
- BGG rank
- BGG #27,376
- BGG rating
- 5.4
Motto
- 2–4 players
- 20–30 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2015

2018
Rules assistance for Karate Tomate
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Karate Tomate is a board game released in 2018 for 3–10 players, 20 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Set Collection.
In Karate Tomate players are in a extraordinary culinary martial arts tournament. Learn from the "Tomato", the great karate master, learning new fighting techniques and collecting the most trophies to win this game. But also collect enough kitchen knives to clear out enemy vegetables at the end of the game. Anyway, you should not be the player with the fewest knives! Then you lose - no matter how many trophies you have!
Karate Tomate supports 3–10 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Karate Tomate is 20 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Karate Tomate for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Karate Tomate has a complexity rating of 1.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Karate Tomate belongs to these categories: Card Game and Humor. Its main mechanics are Set Collection. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Karate Tomate are: Reiner Knizia. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Karate Tomate as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.