Journey of the Prairie King Guide
Journey of the Prairie King is a SmashTV-style top-down shooter minigame found inside the Stardrop Saloon. It is one of two arcade machines available in the saloon and offers a challenging arcade experience with multiple stages, power-ups, and bosses.
Unlock
Journey of the Prairie King is available from the start of the game. No unlock is required. Simply head to the Stardrop Saloon and interact with the arcade machine to begin playing.
Additionally, Abigail has a console version of the game that is playable during her 2-Heart Event.
Controls
PC (Keyboard)
- WASD — Move your character
- Arrow Keys — Shoot in the corresponding direction
- You can move and shoot diagonally by combining two keys (for example, W + Up Arrow moves and shoots diagonally up-left)
Controller
- Left Joystick — Move
- Right Joystick — Shoot
- D-Pad — Can also be used for shooting
Mobile
- Two transparent red circles appear on screen:
- Left circle — Move
- Right circle — Aim and shoot
Lives
You begin the game with 4 lives, displayed as “x3” on screen. You lose a life instantly upon contact with any enemy or projectile. The game ends when the counter goes from “x0” to “x-1”.
Gameplay Overview
A timer bar counts down at the top of the screen. Waves of enemies continuously spawn from the edges of the screen. A level is completed when the timer reaches zero and all remaining enemies have been defeated.
Power-ups
Power-ups are dropped by defeated enemies. Pick them up to gain temporary advantages or permanent benefits.
| Power-up | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 Coin | Adds 1 coin to your total |
| 5 Coin | Adds 5 coins to your total |
| 1-Up | Grants an extra life |
| Coffee | Increases movement speed for approximately 16 seconds |
| Heavy Machine Gun | Increases fire rate for approximately 12 seconds |
| Screen Nuke | Destroys all enemies on screen (no drops from nuked enemies) |
| Shotgun | Fires three bullets in a cone, but at a slower rate for approximately 12 seconds |
| Smoke Bomb | Teleports the player; enemies freeze with question marks above their heads for approximately 4 seconds |
| Sheriff Badge | Combines the effects of the machine gun, shotgun, and coffee with slightly lower individual bonuses; lasts approximately 24 seconds |
| Tombstone | Activates zombie mode — you kill enemies on contact, and enemies flee from you for approximately 8 seconds. Does NOT protect you from boss bullets |
| Wagon Wheel | Fire in all 8 directions simultaneously for approximately 12 seconds |
Upgrades
After completing certain levels, a Vendor appears and offers upgrades in exchange for coins. The Vendor appears after levels 1-2, 1-4, 2-1, 2-3, 3-1, and 3-3.
Slot 1 — Boots
- 8 Coins (first purchase)
- 20 Coins (second purchase)
- Upgrades to 1-Up for 10 Coins
Slot 2 — Gun
- 10 Coins (first purchase)
- 20 Coins (second purchase)
- 30 Coins (third purchase)
- Upgrades to Super-Gun for 99 Coins (Hard Mode only; requires all other gun and ammo upgrades)
- Sheriff Badge for 10 Coins
Slot 3 — Ammo
- 15 Coins (first purchase)
- 30 Coins (second purchase)
- 45 Coins (third purchase)
- Upgrades to Sheriff Badge for 10 Coins
Enemies
Stage 1 — Prairie
| Enemy | HP | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Orc | 1 HP | Walks slowly; spawns in large numbers |
| Spikeball | 2 HP (moving) / 7 HP (deployed) | Deploys at a random location and kills on contact. If the timer runs out and only spikeballs remain, their HP is reduced to 1 |
| Ogre | 3 HP | Moves slowly; destroys spikeballs on contact |
Stage 2 — Forest
| Enemy | HP | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Mushroom | 2 HP | Moves quickly |
| Evil Butterfly | 1 HP | Flying enemy; can spawn anywhere on the screen perimeter |
Stage 3 — Graveyard
| Enemy | HP | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Mummy | 6 HP | Moves slowly; spawns in large hordes |
| Imp | 3 HP | Flying enemy; actively seeks the player. Not distracted by Gopher or Tombstone |
Friendlies
Gopher
- Has infinite HP
- Distracts enemies and draws them toward it
- Kills enemies on impact
- Cannot be killed by the player
- Disappears after crossing the screen
- May carry the player on a parade float after defeating a boss
Bosses
Cowboy
- 50 HP in the first fight
- 100 HP in the second fight
- Separated from the player by a ravine/river
- Shoots volleys upward, sometimes matching the player’s movements
- Drops an extra life upon defeat
- A bridge appears after defeat, and a raft pickup sends you to the next stage
- Appears in Stage 1-5 and Stage 2-4
Fector
- 350 HP
- The final boss of the game
- Fires directly at the player or in all 8 directions
- Summons additional enemies as his health decreases
- Appears in Stage 3-4
Levels
The game is divided into three stages, each with multiple areas:
| Stage | Theme | Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Prairie | Areas 1-4 + Boss |
| Stage 2 | Forest | Areas 1-3 + Boss (Area 4 is the boss) |
| Stage 3 | Graveyard | Areas 1-3 + Boss (Area 4 is the boss) |
Hard Mode
Hard Mode is unlocked after completing the game for the first time.
- Upgrades and coins carry over
- Lives reset to x3
- Held power-ups are removed
- Enemies spawn in greater numbers, move faster, and have extra HP
- Imps spawn in every level except boss fights
- Extra lives drop less frequently
- Can be beaten multiple times, with difficulty increasing each time
Saving
The game autosaves after each completed level and after each death. Your held item, upgrades, lives, and remaining time are all saved, allowing you to resume later.
Important: The game does NOT autosave if you die during a boss fight. This can be exploited to retry bosses without losing lives.
Achievements
| Achievement | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Prairie King | Complete Journey of the Prairie King |
| Fector’s Challenge | Complete Journey of the Prairie King without dying (you can exploit the save system to help achieve this) |
Tips and Strategies
- Prioritize movement — Staying mobile is key to avoiding enemies and projectiles.
- Save coins for upgrades — Gun and ammo upgrades provide permanent benefits that make later stages much easier.
- Use Screen Nuke wisely — Save it for when you are overwhelmed by a large group of enemies.
- Exploit the save system for bosses — Since the game does not autosave during boss fights, you can retry difficult bosses without losing lives.
- Watch out for Imps in Hard Mode — They actively seek you out and are not distracted by Gophers or Tombstones.
- Tombstone does not protect from boss bullets — Do not rely on it during boss fights.
- Diagonal movement and shooting — Mastering diagonal controls gives you a significant advantage in maneuvering and attacking.
Trivia
- Random elements in Journey of the Prairie King are NOT affected by Luck.
- There is a Lost Book about this game that can be found in Stardew Valley.
- The title likely references the “River King” games by Marvelous.
- Pressing Esc exits the game instead of pausing it. The P key also does not pause the game.