What if you could decide exactly which cards, rival kings, and starting resources shape your next kingdom? That freedom is one of the biggest changes in 9 Kings, which has officially left Early Access with a substantial 1.0 update. Rather than simply adding more content, the full release gives players new ways to experiment with its roguelike strategy formula.
Developed by Sad Socket and published by Hooded Horse, the card-based kingdom builder launched version 1.0 on Steam for Windows and macOS on November 12, 2026. A 50% launch discount accompanies the release, which introduces four game modes, nine playable kings, and a much larger collection of strategic possibilities.
9 Kings lets players rewrite the rules with Joker Mode
The most interesting addition for players who enjoy experimenting with unusual strategies is Joker Mode. This new sandbox-style option unlocks after players have unlocked all nine kings. Instead of accepting the usual conditions of a run, they can customize several important elements before starting.
Joker Mode allows players to hand-pick a nine-card deck, disable events, select enemy kings, and set their starting gold, lives, and re-rolls. Consequently, it becomes possible to build challenges around specific combinations rather than relying entirely on the usual progression.
That flexibility matters in a game where cards influence kingdom development and battles against rival rulers. For example, players can focus on testing a particular deck or adjust starting resources to create a different kind of challenge. Meanwhile, anyone who prefers the established rules still has several other modes to explore.
Four game modes give 9 Kings different paths to mastery
Version 1.0 organizes its expanded experience around four distinct modes. Each emphasizes a different reason to return, from climbing difficulty levels to testing builds against players around the world.
- Singleplayer: Build your kingdom and face rival kings across dozens of difficulty levels.
- Multiplayer: Challenge builds from around the world and climb the competitive ladder toward becoming the king of kings.
- Quest Mode: Travel across nine lands and complete unique challenges, including 81 base quests.
- Joker Mode: Create customized runs with a hand-picked deck, selected opponents, and adjustable starting conditions.
Quest Mode also hides another incentive for dedicated players. Completing all 81 base quests on any difficulty unlocks daily mayhem, a random daily challenge featuring a custom deck, decrees, and special conditions.
This creates a useful distinction between modes. Quest Mode provides structured objectives, while daily mayhem offers changing challenges after those objectives are completed. Joker Mode, by contrast, places more control directly in the hands of the player.
That variety reflects a wider appeal of roguelike deckbuilding. Different rules can transform familiar strategic decisions, as demonstrated by the new character and contrasting beta modes in Slay the Spire 2.
The full release delivers far more than the original card roster
Beyond the new modes, the sheer amount of content in 9 Kings illustrates how much the project has grown. According to the official 1.0 announcement from Sad Socket on Steam, the game had only six kings a year ago. Now, all nine are available, alongside a considerably expanded selection of cards and progression features.
Here is the 1.0 content breakdown by the numbers:
- 4 game modes covering solo play, multiplayer, quests, and custom challenges.
- 9 kings to unlock and explore, compared with six a year earlier.
- 130+ cards, exceeding the original plan of 81 cards.
- 9 new Rainbow cards added to the collection.
- 140+ decrees, including more than 30 new additions and nine unique decrees for each king.
- 110+ perks to expand strategic possibilities.
- 81 base quests spread across the nine lands.
- 300+ vanity items for customizing multiplayer profiles.
- 9 blessings included in the expanded content.
- 45 new achievements, bringing the overall total to 99.
The jump from an initially planned 81 cards to more than 130 is particularly notable. More cards, perks, and decrees mean more combinations to consider, although having additional options does not automatically make every strategy equally effective.
Completionists also have considerably more to pursue. With 99 achievements available, the release arrives alongside broader changes to the platform itself, including Steam’s new achievement sets and archiving features.
Visual improvements and performance upgrades complete the update
Not every change involves cards or game modes. Sad Socket has also worked on the presentation and technical side of the experience, introducing animated buildings, improved animations, new sound effects, and new introductory cinematics.
Performance has received major improvements as well. While the announcement describes these enhancements as substantial, it does not provide specific frame-rate comparisons. Therefore, the practical difference will depend on how the updated game runs on individual systems.
Several smaller additions should also make repeated sessions more interesting. A new record system tracks nine end-game statistics, giving players another way to evaluate their results. Additionally, a random king selection button offers a quick alternative when choosing a ruler.
Each king now has lore descriptions, too. This adds background to the playable roster without changing the central appeal of building a kingdom, managing cards, and surviving encounters with rival rulers.
The PC launch offers newcomers and veterans different reasons to play
For newcomers, the important detail is that 9 Kings version 1.0 is available now on Steam for Windows and macOS. The 50% launch discount also lets players pick up the full release at a reduced price.
Returning players have a different incentive. The expansion from six to nine kings, the additional cards, and the new modes provide more material to explore beyond familiar strategies. In particular, Joker Mode offers a way to experiment freely once its unlock requirement has been met.
Ultimately, the strongest part of this release may be how it combines structured progression with player-controlled challenges. 9 Kings now offers difficult solo runs, competitive builds, quest objectives, daily surprises, and customizable experiments within the same kingdom-building framework.
Whether you prefer mastering every quest or creating unusual card combinations, version 1.0 gives you plenty of reasons to build another kingdom.
Creator of the website, Pokemon trainer by nature. Trying to report on everything related to the world of video games, series and movies. Yu-Gi-Oh is my weakness, collecting cards since the dawn of time.
