By Rae
With a catalogue that includes Boyfriend Dungeon, Moon Hunters, Dwarf Fortress, and many others, you’ve probably heard of Kitfox games at some point. Kitfox’s collection seems to have something for everyone, including their latest release – Fit for a King.
Fit for a King is a fairly small and impressively nostalgic yet modern game in which the player takes the role of a king or a queen preparing to out-grandeur their rival at an upcoming summit. The goal of the game is to prepare a summit display that will impress and shame your rival (as they so rightly deserve, of course), but the hows, whens, and in-betweens are all up to you. You don’t get much guidance, outside of conversations, but you have free reign to wander and explore, unlocking not only the secrets of your kingdom, but also distant lands.
The controls are simple – everything is keyboard based, and you can move using arrow keys. Any time you’re not sure of a command, simply type H and you’ll get some assistance. Of course, you’ll have the chance to interact with the people and things you’ll run into. And you continue conversations, you’ll get a hint or two about the sort of conversation you can delve into – every conversation has a few keywords, or perhaps another character has given you a tip to ask so-and-so about roast dragons or exotic animals. Some are more challenging than others – quite often, if you say something to the right person, they can at least point you in the direction of who can help. But there are also times you’ll be met with “What?,” requiring you to try elsewhere over and over. There was at least one thing for the summit that I was never able to find (though I’ll try again next time!), and undoubtedly quite a bit I have yet to discover.
Fit for a King’s world seemed deceptively small at first, but it’s definitely a nice little sandbox game once you get going. The player can wander the castle, and eventually into town. Soon, you start to realize all the different routes you can take and areas you can interact with, leading you to all sorts of adventures. I uncovered distant kingdoms, crypts with sad ghosts, and pirate ships readying for battle. I learned to play the lute, and found a gold-hunting cat on the edge of town. Surprises, both small and big, are around every corner. Along the way, you’ll find quirky, fun details. Sharks will pop up to stop you from venturing too far into the ocean, and an assassin might find you, screaming a quick Game of Thrones reference. Honestly, I’m fairly certain I only got through a small portion of the game so far, and it was still a grand adventure.
You can also reform the church to fit your needs – most specifically around marriage. Want a divorce? Want a second wife? You’re the ruler – do what you want! The kingdom – and church – is your oyster.
Disclaimer: this is how I ended up with 2 wives and 5 husbands (including a very rude one who wanted to be ‘rescued’ 🙁 )
The freedom of the game is great, and allows players to wander at their leisure. It felt fun to explore and learn more as I went, though occasionally I might have liked a hint or two. It was hard to get bored of the adventure, and you can finish the game any time you want to see your ending and get an epilogue, though of course throwing a subpar summit doesn’t get you a very nice experience with your rival. As a result, the replayability seems high so far, and I’m looking forward to delving in a little deeper in the future. I also enjoyed the quirky little references. Game of Thrones lines were well used, and an achievement even references the classic Herman’s Hermits song, Henry VIII.
One of the best draws, at least on a technical side, is that Fit for a King is pretty resource-light, and even lets you turn off sound and switch graphics if you don’t have a colour monitor. It’s amazingly adaptable to pretty much anyone’s hardware, which is a rarity in today’s world of increasingly detailed and graphics-heavy games. If you can though, make sure to listen to the sound – it’s great!
Fit for a King should be a great fit for anyone who enjoys silly, fictional history adventures, nostalgic graphics, and offbeat sandbox games. There’s a whole lot to like in it, for a variety of players. Interested? Fit for a King comes out today, September 5th! Pick it up and prepare to write your legacy.
