The Monument to the King’s Gaze is a unique and yet quite a confusing building in The King is Watching. While its description suggests that it helps automate adjacent buildings, its actual function and effectiveness depend heavily on how it’s used, and in some cases, whether it’s working properly or not.
This article is going to provide a detailed guide on how the Monument to the King’s Gaze works in The King Is Watching.
How the Monument to the King’s Gaze Works in The King is Watching
The Monument to the King’s Gaze is designed to help reduce micromanagement by allowing nearby buildings to function without the King’s direct attention.
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When the player’s gaze is focused on the monument, it activates any adjacent buildings in the cardinal directions, north, south, east, and west. This means buildings directly touching the monument will operate as though they are being watched, even though the gaze is technically fixed on the monument itself.
However, this only works when:
- The monument is actively being watched.
- The adjacent tiles are valid production buildings.
- The buildings are not placed on special tiles that reduce effectiveness, such as -25% speed tiles.
- The player has waited for the short cooldown that occurs after moving a building, which is indicated by a red circle.
If these conditions are met, the monument will cause the adjacent buildings to function as if they are being watched, giving the player a chance to manage more of the board without constantly shifting their gaze.
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What the Monument Doesn’t Do
Despite what the description might suggest, the Monument does not:
- Provide a passive effect when not being watched.
- Activate diagonal buildings.
- Work on buildings that require materials if those materials are missing.
- Trigger immediate, consistent production if you simply place and leave it.
In some cases, players reported that the monument appears to do nothing. This is usually due to one of several issues:
- The buildings around it are not compatible (e.g., they lack resources).
- It is placed on a debuff tile (like an upgrade/downgrade zone).
- There is a visual or mechanical bug that prevents it from working properly.
- The player forgot that a short cooldown follows any building move.
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How to make the Monument more effective
To get the most out of the Monument to the King’s Gaze, players have found some useful strategies:
- Pair it with the artifact that keeps the center tile always active. If you place the monument in the center and have this relic, you can get up to four buildings working constantly without moving your gaze.
- Use it to “chain” gaze effects across multiple tiles by setting up a system where one monument activates buildings that are near another monument or within your extended gaze range.
- Combine it with specific kings who have wider or unique gaze patterns, such as King Spellius. Some upgraded gaze types can hit multiple tiles, making it easier to build around the monument’s effect.
Still, despite these potential uses, many players feel the building is too niche, costly, or unreliable, especially in higher-threat levels where efficiency is crucial. Without upgrades or consistent performance, it may not be worth the resources unless the right artifact and setup are available.
