerful charge attack.
*   **Challenge Islands:** Representing the greatest challenge ever seen for hardened veteran monarchs. Take on five challenges with different rules and objectives. Can you survive long enough to claim the gold crown?
Your adventure is only the beginning. Explore more untold stories and settings in the additional DLCs and content available for the game. Oh Monarch, stay vigilant for dark nights are still to come, protect your crown!

Release date: Dec 11, 2018

Categories: Cooperative Multiplayer, Tower Defense, Building, Resource Management, Side-scrolling, Pixel Art Style, Base Management

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 35; verdict: Standard DLC and Cosmetic Monetization with Aggressive Promotion; summary: Audit of Kingdom: Two Crowns reviews shows a premium game supported by paid DLC expansions and cosmetic skins, not a pay-to-win or real-money gacha system. The strongest monetization complaints are aggressive DLC advertisements on the start screen and menus, one report of an auto-buy attempt when closing an ad, paid DLC gating achievements and platinum, and costumes being sold as microtransactions or DLC. Other reviews praise free content updates and generous DLC pricing. Under the scoring criteria, this is standard DLC and cosmetic monetization with aggressive promotion, but it does not reach casino-style predation or pay-to-win territory.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Tier 3 - The Student (Instructional Data dependency); summary: The overwhelming majority of negative and mixed reviews for this title center on the absence of in-game tutorials and explanations, forcing players to consult an external wiki or guides to learn game mechanics, understand building and NPC functions, and identify stage objectives. Complaints are about learning systems and uncovering content rather than farming drop rates, managing inventory, or navigating a map. A minor secondary theme covers stability and alt-tab glitches.
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: User feedback contains no Linux or Proton compatibility blockers. One reviewer confirms the game works on Linux, and another reports that it runs very well on Steam Deck. Other Steam Deck mentions describe normal play, UI zoom, and offline playtime tracking rather than compatibility failures, so the overall Linux/Proton signal is positive.
- Steam Deck: score 10; verdict: Seamless; summary: The audit of Steam Deck experience for this game reveals overwhelmingly positive feedback. Users report that the game runs smoothly on Steam Deck, with intuitive controls and good performance. The main technical barriers identified are occasional black screen crashes and an optional cloud save account requirement, but these are not consistently tied to Steam Deck. Overall, the game delivers a seamless native-like experience on the handheld.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: Across the hardware cohorts, the game generally runs well, with only occasional stability and networking issues reported on lower-end and mid-range Windows systems; high-end hardware shows no performance concerns.
  - Sample size: 300 (4% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM (positive, 121 reports): Reports indicate the game runs well even on lower-end hardware, though some users mention crash-prone settings and unstable multiplayer with lag.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (mixed, 37 reports): A recommended report praises the game as addictive but notes occasional crashes and freezes that significantly affect the experience.
  - Windows 16GB+ VRAM (positive, 17 reports): A high-end user reports no performance problems, noting strong AAA capability while still preferring this game.
  - Caveats: 300 of 6674 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews consistently praise the base game but treat the $19.99 full price as too high. Specific price comments cluster around buying on sale for about $5-$10, with $20 repeatedly described as excessive or not worth it at full price. Some reviewers still express strong value, so the fair base-game range is likely above the deepest sale prices but below the current $19.99 asking price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 60.0h
  - Story completion: 30.0h
  - Session length: 6.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Story/campaign completion is supported by the 20-30 hour game-length estimate and the 35-hour campaign finish, so storyCompletion is set to 30 hours. Full completion is supported by the 60-hour estimate for finishing by exploring everything, so gameCompletion is set to 60 hours. A typical long session is supported by the 6-hour first-day play session, so sessionLength is set to 6 hours. No separate post-campaign or endgame duration is clearly reported, so endgame is null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Kingdom Two Crowns is often immediately relaxing and addictive, especially in co-op, but many players report that repetition and pacing cause enjoyment to drop after a while.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Sparse tutorials and poorly explained mechanics; Early uncertainty about what to do; Slow early progression; Punishing irreversible mistakes; Tedious backtracking and travel; Solo play difficulty spikes
  - Unlock drivers: Learning the core loop through trial and error; Consulting external guides and tutorials; Playing in co-op to share tasks and speed progression; Permanent shrine upgrades that carry across islands; Unlocking new mounts and mechanics; Co-op coordination reducing solo harshness
  - Conditions: Playing with a friend in co-op; Using external guides or detailed tutorials; Patience for trial-and-error learning; Tolerance for repetition and slow pacing; Avoiding solo play if struggling with difficulty; Prior experience with the Kingdom series; Enjoying relaxing, slow-paced tower defense
- Player Archetypes:
  - Co-op Kingdom Companion (buy)
    - Motivation: To share a relaxing but challenging kingdom-building experience with a friend, partner, or child.
    - Playstyle: Plays local or online two-player co-op, dividing economy, building, defense, and exploration tasks while coordinating against blood moons.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: co-op player; couch co-op player
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Atmospheric Chill Builder (buy)
    - Motivation: To relax in a beautiful pixel-art world with soothing music and a slow, manageable strategy loop.
    - Playstyle: Builds and explores at a leisurely pace, enjoying the atmosphere and accepting occasional tense blood moons without seeking high-level optimization.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: casual player
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Mastery-Oriented Strategy Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: To master the systems, optimize each run, complete challenge content, and keep improving across hundreds of hours.
    - Playstyle: Optimizes economy and defense, seeks faster campaign routes, hunts achievements, explores DLC factions, and often plays solo or in coordinated co-op.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: solo player
    - Reference games: Kingdom Classic; Kingdom New Lands
  - Frustrated Systems Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: They want a fair, readable strategy and tower-defense game with working multiplayer, but keep playing long enough to document its failures.
    - Playstyle: Approaches the game seriously in solo or co-op, expects clear mechanics and stable online play, and reacts strongly to vague guidance, bugs, repetition, and punishing blood moons.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: serious strategy player; serious management player; serious tower defense player
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Excellent co-op experience (weight 0.32): Co-op mode is highly praised, especially for local split-screen and online play. It's considered one of the best cooperative experiences, doubling the fun.
- Stunning pixel art praised (weight 0.27): Many reviewers admire the game's pixel art, describing it as beautiful, atmospheric, and detailed. The art style is frequently cited as a major strength.
- Fantastic soundtrack and atmosphere (weight 0.26): The soundtrack and atmospheric audio are repeatedly commended. Music and sound design are described as beautiful and fitting, enhancing the overall experience.
- Addictive gameplay loop (weight 0.19): Players find the gameplay highly addictive, often losing track of time. The simple yet engaging loop keeps them coming back for more.
- Simple yet deep strategy (weight 0.14): The game's controls are simple, but it hides impressive strategic depth. Reviewers appreciate the easy-to-learn mechanics that offer depth.
- Satisfying kingdom building (weight 0.12): Building and managing a kingdom is engaging and satisfying. Players enjoy the progression from wandering to building a resilient kingdom.
- Relaxing and calming experience (weight 0.12): Many players find the game relaxing and soothing, with a calming atmosphere. It's often described as a peaceful and meditative experience.
- Enjoyable DLC content (weight 0.1): The DLCs are well-received, adding significant content and extending the game's enjoyment. Many players appreciate the additional variety.
- Good time killer (weight 0.06): The game is considered a pleasant way to pass time. It's described as a relaxing and enjoyable time-waster.

Common complaints:
- Lack of Guidance (weight 0.31): Multiple players report that the game explains very little and lacks effective tutorials or guidance. This leads to confusion and forces reliance on external guides.
- Repetitive Gameplay (weight 0.18): The gameplay becomes monotonous and repetitive, especially after long sessions or multiple playthroughs. Players note a formulaic loop and high long-term repetitiveness.
- DLC Reskins (weight 0.09): DLCs and campaigns are criticized for being mere reskins of the base game with few new features. Players feel they offer little additional content.
- Hard Difficulty (weight 0.09): The game is considered too difficult even on easy mode, with a steep learning curve and stressful gameplay. New players particularly struggle.
- Bugs and Stability (weight 0.09): There are numerous bugs, including game-breaking ones that persist across versions. Some bugs have been known for years but remain unfixed.
- Unclear Mechanics (weight 0.09): Many game mechanics are poorly explained or completely unclear, requiring trial and error to understand. Info boxes and explanations are missing.
- Multiplayer Issues (weight 0.09): The multiplayer experience is poor, with connection problems and bugs in split-screen co-op. Achievements also only unlock for the host.
- Backtracking Tedium (weight 0.09): Constant back-and-forth movement and backtracking between areas become tedious and tiring. This is exacerbated by a small coin pouch that causes overflow issues.
- Lack of Content (weight 0.09): The game lacks rich content and has no story, making it feel sparse over time. Players find it not worth the full price.
- Save Corruption (weight 0.07): Players have experienced save file and cloud save corruption, leading to loss of progress and forced restarts. This is a severe issue that frustrates many.
- Money and Boat Issues (weight 0.06): Rebuilding the boat costs a lot of money and time, and the small coin pouch leads to frequent trips back. This adds to the game's frustration.
- Poor AI (weight 0.06): The AI is often described as stupid, with units dying senselessly or failing to follow commands correctly. This detracts from the gameplay experience.
- No Speed-Up Option (weight 0.06): Players desire a speed-up button (2x/3x) to alleviate the slow and tedious pace, especially in single-player mode.
- Olympus DLC Bug (weight 0.04): A persistent game-ending bug in the Olympus DLC gimps every run, often related to enemy targeting. This severely impacts the expansion experience.
- Ballista Tower Bug (weight 0.04): Special ballista tower upgrades do not shoot through their own walls, making multiple towers ineffective. This is a frustrating oversight.
- Crown Loss Bug (weight 0.04): A boar can knock the crown off the player, and monsters can pick it up, causing sudden loss of progress. This is an unexpected and harsh mechanic.

Gameplay feedback:
- Co-op mode widely available (weight 0.51): Many reviews highlight cooperative play with options for local split-screen, online, remote play, and two-player sessions. Players can team up with a friend or partner to build and defend the kingdom together.
- Kingdom building and management (weight 0.26): Players build and manage a kingdom by collecting and spending coins to recruit peasants, construct buildings, and expand territory. Resource management is a core mechanic.
- Island exploration and progression (weight 0.19): Players sail between islands to unlock new technologies, mounts, and upgrades, advancing through the game. Island-based progression is a major part of the experience.
- Multiple difficulty levels (weight 0.17): The game offers various difficulty settings, including a cursed mode for extreme challenge. This allows players to adjust the experience to their preference.
- Tower defense gameplay loop (weight 0.14): The game blends tower defense with city building, requiring players to defend against nightly monster attacks while managing resources. Strategy and base management are central.
- Nightly monster invasions (weight 0.14): Every night, monsters called the Greed attack and try to steal the player's crown and resources. Defending against these invasions is a key challenge.
- Mounts and coin collection (weight 0.1): Players can acquire different mounts that improve over time and collect coins and diamonds to spend on building and upgrades. These elements enhance progression.
- Simple gameplay mechanics (weight 0.1): The game features a straightforward gameplay loop that is easy to pick up, especially outside of higher difficulty modes. Many find it accessible and simple.
- DLC adds content and variety (weight 0.07): Downloadable content introduces new features, mechanics, character and world selection options, and different playstyles. DLCs expand the base game with additional items and content.
- Pixel art style (weight 0.06): The game uses a pixel art aesthetic and side-scrolling perspective, giving it a retro mini-game feel. This visual style is frequently mentioned.
- Solo play fully supported (weight 0.06): The game can be played alone, and it is not designed to require a partner. Solo mode is a viable and distinct way to experience the game.
- Minimal but intuitive tutorial (weight 0.06): The tutorial is brief and unobtrusive, yet easy to follow at first. It helps players get started without overwhelming them.

Performance notes:
- Very low hardware requirements (weight 0.08): The game runs well even on low-end machines, toasters, or microwaves, with reports of high frame rates and minimal resource usage. This makes it accessible to a wide range of PC configurations.
- Multiplayer connection freezes (weight 0.04): Freezing and connection issues occur when players try to join each other's rooms, disrupting multiplayer sessions. This appears to be a recurring problem.
- Map visual bug blocks progress (weight 0.04): Visual bugs in the map selection screen can make the game impossible to proceed and prevent progression through islands. This is a serious blocker for affected players.
- Black screen when entering (weight 0.03): Some players encounter a black screen when entering the game, preventing them from playing. This may be related to compatibility issues.
- Performance degrades with progress (weight 0.02): Some players experience lag that worsens as they progress further into the game, especially on weaker PCs. This suggests optimization issues that appear later in the game.
- Cloud save corruption (weight 0.02): Cloud saves can become corrupted, potentially causing loss of game progress. This is a critical issue for affected players.

Recommendations:
- Excellent for co-op pair play (weight 0.3): Many reviewers highlight the game as ideal for playing with a friend, partner, or family member. It is particularly praised for duo sessions and couples looking for a shared experience.
- Highly recommended overall (weight 0.24): A strong consensus of positive recommendations appears across multiple clusters. Reviewers strongly endorse the game for its experience and value.
- Buy on sale only (weight 0.16): Several reviewers suggest waiting for a discount, noting the game is not worth full price. It is often recommended to purchase only during a sale.
- DLC enhances experience (weight 0.12): Many suggest buying the DLC alongside the base game to enrich the experience. Specific DLCs like Nordic and Call of Olympus are mentioned as worthwhile additions.
- Not recommended for some (weight 0.12): A minority of reviewers do not recommend the game, citing boredom or frustration. Others also advise against it for those seeking split-screen co-op or who dislike the base game.
- Great for strategy and tower defense fans (weight 0.11): Reviewers recommend the game for fans of strategy and tower defense genres. It is praised for its challenge and appealing pixel art.
- Relaxing and immersive experience (weight 0.09): The game is recommended for those seeking a relaxing, immersive experience with good music. It is suitable for unwinding and easy to learn.
- Casual and non-gamer friendly (weight 0.04): Reviewers note the game is perfect for multiplayer with non-gamers. It is accessible and enjoyable for lighter gaming sessions.

Other player notes:
- Extensive DLC Selection (weight 0.44): The game offers a wide range of DLCs, including free and paid content, with major expansions like Call of Olympus, Shogun, Norse Lands, and Dead Lands. These DLCs are frequently praised for adding significant content and variety.
- Co-op Gameplay Support (weight 0.18): The game features both single-player and co-op modes, including local split-screen and online co-op. It is the first in the series to include co-op, and many players appreciate the cooperative experience.
- Improvements Over Predecessors (weight 0.12): The game is often compared favorably to earlier Kingdom titles, with improvements such as the addition of co-op and more content. Some find it difficult to return to older games after playing this one.
- Steam Cloud Save Convenience (weight 0.07): Steam Cloud saves function without requiring a separate account login, which is convenient for players who only use Steam. Cross-platform saves are available but require logging in.
- Unique Art and Music (weight 0.06): The game features a beautiful pixel art style, and the DLCs have improved art and music qualities. Many players appreciate the aesthetic and auditory enhancements.
- DLCs Perceived as Reskins (weight 0.06): Some players criticize the DLCs as being largely reskins of the base game with only minor changes. This perspective suggests that the DLCs may not offer enough unique content for some.
- Steam Deck Compatibility (weight 0.05): Players report that the game runs exceptionally well on Steam Deck, providing a smooth and enjoyable experience on the handheld platform.
- Long Playthrough Length (weight 0.05): A typical first playthrough lasts between 10 and 30 hours, with many reviewers noting around 20-30 hours of gameplay. This provides substantial value for players.
- Unfixed Longstanding Bug (weight 0.03): There is a bug that has been known for years, at least since 2018, and remains unfixed. This has caused frustration among some players.
- Different Save Structures in DLC (weight 0.03): The DLC has a different save text structure compared to the base game, which can cause confusion or inconvenience for players. This inconsistency is noted by some reviewers.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.18): Players feel frustration due to poor guidance, lack of tutorials, and unclear mechanics that force trial-and-error and external research. Bugs, save losses, and punishing difficulty with no room for error also contribute to repeated failures and lost progress.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Players enjoy the addictive gameplay loop, beautiful pixel art, and atmospheric soundtrack. Co-op mode and the sense of progression through building and defending a kingdom provide deep satisfaction.
- Disappointment (weight 0.08): Disappointment stems from DLCs being mostly reskins without new mechanics, repetitive gameplay, and unresolved bugs. The game's potential is unrealized due to lackluster late-game content and poor support.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Satisfaction comes from building and expanding a kingdom, overcoming challenges, and mastering mechanics through trial and error. The sense of progression and the rewarding gameplay loop keep players engaged.
- Relaxation (weight 0.04): The game provides relaxation through its calming atmosphere, soothing music, and simple, meditative gameplay. Players enjoy unwinding by building and exploring at their own pace.
- Addiction (weight 0.04): Addiction is driven by the simple but engaging gameplay loop of exploring, building, and defending. The fast day-night cycle and constant progression make it hard to stop playing.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the beautiful pixel art, atmospheric soundtrack, and the developers' long-term support. The game's simplicity and accessibility are also valued.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Boredom arises from repetitive gameplay, especially in later islands, and long periods of inactivity like winters. The lack of diversity and formulaic progression lead to tedium.
- Immersion (weight 0.03): Immersion is created by the captivating atmosphere, detailed pixel art, and fitting music. Players lose track of time and feel fully absorbed in the game's world.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Excitement comes from the variety of mounts, units, and abilities, as well as the anticipation of new DLCs. The co-op mode and strategic challenges add to the thrill.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance is caused by unclear progression, frequent backtracking, and mechanics like stamina that waste time. Bugs and unchangeable controls also irritate players.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger results from losing progress due to bugs, lack of save points, and poorly explained mechanics that lead to unfair losses. The developers' failure to fix critical issues exacerbates the frustration.
- Love (weight 0.02): Players love the game's art, music, and co-op experience. The magnetic gameplay and charming atmosphere create a deep affection for the title.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Confusion stems from unclear mechanics, lack of guidance, and poor explanations of game systems. Players often don't understand what to do or why things happen.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise comes from the game exceeding expectations, offering more depth and enjoyment than anticipated. The beautiful graphics and addictive gameplay catch players off guard.
- Fun (weight 0.02): Fun is derived from playing with friends, the simple but engaging gameplay, and humorous moments. The co-op experience and tower defense elements make it enjoyable.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy is felt through playing the game, discovering mechanics, and sharing cozy co-op sessions. The beautiful landscapes and relaxing sessions bring happiness.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Nostalgia is evoked by the pixel art style and memories of playing similar games in childhood. The game triggers fond recollections and a sense of returning to simpler times.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is inspired by the game's creative mechanics, beautiful graphics, and perfect music. The care put into each detail makes it a masterpiece.
- Tension (weight 0.01): Tension arises during nighttime raids and moments of survival, where quick decisions and resource management are critical. The difficulty curve and atmospheric music add to the edge-of-seat experience.}