KNIGHTICA

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There are few things more frustrating in the life of a dedicated gamer than a game that shatters your expectations. Some would say, “Hey, it’s your own fault for having expectations in the first place!” And to that I say - fair enough. I’m an ardent hobbyist. I spend unhealthy amounts of time scouring the internet for new titles, new indies to indulge in. Over the past year, I’ve checked out over 100 games, and honestly, it’s been pretty rewarding. There are always some glorious gems to uncover, ideas you’ve never seen before, or titles that breathe unexpected life into genres I’d otherwise ignored.

KNIGHTICA is an auto-battler I thought I wanted. Or at least, I thought so when I played the demo. It looked gorgeous, slick, and intuitive - or so it seemed. The demo gave me a taste, a teaser that looked delicious: colorful sprites, a healthy unit selection, spells, enchantments, synergies galore. And I’ve never been a big auto-battler guy - not that I dislike the genre, it just never really clicked. But this title? I thought it might just seduce me into pouring in some of my precious hours. And so, I did - with, let’s say, mixed results.

Let’s rip the bandage off with my biggest gripe: I have never seen a game so hell-bent on hiding information from the player. And look, I don’t want to dunk on the devs. I’m sure they’re all passionate, hard-working folks with twinkles in their eyes and dreams of making their magnum opus. But, good grief, could someone on the team please develop an unholy obsession with user experience? Because this game feels like it’s actively trying to keep secrets from you.

The numbers are impossibly deceptive - 5 attack rating on Golden Blob and on Archer do not mean exact damage potential, not even close.

First off, enemies. You have no clue what they can do. No tooltips, no breakdowns, no insight into how they move or attack. Are they fast? Do they have ranged units? Do they breathe fire when the moon is full? You’ll find out the hard way - by getting your face smashed in. Okay, fine. The enemy pool isn’t huge, and you can eventually memorize them after a few beatdowns, so it’s not the end of the world. But then come the numbers. Oh boy, the numbers.

Two major stats govern everything: Attack and Defense "efficiency." I use air quotes because these numbers are about as meaningful as fortune cookie wisdom. You’ll see a unit with Defense 50 tanking attacks with Power 100. You’ll see a unit with Attack 40 outperform one with Attack 100. A big bruiser with 200 Attack will delete worlds, while a squad of casters with 300 Attack tickles enemies like an underfed house cat. Trying to make sense of it all is an exercise in futility. The numbers, Mason, what do they mean!?

But wait - there’s more! Units also come with hidden stats and abilities. You’re expected to just... guess. Or, you know, gamble your gold, play them, and hope for a surprise. Like when I finally bought a Siege Tower - overpriced and pathetic on paper - only to discover it was secretly a tanky beast that kept spitting out free mini-units. Would’ve been nice to know that beforehand, thanks. Same goes for Princesses (who casually nuke the battlefield with star showers), Priests (who heal like caffeinated ER doctors), and all sorts of attacks with hidden AoE effects. The decision to keep all this a mystery? To put it politely, baffling.

Be prepared to see this boss a lot - there are only 3 bosses, each time in the same order, every run.

Progression and army building are another mixed bag. First, there’s almost no meta-progression. No unlockable skills, no shiny new relics, no evolving spellbook. At best, you’ll nab a handful of new heroes. For some players, that’s a clean design choice. For me? I like a good grind. Even small rewards make failed runs feel less like throwing time into a black hole. The balance, too, feels off-kilter. Some spells and upgrades are absolute garbage, others are absurdly powerful - and since RNG is king, you just pray you pull the right ones at the right time. Synergies exist, but the “tribal” bonuses are so limp you’re usually better off running a Frankenstein army of mismatched units that happen to buff each other. Which feels completely backwards.

Now, I don’t want to make it sound like this game is a total flop. Despite my complaints - and there are many - I’m still playing it. Which means something here works. Maybe it’s the art, which is stellar. Maybe it’s the gambler’s high of pulling that one absurd unit that flips a doomed run into an unstoppable victory. Maybe it’s the sheer thrill of dancing on the razor’s edge between survival and annihilation. Whatever it is, KNIGHTICA has an itch-scratching magic I can’t quite explain.

So here we are: KNIGHTICA is a frustrating game to enjoy, and that seems to be by design, which is utterly perplexing. Still, there’s a lot to love. The art is fantastic. The units are fun and diverse. The gameplay, when it clicks, really clicks. And to their credit, the devs seem responsive to criticism, promising fixes that should make the game’s inner workings less opaque. Time will tell whether those changes can turn KNIGHTICA into the kind of strategic playground it clearly wants to be - a place where players feel empowered, not mystified.