9 Kings is a roguelike city builder where you place buildings, troops and spells on a grid and defend your capital against eight rival kings. Each king starts with a different deck, and you take their cards by declaring war on them, so a run gradually becomes a collage of everything you have conquered.
9 Kings features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order: what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.
Area Progression Order
| Order | Location | Difficulty | Key Rewards | Recommended Build |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your capital | Whole run | Unit recruitment, power growth | Warlock summoner |
| 2 | The grid perimeter | Whole run | Defensive positioning | Warlock summoner |
| 3 | Rival kingdoms | Mid run onward | New buildings, troops and spells | Knight commander |
| 4 | Quest Mode | Main progression | Crowns, unlocks | Knight commander |
| 5 | Endless Mode | Post unlock | Score, build validation | Knight commander |
Your capital: Starting Area
The centre of the grid that recruits units and grows their power. Losing it ends the run, so everything else exists to keep it standing.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Whole run |
| Key Rewards | Unit recruitment, power growth |
| Recommended Build | Warlock summoner |
| Key Equipment | Wizards |
What to Do Here
- Learn the basics of Card based building placement. This is where you practice without heavy punishment.
- Collect starting resources and your first equipment upgrade.
- Clear all main content before moving to The grid perimeter.
- If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.
The grid perimeter: Early Game
Where waves arrive and where placement decisions pay off. Coverage gaps on the edge become breaches at the centre.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Whole run |
| Key Rewards | Defensive positioning |
| Recommended Build | Warlock summoner |
| Key Equipment | Wizards |
What to Do Here
- Focus on mastering Rival king decks. It's critical from this point on.
- Farm for Wizards if you don't have it yet.
- Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
- Prepare for the difficulty spike in Rival kingdoms.
Rival kingdoms: Mid Game
The eight other kings, each holding a deck of cards you can take by declaring war on them.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Mid run onward |
| Key Rewards | New buildings, troops and spells |
| Recommended Build | Knight commander |
| Key Equipment | Wizards |
What to Do Here
- This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
- Knights becomes accessible here. Prioritize getting it.
- Master Gold economy for the boss encounters.
- Check our boss guide if you get stuck.
Quest Mode: Late Game
The structured run where you face the kings in order and collect their crowns.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Main progression |
| Key Rewards | Crowns, unlocks |
| Recommended Build | Knight commander |
| Key Equipment | Knights |
What to Do Here
- Full build optimization is expected by this point.
- Knights should be your primary, fully upgraded.
- Declaring war mastery starts mattering here.
- Farm resources for the push into Endless Mode.
Endless Mode: Endgame
Survival against waves that never stop escalating, used to test whether a build actually scales.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Post unlock |
| Key Rewards | Score, build validation |
| Recommended Build | Knight commander |
| Key Equipment | Knights |
What to Do Here
- This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
- See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
- The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
- Experiment with Mercenary buyer for variety once you've mastered the meta.
Exploration Tips
- Clear areas in order: Your capital → The grid perimeter → Rival kingdoms → Quest Mode → Endless Mode. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
- Check every corner: Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
- Match your equipment: Some areas favor different equipment types.
- Read the walkthrough: Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
- Don't rush: Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two areas.
More 9 Kings Guides
- 9 Kings 9 Kings Overview
- 9 Kings Best Builds
- 9 Kings Tier List
- 9 Kings Walkthrough
- 9 Kings Beginner's Guide
- 9 Kings Tips & Tricks
- 9 Kings Weapons Guide
- 9 Kings Combat Guide
- 9 Kings Boss Guide
- 9 Kings Crafting Guide
- 9 Kings Classes & Characters
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