IELLO

King of Tokyo - Dark Edition

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King of Tokyo: Dark Edition is a fast, push-your-luck dice battler for 2–6 players, ages 8 and up, with games lasting around 30 minutes and light, family-friendly complexity. Roll chunky dice to claw rivals, heal, gather energy and score points as mutant monsters clash over control of Tokyo.

Players
2–6 players
Play time
Up to 1 hr
Age
Kids
Complexity
Easy
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About the Game

A typical game of King of Tokyo: Dark Edition plays out as a raucous monster brawl: you roll and re-roll dice Yahtzee-style, choosing whether to smash rivals, heal wounds, hoard energy or chase victory points, all while deciding whether to hold Tokyo for big rewards or retreat before you're pummelled. It supports 2–6 players, plays in roughly 30 minutes, suits ages 8 and up, and keeps complexity light. Key mechanics include dice rolling, press-your-luck choices and player elimination.

Designed by Richard Garfield and published by IELLO, King of Tokyo earned wide popularity as a family and party favourite. This Dark Edition reframes the monster clash with a darker setting, an extra mechanic, and deluxe components—including an embossed cover and a selected new varnish—and was produced as a limited, single-print collector's edition, making it a showcase piece rather than a rules overhaul.

History

Designed by Richard Garfield and published by IELLO, King of Tokyo became a best-selling modern family game, and the Dark Edition presents it with a moodier, more wicked look. This limited collector's edition had a single print run and adds a new mechanic alongside upgraded components, including an embossed cover and specially varnished contents.

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Watch: How to play

Rules of King of Tokyo - Dark Edition

  • Setup: each player picks a monster, sets health to 10 and victory points to 0, and places their figure outside Tokyo; shuffle the power deck, reveal three cards, and keep the energy cubes within reach.
  • Rolling: on your turn, roll all six dice, then re-roll any of them up to twice, keeping whatever you like between rolls.
  • Resolving dice: three or more matching numbers score that many victory points (plus one per extra matching die), claws attack, hearts heal one damage each, and lightning bolts gain one energy cube each.
  • Attacking: from outside Tokyo your claws hit the monster in Tokyo; from inside Tokyo they hit every monster outside, with each claw dealing one damage.
  • Entering Tokyo: if Tokyo is empty when you deal damage, you must move in and gain 1 victory point; start your turn there to gain 2 more.
  • Yielding: a monster damaged in Tokyo may retreat, forcing the attacker in — you cannot heal with hearts while in Tokyo, so weigh the points against the pummelling.
  • Power cards: after resolving dice, spend energy to buy any of the three face-up cards, or pay 2 energy to sweep them and reveal three new ones.
  • Dark Edition extra: certain dice results also earn wickedness points on a track, unlocking bonus tiles as you pass thresholds.
  • Winning: reach 20 victory points to win immediately, or be the last monster standing — monsters reduced to 0 health are eliminated.

Strategy

  • Respect Tokyo: the 2-point bonus is tempting, but you can't heal there and everyone targets you — plan to yield before your health gets critical.
  • Chase triples: numbers only score in sets of three or more, so commit re-rolls to finding a third 2 or 3 rather than keeping stray singles.
  • Bank energy early: cubes are flexible, and a strong power card bought in the first few turns can pay off all game.
  • Match cards to your style: if you're smashing often, favour damage and toughness; if you're playing cagey, look for healing and point-scoring effects.
  • Sweep weak rows: paying 2 energy to refresh the three face-up cards is often better than buying something mediocre.
  • Heal while you can: outside Tokyo, prioritise a heart or two so a bad round of claws doesn't knock you out.
  • Mind the wickedness track: in this edition, humble 1s and 2s can unlock useful tiles, so don't always re-roll them away.
  • Read the table: with more players, Tokyo changes hands fast and elimination looms — pivot between aggression and point-chasing based on who's hurting.