I continued along the same role-playing adventure path and played the third entry in the Hero of the Kingdom series. The RPG elements have grown notably stronger, while the mechanics have become more structured and grind-oriented. Alongside hunting and gathering, character progression is now heavily emphasised. The story of Hero of the Kingdom III largely unfolds in non-interactive cutscenes. Your character experiences visions of past events even as he operates freely and efficiently within the real-time game world. Natural resources replenish quickly, and there is never a real risk of depletion.

Game by: Lonely Troops

The 2015 adventure-RPG Hero of the Kingdom II follows faithfully in the footsteps of the original, released a couple of years earlier. I played it soon after finishing the first game, and the pull was just as strong — perhaps even stronger. The world expands onto the sea and beneath the earth, and the visuals take a step forward with more variety in scenery and character portraits. At the same time, what worked before remains intact: relentless resource gathering, hidden-object searching, and a web of side quests woven around the main story. This corner of the fantasy realm is tormented by pirates kidnapping young women from the coasts — including the hero’s little sister. To save her, every stone must be overturned, and in the process one becomes a hero almost by accident — through a romantic twist of fate.

Game by: Lonely Troops

The 2012 title Hero of the Kingdom by a small Slovak studio became a delightful surprise for me. It is charming, accessible, and unexpectedly addictive — a story-driven adventure-RPG with hidden-object elements threaded throughout. True to its name, the player rises from a humble farmer’s son to a hero of the realm, after bandits burn his home and abduct his father. While the main plot focuses on rescuing the father and ultimately the kingdom, there is ample room to hunt, gather, and complete numerous side tasks. The mechanics come together remarkably well, and the classical fantasy setting appealed to the childlike wonder in me.

Game by: Lonely Troops