Surfing the internet, I suddenly heard loud cursing coming from the dorm across from me. It was one of my suitemates yelling at something called a Bonerdagon. This was my first encounter with Kingdom of Loathing.
Kingdom of Loathing (www.kingdomofloathing.com), or KOL as most users like to call it, is an online multi-user role-playing game. Its graphics hark back to the days of early computer gaming. Stick figure characters and quirky pop culture references make it the success that keeps it running.
“The actual game plays like a version of “Dungeons and Dragons” run by the creators of Monty Python, with a seriously vegetable-phobic 14-year-old acting as creative consultant,” says John Borland, a staff writer for CNET News.com in his review of the game. Almost five years and more than 200,000 players later, Zack Johnson, user name Jick in the game, the creator of KOL, was able, with the help of KOL merchandise and donation from players, to quit his day job and focus on expanding the game. As a die-hard, addicted player, I am grateful.
The game goes like this. You are a newcomer in a world that is swarming with various monsters that are harassing the citizens of the kingdom. The Council of Loathing, which is the ruling body substituting for King Ralph XI, contracts you to get rid of all the big boss monsters who are causing chaos and free King Ralph, who is being imprisoned by the Naughty Sorceress. Because the Council likes controlling the law in the Kingdom and is reluctant to give it up to the King, the Naughty Sorceress quest is the last to be performed. There are 13 main quests and various other side quests that can be performed with benefits to reward your character.
You fight monsters like Knott Yetis, Ninja Snowmen, Fallen Archfiends, confused goth math students, Booze Giants, Flaming Trolls and more during the adventures. Places like the Mysterious Island of Mystery with its Hippy Camp and Obligatory Pirate Cove, and the Desert Beach and the Shore, Inc. vacation company become available as you perform your quests and gain Meat, the official currency of Loathing. With your familiars, like a Sabre-toothed Lime or a NinjaPirateZombieRobot, by your side to lend you support through the battles, you try to beat the monsters into submission and gain enough experience to take on the big bosses, like the previously mentioned Bonerdagon and the Naughty Sorceress.
I started playing KOL two years ago this month. As my plucky character, ParisCLex, I’ve been four of the six classes that your character can be. I’ve been an Accordian Thief and Disco Bandit, who both rely on their Moxie (charm) to get them out of hairy situations, and a Pastamancer and Sauceror, both who use their Mysticality (magic) to make potions and food dishes. By the way, I do have a NPZR familiar who I’ve named Cap’n Jack. There is always something new to discover. Since I’ve started playing, a comet was discovered and crashed into the desert, Halloween invaded Crimbo (the KOL version of Christmas) and became Crimboween, and I saved Crimbo by restoring Uncle Crimbo’s memory. Now, a new mysterious plinth has been discovered in the open seas, which will be fodder for a wildfire of speculation within KOL’s chat rooms, online radio station, various forums and fan sites. This game is highly entertaining and addicting. As the KOL motto goes, ‘An Adventurer is you!’