Kingdom of Night is an 80s-themed isometric action RPG that drops you into the demon-infested streets of Miami, Arizona. With a massive open world, five different classes, and enemies that can crush you if you’re not prepared, this game doesn’t hold your hand for long.
Whether you’re just starting out or struggling to find your footing, these beginner tips for Kingdom of Night will help you survive the night and take the fight to Baphomet’s forces.
Use a Controller Instead of Keyboard and Mouse
This is the single most important tip anyone can give you. Kingdom of Night was designed with a gamepad in mind, and trying to play with a keyboard and mouse is a frustrating experience.
Combat relies on lock-on targeting, dodging, parrying, and cycling through abilities. All of these actions feel natural on a controller but become clunky and confusing on a keyboard.
Magic classes are especially painful without a gamepad. You select spells through different combinations of face buttons, and the game itself recommends using a controller right on the title screen.
Pick the Right Class for Your Playstyle
Early in the game, you’ll choose between melee and magic, and then pick a more specific subclass. There are five classes in total: Barbarian, Knight, Rogue, Necromancer, and Sorcerer.
If you’re new to action RPGs or want a smoother start, go with a melee class. The Knight and Barbarian are the most beginner-friendly options because they let you learn the combat system up close without worrying about cast times or positioning.
Magic classes like the Necromancer and Sorcerer are powerful but have a steep learning curve. They deal massive area damage, but a single hit can devastate your health bar if you’re not careful with positioning.
The good news is that you can respec your class at the tavern after completing the prologue. So if you pick something that doesn’t feel right, you’re not locked in forever.
Stick With the Default Character Names
When the game starts, you’ll get the option to rename your character and several other NPCs. It might be tempting to give everyone custom names, but you should strongly consider keeping the defaults.
The game references these characters by name throughout quests, dialogue, and story events. Using custom names can make it harder to follow what’s happening, especially during more complex quest chains later in the game.
Master Stamina Management in Combat
Stamina is the most important resource in combat, and burning through it too fast is the quickest way to get yourself killed. Dodging, parrying, and using abilities all drain your stamina bar.
Don’t spam the dodge button. Instead, learn enemy attack patterns and time your dodges carefully so you always have enough stamina left to escape or counterattack.
Kiting enemies around terrain features is a core tactic that will save your life constantly.
Strafing around obstacles and retreating strategically are just as important as landing hits.
Use the lock-on targeting system to stay focused on your current threat. It locks onto the nearest enemy and lets you strafe around them while keeping your attacks aimed properly.
Explore Everything and Loot Every Container
Kingdom of Night hides useful items everywhere. Trash cans, dumpsters, abandoned buildings, and random containers throughout Miami are packed with weapons, gear, and consumables that can give you a serious edge.
Some of the best weapons in the game are found through exploration rather than enemy drops. You might stumble across a weapon upgrade in a random building that completely changes how your combat feels.
Make it a habit to check every room and interact with every object you can.
The game rewards curiosity, and even the prologue has lootable items that are easy to miss, like the food in the school fridge.
Don’t Wander Into High-Level Areas Too Early
The open world in Kingdom of Night lets you go pretty much anywhere from the start.
That freedom is great, but it also means you can easily walk into an area filled with enemies way above your level.
If you’re getting destroyed in just a few hits, you’re probably in the wrong zone. Back off and find areas with weaker enemies to grind for experience and loot before coming back.
Enemies respawn in most areas, which makes it easy to farm XP in zones where you’re comfortable.
This is especially important before taking on the game’s Demon General boss fights, which can be brutal if your level is too low.
The game has four main bosses you can tackle in any order: Beelzebub, Cain, Pazuzu, and Lilith. Just because they’re all available doesn’t mean you’re ready for all of them at once.
Use the Ferryman and Your Map to Navigate
Miami, Arizona is a big place, and the underground areas like the North Miami Sewers are even more confusing. Getting lost is one of the biggest frustrations new players face in this game.
The Ferryman (Charon) is an NPC you’ll encounter in various locations, and he lets you fast travel to different points on the map. Use him whenever you can, because running back and forth across the map on foot wastes a lot of time.
Your map is split into two views.
The local map fills in as you explore each area, while the general map shows your main objectives and quest locations. Check both regularly to stay oriented.
Complete Side Quests for Experience and Permanent Upgrades
Side quests in Kingdom of Night are not filler content. Many of them reward you with experience, gold, powerful gear, and sometimes permanent stat upgrades that make a real difference.
NPCs scattered throughout Miami will give you quests when you talk to them. Some of these quests won’t be completable right away, and that’s fine. You’ll often stumble across the item or location you need naturally as you keep exploring.
Completing side quests also keeps your level high enough to handle the main story bosses. Take your time, talk to everyone, and let the side content guide your progression naturally.
Keep Your Inventory Stocked With Consumables
Consumable food items are your primary source of healing in Kingdom of Night. You’ll burn through them constantly, especially during boss fights and in areas with large groups of enemies.
Always loot food items when you find them, and buy consumables from merchants whenever you get the chance.
Running out of healing during a tough fight is a quick way to lose all your progress in an area.
Even on Normal difficulty, the game is challenging enough that you’ll need a steady supply of consumables to stay alive. Don’t sell food items for gold unless you have a massive surplus.
Pay Attention to Your Skill Tree Branches
Each class in Kingdom of Night has a skill tree with three branches and 10 talents in each branch. How you spend your skill points has a major impact on how your character plays.
Once you reach level 10 in your first branch, you unlock the ability to cross over into another branch. This lets you mix and match talents to create a build that fits your preferred style.
Your three main stats are Muscle, Guts, and Wits.
These affect everything from your physical and magical damage to your defense, luck, stamina, and resistance to status effects like poison and fear.
Don’t stress too much about making the perfect build early on. You can redistribute your skill points at any time, so feel free to experiment and adjust as you learn what works best for your class.
Don’t Skip the Prologue Tutorials
The game’s prologue includes two tutorials that teach you the basics of both combat styles. Jimmy’s basketball court fight introduces you to melee combat, while Tucker’s tutorial covers magic.
Even if you already know which class you want to play, take the time to go through both tutorials.
They teach core mechanics like dodging, equipping weapons, and using abilities that you’ll rely on for the entire game.
The prologue also introduces Strawberry, a pink-haired guide character who provides helpful hints throughout your adventure.
Pay attention to what she says, because her tips are genuinely useful for understanding how the game’s systems work.
Try Co-Op to Make Boss Fights Easier
If you’re struggling with the game’s tougher encounters, Kingdom of Night supports local co-op so you can bring a friend along for the ride. Having a second player makes a massive difference in how you approach combat.
The best co-op strategy is to pair a melee class with a magic class. The melee player draws enemy attention and tanks hits while the magic player focuses on crowd control and ranged damage from a safe distance.
Co-op also makes boss fights significantly more manageable. Some of the Demon General battles are genuinely tough in solo play, and having a partner lets you split the boss’s focus.
Even if you prefer playing solo, keep co-op in mind as an option for any fight that has you stuck. Sometimes a second pair of hands is all you need to push through a wall.
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Images in this article are from the Kingdom of Night page on Steam and used under Fair Use.