
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,768
- BGG rating
- 7.1
King of Tokyo: Duel
- 2 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2024

Rules assistance for King of Tokyo: Power Up!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
King of Tokyo: Power Up! is an expansion for King of Tokyo released in 2012 for 2–6 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Richard Garfield and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Dice Rolling.
With King of Tokyo: Power Up! – an expansion for the King of Tokyo base game – Included is the new monster Pandakai, a giant panda bear. After choosing a monster, each player takes the eight Evolution cards associated with that monster, shuffles those cards, and creates a personal deck. At the end of a player's turn, if she has three hearts, she draws one Evolution card and adds it to her hand; this is possible even in Tokyo (when hearts are normally useless) and even if the hearts are used for some other action, such as healing. A player can reveal and play an Evolution card at any time. Some Evolutions are temporary, allowing a one-time bonus, while others are Permanent, such as Gigazaur's "Tail Sweep", which allows him to change one die to a 1 or 2 each turn. Each Evolution card also identifies whether a monster is a Mutant, Invader, or Robot, and while not relevant for Power Up!, this species identification could come into play in future expansions. The rules for King of Tokyo: Power Up! contain a few variants: Players start with a random Evolution in play, or draw two cards and choose the one they want, or draft a set of Evolutions prior to the start of play. However you play, the goal of the game remains the same: Score 20 points or be the last monster standing amid the rubble of what was once Tokyo. Part of the King of Tokyo series.
King of Tokyo: Power Up! supports 2–6 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 King of Tokyo: Power Up! is 30 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 King of Tokyo: Power Up! 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.
King of Tokyo: Power Up! has a complexity rating of 1.7 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.
King of Tokyo: Power Up! belongs to these categories: Movies / TV / Radio theme, Dice, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Dice Rolling. 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 King of Tokyo: Power Up! are: Richard Garfield. 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 King of Tokyo: Power Up! as an expansion for King of Tokyo. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need King of Tokyo to use it. Check that your edition of King of Tokyo is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.