Kingdom+Rush+(Courtnay)

‍Courtnay Slabaugh Entertainment Game Review =Kingdom Rush= For my entertainment game review I played Kingdom Rush. The game is set in medieval times. The player’s job is to kill the monsters before they reach the end of the each path. In order to do this you can build towers. Each tower costs money to build and there are four types: Archer, Barracks, Mage, and Artillery. These towers get upgrade once you reach different levels. Some towers are more effective in killing certain monsters than others.
 * ‍‍Description:**

As you reach different levels, the paths become much more complicated. There are 18 stages in all:



As you move to the different levels you begin to see different types of monsters:

The premise of the game was pretty straightforward: Stop the monsters from reaching the end of the path. However, it quickly became clear that there were lots of ways to do that. I had to learn what the different types of towers did and how effective they were in killing the particular monster that was crossing the path. I also had to learn how the point and reward systems worked. For example, in order to get upgrades to be more powerful, you need stars. In order to get starts, you need to progress from one stage to another. To be successful, you need to be able to watch multiple parts of the screen at one time. Hints, rewards, and descriptions pop up at the bottom of the screen while the monsters begin to cross the paths. You also need to be able to assess the efficacy of your towers. Sometimes the towers would stop being effective as they encountered new monsters. You also need to be able to assess when to sell your towers to get some of your money back. There is also quite a bit of reading as hints and descriptions pop up.
 * Learning:**

There was a description at the beginning providing an overview. Throughout the game hints would pop up explaining, for example that a certain defense was 90% effective against a particular monster. I found myself skipping through this quickly. I think this is because it didn’t mean anything to me without the context and experience of knowing what the game looks like.
 * Teaching:**

The game provides scaffolding for the new player. It is relatively easy to be successful in the first stages. This is a time to learn about the towers and become familiar with the layout. The stages become much more difficult after the first three. This reflects the ongoing learning principle; players are required to master new skills as conditions change.

Using the practice principle, players spend a significant amount of time playing. This is accomplished through the use of stages and achievements. These rewards also reinforce the achievement principle. Players want to keep playing in order to get to a tougher level and receive more achievements.

I was really surprised by the vast amount of resources available for this game. There are several wikis which explain each of the stages, achievements, and monsters. There were lots of videos showing where the monsters entered from and the best towers to use. This game has several editions so there is also a lot of information available about the differences between the versions.
 * Available resources:**

I enjoyed learning how to play to this game. It is fun to struggle with something and then see yourself becoming more and more proficient. In real-life, our learning is so disconnected from our actual experiences. In this game, I could learn, fail, and try again. The feedback was so quick, that it was okay to repeatedly fail. I was given another chance immediately. I also enjoyed this game because it wasn’t too violent. I’m not a huge fan of the realistic graphics and simulations of violence so this game was a good fit for me.
 * Reflection:**