KAPOW! Volume 2 (2023)

About this game

Superhero — or supervillain? You decide in this buildable dice game. Your customizable dice pool is used to execute a variety of superpowers. Gain special abilities and new play experiences by taking on the role of six different heroes or villains. In KAPOW!, players go head-to-head in a classic explosive clash of good vs. evil. You choose to be a villain or hero, which determines your starting trait dice and unique abilities. You can gain additional blank "action dice" that have removable faces that that you customize to your liking to best enhance your character. Behind a player screen, you roll dice, then allocate them to attack, defense, and power-up abilities. The combination of choosing how to grow your dice pool, how to customize your action die faces, and how to use each roll leads to a satisfying, strategic showdown. KAPOW! Volume 2 contains six supers: Mindset, Spore, and Crescendo are the heroes, while Fuse, 235, and Reverb are the villains. This set can be combined with KAPOW! Volume 1 to mix and match the characters or have up to four players in one game.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 1 to 4. It has a designed solo mode.
• Rules load. At 1.3/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.