The Basics
Power up adds another set of rules to King of Tokyo that explain how to use the new monster Power Up cards.
Power up cards are unique to each monster but come in 2 types, Permanent cards and Temporary cards. The permanent monster cards are handled similarly to King Of Tokyo’s Keep cards. When a permanent card is drawn it can be placed in front of the player and used throughout the game. Temporary cards are like the standard Discard card with a slight difference. Once a Temporary card is drawn the player places it face down in front of them and chooses to use it whenever the card’s conditions occur. Then when the card is used it is then discarded for the remainder of the game unless the card states otherwise.
When players decide to use the power cards they are not restricted to when a card can be used. As long as the conditions are met on a power up card the player can use the card even when it isn’t their turn. For example if a player has a power up card that says they can avoid taking damage whenever damage is dealt to them, and another player makes an attack that affects everyone then it is possible to play the power up card to negate the damage.
Players acquire power up cards with 3 hearts on the dice at the end of their turn. This rule makes the hearts useful to characters that are controlling Tokyo because while in Tokyo players cannot heal. However, this rule doesn’t change how players regain health, but allows players to benefit somehow from hearts on the dice while in Tokyo. If a player rolls 6 hearts on the 6 dice then they can draw 2 power up cards.
Review
In my experience with board games and playing numerous expansions, I can say that Power Up is one expansion that is a good buy for King Of Tokyo. The value of it comes from giving each monster it’s own unique abilities. Now when you choose a different monster you benefit more from the style of play suited to that monster that comes from its power up cards. The unique abilities make the monsters more than just a nice game piece that looks different, and it greatly improves the replayability of the game.
On the flip side if players don’t get any power up cards then King of Tokyo still plays the same. The power up cards are not game breaking for those that don’t pursue them while others do. So in the end the power up cards don’t change the game play much but just add another layer of choice for players.
If you were to choose between which expansion to buy for King of Tokyo, I highly recommend Power Up over Halloween.
Intimidation Factor
The Power Up expansion to King of Tokyo does not affect the intimidation factor of the game. It only adds one major rule to the base game and a small stack of a dozen power up cards for each player doesn’t make the game look anymore complicated.
Components
Like the base game Power Up’s components are a good quality. The power up cards are square which is a bit unusual for cards, but it makes it easy to distinguish the difference between the power up cards and the main cards. All the cards are made with a good quality card stock and the printing is excellent with bright colors and sharp text.
The new panda character is the same quality of the original monsters. It is made with a compressed cardboard and is durable enough for how.much it is handled during the game.
Mechanics
Power up relies on the same mechanics as King of Tokyo, dice rolling and card drafting. It doesn’t add any new mechanic to the game.