Review – King of Tokyo Godzilla

King of Tokyo Godzilla is an officially licensed version of IELLO’s hit game King of Tokyo. There’s no doubt that the original is a certified classic; does the Godzilla theme make it even better? Let’s find out!

Review

It finally happened.

King of Tokyo, a game about giant kaiju destroying the Japanese city, has finally gotten the Godzilla license. Now, instead of playing as legally-distinct characters like Gigazaur and Meka-Dragon, players can play as the true king of the monsters, as well as Mothra, Ghidorah, Rodan, Hedorah, and Mechagodzilla.

If you’ve never played King of Tokyo, the basic rundown is that players compete to be the first to 20 points or the last monster standing. The game is centered around dice rolling. Each turn, the active player rolls 6 dice, which will either show numbers (1, 2, or 3) or symbols (claw, heart, or lightning). The player can reroll up to 2 times, and once they are done, they evaluate their dice as follows:

• If they rolled 3 of the same number, they earn that number of points (e.g., 2 points for a trio of 2s). Each additional result of that number is worth another point.
• Claw results allow the player to attack the location where they aren’t — either on the board or off the board. The board can hold 1 or 2 monsters, depending upon player count, and wherever the player is, they attack all monsters in the other location. Each claw result causes 1 damage.
• Every heart result allows the player to heal 1 damage, but a player cannot heal while on the board.
• Each lightning result allows the player to take 1 energy token, which can be used to buy cards.

Whenever a player attacks a monster on the board, that monster has the option to yield; that is, to move off the board and let the attacker move onto it. When someone moves onto the board, they earn 1 point. However, players are incentivized to keep their monsters on the board, because if someone starts their turn on the board — meaning they survived a whole round of attacks — they earn 2 points.

Cards provide players with all kinds of upgrades, including extra dice or health, damage to opponents, and more. If a monster loses their last health, they are eliminated, and if someone either reaches 20 points or is the last monster standing, they win!

There are a few slight rules differences between this and the original version of King of Tokyo, which are outlined below:

• If a player doesn’t buy a card, they get a free energy
• In addition to normal benefit/ability cards, the deck contains event cards, which can have instant or ongoing effects.
• Evolution cards are an optional expansion that give each player monster-specific upgrades. Everyone gets a deck of them, and starts with 1 in hand. Whenever a player rolls 3 hearts, they can draw 2 more and keep 1. Some evolutions are use-and-discard, while others provide ongoing effects.

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In the past, I have thought “Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a Godzilla version of King of Tokyo?” Now, years later, I can officially say that yes, it is awesome. 

Sometimes, when a game gets rethemed to have an IP attached, it can feel cheap, like an uninspired attempt to cash in on a popular property (e.g., Flip 7: Grinch Edition). In the case of King of Tokyo Godzilla, however, the Toho license feels like so much more. Let’s be honest — King of Tokyo always *was* a Godzilla game, whether officially licensed or not. It was always clear what the game was trying to evoke, so having those actual characters, at long last, feels like the fulfillment of something 15 years in the making.

This game has made a huge impact since its debut in 2011, and its reputation precedes it. King of Tokyo is a modern classic, and I would go as far as to call it essential for anyone in the tabletop hobby to try. There have been multiple versions over the years, and while the Dark Edition has long been my favorite, this Godzilla version has supplanted it. King of Tokyo Godzilla feels like the final form of this beloved game.

The production is great, with faux-vintage art and muted colors that fit the atomic age theme. Components which are normally plastic (the energy tokens, dice, and character stands) have been replaced with wood, and they are very slick. Overall, this version looks more grown-up and less like a wild-and-crazy dice brawl (though it still is very much that).

Bottom line, King of Tokyo Godzilla is, in my view, the best version of this game yet. Most people who own an earlier King of Tokyo game will be fine to stick with the one they have, but if you’re new to this series and/or a Godzilla fan (like I am), I highly recommend checking out King of Tokyo Godzilla. It’s a monstrously good time.

A review copy was provided by the publisher.