Gemopedia
Board Games🇺🇸United States21st century

King of Tokyo

FAST-PACED DICE-ROLLING monster-attack game designed by RICHARD GARFIELD (creator of MAGIC: THE GATHERING) + published by IELLO in 2011. 2-6 players play GIANT MONSTERS (Cyber Kitty, King Kong, Meka Dragon, Space Penguin, The King, etc.) battling to become KING OF TOKYO. Roll 6 CUSTOM DICE (Yahtzee-style, 3 re-rolls) to gain ATTACKS (damage), ENERGY (buy power cards), HEALTH (heal), or VICTORY POINTS. Player IN TOKYO takes damage from everyone but deals damage to everyone. FIRST TO 20 VICTORY POINTS or LAST MONSTER STANDING wins. 30 MIN games; famously fun with families. 2+ MILLION copies sold. Multiple expansions.

📐Central 'TOKYO' space + player boards + dice rolling area⏱~30 min🌤indoor

What is King of Tokyo?

King of Tokyo is FAST-PACED DICE-ROLLING monster-fighting game designed by RICHARD GARFIELD (creator of MAGIC: THE GATHERING + Netrunner) + published by IELLO (French/US publisher) in 2011. THEME: 2-6 players each play GIANT MONSTERS in KAIJU / SUPER-VILLAIN style — battling to conquer Tokyo. Monsters include: THE KING (gorilla), CYBER KITTY (robot cat), MEKA DRAGON (mech dragon), SPACE PENGUIN, GIGAZAUR (dinosaur), ALIENOID, KRAKEN, ROB, CTHULHU (expansion), PANDAKAI, KING KONG. GAMEPLAY: Yahtzee-STYLE dice mechanic — roll 6 CUSTOM DICE up to 3 TIMES per turn (keep + reroll like Yahtzee). Dice show: (1) ATTACK (claw) — deal damage to opponents; (2) ENERGY (bolt) — currency to buy Power Cards; (3) HEALTH (heart) — heal 1 HP each; (4) VICTORY POINT NUMBERS (1, 2, 3 pips) — collect 3-of-a-kind = 1/2/3 VP + more for extras; (5) VP GOALS. TOKYO MECHANIC: Center of board is TOKYO; player in Tokyo TAKES DAMAGE from ALL ATTACKS by others but DEALS DAMAGE TO ALL others when they attack. If Tokyo player takes damage, they may VOLUNTARILY LEAVE (yielding Tokyo to attacker). Being in Tokyo also grants +2 VP per turn — powerful but dangerous. WIN CONDITIONS: (1) FIRST TO 20 VICTORY POINTS; OR (2) LAST MONSTER STANDING (10 HP each; 0 HP = eliminated). POWER CARDS: buy with ENERGY currency for permanent (KEEP) or one-time (DISCARD) special abilities — 66 different cards including 'IT HAS A CHILD' (revive), 'GIANT BRAIN' (extra reroll), 'ACID ATTACK' (+1 damage), 'DEDICATED NEWS TEAM' (VP from energy), 'EXTRA HEAD' (extra dice). Each game has RANDOM subset of cards, adding replay variety. GAME LENGTH: 20-40 MINUTES ideal family game — perfect balance between strategy + luck + interaction. EXPANSIONS: HALLOWEEN + POWER UP! (2013), KING OF TOKYO 2016 EDITION (revised rules), MONSTER PACK (new monsters), KING OF TOKYO: DARK EDITION (2020 grittier reboot), KING OF NEW YORK (2014 sequel — bigger board), KING OF MONSTER ISLAND (2021 co-op boss battler). AWARDS: multiple family game awards; SPIEL DES JAHRES 2012 nomination (best game award in Germany); 2011 GOLDEN GEEK Best Family Game. 2+ MILLION UNITS SOLD; among IELLO's best-sellers alongside Kingdomino. LEGACY: helped popularize 'gateway' modern board games alongside Ticket to Ride + Carcassonne + Catan. Rich Garfield designed KING OF TOKYO after 2 decades of designing collectible card games — wanted quicker, family-friendly experience. RICHARD GARFIELD is one of most influential game designers of past 30 years.

Quick facts

Category

Board Games

Type

Individual

Players

2–6

Duration

~30 min

Where played

indoor

Field / court

Central 'TOKYO' space + player boards + dice rolling area

Country of origin

🇺🇸 United States

Estimated origin

2011 (initial release); 2016 (revised edition); 2020 (Dark Edition)

Olympic

No

Popularity

global

How it works

Objective

Become KING OF TOKYO by scoring 20 VICTORY POINTS or being the LAST MONSTER STANDING (all opponents at 0 HP).

Rules

Basic rules

  • ROLL 6 DICE up to 3 times per turn (Yahtzee-style keep + reroll)

    Dice faces: Attack, Energy, Heal, 1/2/3 VP.

  • CHOOSE HOW TO RESOLVE dice results: attack, heal, energy, VP

    Multiple faces resolve simultaneously.

  • OCCUPY TOKYO for bonus VP but take damage from ALL others

    High-risk high-reward.

  • YIELD TOKYO when at low HP by choice (during opponent's attack)

    Retreat + heal.

  • BUY POWER CARDS with energy tokens for permanent or one-time abilities

    66 different cards; strategic layer.

  • HEALTH: 10 HP; 0 HP = eliminated

    Cannot heal while in Tokyo.

  • VP: 20 to win

    Score via dice, cards, or Tokyo bonuses.

  • TURN ORDER: alternate; when you die, you're out; play continues until 1 monster remains OR 20 VP

    Two paths to victory.

Scoring

20 Victory Points OR last monster alive wins. VP from 3-of-a-kind number dice, being in Tokyo, and power cards.

ActionPoints
Roll three 1s (or 2s, or 3s)1 (or 2, or 3) VP
Roll four 1s (or 2s, or 3s)+1 VP over base (2 / 3 / 4 VP)
Roll five 1s (or 2s, or 3s)+2 VP over base (3 / 4 / 5 VP)
Roll six 1s (or 2s, or 3s)+3 VP over base (4 / 5 / 6 VP)
Enter Tokyo (occupy)+1 VP immediately
Start turn in Tokyo+2 VP
Attack dice1 damage per attack die to all outside Tokyo (or Tokyo player)
Heart dice1 heal per die (only outside Tokyo)
Bolt dice1 energy per die (currency)
Power card VP bonusesVaries per card
First to 20 VP OR last monster aliveWINS

Win condition · First player to 20 VP wins immediately; OR last player with HP > 0 wins after all others eliminated.

Playing area

Called

Central 'TOKYO' space + player boards + dice rolling area

Dimensions

Small tabletop footprint

TOKYO CITY center (1-2 monsters occupy); TOKYO BAY appears in 5-6 player games.

Equipment

  • King of Tokyo base game — $30-40 retail

    IELLO publisher; widely available at Target, Amazon, board game stores.

  • 8 custom dice with monster faces

    Distinctive chunky dice.

  • 6 giant monster player boards + monster figures

    Iconic art by Régis Torres.

  • 66+ Power Cards

    Random subset per game.

  • VP tokens + energy tokens + heart cubes

    Physical components.

  • Expansions: Halloween, Power Up!, Dark Edition, King of New York, King of Monster Island

    Each ~$20-40.

Strategies

  • GO FOR TOKYO EARLY for bonus VP — but only if HP is healthy

    10 HP starting; leaving Tokyo protected at 4-5 HP.

  • BUY POWER CARDS EARLY — Keep cards compound over game

    Late-game cards have less time to pay off.

  • PRIORITIZE HEAL when at 3 HP or lower

    Being eliminated = out of game entirely.

  • ATTACK LEADER when they're near 20 VP

    Cooperative attack to prevent runaway winner.

  • COUNT: 'if I roll 3 attacks + they heal 1, they lose 2' — do the math

    Deterministic dice math.

  • SAVE ENERGY for late-game POWER CARDS — early cards get expensive

    Cards refresh; wait for best options.

  • TWO WIN PATHS — VP grind or elimination — pick based on dice luck

    Adapt to what you're rolling.

  • IN TOKYO: don't reroll for hearts — you can't heal in Tokyo!

    Tokyo rule quirk trips up newbies.

Terminology

Tokyo (Tokyo City)
Central board space; occupant deals + takes damage from all others.
Tokyo Bay
Second Tokyo space (only in 5-6 player games).
VP (Victory Points)
20 wins the game.
HP (Health)
10 starting; 0 = eliminated.
Energy (Bolt)
Currency to buy Power Cards (1 energy per bolt die).
Attack (Claw)
Dice face dealing 1 damage.
Heal (Heart)
Dice face healing 1 HP (only outside Tokyo).
Power Card
Ability card bought with energy; Keep or Discard type.
Keep Card
Permanent ability card.
Discard Card
One-time effect card.
Yield
Choose to leave Tokyo when attacked (during attacker's turn).
Push-your-luck
Dice mechanic — reroll for better results, risk losing existing keeps.

Major competitions

  • IELLO GAMES DAY events — regional tournaments

    occasional · worldwide · since 2012

  • PAX + Origins + Gen Con — demo + open tournaments annually

    annual · USA · since 2011

  • Board Game Arena — active online play + rankings

    continuous · worldwide online · since 2014

  • No formal esports — casual family focus

    n/a · n/a

Where it is played

Governing bodies

  • IELLO Games (publisher)

    Founded 1997 · Nancy, France / New Jersey, USA (US arm)

    Official site ↗

  • Richard Garfield — Designer + industry legend (Magic: The Gathering, Netrunner, RoboRally)

    Founded 1963 · USA

  • Régis Torres — Illustrator (iconic monster art)

    Founded 1980 · France

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

  • Richard Garfield — Designer + Magic: The Gathering creator; industry legend
  • Cédrick Chaboussit — IELLO game developer
  • Régis Torres — Illustrator + monster designer
  • Various YouTube/BGG reviewers who evangelized KoT: Watch It Played, Shut Up & Sit Down, Rahdo
  • Tom Vasel (Dice Tower) — Popular reviewer

Learn this sport

beginner

  1. 1

    Watch WATCH IT PLAYED King of Tokyo tutorial on YouTube — 10 min explains all

    Rules are simple; visual demo helps.

  2. 2

    PLAY WITH 3-4 PLAYERS first — ideal player count

    5-6 is fun but chaotic.

  3. 3

    Focus on TOKYO strategy vs. VP-farming strategy

    Pick your monster's playstyle.

intermediate

  1. 1

    MASTER POWER CARDS — know which are strong (Giant Brain, Extra Head, Dedicated News Team)

    Card knowledge = advantage.

  2. 2

    COORDINATE with other players to ATTACK LEADER (mutually)

    Kingmaking + politics.

  3. 3

    Try DARK EDITION or KING OF NEW YORK for variety

    Similar but different feel.

advanced

  1. 1

    PLAY ONLINE on Board Game Arena — ranked play

    Global competition.

  2. 2

    PLAY EXPANSIONS: Power Up!, Halloween, Monster Packs

    Adds monsters + cards + Evolution cards.

  3. 3

    TRY CO-OP KING OF MONSTER ISLAND (2021) — team vs. bosses

    Different feel; RPG-inspired.

Frequently asked

Is King of Tokyo good for kids?+

ABSOLUTELY — KING OF TOKYO is ONE OF THE BEST FAMILY GATEWAY BOARD GAMES for kids 8+: (a) SIMPLE Yahtzee-style dice mechanic; (b) FAST 30-min games fit attention spans; (c) SILLY MONSTER THEME appeals to kids (giant robot vs. Cthulhu vs. Kong); (d) LUCK-BASED enough that kids can beat adults; (e) MEANINGFUL DECISIONS teach risk/reward thinking; (f) COLORFUL art + chunky dice appeal visually; (g) NO READING beyond Power Cards (which parents can help with). AGE 6-7+ if simplified; AGE 8-10+ for full rules. Sweet spot: FAMILIES of MIXED AGES 8-adult. Widely used in schools + game clubs + libraries. Considered ESSENTIAL FAMILY BOARD GAME COLLECTION piece alongside Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Blokus, Azul.

Should I buy King of Tokyo or King of New York?+

SIMILAR games with subtle differences: (1) KING OF TOKYO (2011) — SIMPLER, faster, more focused on dice; iconic + first entry; SMALLER FOOTPRINT + $30. Best FIRST purchase; sold 2M+ copies. (2) KING OF NEW YORK (2014) — BIGGER + more complex; adds BOROUGH BOARD (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Statue of Liberty); MILITARY UNITS + BUILDINGS to destroy; TWO STATUS DIE FACES (Fame + Destruction); more strategic + longer 45-60 min games. RECOMMENDATION: START with KING OF TOKYO — simpler + cheaper + tighter. Get KING OF NEW YORK if you love KoT + want deeper strategic version. Both playable together as separate games (not compatible). Also consider KING OF TOKYO: DARK EDITION (2020) for grittier reboot with unique 'Wickedness' mechanic. Or KING OF MONSTER ISLAND (2021) if you prefer co-op play.

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-26.verified