Godzilla and his fellow Toho monsters have been wreaking havoc on cities around the globe for decades, and they’ve also inspired even more monster-themed projects across movies, TV, games, and more. That includes an incredibly popular game franchise that was essentially built around monsters like Godzilla, but never had the chance to utilize Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, or other Toho creatures. That’s all changed now though, as we are finally getting the Godzilla game we’ve wanted for years, and the release is right around the corner.
In 2011, Richard Garfield and IELLO teamed up for the hit game King of Tokyo, which has you destroying Tokyo as mutant monsters, gigantic robots, and strange aliens as you try and become the king of the city. Despite sounding just like Godzilla, he never made it into the game, but now IELLO and Toho have teamed up for King of Tokyo Godzilla, which pairs the game’s trademark monster battle gameplay with Toho’s beloved roster of legendary monsters, and it is set to hit later this year.
King of Tokyo Godzilla brings the iconic monster to the successful King of Tokyo franchise, but he’s not alone. Other playable monsters include Mothra, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, Hedorah, and King Ghidorah. 2 to 4 players will battle on the board’s representation of Tokyo City, but if you have 5 or 6 players, you will also use the Tokyo Bay Area on the board.
Over the course of your turn, you’ll roll a number of wooden dice that can get you energy, victory points, life points (your health), and the ability to damage your opponents. You’ll also have three different cards to utilize, including Keep cards that stay in front of you and provide effects, Discard cards that are immediately used when drawn and then discarded, and Event cards, which are a brand new addition to the game and change up the rules until they are removed from the board.
For instance, the Blinding Spotlights Event card means all monsters have 1 less reroll per turn, while the Freezing Rain Event card means no monster may buy any Power cards (except this one). This adds another layer to an already chaotic battle, and there’s also strategy around whether or not you are in Tokyo or outside the city. There are also dice tokens given from some cards, and you’ll also buy Power Cards with energy that can shift the tide of a game if utilized correctly.
As you can see in the images above, the artwork is fantastic and evokes the classic Godzilla films and designs. You’ll also find the patented King of Tokyo gameplay is well accounted for, and we can’t wait to go a few rounds with some of our favorite monsters.
King of Tokyo Godzilla is expected to hit stores later this year, and the game will likely be playable at Gen Con.
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