Multiplayer in 9 Kings: seasons, ranks and rules
- Updated
- Game version
- 1.0
- Topic
- Modes
Multiplayer unlocks after 3 single-player runs. It is asynchronous: your enemy kings are other players’ recorded kingdoms, so there is no live opponent and no bot. You climb a ranked ladder by outlasting the other kingdoms in your match; casual mode turns rank and medal changes off.
Rules that differ from single player
| Rule | Multiplayer |
|---|---|
| Enemies | You start at war with 3 player kingdoms; diplomacy happens when a king is knocked out |
| Lives | 5, and no life is lost in the first 3 years |
| Year 25 | Sabotage event: eliminate one enemy king from the run |
| Year 33 | Final showdown between the kingdoms still standing; reaching it gives +3 medals |
| Perks | 9 multiplayer perks replace Rainbow perks and are available from the start |
| Cards and decrees | Each season has its own Rainbow card rotation and a decree pool of 18 universal, 6 Rainbow and 6 per king |
| Calendar | The second expansion comes a year earlier and the first shop a year later than in single player (Patch #25) |
The current season’s Rainbow cards and decree pool are listed at the bottom left of the multiplayer lobby. The 1.0 season started with all of the new Rainbow cards and about half new decrees.
Multiplayer perks
| Perk | Effect |
|---|---|
| Vigilant (1.0) | +2 years of protection |
| Hardy | Base HP +20% |
| Expander | Adds 2 perk slots to one row |
| Leftist | The perk to its left is applied +1 time |
| Verticalist | Vertically adjacent perks are applied +1 time |
| Moderate | Universal perks are x2, no more and no less |
| Authoritarian | The top-left perk is fixed at x3 |
| Vain (1.0) | Gains medals after runs |
| Ambitious (1.0) | Gains rank points for finishing first |
Ranks, seasons and rewards
- Rank points move with your finishing position; seasons reset king-rank points. Regional and per-king rankings show where you stand.
- Medals buy vanity items: 1.0 added 300+ (9 haircuts, eyes, faces and backgrounds for each king).
- After a match you can inspect each enemy kingdom’s build and your own (Patch #31).
Playing with friends
Opponents come from the ranked ladder. Neither the developer FAQ nor the patch notes up to 1.0 describe a private lobby or a way to pick a friend as an opponent. To compare runs with a friend, both of you can play the same daily mayhem challenge.
Sources
- Patch #24 notes, MultiplayerAsynchronous multiplayer, final showdown in year 33, medals and vanity items.
- Patch #25 notes3 runs to unlock; multiplayer perks replace Rainbow perks; earlier second expansion and later first shop in multiplayer.
- Patch #26 notesLives, seasons and rank points.
- Patch #27 notesSabotage event in year 25, seasonal Rainbow rotation, casual mode, per-king rankings.
- Patch #31 notesSeasonal decree pool of 18 universal, 6 Rainbow and 6 per king; post-game base review.
- Multiplayer FAQ (Steam discussions)Developer FAQ on how matches, lives and seasons work.
- 9 Kings 1.0 release notesNew season with all new Rainbow cards and 50% new decrees; Vigilant, Vain and Ambitious perks; 300+ vanity items.
Related
Perks and king levels in 9 KingsHow 9 Kings perks unlock with king levels, how the 9-slot perk board and ranks work, when Rainbow perks unlock, and which universal perks change a run most.
Royal Council and decrees in 9 KingsHow a Royal Council builds its decree offer in 9 Kings 1.0: the four decree pools, pick limits, re-rolls, the perks and decrees that add choices, and decrees that change the next council.
Rainbow and Chaos cards: Jack of Rainbows and Jack of ChaosHow to get the 36 Rainbow cards and 15 Chaos cards in 9 Kings 1.0, when the Jack of Rainbows and Jack of Chaos attack, and what each special card does.
How to unlock every king in 9 KingsUnlock goals for all nine kings and the Joker in 9 Kings 1.0, from Use 9 spells to Play for 999 years, plus how to unlock Quest mode, multiplayer, daily mayhem and higher difficulties.