Hooded Horse and Brazilian indie studio Sad Socket are celebrating a royal victory. Their new roguelite kingdom builder, 9 Kings, has stormed into Early Access and already sold over 250,000 copies in just its first week.
Packed with strategic depth, 9 Kings blends card-based mechanics with tactical combat, letting players craft powerful combinations of troops, spells, buildings, and boar-mounted ballistas to dominate the battlefield. The game currently sits at an impressive 93% “Very Positive” rating on Steam, backed by more than 3,000 glowing reviews.
Developed by longtime friends Rafael Melo and André Young from Santos, Brazil, Sad Socket is quickly becoming one of the country’s breakout studios. “The 11-year-old kids who were making games for fun in a small Brazilian city could’ve never imagined they’d be building something this big one day,” said co-founder Melo. “It’s only gotten more fun.”
Post-launch, the team has already released seven patches, showing strong commitment to community feedback and laying the groundwork for their Early Access roadmap.
“This is one of the biggest PC game launches for a Brazilian studio,” said Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender. “Sad Socket has done an incredible job, and we’re thrilled to support them.”
With a fresh take on the kingdom builder genre and clear passion from its developers, 9 Kings is more than a hit—it’s a milestone for Brazil’s growing game development scene. And for those just joining the fray, one thing’s clear: the way of the boar-mounted ballista awaits.
