I've recently started playing King of Tokyo and, on paper, I like it. Great concept, giant monsters battling in Tokyo, gaining energy and powers. The mechanics are compelling, especially those in the expansions.
My problem is that the game is not fine tuned enough to reward any kind of interesting play: in my experience the best strategy is for everyone to be passive, hide outside Tokyo, hoping that the RNG gods deliver lots of 3s. This is especially the case in the base game. Without the wickedness track there's no incentive to roll 1s or even 2s, so the game is reduced to "who can roll the most 3s?"
Apart from a handful of exceptions, power cards aren't so useful: the best power cards take several turns to acquire, after which you're going to be so far behind in points you won't time to use them before the game comes to a grinding halt.
Almost all of my arena games (5 player, Wickedness/Cultist expansion) go like this:
1. Player 1 rolls for three of a kind number for easy points. Player 1 enters Tokyo.
2. Player 2 rolls for three of a kind number for easy points. They rolled one Attack die in the process. Player 1, having been scratched for one hit point, flees so they can roll for 3s in safety. Player 2 enters Tokyo.
3. Player 3 rolls three Attack die, 1, 2, 3. Instead of SMASHING they keep the 3 die and roll again, going for three of a kind number for easy points. Unfortunately for them they rolled one Attack token in the process, they really would rather avoid any conflict. Player 2, having been scratched for one hit point, flees to safety so they can roll for 3s in safety. Player 3 enters Tokyo.
...and so the tedious game goes on, luckiest player wins.
The way to disrupt system is to attack people from within Tokyo. The threat of imminent death forces them to roll healing dice, preventing them from accruing points. Easier said than done. Cooperation is required, and that rarely happens, because players follow the above algorithm.
One player (i.e. me) can't do this alone. Try as I might to stay in Tokyo, I get chipped away one or two hit points at a time by the four passive players until I am forced to leave and heal, and everyone returns to the normal pattern of rolling for 3s. At this point the game is over for me: I am too far behind in points. Might as well just stay in Tokyo and wait to die. I've done this before, it's more fun than seeing it through to the bitter end.
The handful of games where this hasn't happened, where players actually fight for control of Tokyo while gathering resources, where someone is bold enough to be my ally and start a fight, have been exceptionally fun, tense, dramatic. I've won some, I've lost some. It doesn't matter. I enjoyed every second of those battles. This is, I assume, what King of Tokyo is meant to be. Most of the time, it's not. Hence the thread title.
More experienced players, do you agree, or am I a whining rookie who's missing the point?
P.S. Writing this was more fun than playing King of Tokyo arena.
My problem is that the game is not fine tuned enough to reward any kind of interesting play: in my experience the best strategy is for everyone to be passive, hide outside Tokyo, hoping that the RNG gods deliver lots of 3s. This is especially the case in the base game. Without the wickedness track there's no incentive to roll 1s or even 2s, so the game is reduced to "who can roll the most 3s?"
Apart from a handful of exceptions, power cards aren't so useful: the best power cards take several turns to acquire, after which you're going to be so far behind in points you won't time to use them before the game comes to a grinding halt.
Almost all of my arena games (5 player, Wickedness/Cultist expansion) go like this:
1. Player 1 rolls for three of a kind number for easy points. Player 1 enters Tokyo.
2. Player 2 rolls for three of a kind number for easy points. They rolled one Attack die in the process. Player 1, having been scratched for one hit point, flees so they can roll for 3s in safety. Player 2 enters Tokyo.
3. Player 3 rolls three Attack die, 1, 2, 3. Instead of SMASHING they keep the 3 die and roll again, going for three of a kind number for easy points. Unfortunately for them they rolled one Attack token in the process, they really would rather avoid any conflict. Player 2, having been scratched for one hit point, flees to safety so they can roll for 3s in safety. Player 3 enters Tokyo.
...and so the tedious game goes on, luckiest player wins.
The way to disrupt system is to attack people from within Tokyo. The threat of imminent death forces them to roll healing dice, preventing them from accruing points. Easier said than done. Cooperation is required, and that rarely happens, because players follow the above algorithm.
One player (i.e. me) can't do this alone. Try as I might to stay in Tokyo, I get chipped away one or two hit points at a time by the four passive players until I am forced to leave and heal, and everyone returns to the normal pattern of rolling for 3s. At this point the game is over for me: I am too far behind in points. Might as well just stay in Tokyo and wait to die. I've done this before, it's more fun than seeing it through to the bitter end.
The handful of games where this hasn't happened, where players actually fight for control of Tokyo while gathering resources, where someone is bold enough to be my ally and start a fight, have been exceptionally fun, tense, dramatic. I've won some, I've lost some. It doesn't matter. I enjoyed every second of those battles. This is, I assume, what King of Tokyo is meant to be. Most of the time, it's not. Hence the thread title.
More experienced players, do you agree, or am I a whining rookie who's missing the point?
P.S. Writing this was more fun than playing King of Tokyo arena.
sadly it's not on BGA.
