As anyone working in the RPG business will tell you, adventuring is hard work. If only there were an operating system geared towards adventurers that could increase the productivity of a mere novice to the levels of a hero. 2017 saw the release of a brand new operating system designed to do just that. The daily grind just got a lot easier. The artificer Andrew Morrish has crafted a most powerful operating system for tech-artefacts, and it is known as Kingsway!

Kingsway comes complete with a full scenario to acquaint adventurers with all the key functions of adventuring. In this scenario, you have been tasked with traveling eastward to find a way to stop the Sky-Eater. As you explore the island, the Sky-Eater will advance from the west and gradually blanket the world in darkness. Remember to check Quests, the email app of choice for adventurers, for more opportunities.

The first thing you will see upon registering your character data is the desktop. Like Windows or macOS, you will find several programs pre-installed for adventuring. Take a moment to open up all the windows, resize, and position them optimally. As you gain experience with the work environment and install further equipment, you may find yourself needing to adjust these windows to better accommodate the changing workflow. It is highly recommended to open up the Music app and use the included playlist. Hero-ing is hard work, and the excellent music will help keep your stress down while it sets you in a proper adventuring mood. Whether it be marvelling at the beautiful landscape before you, exploring the various crypts and caves, or contemplating the world’s impending doom, there is something in the playlist for everyone.

Once you are ready, open up the World Navigator browser. This will be your primary means of exploring the world. You will see a hooded figure – this represents you. Clicking on a nearby node will display a loading bar as the files for that location are read from disk. While in a settlement, you may purchase equipment and supplies. Simply add an item to your cart, and remember to checkout to finalise your purchase. Merchants accept payment in gold and do not require your credit card details.

Your quest will regularly be interrupted by monsters. Fortunately, Kingsway makes it very easy to deal with them. Gone are the days of swinging a sword and tiring out. Monsters will be presented in moving pop-up windows, as if you’re browsing a shady website. Simply maneuver your cursor to their window and click the attack you wish to execute, then wait for the attack to load up before executing another. Kingsway interprets special attacks and abilities as additional moving pop-up windows. Click the large button on these pop-ups before they finish to save yourself some health. Defeat a monster and you will gain loot and experience. When you level up, remember to open up your Character app to assign attribute points and learn useful combat skills.

The interface is overall very intuitive. Windows are as simple and clean as you’d expect from a modern operating system, and button clicks and pop-ups come with a satisfying sound effect. The rich golden accents will remind you constantly that you are playing with power, and that this is an operating system for heroes, not some mere paper pushing office worker. Having so many windows open, especially during combat, is an engaging test of your multi-tasking abilities. It is interesting that shortcut keys are not enabled by default, but must be unlocked through proficiency. This quirk is certain to give adventurers a newfound appreciation for shortcut keys in general. Scheduling quests to avoid clashes is made easy with Kingsway, and more thrilling than in Windows or MacOS. After much testing, I am happy to report that the operating system is perfectly stable, but be warned that dying is known to trigger a cascade of popups followed by a system crash to a blue screen of death with your character’s statistics. This is normal.

Astute adventurers may note Kingsway functions like a much simpler fantasy version of the very popular FTL. This is a fair comparison to make, but Kingsway uses its setting to effectively distinguish itself. Most notably, a high-end military-grade Cruiser must still respect the Anti-Ship Batteries of the Rebel fleet, whereas a sufficiently powerful hero need not fear the darkness and might even wander around in it for a while. Kingsway does not have as much functionality as FTL, but it does stand on its own merits. Had Kingsway been released first, we might well be in a world where the comparison is of FTL as a complex Kingsway. Since both have the same price, it bears asking: should Kingsway be considered overpriced, or should FTL be considered underpriced?

As much fun as that was to write, we’re back to plain speak for the morals. Kingsway does of course have plenty of monster killing, but attacks simply initiate a loading bar. As soon as the loading bar completes, damage is dealt with no animation whatsoever. There is also plenty of fantasy magic involved as you’d expect, but again these are limited to loading bars and text logs with no animations. Three of the five endings also involve opening a portal to the underworld and seeking help from the Demon King in some fashion, either by offering yourself as a blood sacrifice to summon him, or by usurping the Demon King’s throne and becoming the new Demon King. The sacrifice option is particularly troubling as it paints a demon as the savior of the world. Either way, consorting with demons hardly seems Christian. Okay, back to being surreal now.

Kingsway isn’t phenomenal or groundbreaking by any means, but it’s a solid operating system tailored to the discerning adventurer. If you are in need of productivity boosts to go with your adventuring, Kingsway is highly recommended for that purpose.