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King of New York

2-6 players 40-40 min 6.9 Board Game Geek Rating

In King of New York, monsters battle for dominance in the big city by rolling dice to attack rivals, heal damage, and gain energy for power cards. Players win by reaching 20 victory points or eliminating all opponents. New mechanics include achieving Fame for points, occupying city districts, destroying buildings for bonuses, and facing escalating military resistance.

Published 2014

King of New York

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

1
Define Monster Types
Understand the four monster categories: KO'd Monsters (0 health), Zombie Monsters (re-joined once per game), Active Monsters (1+ health), and Token Monsters (shared by KO'd players)
2
Keep your cards
KO'd Monsters retain their Keep cards and applicable effects when eliminated
3
Lose special statuses
KO'd Monsters immediately lose Superstar and Statue of Liberty upon elimination
4
Reset health to zero
KO'd Monsters drop to 0 health when transitioning from Active to KO'd status
5
Retain stored energy
KO'd Monsters keep any energy gained while Active for potential return to play

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

1
Roll for resurrection
Attempt to come back as a Zombie by rolling 4 to 6 heal symbols
2
Collect stars
Gather 20 stars while KO'd/Zombie to return via Back by Popular Demand
3
Command units to attack
Roll 4 to 6 attack symbols to have units attack Active and Zombie Monsters in their boroughs
4
Summon Token Monster
Roll 3 or more attack symbols to place Token Monster in any available borough except Manhattan
5
Control Token Monster
Use kept attack and destruction symbols to attack monsters or destroy buildings
6
Resolve Celebrity symbols
Gain 1 star; additional symbols grant you +2 stars and Active Monsters -1 star
7
Trigger Ouch effects
Roll 4 ouch for borough unit attacks, 5 for half damage to all, 6 for full damage to all
8
Skip buying phase
KO'd Monsters cannot purchase cards

Winning

How to claim victory.

1
Return as Zombie
Roll 4-6 heal symbols once per game to rejoin with 3 health (max 5), placed in available borough except Manhattan
2
Return by Popular Demand
Collect 20 stars while KO'd/Zombie to become Active with 0 stars and stored energy
3
Maintain elimination rules
If KO'd while Zombie, you do not lose your stars
4
Remove Token Monster
If no KO'd Monsters remain to control it, remove Token Monster from board

watch & Learn

Let the pros teach you with these top videos.

Learn how to play King of New York better and faster

Learn how to play King of New York better and faster

Instructional

Inside…King of New York (4K 60fps)

Inside…King of New York (4K 60fps)

Unboxing

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FULL rules

Looking for the full details? Grab the complete rulebook as a downloadable PDF.

PDF RULEBOOK

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