King of Tokyo Player Counts, Variants, and Expansions

King of Tokyo is a different game at 3 players than at 6, and the family of boxes around it has grown for over a decade. This lesson starts with player counts and the official variants, then walks through the expansions and the standalone games, so you can choose what fits your table.

How does the game change by player count?

The base game plays 2 to 6.

• Two players: a duel. The rulebook recommends an optional rule: entering Tokyo gives 1 Energy instead of 1 point, and starting your turn there gives 1 Energy instead of 2 points. Without it, Tokyo points can decide a 2-player game too easily.
• Three or four: Tokyo City only. Fewer Monsters swing at Tokyo each round, so holding it is safer and the points race matters more.
• Five or six: Tokyo City and Tokyo Bay are both open, so two Monsters can be in Tokyo at once. More Monsters means more damage per round and more eliminations. Once 4 or fewer remain, the Bay closes.

If your group likes planning, play at 3 or 4. If it likes chaos and table talk, go to 5 or 6. Five or six is also the count the World Boardgaming Championships uses, covered in the final lesson.

Power Up!

Power Up! is the expansion most groups add first.

It gives each Monster a personal deck of eight Evolution cards. According to the current Power Up! rulebook:

• You start with one. At setup, draw two of your Evolutions and keep one in hand, hidden.
• Three Heal results draw more. After resolving your dice, if you rolled at least three Heal results, draw two Evolutions, keep one, and discard the other. It is a bonus, not a cost: you can still use those Heal results to heal, and being in Tokyo does not stop you from drawing.
• Play them when you choose. Some are temporary and discarded after use. Others are permanent and stay in front of you.

The box adds a new Monster, Pandakaï, plus Evolutions for two Monsters from the first edition. The rulebook also includes a competitive variant, Mutant Evolutions, where players draft their eight Evolutions from all the Monsters in play.

Power Up! makes the Monsters feel different from each other, which is the main thing the base game lacks.

Halloween

The Halloween expansion adds two Monsters, Pumpkin Jack and Boogie Woogie, with their own Evolution cards, plus Costume cards, a new kind of Power card.

Monster Packs and single Monsters

Each Monster Pack adds one Monster with its own twist, and each works with both King of Tokyo and King of New York.

• Cthulhu (2017), the first pack.
• King Kong (2017), which adds a Tokyo Tower for King of Tokyo.
• Anubis and Cybertooth, the third and fourth packs.

Baby Gigazaur (2023) is a single new Monster that also works with King of New York and King of Monster Island.

The Monster Box

If you know you want more than the base game, the Monster Box (December 2021) collects the base game with Power Up! and Halloween, plus Baby Gigazaur, some exclusive Power cards, and a dice tray.

Standalone games in the family

None of these needs the base game.

• King of New York (2014) keeps the core and adds a lot: city districts to stomp through, buildings to destroy, military units that fire on you when you roll their face, a Superstar title to chase, and Lady Liberty defending the city. A good next step for groups who want more decisions.
• King of Tokyo: Dark Edition (2020) is a collector’s edition with new art and a wickedness gauge that grants powers as you climb it. It also includes a new 2-player variant by Richard Garfield.
• King of Tokyo: Duel (2024) is a 2-player game in about 20 minutes.
• King of Tokyo: Origins (2024) is a smaller, streamlined version for 2 to 4 players, with four new Monsters.
• King of Monster Island (2022) is cooperative: the Monsters team up against a boss.
• King of Tokyo Godzilla (listed by IELLO for spring 2026) brings Toho’s kaiju in, adds Event cards that affect every Monster, and includes Evolution cards.

How to choose

• Your group loves the base game: add Power Up! and stop there for a while.
• You play with two: use the 2-player rule, or try Duel.
• You want more depth: King of New York.
• You want everything in one box: the Monster Box.
• Your table is new to the game: Origins, or the base game at 3 or 4.

Our piece on whether expansions are worth it has a broader way to decide, for this game and every other one on your shelf.