King of Tokyo

King of Tokyo is a fistful of dice, a pile of monsters, and the simplest excuse ever printed to gang up on a friend. We gave it 5/5 Bamboo because it teaches in about five minutes, and 4/5 Pandas because it is a genuinely great time that is never going to be the deepest game on your shelf. That trade is the whole appeal. Everything we have written about it is here.

The review covers who should buy it and who should skip it. Parents should read Is King of Tokyo Good for Kids, which makes the case for kids as young as six with one real caveat: player elimination stings, and there are house rules for that.

The stay-or-run decision in Tokyo is the entire game, and our strategy guide hands you actual health thresholds instead of vague advice about pressing your luck. Once you have energy piling up, the best Power cards ranked sorts the ones worth saving for from the overrated traps. And if you are holding two boxes in a store aisle, King of Tokyo vs King of New York puts it plainly: Tokyo for families and parties, New York for people who want more to decide.