KingFish: Is This Co-Op Roguelike the Web3 Wonderland We Didn't Know We Needed, or Just a Glorious Mess?
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
KingFish is an ambitious upcoming co-op roguelike where one player acts as an action-oriented 'King' on a giant living island, while the other takes on the role of the island itself, a 'Fish,' managing city-building elements from above. This genre-bending concept, first highlighted by Oisin Kuhnke for Rock Paper Shotgun, promises unique, chaotic fun while prompting both excitement and a touch of skeptical curiosity about its execution.
Alright mates, gather 'round the digital campfire, 'cause I've stumbled upon something that just might mend the eternal gamer's dilemma: what do you play when one of you wants to build an empire and the other just wants to smash stuff?
Enter KingFish, an upcoming co-op roguelike that, according to Oisin Kuhnke over at Rock Paper Shotgun, aims to split the difference. And honestly? My curious, chaotic wizard brain is already mapping out the potential reality-bending shenanigans. Imagine this: one of you gets to be the 'King,' a tiny little dude scrambling across the back of a colossal, living island (yes, you heard me, a *living island*!). This King-player is all about action – gathering resources, hacking at enemies and trees alike, and generally being the on-the-ground grunt listening to the cries of your burgeoning citizenry.
The other player? You're the 'Fish' – the island itself, essentially. From an 'eye in the sky' perspective, you're the grand architect, plotting where each new building, each city segment, will manifest on your living, breathing landmass. You're the strategist, the overseer, the one providing crucial aerial support.
Now, the RPS crew, bless their cotton socks, did point out that the gameplay split isn't perfectly 50/50. The King still has to get their hands dirty with resource gathering for builds, and the Fish can jump in to help spot enemies or lend a hand during combat. This is where some tower defence elements seemingly creep in, alongside the procedural chaos of being a roguelike with 'different maps, mechanics, and challenges' (though, fair call, the Steam page isn't getting into the nitty-gritty of the city-building specifics for that just yet).
My wizardly senses are tingling with a mix of genuine excitement and a touch of 'hmmm, really?'. Oisin Kuhnke did ponder if having two quite distinct playstyles might mean neither gets the full gourmet treatment, perhaps feeling a 'smidge underbaked' in places. And look, that's a perfectly valid concern. We've all seen ambitious genre-blenders stumble before, haven't we?
But here's the kicker, the part that makes my optimistically chaotic heart sing: the *potential*. This isn't just another co-op game; it's a co-op roguelike on a *living island*. Think about the emergent gameplay, the procedural shenanigans, the sheer unpredictability of it all. It’s the kind of audacious design that pushes boundaries – the kind of wild, unique experience that resonates with the Web3 gaming community, always hungry for innovative mechanics and novel ways to interact with digital worlds.
With choices for the King like recruiting citizens with unique abilities (builders or fighters, you reckon?), there's a layer of strategic depth that could keep things fresh run after run. So, no release date beyond 'sometime in 2027,' which, let's be honest, is practically tomorrow in game dev years. For now, you can poke around its Steam page and add it to your wishlist. What do you reckon, mates? Is this the kind of wild, reality-bending co-op chaos you're looking for?
*Original article by Oisin Kuhnke for Rock Paper Shotgun, published May 12, 2026. Read more at:*
Tags: Co-op, Roguelike, City Builder, Action Game, Indie Game
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun