The Ludarium Academy · Full course · Free
Who Holds Tokyo
An unofficial King of Tokyo course
Learn King of Tokyo from one printable sheet, teach it in five minutes, then learn when to hold Tokyo, when to run, what to buy, and how to close out a win.
Free printable teach sheetSetup, a turn, scoring, and three tips on one page.Four levels, 13 lessons
Start with lesson oneLevel 0 · Learn to play
Hatchling
After this level: Set up, teach, and play a full game, Tokyo Bay included, without opening the rulebook.
Level 1 · Beginner
Stomper
After this level: Play a game with no rules slips, open with a plan, and buy Power cards that pay you back.
Level 2 · Intermediate
Brawler
After this level: Keep the right dice, hold or Yield Tokyo on purpose, and count the knockout before you roll.
Level 3 · Expert
Titan
After this level: Steer a table of five or six, price every card in the row, pick expansions, and sit down at a tournament table.
- 1How to Play King of Tokyo
- 2How to Teach King of Tokyo and Run a Great First Game
- 3A First Game of King of Tokyo, Turn by Turn
- 4Your First Three Games of King of Tokyo
- 5King of Tokyo Openings: Rerolls, Energy, and Entering Tokyo
- 6King of Tokyo Power Cards: What to Buy First
- 7King of Tokyo Dice Odds: What to Keep After Your First Roll
- 8The King of Tokyo Midgame: Holding Tokyo, Yielding, and the Card Row
- 9King of Tokyo Endgame: Racing to 20 and Kill Math
- 10King of Tokyo at Five and Six: Tokyo Bay and the Big Table
- 11Pricing the King of Tokyo Card Row: What Is Energy Worth?
- 12King of Tokyo Player Counts, Variants, and Expansions
- 13Play More King of Tokyo: Online, Tournaments, and Game Nights
Every lesson is free to read here, any time. Sign up and they also arrive by email, one at a time, so the course keeps you learning between game nights.
Who it is for
- Hosts who want a loud, fast game they can teach in five minutes.
- Families with kids 8 and up who love dice, monsters, and a little friendly trash talk.
- Groups of up to six who want short turns and big moments.
- Players who know the rules and want to know when to hold Tokyo and when to run.
- Players
- 2 to 6
- Play time
- About 30 minutes
- Ages
- Ages 8 and up
- Rules as of
- King of Tokyo rulebook, 2016 edition (IELLO English rules, November 2023 printing)
Questions
Can you heal while you are in Tokyo?
No. Heal results do nothing while you are in Tokyo, though Power cards can still give you Life. Outside Tokyo, each Heal result gives you 1 Life, up to your maximum of 10.
When can you leave Tokyo in King of Tokyo?
Only right after another Monster wounds you with Smash results. You still lose the Life, then you may Yield, and the Monster that hit you enters Tokyo. Life lost to a Power card effect does not let you Yield.
How do you score points with the dice in King of Tokyo?
Number faces score only in sets of three or more. Three 1s score 1 point, three 2s score 2, and three 3s score 3. Each extra matching die adds 1 more point.
How do you play King of Tokyo with 2 players?
The rulebook offers an optional 2-player rule. Entering Tokyo gives you 1 Energy instead of 1 point, and starting your turn there gives you 1 Energy instead of 2 points. Everything else stays the same.
What is Tokyo Bay?
A second space in Tokyo, used only with 5 or 6 players. It works just like Tokyo City. Once 4 or fewer Monsters remain, the Monster in Tokyo Bay leaves at once, or moves to Tokyo City if it is empty.
What happens when a Monster is eliminated?
At 0 Life your Monster is out of the game, and its Keep cards and Energy cubes are discarded. If every Monster is eliminated at the same time, everyone loses.
Teach sheet · PDF · Rules as described in the King of Tokyo rulebook, 2016 edition (IELLO English rules, November 2023 printing); official rules.
Unofficial. Not affiliated with IELLO. King of Tokyo is a trademark of IELLO.