King of Tokyo review: "A blast for big and little monsters alike"

Board games are like books in that they often live or die by their cover, but King of Tokyo won't ever struggle in that regard. It's a splashy cartoon featuring some of the weirdest kaiju you've ever seen, and that's a good barometer for the experience inside. This is a wild – and thoroughly enjoyable – ride, particularly if you're playing with family or your kids.

Designed by industry legend Richard Garfield (the man behind some of the best board games, not to mention a few of the best card games), King of Tokyo is as close to a must-have as you can get.

King of Tokyo features & design

• Earn points from smashing Tokyo
• All about judging risk and reward
• A larger-than-life cartoon style

You'd hope that a game about a giant monster stomping across Japan's capital city would be straightforward, and fortunately enough, it is. Players must reach a total of 20 points to win, and they earn these by attacking the technological metropolis each turn. Although only one person can occupy Tokyo at a time, you'll get more points the longer you're able to stay there.

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Doing so isn't easy. Any kaiju smashing Tokyo is open to attack from their rivals, and they can't heal whilst in the city – they have to leave to recover from those wounds. In other words, you'll be playing a game of chicken with your monster's life.

Don't worry if you can't roll the results you want, though. You can add to your repertoire of moves with ability cards that are paid for via 'energy' – little green cubes that look as if they should be delicious.

Speaking of looks, this entire game is a beauty. A tongue-in-cheek cartoon art style helps it stand out, and it positively leaps off shelves as a result.

Gameplay

• A lot of fun to hurl handfuls of dice
• Fast-paced chaos
• Cards lead to swingy moments

Throwing fistfuls of dice across the table is always a good time, and King of Tokyo has you doing it a lot. Rolling dice and hoping for good results is a simple thrill that never gets old, and the game capitalizes on this to great effect. Allowing players to keep or reroll certain dice is a tense balancing act of risk and reward, for instance. That makes it a great introduction to strategy games if you're playing with your children, or an accessible entry-point to hobby gaming for those who haven't ventured beyond Monopoly.

King of Tokyo sprinkles a touch of danger into that core loop as well. Should you risk it all and stay in the city for as long as you dare, even though it puts you at much greater risk? Or should you sit on the sidelines and let your opponents bleed themselves dry before swooping in at the last possible second?

It's a lot to think about, but that doesn't bog down proceedings. Even with such a tightrope walk, King of Tokyo is simple to understand and easier to play. That helps when you're playing at the maximum player count, because battling with six people at once is chaotic (and wonderful as a result).

Power cards add a much-needed extra layer to proceedings. Although it's easy to forget about them in the heat of the moment, they can be a crucial means of moving the needle back in your favor. These usually do one of two things; boost your points score/health (sometimes with a knock-on effect as compensation), or provide a special ability. One card allows you to seize control of Tokyo, for instance, while another lets you attack all other monsters at once. These are a lot of fun to deploy and reference beloved kaiju movie tropes, but it's worth noting that they can be a bit swingy. As a case in point, some allow you to remove points from your rivals and there's no counter for it.

Still, this isn't enough to put a pin to your good time – nor will the fact that your best-laid plans can be scuppered by poor dice rolls. Luck plays a big part in this showdown, but hurling fistfuls of dice in quick succession is fun enough for you to get swept up in the moment.

Speaking of being swept up, this game moves fast. The balance of power can shift very quickly after a particularly devastating round (perhaps someone goes all in on attacks, reducing you to a fraction of your health unexpectedly), so you can't ever rest on your laurels. The speed of your turns keep things rattling along at a breakneck pace too, so younger monsters aren't likely to get bored.

Well, unless you're only playing as a pair. King of Tokyo isn't nearly so interesting when only a couple of you are involved, so it's far from being one of the best 2-player board games.

Should you buy King of Tokyo?

Just as you'd hope for a game starring Cyber Kitties and King Kong lookalikes, King of Tokyo is monstrously fun. Its easy-going gameplay and tongue-in-cheek sense of humor makes it a blast for all ages.

There are plenty of expansions to enhance your experience once you're fed up with the core game, too; Halloween costumes, giant pandas, and more can be added to proceedings. Numerous spin-offs have also been made, like the two-player Duel version or team-based King of Monster Island (a great alternative if the best cooperative games are more your speed). Would I recommend those over this classic version? It really comes down to how many people will play and what you want from the experience. If you might have up to six players joining and enjoy some light competition, OG King of Tokyo will still do the trick.

Ratings

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested King of Tokyo

I first played King of Tokyo many years ago, and have tested it with different player counts (from two to six) so I could judge how the experience differed each time. As for my credentials as a board game writer, I have been covering the industry with critiques, news, features, buying guides, and more for over six years.

For a better sense of our process, be sure to visit this guide on how we test board games. To find out how we do things sitewide, don't miss the GamesRadar+ reviews policy.

For more suggestions, be sure to check in on our guide to the best family board games.