9 Kings is out of early access, and it's one of the best indie games in years

I've been singing the praises of 9 Kings since the very early days of Big Friendly Guide, the website that Jeff and I made right after Polygon's implosion.

At the time, 9 Kings was fairly new, having hit early access at the end of May, 2025. And while I'm well aware that I may have trauma-bonded with 9 Kings early, I've also played it for over 150 hours over the last year.

Now, 9 Kings is out in 1.0. It's also recently out on mobile. And it's one of the best things you could pick up and start playing this year.

But if you're unfamiliar with 9 Kings, I'm more than happy to explain it to you.

The idea here is simple: you're a king who rules over a specific kingdom, which starts at a 3x3 grid, but can be expanded as the run progresses. You also have a small hand of cards that you start with at the beginning of a run. The cards are typically buildings, units, or spells, all of which you can use on your kingdom.

You'll play your hand at the start of the turn, placing down buildings or leveling up units you've already put down before, until you have two cards left. When your hand has shrunk to that size, you'll do battle with one of the king's you're at war with. Your turrets will activate, your troops will march onto the field, and casting your base's special ability will be the only way you can control the battlefield directly.

After a legion of pixelated troops clash, whoever has units left over will be the winner. If you win, you'll be able to draw a card from the opposing king's deck, and if you lose, you'll draw a card from your own deck (as well as lose one of your three lives). Every few rounds, different events interrupt the flow. Sometimes you'll be able to visit a shop, other times you'll be able to expand the kingdom by a tile. Sometimes you'll choose a passive decree that can drastically improve the power of your kingdom.