King of Tokyo

2011

Unleash your inner monster in King of Tokyo! Roll dice, attack rivals, amass victory points, and strategically use special cards to reign supreme.

30
minutes

2 - 6
player(s)

Medium Light

About the game

King of Tokyo is a thrilling, fast-paced board game that catapults you into a world where monsters, robots, and aliens fight for supremacy over the city of Tokyo. Created by renowned game designer Richard Garfield, the man behind Magic: The Gathering, it combines strategy, luck, and thrilling action in a unique and engaging gameplay experience.

In King of Tokyo, you step into the shoes (or claws) of one of these giant creatures, each with its own unique design and abilities. The setting is a vibrant and colorful Tokyo city, which serves as the battleground for your epic confrontations. The city is represented by the central board, a place all players seek to control.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

King of Tokyo is a thrilling board game that puts you in the shoes of a monstrous creature, battling it out against other monsters for control of Tokyo. The game includes a variety of components, each of which plays a crucial role in the gameplay. Below is a detailed list of the game components:

1. Game Board

The game board is a small, simple board that represents Tokyo City and Tokyo Bay (in a 5-6 player game). During the game, monsters will move in and out of these spaces based on the dice rolls and the decisions made by the players.

2. Monster Boards

Each player receives a Monster Board, which is used to track the current Health and Victory Points of their monster. The Monster Boards do not have any direct effect on the gameplay, but they provide an easy way for players to keep track of their current status.

3. Monster Figures

There are six different Monster Figures included in the game. Each player will select one of these figures to represent their monster on the game board. These figures are moved into and out of Tokyo City and Tokyo Bay based on the dice rolls and the decisions made by the players.

4. Energy Cubes

Energy Cubes are the currency in the game. These are collected by players when they roll at least one Energy result on the dice. Energy Cubes can be spent to buy Power Cards, which provide various benefits and abilities.

5. Dice

The game includes six black dice and two green dice. Players roll these dice to determine the actions they can take during their turn. The dice can result in various outcomes such as gaining Energy, restoring Health, attacking other players, or earning Victory Points.

6. Power Cards

Power Cards provide special abilities to the monsters. Players can purchase these cards by spending their Energy Cubes. Once purchased, a Power Card is placed next to a player’s Monster Board and can be used as described on the card. The abilities provided by Power Cards can significantly impact the game, providing benefits such as extra dice, additional health, and more.

7. Tokens

Various tokens are included in the game to track different effects. This includes Smokescreen tokens, Mimic tokens, and Shrink tokens. These tokens are used in conjunction with certain Power Cards and are placed on a player’s Monster Board when the related Power Card is used.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

King of Tokyo is a fun-filled and exciting board game designed for 2-6 players. The game revolves around a fierce battle among monstrous creatures in the city of Tokyo. The first player to achieve 20 victory points or the last monster standing wins the game. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Unfold the Game Board

The first step in setting up King of Tokyo is to unfold the game board and place it in the center of the playing area where all players can easily access it. The game board represents the city of Tokyo and features two spots: Tokyo City and Tokyo Bay (for 5-6 players).

Step 2: Prepare the Monster Packs

Each player chooses a monster and takes the corresponding Monster Board and Monster Figure. On the Monster Board, the Life Points marker is set to 10 (maximum life points), and the Victory Points marker is set to 0 (indicating no victory points gained yet).

Step 3: Shuffle the Cards

Shuffle the deck of Power Cards and place it face down near the game board. Draw the top three cards from the deck and place them face up next to the deck. These cards represent the powers that can be purchased during the game.

Step 4: Prepare the Energy Tokens

Place all the Energy Tokens in a pile within reach of all players. These tokens will be used by players to purchase Power Cards during the game.

Step 5: Prepare the Dice

Place the six black dice and the two green dice (used only with some Power Cards) near the game board.

Step 6: Determine the First Player

To determine the first player, each player rolls all six black dice. The player with the most Attack (represented by the claw symbol) goes first. In case of a tie, the tied players re-roll until a first player is determined. This player will begin the game by throwing the dice for the first time.

Step 7: Placement of Monsters

At the start of the game, players’ Monsters are not in Tokyo. They will enter the city during the game through dice rolls.

Once setup is complete, players take turns rolling dice and making strategic decisions to either gain Victory Points, recover Life Points, attack other players, or gain Energy Tokens. The game ends when one player reaches 20 Victory Points or only one monster remains standing.

Game flow Round and round we go

In King of Tokyo, players take on the roles of giant monsters aiming to become the one and only King of Tokyo. The game is played in turns and involves dice rolling, strategy, and a touch of luck. Here is a detailed explanation of the game’s structure and phases.

Setup Phase:

The game begins by setting up the game board, which represents Tokyo City and Tokyo Bay. The deck of cards is shuffled and three are drawn and placed face up next to the board. Each player chooses a monster, places its figure outside of Tokyo, and sets their scoring board to 0 Victory Points and 10 Health Points.

On a Player’s Turn:

During a player’s turn, they perform the following actions in order:

Roll Dice: The active player rolls six dice. The results can yield Energy, Health, Victory Points, or Attacks.
Resolve Dice: After up to three rolls (with the option to keep some dice between rolls), the player resolves the results of the dice. Energy is collected as Energy cubes, Health is added unless the player is in Tokyo, Victory Points are added to the player’s score, and Attacks affect other monsters.
Buying Cards: If the player has enough Energy cubes, they can purchase one of the face-up cards or discard them all and draw three new cards.

Entering Tokyo:

If Tokyo is unoccupied at the end of a player’s turn, that player must move their monster into Tokyo. Players in Tokyo cannot heal and must take all damage dealt by players outside of Tokyo, but they deal damage to all players outside of Tokyo and earn Victory Points over time.

Yielding Tokyo:

If a player in Tokyo is attacked, they may choose to yield to the attacker, who must then enter Tokyo. A player cannot yield Tokyo if they were not attacked.

Winning the Game:

The game ends when a player reaches 20 Victory Points or if all other players’ Health Points reach 0. The last monster standing or the first to reach 20 Victory Points is declared the King of Tokyo.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

‘King of Tokyo’ is a strategic, dice-based board game where players take on the role of giant monsters battling for control of Tokyo. Each player’s turn consists of several possible actions, which can have various impacts on the game’s progression.

1. Rolling the Dice:

Rolling Dice: At the start of your turn, you roll six dice. The dice faces include attack, energy, heal, and three different levels of victory points.
Re-rolling Dice: After the initial roll, you can choose to re-roll any or all of your dice up to two more times. This allows you to aim for specific results to match your strategy.

2. Resolving the Dice:

Attack: If you roll an attack, you deal damage to monsters in a location different from yours. If you’re in Tokyo, you attack all monsters outside. If you’re outside, you attack the monster in Tokyo.
Energy: Energy cubes can be gained by rolling energy results. These cubes can be saved up and used to buy power cards, which provide various benefits.
Heal: Heal results allow you to regain lost health points, but healing is not possible while in Tokyo.
Victory Points: Depending on the roll, you can gain victory points. Rolling a triple of 1’s or 2’s grants you that many points. Rolling a triple of 3’s grants three points, and each additional 3 grants an extra point.

3. Buying Power Cards:

Purchasing Cards: After resolving your dice, you can use energy cubes to buy power cards. These cards provide various benefits, ranging from extra abilities to instant victory points.
Refreshing the Market: You can pay two energy cubes to discard the three face-up power cards and draw three new ones. This gives you more choices if the current cards do not fit your strategy.

4. Entering or Leaving Tokyo:

Entering Tokyo: If Tokyo is empty at the end of your turn, you must enter it. While in Tokyo, you can attack all monsters outside, but all monsters outside can attack you. You also gain victory points for entering and starting your turn in Tokyo.
Leaving Tokyo: If you’re in Tokyo and take damage, you can choose to leave. The monster that attacked you then must enter Tokyo.

Understanding these steps and strategic choices is key to mastering ‘King of Tokyo’. Balancing the need to attack, defend, heal, and accumulate victory points is crucial to winning the game.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘King of Tokyo’ ends when a player has either accumulated 20 victory points or is the last monster standing after all other players have been eliminated.

Victory Conditions:

20 Victory Points: A player earns victory points through dice rolls, card effects, or by starting their turn in Tokyo. If a player reaches 20 victory points during their turn, they immediately win the game.
Last Monster Standing: Each monster begins the game with 10 health points. When a player’s points are reduced to zero, they are eliminated from the game. The game continues until only one player remains, at which point that player is declared the winner.

Before final scoring, players should ensure they have taken the following actions:

Resolve all Dice Rolls: Ensure that all dice rolls for the current player’s turn have been resolved. This includes any rerolls and the application of effects from the dice (such as gaining health, victory points, or energy).
Apply Card Effects: Make sure all effects from cards in play have been accounted for. This may include gaining or losing victory points, health, or energy, among other effects.
Yield Tokyo: If a player in Tokyo has been eliminated or has chosen to yield their place due to damage, the attacking player must take their place in Tokyo before the game can end.

Note that the game can end mid-turn if a player reaches 20 victory points or eliminates the last other player. In such cases, the game ends immediately, without finishing the current player’s turn.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

‘King of Tokyo’ is a vibrant and exciting board game where players take on the roles of giant monsters, aliens, and robots, battling it out to become the ultimate King of Tokyo. The game is won by either being the first to accrue 20 victory points or by being the last monster standing. Here is a detailed breakdown of how the scoring system works:

Victory Points:

Rolling Numbers: If a player rolls three-of-a-kind of numbers 1, 2, or 3, they score that many victory points. For example, rolling three 2s will give the player 2 points. Each additional number beyond the three-of-a-kind also counts as an extra point. So, rolling four 2s would give the player 3 points.
Card Effects: Some cards, once purchased with energy cubes, can give a player victory points. The amount of points given varies and is specified on the card.

Energy Cubes:

Players can also collect energy cubes by rolling the ‘Energy’ result on the dice. These are not directly linked to scoring, but they allow players to buy power cards which can provide victory points or other advantages.

Health Points:

Health points do not contribute to the victory point score but losing all health points will eliminate a player from the game. The last monster standing automatically wins, regardless of victory points.

Now, what happens if there is a tie? The game has a specific rule to handle this:

Tie-Breaking Rules:

If players tie on victory points when one player reaches 20 points, the game continues until a player finishes their turn with more points than any other player.
If all players are eliminated at the same time, leaving no one alive, then the player with the most victory points wins. If there is still a tie in this scenario, the player with the most health points is declared the winner. If there is still a deadlock, the player who rolled the most attack results in their final roll wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

King of Tokyo is a board game that is simple to learn but has some special rules and exceptions to note.

Energy Cubes and Buying Cards: Energy cubes are collected when a player rolls at least one energy result. When buying a card, if a card is purchased, it is immediately replaced by another card from the deck. If a player cannot afford a card, they may not buy it.

Discarding Cards: A player may discard a card at any time, even if it is not their turn. However, the effects of the discarded card will no longer apply. The player does not receive any refund for the discarded card.
Healing in Tokyo: When in Tokyo (either Tokyo City or Tokyo Bay), a monster cannot heal. The only exception is if that monster has a special card that allows it.

Entering and Leaving Tokyo: When a player enters Tokyo, they immediately gain 1 victory point. If they start their turn in Tokyo, they gain 2 victory points. However, a player in Tokyo must leave if they lose any amount of life, unless they are the only player left in the game.

Yield Tokyo: If a player in Tokyo is attacked, they may choose to yield Tokyo to the attacker. If they do, they leave Tokyo, and the attacker must enter Tokyo. This does not count as the attacker’s move into Tokyo for gaining victory points.
Multiple Players: In a game with 5-6 players, there are two Tokyo spaces: Tokyo City and Tokyo Bay. The first player to enter Tokyo goes to Tokyo City. The second player goes to Tokyo Bay. When one player leaves Tokyo, the other does not move to fill the vacated space.

Winning the Game: A player wins the game either by being the first to reach 20 victory points or by being the last monster standing. If a player reaches 20 victory points and is knocked out on the same turn, the last monster standing rule takes precedence.

Death: If a player’s life points reach zero, they are immediately out of the game. Any cards they had are discarded.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

King of Tokyo is a thrilling board game that requires strategic thinking and planning. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Balance your priorities: Aim for a balanced approach between gaining points, healing, and attacking. Neglecting any one aspect can leave you vulnerable.
Use power cards wisely: Power cards can significantly change the game’s dynamics. Be thoughtful about when and how to use them.
Master the art of retreat: Knowing when to withdraw from Tokyo can be just as important as knowing when to seize control. Don’t let pride keep you in Tokyo when it’s not in your best interest.

Beginner Tips:

Understand the rules thoroughly: Before you start playing, make sure you understand the game rules. This will help you make strategic decisions during gameplay.
Focus on energy early in the game: Energy is used to buy power cards, which can give you a significant advantage. Aim to gather energy early in the game.
Don’t ignore points: Remember, points win games. Even if you’re focusing on other strategies, don’t forget to accumulate points as well.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring power cards: Some beginners neglect power cards. These cards can be a game-changer, so don’t overlook them.
Staying in Tokyo too long: While being in Tokyo gives you points, it also makes you a target. Know when to leave to avoid unnecessary damage.
Not balancing strategies: Focusing too much on one strategy can leave you vulnerable in other areas. Try to maintain a balanced approach.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Keep an eye on your opponents: Pay attention to the strategies your opponents are using and adjust your game plan accordingly.
Use power cards strategically: Rather than using power cards as soon as you get them, consider the best time to use them to maximize their impact.
Know the dice: Understanding the probabilities of the dice can help you make informed decisions about when to reroll.