Kingdom: New Lands

 Switch
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 42 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 42
  3. Negative: 6 out of 42
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  1. Barnes1987
    Oct 5, 2017
    9
    Quality game that gets very addictive and a welcome addition to the Switch library. Not the sort of game i would normally play but i'm sure glad i picked this one up. For less than £20 this is a solid purchase. Highly recommended.
  2. Malef
    Jun 21, 2020
    5
    Nice game... in general. Units are governs by simple rules, most of the time it is good, but at another time it is ruining the whole session. Lack of commands like "hide behind walls" or "hold your ground" is really annoying.
  3. lostmyhippo
    Nov 18, 2017
    5
    This game has a lot going for it. I did find it enjoyable and addictive. But I think there are 2 fundamental flaws which left me feeling overall frustrated and disappointed with it, and that I overpaid for it.

    1. You cannot fast forward. There are periods of waiting for time to pass and it seems nuts that you can't fast forward (a la Sim City 2000 of old). If you have enormous    This game has a lot going for it. I did find it enjoyable and addictive. But I think there are 2 fundamental flaws which left me feeling overall frustrated and disappointed with it, and that I overpaid for it.

    1. You cannot fast forward. There are periods of waiting for time to pass and it seems nuts that you can't fast forward (a la Sim City 2000 of old). If you have enormous amounts of free time you might not mind but if you have to sleep or work then this is an issue.

    2. There is no helpfile explaining the rules of the universe you are playing in (e.g. what a random shrine does if you pay it coins, what is the impact of building a mill on your farmers mortality, what prerequisites you need to satisfy to upgrade your base and so on, even what the overall objective is). Various people have commented online that trial and error nature of learning these rules is enjoyable, but I disagree as this is too time consuming so the satisfaction is not sufficient to warrant the time investment. You can find some info online but it's not a very efficient way of looking up the information.    … Expand
  4. Schnippshly
    Aug 8, 2018
    0
    At first I found myself surprisingly addicted to this game. However, I can't get past the second level because multiple times now I've had game-breaking bugs related to builders not cutting down trees or building walls.
    If not for that I would have kept going, but regardless, the game is way too simple and tedious. There's just not much to it. It's not very consistent and many things are    At first I found myself surprisingly addicted to this game. However, I can't get past the second level because multiple times now I've had game-breaking bugs related to builders not cutting down trees or building walls.
    If not for that I would have kept going, but regardless, the game is way too simple and tedious. There's just not much to it. It's not very consistent and many things are unclear, like who is the guy that spawns at a level 4 base? Some kind of tax collector who doesn't collect taxes? Why does the trader sometimes charge me a coin and sometimes doesn't, and just how long does he have to sit in my base before he drops money, and how much longer before I can pay him to leave?
    A lot of stuff is just poorly designed. Level 1 farms never produce money. You can't tell an archer to get out of a tower, even if the tower is not useful at all. Why is destroying the trader and destroying villager spawns an option? Sometimes you will have to because the randomly generated levels will generate very poorly (they often do).
    The absolute worst part is the traveling. You have to be constantly traveling, which takes a long time. Your horse can run, but he has to rest for longer than the amount of time he can run (or you can stand still for 5 seconds to eat some grass as long as there are no trees within 100 miles). The game looks nice at first, but it's the same crap over and over. There will be huge stretches of screen with nothing in them at all. Your territory can be huge, but there's hardly anything to put down in it. You can make farms, walls and towers, that's it. You can pay an archer shrine to power up your archers. You run around. Just so shallow.
    Even free would be too high a price for so much wasted time.    … Expand
  5. AllySky
    Sep 2, 2018
    5
    A decent tower defense game with a lot of maintenance around it. Not really a game I was hyped to play but there is some depth to it, even if it feels shallow at first, and there is a learning curve, it will take a few hours to understand what does what and what needs what, and that's a big part of the game.
  6. wanderlei2
    Sep 20, 2017
    10
    At first it can be frustrating and hard. But once you crack how this game works it is compelling and addictive. I had a lot of enjoyment with this game.
  7. jerryernst
    Apr 4, 2023
    2
    This is a rare game that I will just never complete. For every great thing about it there's a hoard of BS mechanics and a load of RNG to disrespect the players time. I'm even save scumming and I've been stuck on island 4 losing to ridiculous RNG such as bad placement and bad archer aim, and then there's the fact that on top of the rng, it's brutally and insanely difficult. The game alsoThis is a rare game that I will just never complete. For every great thing about it there's a hoard of BS mechanics and a load of RNG to disrespect the players time. I'm even save scumming and I've been stuck on island 4 losing to ridiculous RNG such as bad placement and bad archer aim, and then there's the fact that on top of the rng, it's brutally and insanely difficult. The game also touts itself as a strategy game, but there are so few things you can control that any "strategy" to be had is minimal. The worst part is that playthroughs can take like 30 hours EACH doing the same thing on repeat hoping you don't get a bad seed for 5 islands in a row. Again, this would be fine if it wasn't reliant on rng and terrible ai. This review is jumbled, and off the top of my head, so bottom line:

    F*** this game.    … Expand
  8. drlowdon
    Aug 24, 2022
    5
    Essentially a tower defence game there is some satisfaction to be found from seeing your settlements grow, but the core gameplay loop (which largely involves riding back and forth until you find enough coins to spend on upgrading your settlement) quickly becomes rather repetitive.
  9. whalepudding
    Jul 9, 2018
    9
    Truly amazing little game. It's a brilliant mix of tower defense, survival, and resource management. Mechanics are super simple, but the randomly generated worlds are unforgiving and become quite challenging, especially early on, since the game tells you very little about how the environment works. Art style is gorgeous, music is top notch, and the gameplay is satisfying and addictive.Truly amazing little game. It's a brilliant mix of tower defense, survival, and resource management. Mechanics are super simple, but the randomly generated worlds are unforgiving and become quite challenging, especially early on, since the game tells you very little about how the environment works. Art style is gorgeous, music is top notch, and the gameplay is satisfying and addictive. Some players won't appreciate its simplicity and repetitive nature, but if you have the patience, this is definitely worth a try.… Expand
  10. Stresspresso
    Dec 27, 2017
    8
    The game is a fairly quick and simple to learn game, but takes some time to master. I played the original Kingdom, and after beating the game a few times, it just wasn't enough to go back to, but the new lands expansion adds a lot to the game. It has a nice pace of adding in new features, and these features usually are combined with new challenges. The game doesn't explain anything, butThe game is a fairly quick and simple to learn game, but takes some time to master. I played the original Kingdom, and after beating the game a few times, it just wasn't enough to go back to, but the new lands expansion adds a lot to the game. It has a nice pace of adding in new features, and these features usually are combined with new challenges. The game doesn't explain anything, but you pick up on details pretty quickly. You will probably fail more games then you win, but starting a new game is pretty refreshing, the worlds are procedurally generated so there can be a bit of start hunting for the perfect setup, but overall the maps aren't too hard.

    The worst part of the game is the way it increases challenge, you have to be very certain of making choices, they can't be undone. Sometimes you will make a choice and just have to live with it, but again, the games can be quick to get back in to. You just learn from your mistakes, and that's okay.

    I just wish they would let me choose my queen! I don't want to cycle through randomly generated queens and kings, I just want, MY QUEEN! :) It's just a few colors and 2 genders, but I always feel the need to roll the same blue dress with a dark horse, let me have it!    … Expand
  11. ConsumerBatman
    Mar 21, 2018
    8
    This game is quite addictive, quite beautiful, and quite original... but the difficulty curve and lack on instructions, tutorial, or online manual is almost enough to push it to 7/10.

    It's not an expensive game. Not at all. And it is well made. But it falls victim to that classic trap where the desire to make a quick game you can pick up and put down, without sacrificing depth or    This game is quite addictive, quite beautiful, and quite original... but the difficulty curve and lack on instructions, tutorial, or online manual is almost enough to push it to 7/10.

    It's not an expensive game. Not at all. And it is well made. But it falls victim to that classic trap where the desire to make a quick game you can pick up and put down, without sacrificing depth or presentation, leaves you with little to learn from at the onset.

    Yes, it might have impeded the flow of the game to include more in-depth tutorials directly into the game. But the developer couldn't include some kind of readme file in the options menu? As far as I know, there's not even any kind of manual on the dev's website. And that's frustrating. But if you're willing to put in the time, it's an incredibly solid experience that can be highly rewarding.    … Expand
  12. StevenGreen
    Sep 22, 2017
    8
    This game is beyond addictive, and is a game I find myself playing over and over again! Simplicity is key here; the game uses very simple mechanics, and the faux-Tower Defense style gameplay in order to hook the player, and the fun just continues. If you're looking for a game you will pick up and play over and over again when you have 15 minutes or 2 hours available, then this is one titleThis game is beyond addictive, and is a game I find myself playing over and over again! Simplicity is key here; the game uses very simple mechanics, and the faux-Tower Defense style gameplay in order to hook the player, and the fun just continues. If you're looking for a game you will pick up and play over and over again when you have 15 minutes or 2 hours available, then this is one title to look into. Basically, you pick up coins from your mini-economy (hunters and farmers) and use that to build up your town's defenses as you attempt to move onto the next level. The biggest issue I have with this game is that as the difficulty progresses form night to night, you aren't given any variety in defenses. All you can do is make more archers or catapults. Although, the point of the game is to move on as quickly as possible, and you aren't supposed to just hole up in your camp, but some more units would have added some flavor or strategy, when in reality the game is about how quickly you can get more coins. Still very addictive and fun!… Expand
  13. JJHLH
    Jan 23, 2018
    10
    This is my favorite game on the Switch. I love everything about it: the beautiful pixel art, the atmospheric soundtrack, the changing weather, seasons, and light; the original gameplay that is different from all the other games out there, and the perfect pacing and level of difficulty. This game just nailed it. This buried gem deserves much more attention so a wider audience canThis is my favorite game on the Switch. I love everything about it: the beautiful pixel art, the atmospheric soundtrack, the changing weather, seasons, and light; the original gameplay that is different from all the other games out there, and the perfect pacing and level of difficulty. This game just nailed it. This buried gem deserves much more attention so a wider audience can appreciate its greatness. I consider it a borderline masterpiece.… Expand
  14. TargetStalker
    Apr 18, 2018
    10
    Simple. Mobile. Challenging. At first it seems repetitive, but the more time you put into it you find yourself fine tuning your expansion strategy. With every failure and lost crown comes knowledge for future success. Definitely worth the 15 bucks.
  15. Grunty
    May 14, 2018
    5
    Interesting streamlined tower defense/exploration/economy game and mainly based on the rhythm/order you build things. But you lack information on consequences and have to learn it the hard way, which means to start over and over. While this is fun at some point, it becomes quickly boring and repetitive, especially when a single mistake cannot be undone and leads to another hour ofInteresting streamlined tower defense/exploration/economy game and mainly based on the rhythm/order you build things. But you lack information on consequences and have to learn it the hard way, which means to start over and over. While this is fun at some point, it becomes quickly boring and repetitive, especially when a single mistake cannot be undone and leads to another hour of restarting the same process.… Expand
  16. StoneColdBread
    Jul 18, 2018
    8
    Kingdom: New Lands is a bit of a hidden gem on the Nintendo Switch. With no proper way of filtering by genre and the game being out for about a year now, it's practically impossible for people to discover this game unless they are specifically looking for it. The objective of the game is simple, build by day and survive the night.

    The Good: 1. Kingdom is a fun, as well as relaxing,    Kingdom: New Lands is a bit of a hidden gem on the Nintendo Switch. With no proper way of filtering by genre and the game being out for about a year now, it's practically impossible for people to discover this game unless they are specifically looking for it. The objective of the game is simple, build by day and survive the night.

    The Good:
    1. Kingdom is a fun, as well as relaxing, game. The player should feel fine with saving at any point and not worry that it would be difficult to pick up where you left off.
    2. Player has freedom to build up their kingdom the way they want; allowing different play styles to be successful.
    3. Graphics and music set the mood nicely.

    The Bad:
    1. The game starts slow. This is by design to allow players to set up a small kingdom before a real threat comes in, but once you become familiar with the game the beginning is sometimes boring and is usually the reason I choose to play another game rather than start a new kingdom.
    2. The game is not very challenging. This is mostly because of the previous point, the game essentially gives you a head start where you can build a strong foundation.
    3. Not particularly a story driven game.

    Final Recommendation:
    Overall I really enjoy this game and think it was worth purchasing twice (once on old comp and now on Switch). Not a great game for players only looking for action based games but for if you're looking for something to play on a trip or you only have 30 minutes to an hour to play a game then Kingdom: New Lands could be a great purchase.    … Expand
  17. OtraPerspectiva
    Jul 21, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. KINGDOM: New Lands es un juego de estrategia/gestión de perspectiva lateral, con un diseño visual pixelado muy hermoso.

    El juego consiste en crear una especie de pueblo y defender la misma de una horda de atacantes los cuales asediaran tu pueblo por las noches, de modo que se generara una dinámica la cual durante el día deberás mejorar las defensas o explorar el mapa mientras reclutas nuevos soldados y por la noche ver como estos defienden tu pueblo de las hordas de enemigos las cuales se irán haciendo mas grande cada día y te forzara a estar cada día mejorando tus defensas así como reclutando mas soldados, el juego funciona con una “moneda” la cual la recolectan tus soldados durante el día a través de la caza y es el centro del gameplay de este juego, todo en el juego gira entorno a estas monedas al punto que si te quedas sin monedas y te atacan la “cosas” te veras en una situación muy apretada.

    El juego funciona por un sistema de día y noche el cual gradualmente aumenta la cantidad de enemigos, así como la forma en que estos atacan y la clase de los mismos, por ende, llega un punto en que tu única solución es preparar tus cosas para ir a otra isla y volver a empezar todo de nuevo, aunque avanzando un poco mas en el juego desbloquearas una forma de hacer frente a estos enemigos, lo cual nos lleva al sistema de desbloqueos, cada vez que cambias de isla en la nueva abra una especie de desbloqueable, el cual puede modificar el gameplay del juego en diversas formas como cambiando la montura que llevas así como poder construir nuevas defensas entre otros aspectos. es una sistema lineal que no se hace para nada aburrido y te mantiene atento al mismo.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. FNintendo
    Sep 30, 2017
    60
    Kingdom: New Lands may look impressive and feature a very immersive sound component but the game's limits become visible early on, when its simplicity turns more into an obstacle than an asset. The feeling of repetitiveness also becomes dominant early on, which doesn't contribute for an experience that at first seems to set the stage for something grand and ambitious.
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  2. Switch Player
    Sep 29, 2017
    80
    Kingdom: New Lands is a great experience. At a first glance, it looks like a kingdom management game with a very simple gameplay premise; carefully built with an astonishing beautiful pixel art style. Under its subtle design philosophy, though, lies a deep experience that is both frustrating and fascinating.
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  3. Destructoid
    Sep 25, 2017
    60
    When it hits those lows, it's not unplayable, but it's dang close. I'm more apt to put it down after a particularly choppy run, but I still find myself coming back to it after a while. Despite its technical flaws, I still want to see all of the different areas, and learn all of their secrets.
    Read full review
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