Stats:
No. of players: 1-4
Amount of time to play: 20-60 min
Age requirements: 12+
Set-up time: 5 min

KAPOW! Vol 2 is a stand alone expansion that adds six more characters for you to play. Also if you have both Vol 1 and 2, you have enough player boards to give the 2-vs-2 team mode a try.

Kapow! Vol 2 Rules Description:

New to KAPOW!? You can read my overview and review of Vol 1 here. The rules don’t change in volume 2, but it does offer a team game mode which I will outline below.

Character selection and setup are mostly unchanged in team mode. One difference is that you will sit next to your teammate and across from your opponents. You also start with an arrow and four team up cards. You only use one health tracker that is set to the total health of both your characters.

Team up cards come in four colors and you get one card in each color. They are split in half and require dice to gain their effects. Both sides must be fulfilled in order for each player to gain the effects on their side of the card. You have access to all four cards and may only place dice on your half of the card. Team up cards may be rotated before adding dice.

When placing dice you also use your arrow to point at the opponent you intend to attack. You may choose to attack the same opponent as your teammate. When attacked by multiple enemies you resolve each attack separately and use your full defense for both attacks. But you only trigger your defensive abilities (like gaining die faces) once per round.

When resolving phases 2 and 3 which say “in turn order”, the team with the first player token completes the entire phase before the other team. You determine individual player order by phase.

The win condition remains the same, drop the other team to zero health. If no team is knocked out, the team that had most total Defense gets the first player token and a new round begins.

Quick Review of KAPOW! Vol 2:

KAPOW! Vol 2 is more. More characters and more game modes. It is still fun and easy to teach and play. In fact, playing the team mode with a new player is a great way to teach (and for them to learn) the game.

The components for this game are in line with those from Vol 1. Everything looks and feels great. The rules are the same as in Vol 1 and are well-written and easy to follow.

Everything I liked about Vol1 of this game I like about Vol 2. You’re still bluffing and building dice. It is fun to experiment with the different characters. And luck might still decide your fate.

Team mode is a great addition. It is still fun 1v1 and even solo, but playing with four adds some interesting team up cards and the ability to strategize with a friend.

I can’t say to buy KAPOW! Vol 1 over Vol 2 or vice versa. But I can say if you enjoy Vol 1 picking up Vol 2 for the team mode and additional character options is not a bad decision.

Score and synopsis: (Click here for an explanation of these review categories.)
Strategy 3 out of 6
Luck 5 out of 6
Player Interaction 6 of 6
Replay Value 5 out of 6
Complexity 4 out of 6
Fun 4 out of 6
Overall 4 out of 6