by Immelmann
I don't rate this game as 8+ but it is still one of my go to fillers. You know why? It's fun with friends. The quality of mechanics and rules and gameplay don't always translate into the fun factor around the table. Now this "Fun Factor" is not easily described and varies between groups however.This to me is very similar with Cosmic Encounters with my group. I have had GREAT games of Cosmic Encounters and I have had AWFUL games. It all depends on the group. KoT is the same for me. If you have a group of super serious war startegists that are only focusing on strategizing the best way to victory then this will be a frustrating and drawn out experience. If you have a group of players who are much more interested in messing around and having some fun it'll be a little better. Just like Cosmic Encounters. In CE if you have a group of people that are trying to play there owne game not talking to each other or trying to backstab or make deals it's going to be a bland strategic experience.
You have to have the right group. This is one of those games that begs for people to be crossing there fingers and saying "PLEASE no claws" or "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE A HEART" or even "Jim if you come for me with that poison breath I'm going to kneecap you". When you know your friend is going to laugh meniacally all the way to the bank if you miss that needed dice.
Munchkin or "Are you a werewolf" are others like this. Mechanically and rule wise maybe a 4 or a 5 but with the right group of your friends a fun atmosphere of jeers and jokes and they become a 9 or a 10. "Party games" I call them. The type that come out when I have a fun atmosphere not when I have 4 people sitting down to seriously play some serious win or lose games.
I play deep strategic games like Twilight Imperium or Warhammer but I also play fun fillers. I have over 200 Boardgames now (slowly being inputed here). I know however, which categories these are all in. I also know which groups of friends fit into which categories. I know that I can't play certain in depth startegy games with my friend Joe because he doesn't get them and will turn any game into a nightmare. He get's filler funny games like KoT and Munchkin and Betrayal. My other friend Doug HATES games like KoT because he feel he can't "Win at them" there's no way for him to out play everyone all the time. He gets the Deck builders like Dominion.
In the end it's "Different strokes for different folks". I just feel like your comments and some parts of your review have "called out" people in calling it "tokyo princess yahtzee". People are going to take offense to things like that when it's being said about something they enjoy.
If you were in my area I'd invite you to a game of KoT with my friends who love it. They get into it and go nuts at each other. Like I said though, to me the game is 6-7 but with the right batch of friends it sky rockets to a 9 -10 based purely on having a fun time around the table.