by abdiel
High Art?
How do I say this without offending fans...giant monster movies are not high-brow cinema. Plot, cinematography, acting, even special effects all play second fiddle to the concept of GIANT MONSTERS SMASHING SKYSCRAPERS! It's a dizzying and cathartic concept, but its simplicity undermines its ability to be translated into board game form. A good board game needs a well developed structural base of mechanisms. Everything has to work together. You can get away with a wonky scene in a movie, but a wonky rule-set must be fully endured every time the game is played.
Of Wonk, Mostly Free
Balancing a simple concept with an equally simple, yet compelling rule-set is the key to King of Tokyo's success. It is a simple game about smashing stuff -- players embody giant monsters in a king-of-the-hill style battle over the smoking ruins of Tokyo -- while simultaneously having a robust system of mechanisms that provides the players with options and freedom to pursue various strategies. The game doesn't bog down. Every round a player gets closer to winning which is accomplished by either having the last monster standing or by being the first to 20 victory points.
Being King
On a turn a player rolls a bunch of dice and they get up to two re-rolls. These dice allow players to attack, acquire energy, heal lives, or earn victory points. If a player's monster is currently king of Tokyo, their attacks damage all other monsters but they cannot heal lives. On the other hand they get a steady stream of victory points. Players outside of Tokyo can heal themselves but their attacks only damage the current king. A king that takes damage can surrender Tokyo to the player who damaged them. The dice rolls combined with this king-of-the-hill nature of the game creates constant conflict and uncertainty, and a never ending scramble to stay ahead.
Those Cards
If a player acquires energy through their dice rolls they can use the energy to purchase special cards. These cards allow players to get bonus points and customize their monsters with special powers. The whole landscape of the game changes from play to play depending on what power cards become available. The cards also allow the game to incorporate beloved giant monster tropes like befriending children and swatting airplanes out of the sky.
Unfortunately the card powers are also the biggest hurdle to the game's accessibility. At times card interactions are poorly explained and confusing. Players will have to house-rule clarifications on the fly or have a FAQ handy.
The End
King of Tokyo is a simple entertaining game that doesn't give itself over to mindless game play. It provides the primal joy of watching giant monsters wreak havoc, without burdening the player with turgid rule sets and attempts at "realism". While the momentum of the game is sometimes sapped by confusing card text, there is enough action to keep things interesting.
Abdiel