Kingdom of Loathing (abbreviated KoL) is a browser-based multiplayer role-playing game designed and operated by Asymmetric Publications, including creator Zack "Jick" Johnson with a small team. The game was released in 2003, with ongoing small updates continually released.
It uses hand-drawn stick figure graphics and writing characterized by surreal humor, word play, parody and references to popular culture. In KoL, a player's character fights monsters for experience, and acquiring meat (the game's currency), and/or items, through a turn-based system. Players may also interact with each other through player versus player competition, participate in the in-game economy by trading goods and services, organize their characters into clans, work together to complete clan dungeons, and speak to each other in many different chat channels.
The game is also particularly notable for managing to be financially successful purely from donations and the purchase of merchandise rather than from advertising or subscription fees, which are used by many online games. In 2008, the game had between 100,000 and 150,000 regular players. These players form an active community which frequently organizes fan meet-ups and runs an internet radio station. The game has been generally well received by critics. In 2012, Mr. Card Game, a tabletop game based on Kingdom of Loathing, was launched on Kickstarter. On 10 August 2017, Asymmetric launched West of Loathing, a Kingdom of Loathing spin-off single-player role-playing video game for Linux, macOS, and Windows. A second spin-off, Shadows Over Loathing, was released in 2022.
Gameplay and features
Gameplay involves fighting monsters, completing quests, gaining skills and stats, and accumulating items and meat.
In KoL turn-based gameplay, a player's character is supplied with a number of adventures each day, at a base of 40, although this can be increased. The game day resets at a time called "rollover". Characters are allotted forty adventures every rollover, though they can increase that number with various equipment and items. Additional adventures can be acquired by consuming food and booze. However, only a limited amount of each can be consumed each day, and drinking too much booze puts the character into a drunken stupor for the remainder of the day. During rollover, drunkenness and fullness levels are reset, and minor amounts of hit points and mysticality points are restored. Although a character can accumulate a large number of adventures, the number is reduced to 200 at rollover.
Most actions in the game use up adventures, including crafting items and exploring the game world (adventuring). When exploring, players experience combat encounters, in which they fight monsters, as well as non-combat encounters. Combat is turn-based, meaning that the player and the monster take turns attacking one another using weapons, skills and items. Players who successfully defeat a monster receive substats, pieces of meat (the game's currency), and various items. Non-combat encounters simply present the reader with a text description of an event, occasionally allowing the player to choose how to respond to that event.
After gaining enough substats, players will gain levels, allowing them to access new areas and quests. Characters can combine items by using "meat paste" (a substance analogous to glue), and can also cook food, mix cocktails and smith weapons and armor. Characters may also earn trophies or tattoos for various in-game achievements. Puzzle-solving is an important part of the game, with the solutions often involving a certain item combination or the completion of tasks in different zones.
Player interaction While Kingdom of Loathings player versus environment content is largely single-player, some features allow multiplayer interaction.
Player versus player (PvP) combat is voluntary, features a randomized selection of non-interactive minigames, and is subdivided into seasons. The winner of the PvP battle can take fame or items from the loser.
The game features an integrated chat system which is available only after completing a basic test of English grammar and spelling. There are many chat channels, including a channel in which all chat must follow the syllabic conventions of English haiku. Most of the chat channels are moderated; those who violate the chat rules are banned. Players can also send messages and gift packages to each other in-game, and the official Kingdom of Loathing forums are another active venue for discussion among players.
Upon reaching level 3, characters may join a clan, a band of cooperating characters. A clan has a clan hall which can be furnished with beneficial equipment as well as a clan stash for sharing useful items. Clan members can chat with each other in a private chat channel. In 2008, a multiplayer dungeon was added which allows clan members to raid cooperatively in Hobopolis, the underground city of hobos. Eurogamer likened Hobopolis to World of Warcraft instances. Additional clan dungeons have since been added, including the Slimetube, Dreadsylvania, and the limited-time Haunted Sorority House.
Players can buy a store in The Mall of Loathing and sell their character's items to other players, once they reach level 9. Direct trading between two players is also possible, and in the trade chat channel users can auction items and advertise shops. This functionality has created a complex in-game economy which author Ted Friedman, in his book Electric Dreams: Computers in American Culture, described as "vibrant". The Kingdom of Loathing economy was the subject of an academic study, Economics in the Kingdom of Loathing: Analysis of Virtual Market Data in 2011.
Character classes Players choose from six classes when they create a character. Each class has various items that characters obtain by completing class-specific quests. Characters also receive non-tradable class-dependent items as a reward for completing harder ascensions. The classes can be split into groups based on the primary character attribute associated with them. The main attribute is used as experience points in-game.
Muscle classes: The two muscle classes are Seal Clubber and Turtle Tamer. Muscle classes depend on strength and fighting ability. A character's Max HP is determined by his/her muscle, and Muscle classes gain an innate +50% boost to their Max HP. Mysticality classes: The mysticality classes are Pastamancer and Sauceror. Gameplay for mysticality classes is focused on spellcasting and the use of magic. A character's Max MP is determined by his/her Mysticality, and Mysticality classes gain an innate +50% to their Max MP. Moxie classes: The moxie classes, Disco Bandit and Accordion Thief, use charm and dexterity to achieve success.
Familiars Familiars are creatures that can accompany players in combat, performing (usually) helpful actions. Familiars are often instrumental in the completion of quests. Familiars possess many abilities; for example, a Sabre-Toothed Lime attacks monsters, a Leprechaun grants extra meat after combat, and a Hovering Sombrero increases stat gains from combat. Some familiars, such as the Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot, are very difficult to acquire.
Ascension Ascension is a feature that allows characters to start the game over and play through it again from the beginning, similar to a New Game Plus feature. This feature becomes available after the game's final quest is completed. Ascending will allow the player to receive Karma for their actions, which can be used to purchase special items before choosing a new path/lifestyle. Players who embark on a new path have their character's experience levels reset to one, but they retain their currency and items. Ascending players can also choose to make their ascension more difficult by taking on various restrictions, such as not being able to eat or drink, in exchange for karma, which can be used to purchase items. There are special paths which could have the player play as a special class or have a unique gimmick (such as every zone is on fire, damaging you). In addition, the game features a leaderboard system which allows players to see one another's ascension speeds and compete for the fastest ascensions.
Plot
Setting Kingdom of Loathing takes place in Asymmetric Publication's Loathing universe; however, the specific time is unknown. It was inspired by Asymmetric Publication's earlier game Krakrox the Barbarian and even included into the game's lore as the forefather of adventurers and banisher of the monsters of the dark continent that would later become the Kingdom of Loathing. The game is humorous in nature, and most quests, battles and individual item descriptions include jokes, witticisms, or references to popular culture. Many quests parody the tropes found in other role-playing games. The player takes on the role of an adventurer who solves problems and kills monsters in this fantasy-based kingdom.
Story Thanks to the three mighty architectural elders before the days of Yore (which includes Boris the Warrior, Jarlsberg the Wizard, and Sneaky Pete the Cool Guy), the Kingdom of Loathing used to be a peaceful place to loathe one another under the Kingdom's ruler, King Ralph XI.
However, one day, the Naughty Sorceress arrived and "imprismed" (imprisoned in a prism) King Ralph XI. Afterwards, the monsters that hid away reemerged, and under the control of the Naughty Sorceress, caused chaos in the kingdom.
In King Ralph's absence, most of the power in the Kingdom of Loathing is held by the Council of Loathing, but not much has been able to get done, so adventurers (such as the player) were called into action. There are two storylines that the player is encouraged to participate. These storylines are Me and My Nemesis, and Naughty Sorceress Quest (main campaign). Players can also unlock quests from other sources, some of which are available only after ascending.
In Me and My Nemesis, when the player first arrives to the kingdom and finishes the tutorial, they are advised to join their class's Guild Hall.
Once the player nearly reaches level 4, they will be informed that their guild's mystical artifact has been stolen by their nemesis, a person that opposes the player's class and has been assigned to the player, as nobody else wanted to deal with them. The player will be sent to retrieve the power-drained legendary artifact from the Misspelled Cemetary and its power source from the Clownlord Beelzebozo.
Later, after increasing experience, the character will be informed of their nemesis's location in The Dark and Sinister Cave, only for them to escape before defeat. After dealing with increasingly tough assassins sent by the character's nemesis, the player will eventually be able to reach their nemesis's Secret Tropical Island Volcano Lair.
Once they find the way to enter, deal with their body guards, and defeat their nemesis a second time, the nemesis will retreat to the volcano to absorb the power from the player's class statue. After defeating their nemesis a third time, the nemesis will pray to a demonic entity that will transform them into their ultimate form, but also power up your legendary weapon.
After defeating them for the fourth and final time, the nemesis will destroy the statue, burying themself as well as their lair, but no mystical artifact to be found. Upon returning to the player's class Guild Hall, they will be told that the artifact was never taken, but was sent out to be cleaned by the new guy Larry.