The King Is Watching is a roguelite game where you keep building your progress over time. Unlike roguelike games, where each run resets everything, roguelites allow you to keep some of the upgrades between attempts.
This means that choosing the right upgrades becomes quite important if you want to become strong and stay that way in the long run. Keeping that in mind, this article will talk about and recommend the best upgrade order in The King Is Watching.
Best Upgrades to Get First in The King Is Watching
There are many upgrade paths in The King Is Watching that are spread across different trees: Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green. But not all upgrades are equal, especially early on in the game. Some paths should be prioritized first because they offer more value or long-term advantages that will benefit you across your runs.
Let us look at which upgrades you should prioritize in The King Is Watching.
Tile Seals
One of the most important upgrades to get early is Tile Seals. These upgrades boost the resource production of the tiles they’re placed on by a certain percentage. Faster resource generation means you can build and expand much quicker during each run.
You’ll find Tile Seal upgrades in both the Red and Yellow trees. Grab the first available ones in both trees as soon as you can. They provide a noticeable and ongoing advantage.
Also read: How To Beat the Hungering Maw in The King Is Watching
Banish the Nobles
At the start of each run, some tiles in your kingdom are occupied by Nobles. These tiles are unusable and do nothing to help you. By unlocking the Banish the Nobles upgrade, you can clear these spaces and free up more room for productive use. This upgrade is mainly found in the Red tree.
Freeing up more space early gives you more flexibility to plan your kingdom layout.
Advisor Slot
Advisors are passive characters that give you bonuses throughout your run. There are many different types of Advisors, and each of them offer unique benefits. However, you can only use one at a time unless you unlock additional Advisor Slots.
The first two extra slots are located in the Blue upgrade tree and are quite cheap. It’s a good idea to pick them up early so you can start using multiple advisors at once. Once you have these slots, you can begin experimenting with different advisor combinations based on your playstyle.
Also read: The King Is Watching: Complete Council Guide (How To Unlock & Use, Best Choices)
Troop Limit Upgrades
Eventually, you’ll need to field larger armies to deal with stronger threats. Troop Limit Upgrades allow you to place more troops on the field at the same time. While having powerful troops is important, increasing the number of troops you can use is arguably even more critical. It significantly boosts your combat strength.
These upgrades aren’t always cheap, but they’re a worthwhile investment once you’ve got your economy running smoothly.
Magic School
Unlocking the Magic School adds a new layer to your gameplay. Once built, this structure slowly generates spells that you can use throughout your run. While each individual spell may not feel game-changing, using them regularly adds up over time.
Keep the Magic School active whenever possible, especially in the later parts of your runs. After unlocking the school, the Spell Damage upgrades (found in the Yellow tree) become much more valuable.
Also read: The King is Watching: How To Move & Demolish Buildings
New Buildings
As your kingdom grows, you’ll want access to more options. New Buildings become available through various upgrade trees and offer a wide range of benefits.
While you don’t need to rush these upgrades immediately, unlocking them steadily will expand your kingdom-building toolkit. Each new building adds something different, allowing you to adjust your strategy based on the situation.
New Kings
In the Green upgrade tree, you can unlock up to six New Kings. Each King has unique abilities and playstyles. Choosing which ones to unlock will shape how you approach future runs.
Once you’ve built a foundation with Tile Seals, Advisor Slots, and key buildings, this is where you can begin to get creative. The combination of different Kings, buildings, and advisors opens up many possible synergies and strategies.
Troop Upgrades
Lastly, there are the Troop Upgrades, also in the Green upgrade tree. These upgrades enhance your troops’ health and damage by a percentage. They offer one of the largest power boosts in the game, regardless of your build.
However, they’re also the most expensive and are locked deeper in the tree. Because of this, they should be saved for later, once you’ve already handled the essential upgrades and built a strong economy.
