Joker Mode is one of the biggest additions in the 9 Kings 1.0 update. Instead of playing with a king’s usual card selection and following the standard rules, this mode lets you create your own setup and experiment with different combinations.
You can select nine cards from across the different kings, decide which enemy kings you want to fight, and adjust several gameplay conditions before starting a run. This makes Joker Mode a great place to test unusual strategies, experiment with powerful combinations, and see how far you can push your kingdom.
In this guide, I’ll explain how to unlock Joker Mode, how its custom deck system works, which settings you can change, and some useful tips to help you get started.
9 Kings 1.0 Joker Mode Guide – How to Unlock and Build Deck
Before you can play Joker Mode, you need to unlock all nine kings in the game.
Once every king has been unlocked, the Joker becomes available as a special character on the king selection screen. You can then select the Joker to access the custom gameplay mode.
Here is what you need to do:
- Play the regular Singleplayer mode and work toward unlocking the different kings.
- Check your king selection screen to see which kings are still locked.
- Complete the requirements for every remaining king.
- Once all nine kings are unlocked, the Joker will become available.
- Select the Joker to start creating your own custom run.
Important: You do not need to complete all 81 Quest Mode challenges to unlock Joker Mode. Unlocking all nine kings is the requirement for Joker. Completing all 81 quests on any difficulty is a separate requirement for Daily Mayhem.
What Is Joker Mode?
Joker Mode is a custom sandbox mode where you have much more control over how a run works.
In regular Singleplayer, you choose a king and use the cards associated with that king. As you defeat enemy kings, you can add cards from their collections to your build.
Joker Mode gives you more freedom from the beginning. You can hand-pick your own nine-card deck, combining cards from different kings instead of relying on a standard starting selection.
You can also adjust the rules of your run, including starting gold, lives, rerolls, enemy kings, and events.
This makes the mode useful for two main purposes:
- Experimenting with builds: Test combinations of cards from different kings without waiting for them to appear during a normal run.
- Creating custom challenges: Change the starting conditions and opponents to make a run easier, harder, or simply different.
How to Build a Custom 9-Card Deck
The main feature of Joker Mode is the ability to choose your own nine-card deck.
Instead of being restricted to one king’s starting collection, you can select cards from different kings and combine their abilities.
For example, you could experiment with a deck focused on troops, combine buildings with powerful buffs, or create a setup that uses enchantments to strengthen your main damage dealers.
However, simply choosing nine powerful cards does not automatically create a strong build. You still need to consider how the cards interact with one another.
Focus on One Main Strategy
One of the most useful lessons from regular 9 Kings runs is that specializing is often more effective than spreading your resources across too many unrelated strategies.
The same idea applies to Joker Mode.
If you want to build around powerful troops, choose cards that help summon, strengthen, or protect those troops. If you prefer a defensive setup, focus on buildings and supporting effects that help your kingdom survive.
Try to make your nine cards work toward the same overall goal rather than selecting completely unrelated options.
Combine Cards That Work Together
Some cards become much more effective when paired with the right buildings, troops, or enchantments.
For example, buffing buildings can improve nearby units, while summoning cards can provide additional troops for your formation. Enchantments can further improve the units you want to use as your main damage dealers.
Pay attention to these interactions when choosing your deck.
Don’t Forget About Positioning
Your deck is only one part of a successful build. Placement on the battlefield still matters.
Buildings such as the Blacksmith can affect multiple nearby troops, so positioning them where they reach the largest number of useful units can increase their value.
Other buildings, such as the Farm, have more specific adjacency effects. Make sure you understand which units benefit from each building before deciding where to place everything.
Joker Mode Settings Explained
Joker Mode also allows you to customize the conditions of your run.
According to the official 1.0 announcement, you can adjust the following settings:
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Starting Gold | Choose how much gold you begin with. |
| Lives | Set the number of lives available for your run. |
| Rerolls | Adjust your starting reroll supply. |
| Enemy Kings | Choose which enemy kings you want to face. |
| Events | Disable events to create a different gameplay experience. |
These options let you control how challenging your custom run will be.
For example, you can give yourself more starting gold if you want to test an expensive strategy. You can also select specific enemy kings if you want to see how your deck performs against particular opponents.
Disabling events can also help when you want to test a build without additional event effects influencing the results.
How to Choose Enemy Kings
Another useful feature is the ability to select which enemy kings you will face.
In regular runs, the opponents you encounter can influence which cards become available to you after winning battles. This can affect the direction of your build.
Joker Mode gives you more control over these matchups.
Here are a few ways to use this setting:
- Select particular kings to test how your deck performs against their strategies.
- Avoid opponents that counter your main build while experimenting.
- Include difficult matchups if you want to test the weaknesses of your setup.
- Repeat similar runs against the same enemies to compare different card combinations.
Remember that different kings have different strengths and weaknesses. For example, formations that rely heavily on large groups of troops may struggle against powerful piercing attacks from Ballistae and Trappers.
Choosing your opponents carefully makes it easier to understand which strategies work and which ones need improvement.
Best Tips for Your First Joker Mode Run
If this is your first time playing Joker Mode, I recommend starting with a relatively simple setup instead of immediately trying to create the most complicated combination possible.
Here are some things worth keeping in mind.
1. Start With a Focused Deck
Choose a main strategy and build your nine-card selection around it. A focused deck makes it easier to understand how individual cards contribute to your overall plan.
2. Experiment With Different Kings
One of the biggest advantages of Joker Mode is that you can combine cards that normally belong to different kings.
Try mixing cards from kings with complementary abilities. For example, you could experiment with troop-focused cards alongside useful universal support options.
3. Use Starting Gold to Test Expensive Builds
Some strategies require more resources before they become effective.
If you are testing an expensive combination, adjust your starting gold so you can see how the build works without spending several turns waiting for the necessary resources.
4. Test One Change at a Time
When experimenting with different decks, try to keep most of your settings the same.
Change one or two cards and see how the results differ. This makes it easier to identify which combinations are actually improving your strategy.
5. Pay Attention to Enemy Counters
A build that performs extremely well against one king might struggle against another.
Use the enemy selection settings to test your deck against different opponents and identify its weaknesses.
6. Experiment With Events Disabled
If you want to focus on testing a particular combination, disabling events can help reduce additional variables.
Once you understand how your deck performs, you can bring events back into your custom runs.
Joker Mode vs. Regular Singleplayer
Both modes use the same general kingdom-building and auto-battler gameplay, but they offer different ways to approach a run.
| Feature | Regular Singleplayer | Joker Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Starting selection | Choose a regular king | Choose the Joker |
| Starting deck | Based on the selected king | Hand-pick nine cards |
| Card combinations | Develop during the run | Customize before starting |
| Enemy selection | Regular run progression | Choose enemy kings |
| Starting conditions | Standard rules | Customize gold, lives, and rerolls |
| Events | Regular gameplay | Can be disabled |
| Main purpose | Standard progression and survival | Custom builds and experimentation |
If you want the traditional 9 Kings experience, regular Singleplayer is still the way to go. But if you want to test specific combinations or create your own challenges, Joker Mode gives you much more freedom.
Joker Mode and Daily Mayhem: What’s the Difference?
Joker Mode and Daily Mayhem are both additions associated with the 9 Kings 1.0 release, but they are separate experiences with different unlock requirements.
Joker Mode is a custom sandbox mode. You unlock it by unlocking all nine kings, then create your own deck and adjust the rules of your run.
Daily Mayhem is a Quest Mode spin-off that introduces a new random challenge every day. Each challenge comes with its own custom deck, decrees, and special conditions.
To unlock Daily Mayhem, you must complete all 81 base quests on any difficulty.
| Mode | Unlock Requirement | Main Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Joker Mode | Unlock all nine kings | Create your own deck and rules |
| Daily Mayhem | Complete all 81 quests on any difficulty | Play a new daily challenge |
So, if your main goal is to unlock Joker Mode, focus on unlocking the nine kings first. You can work toward the Quest Mode challenges separately.
Joker Mode gives 9 Kings players a new way to enjoy the game by letting them create their own nine-card decks and customize the rules of each run.
Whether you want to test combinations between different kings, experiment with unusual strategies, or create your own difficult challenges, there is plenty of room to experiment.
If you haven’t unlocked it yet, start working toward unlocking all nine kings. Once the Joker becomes available, you can finally build your own custom kingdom without being restricted to a regular king’s starting deck.
