Kingdom of Loathing (KoL) is a browser based RPG game along the same lines as Kings of Chaos, Hobo Wars, and other titles of the same type, as well as Facebook games. It’s turn-based, and considered text-based, differentiating it from games like Runescape. It’s also highly addictive and humorous, designed as a parody of RPG games in general.
There are many elements in KoL which are considered standard in MMO’s of the day, including crafting, group dungeons, solo questing, bounties, faction gear, etc. Not only all of that, they also include a mechanic known in-game as ascension which enables the player to continue playing over and over again, gaining more skills, equipment, and achievements as they go. With a wide variety of trophies, armors, weapons, and skills available, the desire to continue improving your account is high. Furthermore, if you’re more of a crafter personality, there’s literally hundred’s of recipes which you can discover in game.
The game is also entirely free to play, allowing for micro-transactions which, while they do increase the power of characters, do not imbalance the game. These micro-transactions take place in the form of Mr. Accessory purchases, a token which can be then used to trade for other items in game. These Mr. A’s, as they’re affectionately known by Loathers, can also be bought from players who have purchased them from the in-game mall (where each player can buy and manage his own player store). Thus, if you’re hard working enough in game, you can do everything in the game without spending a penny to support the game itself.
KoL is amazing in the fact that they have been able to entirely implement many key parts of MMOs while still keeping their interface simple and easily accessible. With quests that can take days to figure out, puzzles to solve, and monsters to kill, this type of game should be able to satisfy every major type of player in the RPG world. Furthermore, there are community sponsored tournaments, contests, and player-run clans to encourage people to continue staying in the game and interacting with their clanmates.
Basically, for anyone wanting something a bit new, Kingdom of Loathing offers a new, fresh outlook on RPGs while keeping the very features which have classified MMOs as their own genre for so long. Most certainly, this is a game that I would recommend to both hardcore and casual players that enjoy RPGs.
~Obsrrver
Character Creation 