June 2, 2025 - Hooded Horse is delighted to share that Sad Socket’s recently released roguelite kingdom builder 9 Kings is off to a fantastic start, smashing past 250,000 copies in its first week since it launched into early access.
Featuring a plethora of unique cards and combo-fuelled battles, players must strive to become the most powerful ruler in all the land through endless combinations of troops, spells, buildings, and unit positioning. It is currently rated at 93% “Very Positive” on Steam with over 3,000 reviews, and represents one of the most successful games from a Brazilian development team.
Developer Sad Socket was founded by Rafael Melo and André Young, two childhood friends from Santos who tried (and failed) to make an AAA game when they were kids. The team has been hard at work with post-launch support, releasing seven patches so far, with more to come as they plan out the initial content roadmap for early access.
"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,” says Rafael Melo. “The good news is it’s only gotten more fun. We hope we can help the Brazilian industry grow, and that many bigger games come after 9 Kings."
“9 Kings had an amazing first week of Early Access on Steam,” says Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender. “This is one of the biggest PC game launches for a Brazilian game studio — Sad Socket has done an incredible job, and we’re so grateful to be working together!”
INSTINCT3 is assisting Hooded Horse in the GAS region covering Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The game is available now on PC via Steam Early Access for $14.99 / £12.00 / €14.99 / ¥1,860. A 35% discount is running from now until June 6.
Press inquiries: press@hoodedhorse.com
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About Hooded Horse™
Hooded Horse is a publisher of deep strategic and tactical games with people and partners around the world – From the distant past of Manor Lords and the haunted woods of Against the Storm to the depths of space in Terra Invicta and Falling Frontier. Our goal is to empower and support developers in doing what they do best: creating world-class experiences for their audiences.
You can find out more about us on our Steam publisher page, as well as our social channels; Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, YouTube, Discord, and website.
About Sad Socket™
Founded by two childhood friends who tried (and failed) to make a AAA game when they were 11, Sad Socket is one of Brazil’s leading game companies, bringing ideas they are passionate about to life. They are a collaborative group that both develops their own games and helps publish other titles from the region by sharing expertise in game design and the creative industry.
You can find out more by visiting the official website, as well as Twitter and YouTube channels.
About INSTINCT3
INSTINCT3 is an influencer marketing agency from Germany focused on creative campaigns and influencer management. The team, made up of pioneers from the German gaming and esports industry, sees its main mission as creating synergies between the brands of advertisers and those of influencers through exceptional concepts.
The company also represents an exclusive portfolio of influencers, including “HandOfBlood,” one of Germany’s most high-reach online personalities. In 2024, the agency expanded its operations to include a new business area in indie game publishing.