Little King's Story

"Dear King, you suck! You are a world class jerk!" reads the letter from a peeved off king from the northern region of my kingdom Alpoko, which he rounds off by calling Aljerko. But this doesn't surprise me, because by this time i've already experienced and met personalities that completely match this wacky style.

There is Mr. M. - The Naked Troubadur, who travels around the kingdom with his musical instruments and cryptic songs. There is a Priest of Soups ,who doesn't just demand that I build him a church, but also finishes every sentence with "Ramen!". And then there's the star of the bunch, my advisor and right-hand man: Howser Oreganostein and his trustworthy bull Kampbell, who constantly talks about the joys of world domination.

Before you continue reading just take a few seconds to taste a bit on the words "World Domination", because when was the last time you came across these words, without them being associated with death and destruction? But that's not the way it goes down in Little King's Story, instead it lets you step into the role of a little blonde boy, who has mysteriously ended up in this colored world with a crown on his head.

But it doesn't get any more royal than the palace that looks like a kindergarten, merged by a few random beams. The corners inside are filled with cobwebs, and the king himself sleeps on a bed made of hay. There is a throne though, and it's from here that you can, via your bell, call for one of your three advisors: Liam, Verde and Howser, who offer their expertise in the name of the nation.

But world domination means expansion of the kingdoms borders, and this requires you going on adventures. Considering that the king can't defend himself and isn't interested in manual labor, you may want to remember to bring your followers, who can be quickly trained in a profession by building the right houses in your hometown.

Warriors are ready to defend the king against everything from living radishes, to cow ghosts and of course enemy kings, while carpenters can build bridges and handymen dig for hidden treasures. But these are just some examples of some of the first jobs you can instruct your subjects to perform, and because the number of people that you can take with you on a adventure is limited, it's critical to have a balanced group for the task at hand.

Objectives can vary from building a specific type of building, to collecting gold and of course laying siege to enemy kingdoms. Gold can be obtained via taxes, but it's faster to hunt for the treasures that are spread out all across the world. The invasion of foreign kingdoms can only be achieved by going to war though, and this is actually the games weakest element .

Sending troops into battle, is done exactly the same way as when a carpenter is instructed to a job, just point at the enemy and with a single click they attack. If you want your troops to survive, all you have to do is time your attacks and retreat when the enemy tries to counter attack, which get's boring way too fast. Most of the time you can't help but lose the overview, when there is more than one of your troops attacking the enemy, and end up being a spectator to your army getting slaughtered, without being able to do that much about it.

Despite his young age, the child king is apparently the most intelligent person in the kingdom, and when you select a person to join your team, they almost mindlessly run after you everywhere you go. And that's why it never gets any more difficult to instruct them to do a job than pointing and clicking, which then kicks your subjects into gear, completing the task on their own.

If you are still confused as to what is the charm of Little King's Story's, then do best to remember, that the closest gaming relatives are series like Animal Crossing, The Sims and Kingdom for Keflings. Alpoko is a laid back kingdom, which only grows in status when you have the time, and even though a peasant or two might complain about their needs, you will never get forced into completing tasks within timelimits or the likes of it.

But the kingdom isn't completely without it's share of problems, and apart from the previously mentioned overview issues, is the sorely lacking artificial intelligence. As a result of this I too often found myself in a situation where I had lost half of my followers, who had lodged themselves behind random trees or rocks along the way. Combining suddenly missing team members and extremely challenging battles against enemy kings, makes for a sometimes insanely frustrating experience, in a otherwise laid back game world.

Little King's Story isn't for everybody, and some people will simply say that there's not enough happening in the game, that the style is too childish and that its charm is too peculiar. Others will find its charm irresistible, the graphical style colorful and happy, and the challenges welcome. Personally I find myself somewhere in between. I certainly would have preferred the game without the grinding, and sometimes what it borrows from other games are a bit too blatant, but I must also admit that my hours spend in Alpoko has sneaked past the 20 hour mark a long time ago. Therefore if the genre appeals to you at all, you should go ahead and give Alpoko, and especially Howser Oreganostein a chance. If for nothing else, when is the next time you will get the chance to encounter a bullknight?