King Of Tokyo Duel Review

Bish, bash, bosh. King of Tokyo is back and this time it is you versus your most battle hardy opponent! Monster v Monster – this could get messy! But that’s all part of the fun! And with the original KOT lending itself to gang against one, this head to head format is a welcome addition.

King KO?

Much like it’s bigger brother, the King Of Tokyo Duel gameplay is similar – you are monsters keen on conquering Tokyo with your mighty meanness! Your monster has a special power and a starting health score (love me a good life point tracker and these ones are cool!). Dice chucking is the main mechanism, and you are rolling to resolve. By that I mean you are rolling 6 custom dice (from which you can re-roll a selection up to 3 times (even those previously saved) plus some extras if you can and want to pay for them with Dice Tokens).

The icons you collect will either grant you health, smash your frightful foe with some damage equal to the claws you rolled, or gain some (probably much needed) healing energy. You might also get to unleash your own monster’s asymmetric special power. Plus you have the ability to visit the market to buy Power Cards (which vary in price depending on what slot they are in) with stored energy or gain 1 energy back.

Track that Buzz!

Some power cards are one-time use, others stay with you. If you can afford them you can buy multiples on a single turn. And because the market is auto refreshed, you might see something tempting and want to double dip. Those with a Buzz Icon have added zing as they get the tracks on the board jumping. Did I just say “tracks”? Yes! And as somebody semi-famous somewhere once said “now for something completely different”. As well as the usual bash-your-opponent into-oblivion to win method, you can get spicy up on the shared Destruction track and Fame track. Like King of New York, this one has monsters hunting A list celebrity status. Be the most Fame hungry player, or get both of these into the Spotlight Zones first on your side of the board, and you’ll win! Fame brings adulation and you closer to VP victory. Conversely, Destructions sees you ravaging Tokyo and upping your destructive street cred as the most feared monster! You’ll need to balance both if you are heading for the Spotlight!

Final Thoughts

King of Tug-of-War could be another name for this fun 2 player spin on the classic KOT gameplay. The original format is best suited to 3+ players so the addition of these tracks and focus on the back and forth gives you a streak of strategic think that’s new to this mode of play and works really well for 2P.

You need to keep an eye on these moving tokens as they edge closer to the Spotlight Zone on either side. But ignore good old fashioned monster bashing at your own risk – your energy could be depleted faster than you can move along them, so going hard on power cards might not be wise. Especially as you automatically gain 1 energy if you don’t buy anything. But then again, the bonuses and powers (not to mention the Buzz!) they promise might be enough to tip you into victory! Flexibility is key and you’ll constantly need to adapt to what your ogre-like opponent is doing on their turn.

And speaking of Buzz, the track manipulation is a fun element and has whispers on Odin’s Ravens in a small way. Changing the length of the paths to victory (literally) is a neat trick, and one definitely worth of a monster modelling itself on mischievous Loki!

Of course Lady Luck comes into play – rolling dice will always unpredictable. But with Yahtzee style re-rolls, special powers, bonuses, and buzz tokens, much of the impact of a less favourable roll can be improved. It may come at cost, but that’s what makes it a fun double tug of war – the one you are having with your opponent and the one you are having between your available turn choices.

There’s also a great choice of monsters with different abilities which ramps up replayability even further if you refrain from playing the same ones against each other game after game. The temptation to have a favourite is of course great, and the rolls and power cards still mix up every game. But we have found it most fun when we try different combinations of monsters to see which ones’ special abilities are best balanced against each other.

King Of Tokyo Duel is designed to be fast, fun, and punchy – just like its setting, which is neon colourful awesome!! And as a 2P KOT experience it does that at a mad pace! Our games have been over in less than 15 minutes, but that could just be because I am punished for being too eager to purely bash my way to victory haha. Some players may indulge in the back and forth on the tracks for longer, and you could teeter on the edge of one for a while which might frustrate fleetingly. But the risk of true stalemate is likely low as there are plenty of ways to leverage your next custom rolls. Plus, the market can refresh frequently when you have spenny-spenners battling it out! As two time-starved gamers, this game provides the KOT hit with minimal set up, easy rules, and speedy game play! I’m already looking forward to my next trip to Tokyo!

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