Xbox Game Pass: Acclaimed strategy game with simple controls joins this week

Last week, Game Pass subscribers got Far Cry New Dawn followed by four more titles. This week brings just one new addition: Kingdom Two Crowns, arriving on February 13. In this strategy game, players rule as a monarch, building a kingdom from the ground up. With limited gold, they must recruit subjects, construct defenses and grow the economy. But gold scarcity isn’t the only challenge – each night, the mysterious Greed attack, stealing wealth and threatening the entire realm.

Kingdom Two Crowns stands out with its minimalist controls. Players can only move left or right, either on foot or on a mount. The only direct action is tossing gold coins, which fund construction, recruit villagers, upgrade units and unlock hidden mechanics. Once assigned tasks, units like archers and builders act on their own, allowing players to focus on strategy. The game's distinctive pixel art and atmospheric soundtrack add to its unique charm.

Players who enjoy co-op will be glad to know that Kingdom Two Crowns supports both solo and cooperative play, locally and online. This means two monarchs can build their kingdom together. The game includes distinct biomes like Shogun, inspired by feudal Japan, and Dead Lands, a dark fantasy realm. Each biome introduces distinct units, mounts and mechanics, keeping the gameplay fresh and requiring new strategies.

On Steam, Kingdom Two Crowns is usually priced at around $20 and holds a good reputation, with 90% positive reviews from roughly 25,000 players. Its ratings on Metacritic are slightly lower, with a Metascore of 85 and a User Score of 7.7. The main criticisms include the game's slow pace and lack of guidance, which requires players to experiment. The autonomous units are also a point of contention – while they enhance strategic depth, they can be frustrating when they don’t behave as expected.