How to play King of the Hill, on the playground and online
By EggVerse · · 5 min read
King of the hill is a game about holding the high ground. One player, the king, stands on top of a mound, a platform or any marked spot, and everyone else tries to take their place. Whoever holds the spot is king until someone replaces them. In video games, the same idea becomes a mode where you score points for every second you control a zone.
The classic outdoor game
The original version needs nothing but a hill, a snowbank or a pile of hay bales. One player climbs to the top and declares themselves king. Everyone else tries to get up there and push them off. Whoever ends up on top is the new king, and the scramble starts again.
Pushing people off a hill is exactly as risky as it sounds, so most groups now play a gentler version. A few common swaps:
- Tag instead of push: a challenger who tags the king takes the spot, and the old king walks back to the bottom.
- A flag or a hat: the king holds an object, and the first challenger to grab it becomes king.
- A timer: whoever is king when the time runs out wins, or each player keeps a running total of seconds on top.
- One challenger at a time: players queue at the bottom and take turns trying, which keeps it from turning into a pile up.
Whatever version you choose, agree on what is allowed before anyone climbs: no pushing near drops, no grabbing clothes, and a clear word that pauses the game.
King of the hill in video games
Shooters and party games turned the playground idea into a scoring mode. A marked area, the hill, sits somewhere on the map. Stand in it alone and your score ticks up every second. If an opponent steps in too, the hill is contested and nobody scores until one side clears it. The first player or team to a target score wins, or whoever leads when time runs out.
| Twist | How it changes the game |
|---|---|
| Moving hill | The zone jumps to a new spot every so often, so nobody can dig in |
| Hold an object | Instead of a zone, one player carries an item and scores while holding it, making them everyone’s target |
| Faster scoring over time | The longer you hold, the faster points arrive, which rewards a long reign and makes the holder a bigger prize |
| Double points at the end | A late bonus keeps the last minute tense even for players far behind |
There is also a third meaning. At a pool table, a ping pong table or a console, “king of the hill” often just means winner stays on: the winner keeps playing and the loser hands the controller to the next person in line.
Excalibegg: king of the hill with a sword
Excalibegg on EggVerse uses the hold an object version. A greatsword sits in a stone in the middle of a courtyard. Stand in the ring around the stone to pull it out, and while you hold it, you score. Everyone else is armed with daggers and wants it back.
- Long reigns pay more: after six seconds holding the sword your points come twice as fast, and after fourteen, three times as fast.
- The holder is the prize: crack the holder and you take a bounty of five points plus one for every second of their reign, and the sword flies loose for a scramble.
- Power has a cost: the holder walks a little slower, but swings a heavy greatsword and can use a Flame Spin on anyone crowding them.
- Hunters have tricks: roll through attacks, dash, and grab throwing knives, frost orbs, swift boots and golden apples that appear around the courtyard. Knock a rival hard into a wall, a pillar or the stone and they are dazed for a moment.
- The finish: first to 150 points wins, or whoever leads at the bell after three minutes. The target is 110 with two players and 130 with six or more. In the last 45 seconds, the Golden Hour, every point counts double.
Play it solo against three bots, or with two to eight friends who join from a link on a phone, tablet or computer. Bigger groups get a bigger courtyard with more pillars to hide behind. On a computer, move with WASD or the arrow keys, hold Space to attack or throw, press E to dash or Flame Spin, and roll with Shift or Q. On a phone, use the thumb stick with the Attack, Special and Roll buttons.
Strategy that works in every version
The king is always outnumbered, so the best kings stop chasing and defend the spot. In Excalibegg that means keeping your back to a pillar and saving Flame Spin for when two hunters close in together. As a challenger, let the others soften the king up and strike when the holder is busy; with a growing bounty, the egg that lands the last blow gets the reward. And when the bonus time starts, everyone should stop worrying about safety and go for it.
King of the hill questions
What are the rules of king of the hill?
One player holds a high spot and everyone else tries to replace them. In the gentler versions you take the spot by tagging the king or grabbing a flag, not by pushing.
How do you score king of the hill in video games?
You earn points for each second you control the hill alone. If enemies are in the zone too, it is contested and usually nobody scores.
What does king of the hill mean at a pool or ping pong table?
Winner stays on. The winner keeps playing and the loser hands over to the next challenger.
Like games where everyone is out to get everyone? Browse our party games, or see how a sumo match on a skillet is won.