King of Tokyo
Overview
Tokyo has been besieged by monsters! Revel in this theme-heavy game and use your dice to defeat your opponents to be crowned the King of Tokyo!
In King of Tokyo you take on the role of one of six monsters intent on destroying Tokyo, but you don’t share well with others. You have six dice which you’ll roll up to three times each (similar to Yahtzee) that will allow you to attack, refill your life, gain energy, or go for points. When another monster is in Tokyo, you can attack them in an attempt to move into Tokyo. When you’re in Tokyo, you can attack all of your opponents. Of course, what good is being a monster if you can’t have super powers? As the game progresses, you can spend energy to buy power ups to aid in your conquest.
Gameplay
Can you conquer the world (or at least small parts of it) armed with a monster and six dice? Each turn you’ll roll the six dice, setting any number aside and getting two re-rolls of as many dice as you like. The sides of the dice are: heart, lightning bolt, claw, 1, 2, and 3.
Hearts allow you to gain life (you start with 10 and are eliminated if you hit zero), while lightning bolts give an energy cube that can be used to purchase power up cards. Each claw will damage your opponent(s), and the numbers are worth stars (victory points) if you get three-of-a-kind or better. To win, you’ll either need to amass 20 stars, or be the last monster standing.
Much of the game will revolve around Tokyo. Only one player can be in Tokyo at a time (two if playing with 5-6 players). A monster in Tokyo will damage ALL players outside of Tokyo with each claw die result, while a monster outside of Tokyo will use claws to attack the monster(s) in Tokyo. You gain points for moving into and beginning your turn in Tokyo, but you can’t heal while you’re there. A monster may only leave Tokyo after being damaged, with the attacking player taking their place.
Energy cubes can be spent to buy cards, three of which are showing at any time. Each card has a cost and shows its effect, which is either immediate (cards reading DISCARD) or ongoing (cards reading KEEP). You may also spend two energy to clear the current cards and see three new cards.
The game is fast paced with players often aiming for different goals as the game goes on. Perhaps you want energy early, or plan to go on the offensive. As claws are thrown around, some rounds will leave players desperately trying to roll hearts, while others may try to fly under the radar while rolling for points. With two victory conditions, every game will play differently.
Components
The first things you’ll notice when playing King of Tokyo are the six large, well detailed monster stand-ups. Made of thick cardboard and standing 3-4 inches tall, they really stand out. Each player also gets a matching, well illustrated monster board with two wheels that track stars and hearts.
The dice are oversized with green symbols printed on black. Energy is represented by small green translucent cubes that really fit well with the theme of the game. The deck of Power Up cards (66 total!) really bring the theme of the game together. They’re fun, with whimsical designs that are themselves entertaining to go through. There are some small round cardboard tokens that are used with some of the cards, and a small (8×8 inch) game board that serves as Tokyo.
While the board isn’t strictly needed (it exists to allow the monster(s) in Tokyo a place to stand), it’s a nice addition. I wonder if some of the space could have been used to give a turn summary, but after playing through one turn you’ll have things down anyway. I have heard some people have had trouble with the ink coming off of their dice. For what it’s worth, after dozens of plays with my copy I haven’t seen a problem. There is rumor that future editions will come with engraved dice.
The rulebook is mainly two pages of rules and one page of special information. You’ll be able to learn the game in 5 minutes, and it takes even less time to teach. The game is straightforward enough that you could teach it by talking through your first turn.
Who will enjoy this game?
Final Thoughts
King of Tokyo is the perfect filler-game game. It is easy to learn, easy to teach, and a great deal of fun. The game can last anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes.
The theme comes through in every part of the game. This is especially true with the cards, many of which remind me of the old arcade game Rampage. There are several ‘punny’ cards in the deck, such as Herbivore, and Urbavore. One card gives you an “Extra Head”, the “It Has a Child” card brings you back if you are eliminated. Each card is well designed and integrated with theme and mechanics.
It would be nice if the individual monsters had some sort of power that made them play differently, but balancing such a thing would likely be a nightmare; plus, this sounds like a perfect avenue for either expansions or player creativity, house rules anyone? Since writing this review the King of Tokyo: Power Up! expansion has been created. It adds evolution cards that flavor the goals of each monster.
Richard Garfield has taken a dice rolling game with cute monsters and layered in an enjoyable monster brawl. The game works for many different types of gamers, with an attractive look and ‘take-that’ gameplay. The 30-minute play time, easy to grasp rules, and fun theme make it one of the best games of 2011.
Author: Andy Warta
Editor: Renee Rose-Perry
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I really wanted to like this game. Like really wanted to like it. I mean, what’s not to like? Big monsters beating each other, big chunky dice to roll, designed by Richard Garfield (of Magic:The Gathering and Roborally fame), almost tailor made for good natured trash talk (which my gaming group ADORES!)
Maybe I raised my expectations too high, or maybe I just got off to a bad start.
I do not recommend playing this game with fewer than 4 people. My first few runs-through were with 2, which was great for learning the game. Which literally took all of 2 turns. The game play is simple and straight forward and the rule…(well, I won’t call it a book) pamphlet is well laid out. We thought it had good potential, but that with 2 players there wasn’t enought GAME there.
So we tried it a few times with 3 players. It was still over in about 5 minutes. Maybe we were rolling too quickly? Should we have added to the challenge by all wearing oven mitts? Nobody bought any power up cards, so we tried again and basically house ruled that you couldn’t win without using a card first. Sigh.
I finally played it with 4 players and it sort of clicked, but by then I’d kind of soured on it. It’s just over too quickly for my liking.
It’s a bit too light of game for me. I’d love to try it out with 6 players (and I hear that the expansion makes it a lot more fun) but it has been struck off of my “must buy” list.
King of Tokyo isn’t a bad game but it certainly isn’t incredible either.
It’s good.
Quick and simple with cards that can make it slightly different each time you play. Not to mention, the artwork is great.
So why aren’t I head over heels in love with it?
Notice how I wrote “slightly different”
Where this game falls short is the immersion. You really don’t have many decisions other than re-rolling dice and “Do you want to leave Tokyo?” It’s less of monster clash and more of a Yahtzee with ability cards.
How the game is played
On your turn you roll six dice. You then have two turns to re-roll whichever dice you choose. The possibilities you get from those dice are:
Health, Energy Cube, or Deal damage.
After every turn where the current king is damaged that player may choose to leave Tokyo and then the current player for that turn must take their place.
You can use energy cubes to purchase abilities and items but like I mentioned before you don’t always feel like your swinging a spiked tail so much as you have a card that influences the play of the game.
Conclusion
It’s definitely worth trying out (specially if you like Quarriors) but I wouldn’t say that it’s for everyone.
This is a great game to try with people who aren’t board gamers. Wife and I played with my Parents, Brother and Sister in law at a recent family gathering. My Dad has never enjoyed board games and was extremely reluctant to play at first, but as soon as we finished our first game, he wanted to start another game! Amazing!
This game is easy to teach, and the cards lend a lot to the re-playability of this game. You never know what crazy card will come up that completely changes your strategy.
The only complaint that I have is that some strategies are a lot stronger than others. Specifically, the ability to roll 3 numbers to get that number of VP. My sister in law relies on this strategy every time, never trying to enter Tokyo if she can avoid it, and I think has been unbeaten in every game that we’ve played with her.
But you know, I just love the theme and the gameplay so much that I don’t mind losing!
To great in a Little box.
This kind of games gives you a lot of fun with a little components, the estrategy it´s easy and the lucky factor is balanced, also the flavor is fun and you will get a good time with your friends.
Even for an experienced gamer the posibility of combos make this game interesting for them.
So, is a great game for everybody and any kind of gamers could get involve, it has all in one, estrategy, party game, fast, simple, lucky, etc.
To start things off we are taking a look at King of Tokyo, the quick thinking dice game that has risen in popularity around the house. The game is easy enough for the younger members with enough complexity and decision making to keep the adults having fun.
In the game 2-6 players take control of a giant monster in an attempt to destroy the city of Tokyo and be the first to collect 20 victory points or be the last one left alive and be crowned King of the rubble. To do this each player rolls a set of 6 dice and attempts to get a desired combination of Victory Points, health, energy, or attacks on other players.
During play players collect energy tokens by through the dice which they can save up to buy cards granting them special abilities, bonus points, extra dice, etc. This adds an extra element to the game taking it from a basic dice rolling smash-fest and adding a little extra depth and theme. The game is well loved by everyone in the house and hits the table often.
And now the thoughts from our very own review team Wynken and Blynken:
Blynken’s Thoughts:
I like how I get to attack Wynken and not get in trouble and using my special cards to give me an advantage in the game. I enjoy this game a lot its “the best game ever” and I want to play it all the time. The different ways to win make the game more fun because I can still win even if I don’t have many points.
Wynken’s Thoughts:
I liked collecting the energy to buy cards which gave me more options and that it played up to 6 players. I enjoyed getting the chance to attack other players (ie: daddy) and would play this game again
King of Tokyo is easy to learn and doesn’t take very long to get the hang of it. With all the various power up cards use during game play, every time you play it the best strategy to win changes.
While this game (because it uses dice) has a bit of luck involved, there are small areas in which the game involves skill.
Sometimes the best strategy is to simply avoid dying and try to outlast the rest of the players, other times its winning because you earned enough points. Also, these strategies can flip/flop throughout the short game. Players who are able to adapt to the charne strategy during the game tend to win more often than others.
King of Tokyo might not be the best game for the hard core strategy gamer, but there is still a little something there for them. The only thing I wish was better where the Monster Playing Pieces. They are just cardboard in a plastic stand. An actual figure, not unlike those in D&D, would add to the fun.
There are plenty of reviews that walk you through game play and describe the contents of the game, so I’m not going to go there. Let’s just talk about what’s most important with a game: fun and replayability.
With King of Tokyo you have the ultimate party game. One that’s easy to teach, plays quickly, and gets people interacting with each other. Playing 1950s-esque monsters out to become the uber-creature to end all uber-creatures by either being the last one to survive or reaching 20 points first, this game elicits laughter and trash-talking in a way few games do. Dealing damage to the player who’s in Tokyo is fun, especially knowing the player can’t heal themselves while in the city. But what’s even more fun and gets the other players blood boiling (in a good way) is when you attack from Tokyo and every other player takes damage. You have six players, five of whom are outside of Tokyo, all five will take damage. Ah…the groans that elicits!!!
Then there’s the dice. Everyone loves rolling dice. Here, you have big ol’ honkin’ dice that feel hefty and make a wonderful noise which gives great satisfaction when rolled.
This is a game where everyone, young and old, can gather ’round the table and have a great time. I have never pulled this game out and only played one time; players want to play it over and over to try different strategies.
This is a must-have for any and all gaming collections. I just wish an creature like Mothra was in there somewhere. Maybe in an expansion.
I loved the theme, Monster King-of-the-Hill slugfest. It was fast and easy to learn, and surprisingly tactical. Going into the city to compete for the easy Victory points is asking for some serious damage from every other player. I don’t care for player elimination games, especially with a light fun game like this. It is begging to be played with kids, despite the component problems.
The Upgrade monster powers were the highlight of the game. There is almost no way to go through the deck in a single game, so each game will definitely see new content. I do wish the monsters has some starting differences, as it is easy to fall behind in energy buildup, never get an upgrade, and then a quick road to elimination.
Components: The art on the monsters and upgrade cards was great, but the over-sized dice, while keeping with the giant monster theme, are terrible especially for small hands. I think this will keep this game from being an great family “gateway” game. Also some of the monster stands don’t fit the cardboard monsters. The monsters are pretty sturdy, but I’d sleeve the cards pretty quickly.
If you’re looking for a great, thematic game that almost any group can play, enjoy and have a hilarious time with, then King of Tokyo fits the bill.
The dice-chucking gameplay is great. It’s far more than just Godzilla-themed Yahtzee though; there’s a clever risk/reward mechanic and the cards add some modulation of the simple rule/scoring.
It’s a competitive game, but a funny one; the fact that the players all assume the guide of a silly B-movie monster means it’s all in good fun, and the random nature of the dice fits the chaotic vision of monsters knocking lumps out of each other in a city.
This was the game my 8-year-old son decided he wanted to play to welcome in 2015 on New Year’s Eve, and it has become a well-loved member of the family.
Top notch fun for everyone.
I bought this game so that I could play it with my two sons (4 and 6), and was not disappointed by what we got.
Although my four year old needs a lot of guidance he still loves to roll the dice and create monster mayhem! On the other hand my six year old takes the game very serious and loves to upgrade his monster and take it to me. It never gets old.
This game has easy to understand rules, is quick to set up, and games normally take 15-20 minutes which is perfect for us.
If you don’t have this game and you have kids between 5-10 this is a must for your game shelves.
I love the aspect of this game, but to me feels like they tried to add to much to a simple game. You essentially get 3 rolls a turn to determine damage, healing, attack and energy (currency).
When you are not in the city and attack you damage the person inside the city, they then make a decision to stay or get out. If they leave then you take their place where as if they stay they get bonus victory points on their turn.
The game can be over rather quickly so the level up aspect of the game seems to keep people playing it safe for no reason just to get powers and abilities they will never use. I’ve literally seen multiple people avoid giving damage for multiple turns to buy cars they never use… IN MULTIPLE GAMES.
I’ve even seen this game played at some local game nights and have seen the same useless strategy used over and over by players outside my regular group.
The quality of components and theme are excellent yet this game bores the heck out of me personally. I have literally fallen asleep at the table trying to play this game multiple times.
I would personally recommend getting bang! The dice game over this, it’s cheaper, faster to play and a lot less gimmicky when it comes to useless rules . I’m aware of the popularity but this is one trian I can’t get on.
I’ve played this game with every possible number of players, and each time, it’s been a blast to play. It’s very simple, takes less than a minute to explain, and typically plays in under 30 minutes. The game is deeper than you would originally think because of the cards. Some of the cards work together to make some very exciting combinations, that can power your monster up and make you nigh unbeatable. However, the size of the deck, and the fact that you rarely churn through more than about 10-12 cards in a single play keeps you from doing so repeatedly. It’s just about the perfect balance of luck and strategy for a quick game. This is probably not a game you will pull out and play for an entire night, but it’s a great filler game that everyone will enjoy, win or lose.
Giant overly stereotypical cartoon monsters on cardboard – check.
Crazy random powers through constantly rotating cards (with great artwork and one liners) – check
Fast pace game that can be played in a large group very quickly? – check
Guaranteed trash talking while Godzilla knocks out King Kong? – check
I game with the wife, some avid gamers, and some casual gamers. Every time I introduce this game, everyone loves it. It’s a constant pull out for everyone to play within my group, and always suggested to play if we have a few minutes. The production value is great. It’s wide open for more expansions with new monsters, possible new rules, and new cards for powers. This game plays great as a quick 2 player game, and just as well (if not better) with more players. If I had any criticism at all about this game, it would be that it’s easy to gang up on someone and “take them out”. Once you’re out early, it’s sitting until the end of the game (which could be 15 minutes later). Other than that, if you’re looking for a game that mixes dice rolling (Yahtzee style), magic the gather (the power cards), and some good luck mechanics, you should pick this one up immediately.
Object of the game is to get to 20 points. You can get points depending on the dice you roll. No, this is not a yahtzee rip off. Well…Not completely.
This game is a blast. I like to play it with my wife and two young boys (ages 6 and 3) and they completely get it.
My youngest likes to try to kill everyone, while my oldest like to collect the cards and hoard energy. Surprisingly both of these strategies will work.
Don’t let this fool you. This game is also fun with adults. Average game play for us is about 25 minutes. Explaining the rules only takes about 5 minutes, but some of the cards get confusing to new players.
This game is great. I would rate it 8/10 only because if you play with the same group (like many do) it gets predictable.
I got this game as soon it got out on the stores since I liked the theme and I appreciate the designer. When I first read the rules of I was a bit disappointed and thought to myself that I had just bought another mediocre filler game, although the components were great. I reluctantly got the game on the table, on a gaming night with my friends and I explained the rules (enthusiastically-trying to set a good mood) telling my friends that the game is too simple but with a lot of fun, even though I didn’t think so (bad example, not gonna do it ever again). My impression of the game changed radically only after the first round, I was having a great time, I was rolling and rerolling the dice hoping to get a lot of 3 or paws (although the paws are the best when you want to smack others in their faces and win by outliving them!) and my friends had a great tim too. After playing the game a lot, I know think that it’s probably the best filler game I have. I can teach it easily to anyone and they enjoy the game just as I do after I’ve played 30 times, so it’s one of my games that hits the table quite often without getting repetitive or boring. In my opinion it’s a game that everyone must get, especially if they play with non gamers.
I bought King of Tokyo upon the recommendation of a games store staff. I was looking for a game that would be easy to learn with high replay value. King of Tokyo is extremely easy to learn for sure. It isn’t a game for 2 players as we would simply take turns being in Tokyo and eventually killing each other without needing any cards. I can say the same for a 4 player game – it is much easier to roll the dice to kill than to save energy and buy cards. The cards have so much potential. I wish they can be utilized more, but with the official setup we barely manage to get 2-3 cards per player. Perhaps alternate rules can be used to make better use of the cards, e.g. players automatically receive 2 energy cubes on their turn and lower the card swap cost to 1 cube.
Why I bought it
After spending way too much money on board games in a short while I found I bought a bunch of games I wasn’t that fond of. This in turn made me do more research on every game before I bought them. Well King of Tokyo was one of the first games I saw while trying to find a new game and at first glance I was hooked right in. I knew from right then that I had to have the game.
What is it?
King of Tokyo at its core is Yahtzee… on steroids. You have five dice up to three times in order to get the dice roll you need. Like Yahtzee there are a 1, 2, and 3 on the dice, but that is where the similarity’s stop. These dice have a fist for attacking a heart for healing and a lightning bolt for energy. You are a monster that has ten health and you either need to gain 20 VP to win or to be the last monster standing. You can also use your energy to buy supporting power cards that put a nice twist on the game.
Pros
Super Quick learning curve
Quick game play with very little down time
Custom dice… I really like custom dice
Most components are top notch and pleasing to the eye/touch
Cons
Player elimination sometimes happens a little too early
(See my tip for the game to fix this)
The actually monsters are a little bit of a letdown, minis or something 3D would have been way better
Was it worth it?
Currently the MSRP is $39.99 and yes, it is worth every penny.
The replay value of this game is huge, I have shown it to multiple groups of friends and they all want to keep coming back to it. It is super quick and really easy to teach others to play.
I believe that there is room on any gamer’s shelf for this as it is ranges from good up to great for all gaming group types.
Family Gamer {Good}
I’ve played this with my nephew at the age of 5 and although he didn’t understand all the game he loved playing as a partner to someone and helping with the dice.
Social Gamer {Good}
If you are with a social group this is very easily a social game. Maybe not the first time play through but after that for sure
Strategy Gamer {Good}
This game isn’t known for strategy and has a large luck factor to it. However I was recently playing a five player game where two people were eliminated and the game remained close as we developed strategies to stop the others while preparing ourselves for victory.
Casual Gamer {Great}
This is the best game I know the casual gamer. The can learn it and know what’s happening by the end of their first turn, and the game isn’t too long that they will be overwhelmed.
Avid Gamer {Great}
The avid gamer can see the game for all it’s worth and enjoy it, knowing they can play it with anyone and still enjoy their time.
Power Gamer {Good}
Power Gamers may not be in love with this game but can still enjoy a quick round of it on their gaming night to get everyone warmed up.
When new players show up to game night, this is the game that I frequently suggest to start with. It has fun colorful characters, a simple plot that is easy to follow, but is engaging enough to interest new players. Strategy options are limited (kill monsters or earn points) and are not so complex that they intimidate or overwhelm new players.
For more seasoned game players, this is a short and entertaining way to fill time and convince new players to try more complex games. While fun, it really isn’t the type of game for two people so recommend for at least 3 but preferably more. Also, it is important to have a good mix of players personality wise, if you have a group of all careful no risk players it won’t be as much fun. With at least one or two high risk high reward players in the game though, you’ll find it quite a bit more lively. When you add expansions in, it changes to an even more engaging game. The games run longer and involve more strategy which help in the replayability of the game.
Its monsters destroying the city or each other. Enough said. 😉
For more info about expansions, check out my other reviews.
In my country (Indonesia), boardgaming is something that not every people knows. So, to convince and attract people i needed Boardgame that easy to play, and can played by more than 4 players. And King of Tokyo is my best answer. The theme is right on time, people talk alot about jagger and kaijuu at that time (because impact of Pasific Rim, well, I bought this wonderfull game after i watched that movie).
So when I introduce this game to my friends, they’re so excited and ask me where did i get this game. A lot of Indoensian people doesn’t have knowledge that there was a thousands boardgame out there (only monopoly that was populer, here)
The Rule is simple, so common people can easily understand.
The Winner is choosen by the first who get 20 victory point or the one who still alive as the last monster.
The customed dice is awsome, indonesian people only know if dice only contain a number from 1-6, but here we have claw, heart, energy in the side of dice. The other components is also nice, 6 monster figures. My Friends often called it as Kaijuu (Pasific Rim euforia -,-)
Each player must struggle between each other to determine who is the toughest and strongest to claim the title of King of Tokyo
King of Tokyo currently is my favorite game to play with my five-year-old son. He immensely enjoys the theme and has the dice mechanic down pat.
The randomly drawn cards add a tactical level to make it interesting to me, so that I look forward to every new game we play.
King of Tokyo is a perfect father-son game and I don’t see it ending anytime soon. I still need to win, btw – my kids (8d, 5s) for some reason always end up killing my monster before I can succeed :D.