NONSTOP KNIGHT

Nonstop Knight is a free mobile game that is developed by flaregames. If you haven’t heard of Nonstop Knight until now don’t beat yourself up, I hadn’t either. The only reason I know this game exists is because a dear friend and coworker asked me a simple question, “Hey do you want to get paid to write 500 words on a mobile game called Nonstop Knight?” I get paid, I get to game and I get to write. Sign me up. Of course I said yes.

Here we are with Nonstop Knight, an automated dungeon crawler with RPG elements and at first glance it doesn’t look like much. It looks like a teenager with above average drawing skills tried to create Diablo. But don’t let that deter you, Nonstop Knight is more than what it seems. As you might have guessed the games title is a play on words, Nonstop Knight doesn’t stop. And I’m not talking about his automated movement either. This game is nonstop action. Nonstop loot. Nonstop upgrades. Nonstop dungeons. Nonstop bosses. Nonstop farming while not playing. And unfortunately for a small portion of my time with the game, nonstop ads and gaming suggestions. Some of these suggestions and adds you can ignore and some you can’t but I didn’t let that get in the way of the fun and simple game mechanics that are so wonderfully displayed on the games UI (User Interface).

NONSTOP LOOT AND GEAR

Nonstop Knight starts out with the very basic of gear. As you progress through dungeon levels rewards will be looted, some of which is higher level gear. There are different gear types; weapon, armor and cloak, all of which can be zero star quality up to five-star quality. The gear with zero stars is your basic gear set. I believe the star system works is that with each new star attributed to your gear a passive skill is included on said gear piece, for example my one star scythe has 112% Crit. If you don’t an attribute on the gear you picked up but you love the way the gear looks don’t fret, you can re-roll the attribute.

I know that I said the game looks like a teenager with above average drawing skills created Nonstop Knight but there’s a certain charm to the aesthetic. That charm is most notable in your gear. My weapons have ranged from the basic Rusty Sword to the exotic Ham. Yes I was literally beating someone with a Ham the size of a dinosaur. Fred Flintstone would  have Yabba Dabba Dooed his way into a food coma with that Ham. The same charm is applied to the Armor pieces. My Knights helmet started as a basic knight’s helm but I’ve had a Rhino Suit Helmet and an Arabian Knight head-piece. The Cloak gets the same treatment as well, my knight’s cloak has ranged from plain jane, to a checkered Jester Cloak and even a reptilian style Poison Cloak.

The loot is abundant in Nonstop Knight. It might not seem that way at first but once you start approaching dungeon level 20 things start to pick up and gear starts to drop more frequently. All of the gear that drops can be upgraded using the in-game currency, coins (you’ll get a lot of coins too).

NONSTOP SKILLS AND OPTIONS

Options. Options. Options. Nonstop Knight has tons of skills when it comes to your play style. Starting out your Knight has one skill available, the Whirl. As you might have guessed it this skill is aptly named as you twirl, or whirl, in a circle with your sword damaging the surrounding enemies. As your knight’s level increases variations of the skill unlock; for example, Whirl starts out as a basic attack but at Level 24 Whirl turns into a skill that increases in spins (from 3 to 6) and the attacks range is increased.

Skills also have variations, you can decide to use the Slam skill instead of Whirl. Each skill has 5 variations or additions to them. Nonstop Knight allows for 3 equipped skills. My current load out is Poison Whirl, Crit Slash and Double Clone. With 3 Skills, each having a second option and each option having 5 variations you’re looking at hundreds of combinations.

If that isn’t enough for you, Nonstop Knight also Pets that help you in combat and an “Adventure” mode that has its own upgrade options. In “Adventure” mode you can use Tokens (not the basic coins) to purchase knight upgrades. These upgrades apply to armor, weapons, skill and usable items. You could purchase an upgrade for 175% Skill Damage and then add-on top of that with 150% Armor and 150% Basic Attack damage.

NONSTOP ASCENDING

The “Adventure” mode isn’t what you might think, it isn’t a Campaign telling you the story of the Nonstop Knight, it’s the games reset button. Nonstop Knight calls it ‘Ascend.’ I found that when the levels start to become a little too difficult for your knight to progress through and you aren’t able to purchase upgrades for your gear (you can’t make enough coins) that it’s a good time to ‘Ascend’. Another good indicator is when the Boss Level is labeled as “Impossible.”

Ascending in Nonstop Knight is great. All skills acquired or purchased with Tokens stay with you. What doesn’t stay with you is the gear acquired and the coins earned, they both reset to zero and basic. Sure you start back on Dungeon Floor 1 but you’re stronger and wiser and the level grinding goes by a lot faster. I found that I didn’t have to ‘Ascend’ until Level 60 or above. I’ve ascended five times now and I’m working my way to six.

NONSTOP PRAISE

Nonstop Knight is a complex gaming experience wrapped in a mindless games body. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, as I do but I do. The game doesn’t force you to purchase your way to success. I’m perfectly happy making the grind as I level up my knight. Because I’m enjoying Nonstop Knight so much I did purchase the Starter Pack for $4.99. The Starter Pack include over a thousand tokens, a pet and three Revives. Nonstop Knight is great for another reason too, I can turn the app off and walk away from it and my knight is still killing minions and working his way through levels. I stopped playing at midnight and when I woke up at 7:30 A.M. my knight had killed hundreds of minions and earned well over a million coins.

My only complaint with Nonstop Knight is that occasionally the game gets caught in a cycle of offering you videos to watch in exchange for a reward. Typically the reward is coins to help you upgrade gear but occasionally the reward will be Tokens or a Revive. Since Nonstop Knight isn’t a game that requires you to spend your own money to stay current in the game (Example: Clash of Clans) I don’t mind these videos, especially when the reward is something useful like Tokens.

Nonstop Knight is a great game that worth every penny of the “Free” that I clicked to download it. I would highly recommend it and if you enjoy it don’t be shy about giving a few dollars to flaregames with an in-game purchase or two.