King of Tokyo: Power Up!
With King of Tokyo: Power Up! – an expansion for the King of Tokyo base game – after choosing a monster, each player takes the eight Evolution cards associated with that monster, shuffles those cards, and creates a personal deck. At the end of a player's turn, if she has three hearts, she draws one Evolution card and adds it to her hand; this is possible even in Tokyo (when hearts are normally useless) and even if the hearts are used for some other action, such as healing.
A player can reveal and play an Evolution card at any time. Some Evolutions are temporary, allowing a one-time bonus, while others are Permanent, such as Gigazaur's "Tail Sweep", which allows him to change one die to a 1 or 2 each turn. Each Evolution card also identifies whether a monster is a Mutant, Invader or Robot, and while not relevant for Power Up!, this species identification could come into play in future expansions.
The rules for King of Tokyo: Power Up! contain a few variants: Players start with a random Evolution in play, or draw two cards and choose the one they want, or draft a set of Evolutions prior to the start of play. However you play, the goal of the game remains the same: Score 20 points or be the last monster standing amid the rubble of what was once Tokyo.
User Reviews (11)
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Overview
King of Tokyo: Power Up! Is the first expansion for King of Tokyo. This is not a standalone game, and requires the base set to play. Power Up adds one more monster to the game, and special “Evolution” cards that make each monster unique.
Setup & Play Time
Power Up! adds a minor amount of time to set up for the basic rules of the expansion and for the first two variants. The Evolution Draft variant adds about 3-5 minutes for players that know the cards, depending on the group.
Components
1 Rule booklet
56 Evolution cards (8 for each monster)
7 Counters
1 Pandakai Monster Board
1 Pandakai standee
Instructions / Learning Curve
If you already know how to play the base game you can play this expansion. There are new elements so you will still need to read the rule book but the base game mechanics are the same.
Game Play
The introduction of the Evolution cards takes the game from all characters being the same to each character having its own list of special abilities that are unique to them. This makes the choice of monster in the beginning of the game matter, making each character less cookie cutter.
In the base rules you don’t start with any Evolutions cards in your hand, but can draw one if you have three hearts at the end of your turn, no matter where your character is. In variant one, Active Evolution, you start with one random Evolution in play, and then follow the base rules. In variant two, Controlled Evolution, you follow the base rules except you draw two evolution cards and pick one, returning the other to the bottom of your draw deck. In variant 3, Evolution Draft, each character picks there monster and gets there evolution cards that are mixed into a pile then each character is randomly dealt 8 cards. Each player picks one cards and passes to the next player till all players have 8 cards. These are then shuffled and placed in front of the player as there draw deck.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoy this expansion. Variable player powers is one of my favorite game mechanics, and the added unique flavor to each monster really adds to the game. The evolution cards give you a reason to try to get that third heart and make the decisions more interesting.
Variant One, Active Evolution : Starting with one random evolution cards make the monsters different from this start. This is my second favorite way to play.
Variant Two, Controlled Evolution : Drawing tow cards and choosing one gives your more control over your monster. This is my favorite way to play.
Variant three, Evolution Draft: Drafting adds time to the game and can make one monster much more powerful than the others, in my experience. This does add verity and some interesting combinations to the game. This is my least favorite way to play.
I consider this a “must buy expansion” for people who, like me, like variable player powers, and a great addition to the game for everyone else.
I’ve always found expansions to be a mixed bag. The usual are more of the same – more cards, more pieces etc etc. Then occasionally an extension throws something more into a game, something that makes the game better – but not unwieldy. Power up does just that.
Firstly in your lovely small box – oh its so small and cute, you’ll find a panda wielding a staff, nothing to do with King-Fu panda of course, any similarity is purely coincidental. So we have a new monster and monster counter – a good start, more of the same.
Then there’s the extra. A new deck of cards – evolution cards. Each character has their own set of cards and monsters have been given a new category, in the rules that come with there’s teasing mention of more expansions, more monsters – oh these designers are foul tempters of a man’s gaming habit.
Anyway a player picks one of their evolution cards when they roll three hearts (in or out of Tokyo) and take the relevant health to boot. These cards work like the cards in the main game giving you abilities of various types, some constant, some one shot etc.
And that’s it, suddenly everyone’s character has a more substantial difference and can do more stuff. And what more could you want? More of the same you say? – there’s more of that coming too…..
In my opinion, the value of an expansion comes down to one very important question: do I have more fun playing with the expansion than when I don’t? In the case of King of Tokyo, I think the base game is greatly improved by this Power Up! expansion, and the fun factor goes down when not playing with it.
The primary reason? The Evolution cards included in Power Up! add a level of unique variability to the monsters that is absent from the base game. In the base game, all monsters function in the exact same way. Yes, you may purchase cards that add different effects, but all monsters inherently play the same way, with no unique abilities or strengths. The expansion changes that, making playing each monster a different experience. Choosing a monster is no longer an arbitrary decision. Players in my group already have favorite monsters now based on powers they like using, and that was definitely missing from the base game.
Plus, Pandakai is a fun addition to the selection of monsters!
I’ve often seen the advice that, when teaching new players how to play, it’s better to start with the base game and add the expansion later when players are more comfortable with the gameplay. I’ve personally found, however, that new players can easily grasp the benefits of the Evolution cards and the expansion has greatly enhanced game sessions with new players. They love that their monsters have unique powers and it draws new players into the game.
I can’t fathom ever playing without Power Up!, and that’s the mark of a really great expansion.
I recently got this expansion to the original King of Tokyo and here what I have seen from its game play so far.
New Stuff:
1 new character, a giant Samurai Panda (visible on the cover art) and a plastic stand for the hard cardboard cut out of the character.
8 new Evolution cards for all seven character (Panda included).
A some new token, which a few of the Evolution cards reference.
Game Play:
With the addition of the Evolution card the game seems to last a little longer as players are now given extra incentive to attempt to roll hearts instead of Claws. With that said once the game does begin to swing towards destruction it fly’s by as a lot of the Evolution cards can add damage.
Evolution Cards: (first impression)
All characters are grouped into 3 groups; Monsters, Aliens and Robots. Robots Evolution cards seem to deal more with lighting bolts/power. Monsters Evolution cards tend to deal with damage/claws. Alien Evolution cards tend to deal with hearts/health. These are only general themes as each character is different. Gigasaur (a Monster) for example deals mostly with making other players lose points.
FYI: Mecha-Dragon does a lot of damage. I mean a lot! Do not let him get up and running or he can do a lot of damage. With the perfect roll (i.e. all Claws) it is possible for him to do 9 damage, and this is before you include any standard cards.
I’ll be 100% honest about King of Tokyo Power Up. While it does change up the game in a way that whichever character you play will have its own set of advantages of disadvantages, the core game itself is still the same. It is not “pretty much” the same, it IS the same.
And that is a good thing. I like King of Tokyo a lot as a base game. I think that the gameplay, the mechanics and the simplicity of it is near perfect. And I wouldn’t wanna change the game that much if at all. But this is something that I felt was necessary because instead of choosing a character that just looks cool, you are now choosing a character because it can possibly be stronger than the other based on its evolution cards.
And because of these evolution cards, your strategy will be changed a little bit. It will help you define your strategy because of what you end up with as your evolution card.
But make no mistake about it, if you play with Power Up or without Power Up, you will be getting the same value as the base game. In fact, the probability of even using up that many evolution cards before the game ends is actually not as high as you think. It will be a pretty long game if you actually end up having that many evolution cards considering King of Tokyo is not meant to be that long of a game to begin with.
It’s a party game and therefore the addition of this expansion does not change or redefine what the game and that is a good thing. Adding this expansion will be dependent on my mood. If I want just straight up brawling, I will play the base game. If I want a tiny bit more thought in deciding which dice I should keep, I’ll add the expansion.
But no matter what, King of Tokyo still rocks without Power Up. Get it, if you wanna add that extra edge but it is not that necessary.
I bought this at the same time I bought King of Tokyo, but I left it in the box for the first dozen or so plays. I wanted to get a good understanding of the core game before playing the expansion. I am glad I did. King of Tokyo isn’t super complex but, knowing the game well before adding Power Up is a good idea.
Components:
Power Up includes not Kung Fu Panda as well as new Power Up cards. The cards themselves are character specific, giving certain abilities from the beginning of the game. When I first read the abilities I thought there would be a huge power shift, but after playing a few times, I see there is a real balance of power here.
The cards are a bit smaller than the cards that you buy in KoT, but still just as thin. I wish they were a bit more hearty.
A few more counters that continue to be sturdy and contain good art detail.
Rules Changes:
There are now Power Ups you begin with (either temporary or permanent) and you can buy Power Ups when you roll three hearts in Tokyo (hearts can now be useful in Tokyo!).
Overall:
I would definitely recommend this if you are a fan of KoT. It adds a decent element. It can be played from time to time to spice up the game.
A great expansion to an already fun game!
1)The panda is a fun new character to play
2) The addition of Evolution is AWESOME!
a)It ups the fun factor a bunch: everyone wants to evolve and discover new powers and cool effects.
b) It adds more depth to your character. Earlier, it was all basically cosmetic as to which monster you took. Now you see that one character is all about fighting, another likes getting energy etc.
c) It makes the gameplay more interesting: you can combo your powers and you need to watch out for your enemies’ powers
d)It adds more choice for the player: in one suggested rule variant, you get to partially pick which evolutions to get: this addsa another strategic layer to the game, and makes it feel less random.
Highly recommend it!
Intro
Power Up! is the first expansion to King of Tokyo, and if you are considering buying Power Up, then you already know what King of Tokyo is all about and you’re looking for a second helping.
What’s New?
The big change that comes with Power Up is the addition of evolution cards. Each monster gains a deck of 8 cards with abilities that are specific to that monster. Each time a player rolls 3 hearts, the player draws an evolution card. These cards can be single use or continuous.
A new monster, Pandakai, is included in this expansion. However, the maximum number of players, according to the rulebook, remains six.
Another addition, one that doesn’t effect gameplay at all, is that each monster is now classified as either an alien, mutant, or robot.
Verdict
The evolution cards make this expansion a great buy for King of Tokyo players. It gives each monster its own identity, something that really made an impact for me and my group. Pandakai simply adds another character for even more variety in the game. The monster classes serve no purpose right now, which leads me to believe they will play a part in an upcoming expansion, but until then, it just opens up the game for some house rules.
KoT:Power-Up brings to the table a new component and an additional character (A lovely Panda…who knows Kung-fu).
This new component is the Evolution Deck, which is a character-specific set of cards that give unique (but not OP) powers to each monster in our core game along with the new challenger.
The mechanic to obtain these cards is getting 3 hearts in your end roll, either if you are outside or inside of Tokyo.
This opens new possibilities to the monsters who are in control of Tokyo (e.g. The Kraken has an evolution card that lets him heal for 2 on that turn)
Evolution cards have the same categories as the cards in the Power deck; Keep and Discard, but in this case is Permanent and Temporal Evolution.
I would highly recommend getting this expansion so your 5-6 players game gets even more crazy.
This expansion is absolutely a critical part of King of Tokyo. In fact, recommend buying them together. Once you play it this way, you will not want to play the game without it again.
With Power Up!, each character gets its own personalized evolution cards. This actually differentiates the characters and gives them their own special abilities. For example, the Kraken becomes great at healing, the King gets even better when in Tokyo (of course!) and Cyber Bunny loves to get energy and therefore buy more cards. Make sure to read through all the evolution cards before choosing a character next time you play.
Have fun storming Tokyo!
The King of Tokyo Power Up! Expansion is a logical addition to the game, giving each monster their own special abilities. When I first played the King of Tokyo base game, I specifically felt as though this element was missing. The character specific powers make the game more interesting and improve replay value.
In this expansion, you also get a new monster: Pandakai. He’s adorable and powerful.
If you ask me, the Power Up! expansion is a necessary addition to King of Tokyo.