Players, after selecting a character class, begin on an adventure inside a quirky and fantastic kingdom. The kingdom is represented as a variety of hand-drawn buildings, monsters and items, and is strictly presented in black and white colour. The art design of the game is very simple, and provides minimal depiction of the kingdom itself. This game asks players to focus on their attributes and the turn-based battles rather than environmental qualities.
The final goal the player faces is defeating the “Naughty Sorceress”. The kingdom’s ruler, King Ralph XI, has been captured by this sorceress, and the player must free him by confronting her. Along the way, any items can be found and collected. Also, “familiars” can be used - these are companions that battle and adventure along with you. There are many kinds of companions, and they can also be equipped and statistically improved.
The “Council of Loathing” is the intermediate power in the kingdom, and they provide the player with various quests and goals. Many of these are of a trivial nature, and are part of the games unusual flavour. Many task require you to perform a chore of assist another character in a strange or eccentric event, or to retrieve a bizarre item from a designated place. Like traditional role-playing titles, new areas are open to the player as they gain experience and “level-up”.
This game also allows adventurers to battle one another, as an aside to the main quest of the game. This means that various items and “meat” (the currency of the game) can be won or lost, and this is another method of gaining experience for your character. Peer-to-peer item trading and chatting is also supported and encourage in the Kingdom of Loathing.
