Beyond dungeons, you have noble houses, usurpers, and neighboring nations. Your fledgling kingdom must negotiate, spy, or fight. This adds a Game of Thrones vibe that many APs lack.
The primary antagonist, Nyrissa, is a tragic fey queen cursed by the Eldest. She's present throughout the campaign—spying, corrupting, even allying temporarily. She's more nuanced than "evil lich in a tower." The Mixed / Situational • Kingdom Management is Polarizing One player will love spreadsheeting. Three will groan. The rules require a dedicated "Ruler" player and 10-15 minutes of bookkeeping per in-game month. The PDF includes worksheets, but you'll want a VTT (Foundry is ideal) or printed trackers.
The PDF is fully bookmarked (by chapter, hex grid, monster appendix, and kingdom turn sequence). Layers let you turn off background art for faster loading on tablets. Hyperlinks to Archives of Nethys (in the official Paido version) are a nice touch.
Because it's a sandbox, groups can spend 5 sessions exploring random hexes and ignore the main plot. The book gives you "event triggers" (e.g., "After 3 months, X happens"), but novice GMs may struggle to keep tension high.
The Kingmaker Companion Guide (separate PDF, ~$20) adds 9 fully-statted NPC companions with side quests and romance options. The base AP assumes you'll recruit generic followers. For the classic CRPG experience, you want the Companion Guide. The Bad 1. The Army Rules Are Underbaked The mass combat system (used for the "War of the River Kings" chapter) is simplified to the point of being dull—just opposed checks and HP pools. Most GMs on the Paizo forums handwave this or port the Troops rules from Bestiary 3 .
Groups who loved The Witcher 3 's "become a lord" arc, Dragon Age: Awakening , or the Kingmaker CRPG.