King and Assassins is the digital version of the boardgame of the same name and features an asymmetrical gameplay of strategy and deception. One player controls the aforementioned King and his less than chivalrous force of knights. The other player controls the mob out for the King’s blood and specifically, three would-be assassins hiding among the populace. It is the objective of the King and his guards to escape back into the safety of the palace with the mob and assassins trying to stop the King from doing so.
Boardgaming Roots
As with the tabletop, Kings and Assassins is turn-based and not real time. Each side has a number of action points for their disposal every turn. The King and his guards must reach the castle. However, the mob is a major obstacle along the way and requires a bit of brute force on the side of the Kingly player.
There are several Actions which can be used by each side during their turn. Firstly, the King can only move. His knights can move, climb, descend from an elevated position, eliminate an Assassin, and capture a Citizen to reveal assassins. During the knights’ movement action, they are also able to shove both Citizens and Assassins thus occupying their spaces. The Citizens can move, climb, or descend from an elevated position. The assassins have the same actions as the citizens with the addition of eliminating a Knight and, if adjacent to the King, can wound the King. It would take two wounds for the King to go down thus ending the game if the Assassin side succeeds.
Assassin’s Creed in a 2D Isometric Format?
At first glance, King and Assassins looks like your typical mobile game. If you dig a bit deeper though, it has elements that would elevate it among the slew of mobile games on the market. There is some strategy involved whether playing as the King and his guards or the mob. If you have played the Assassin’s Creed series before, you would realize that this is pretty much the same game, only modified for the 2D isometric gameplay choice. This is akin to undertaking an assassination mission from the aforementioned game.
As with the theming, the King and his knights resonate well with someone who likes brute force tactics (although there is still a fair amount of strategy involved). The mob faction requires a bit more finesse on the side of the player. Setting up chokepoints on the map can be vital for the mob player. They can use this from which to mount a double whammy on the King thus eliminating him in one fell swoop but of course, it is not always that easy.
