TEKKEN: The Board Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Goal of the Game
• Game Components
  • Attack Card Anatomy
  • Combo Board Anatomy
• Gameplay Overview
  • Turn Structure: The String
    • STEP 1: Before Playing an Attack Card (Optional)
    • STEP 2: Playing an Attack Card
    • STEP 3: Defender's Punish Attempt
    • STEP 4: Resolving the Attack Card
      • Available Attack Types
      • Symbols
      • Attack Card – Extensions
      • Combo
      • Rage
      • Available Attack Types Summary
    • STEP 5: Refilling Attack Cards in Hand
• Additional Mechanics
  • Heat
  • Events
  • Determining the Next Offensive Player
• End of the Round
• Stage Example: Descent into Subconscious
  • Stage Gimmick: Floor Brake
• Key Definitions
  • Possible Positions

Goal of the Game

Defeat your opponent by reducing their HP (Health Points) to zero, thus winning the Round. By default you win the game when you win three rounds.

Game Components

Attack Card Anatomy

Each Attack Card includes:

1. An Attack Area – one of three lines, each one always contains the same set of Symbols – icons representing available actions:
   1. High – Strike 2 (fist icon, deals 2 damage)
   2. Mid – two Moves and Push (foot icon x2 and pushing hand, allows you to move 1 Space twice and push the opponent 1 Space)
   3. Low – Move and Strike 1 (foot and fist icons, move 1 Space and deal 1 damage)
2. A color – Yellow and Green for punches with fists, Red and Blue for kicks with legs. Colors are used to make sequences of cards called Combos. For your convenience, each color is marked with its own sign.
3. Extensions – may provide additional Symbols in specific Attack Areas for subsequent cards. You'll find 1 Extension on each Common Attack Card and 3 Extensions on Special Attack Cards.
4. Deck Identification sign to make the preparation of your deck easier.

Combo Board Anatomy

The Combo Board shows:

1. Attack Slots
2. Combo 1
3. Combo 2
4. Character's portrait
5. Deck
6. Discard (face-down)

Gameplay Overview

In TEKKEN – The Board Game, one Round is the act of playing until a single Health Bar is depleted.

Each Round consists of alternating turns called Strings – which include the flow of actions (Attack Cards, Combos, etc.) performed by the active player.

During the game, players switch between two roles:

• The active player, the one who is building the String at the moment, is the Offensive player.
• The other one who's trying to interrupt the String and regain the initiative by foreseeing the Offensive player's Attacks is the Defender. This process of guessing is called the Punish Attempt.

The Offensive player chooses an Attack Card and plays it face-down in the first Attack Slot. The Defender guesses which type of Attack Card is played and declares one of the three Attack Areas. Then the card is revealed. If successful – the Attack is interrupted and the Defender gains initiative, placing the Punishment token in the first available Attack Slot, guaranteeing one unblockable attack. Otherwise, the Offensive player resolves the Attack Card and the additional effects it triggers.

Turn Structure: The String

The String involves one or more Attacks by the Offensive player, broken down into these steps:

The Attack Steps

1. Optional: Before playing an Attack Card, use Heat, Dash, or Stance Change.
2. Playing an Attack Card: Play an Attack Card face-down.
3. Defender's Punish Attempt: The Defender declares Attack Area.
   1. Attack defended – Successful Punish Attempt: Discard and switch roles.
   2. Attack succeeded – Unsuccessful Punish Attempt: Resolve Attack (in any order).
4. Resolving the Attack Types:
   1. Symbols from Attack Card (and Extension, if Connected).
   2. Combo (if conditions are met).
   3. Rage (once per Round, if revealed).
5. Refill cards in hand (resolve Event, if drawn).

STEP 1: Before Playing an Attack Card (Optional)

There are several possibilities to make your situation on the Stage slightly better. That's not obligatory to do, but feel free to use them to prepare to fight.

• Stance Change – If the Offensive player has 3 Attack Cards of the same color or 3 Attack Cards with the same Attack Area in the hand before playing a card, they may reveal their hand to the opponent and then discard these cards to their discard pile face-down and draw 3 new Attack Cards from their deck.
• Dash – If the Distance is more than 1 Space between Characters, they may perform a Dash. Shorten the Distance to 1 Space between Characters' Miniatures by moving the Offensive player's Miniature as many Spaces as needed in the shortest possible way. Note: If you need to enter any special Spaces on the way, apply the effect.
• Heat – Once per Round, you may activate the Heat Token to gain an extra Attack Slot in the String. During that String, you will not lose initiative even if the Defender guessed the Attack Area correctly and blocked your Attack.

STEP 2: Playing an Attack Card

The Offensive player places 1 hidden (face-down) Attack Card into the first available Attack Slot on the Combo Board. Attack Slots are marked on the Combo Board, and the cards should be played above them, from the leftmost to the right.

Pro Tip: Choosing which card to play is a deeply strategic decision. Some cards can trigger powerful bonuses or devastating Combos, while others may offer minimal or no immediate benefit. Since your opponent will try to guess the Attack Area, avoid obvious moves. Always balance deception with your main objective – dealing damage to your opponent.

STEP 3: Defender's Punish Attempt

The Defender tries to anticipate which type of Attack Card the Offensive player has chosen and declares one of the three Attack Areas (High, Mid, or Low). Then the Offensive player reveals the Attack Card.

• Unsuccessful Punish Attempt: If the declared Attack Area does not match the one on the played card, the attack is not blocked. The Offensive player proceeds to the Resolving the Attack Card step.
• Successful Punish Attempt: If the declared Attack Area matches the one on the played card, the attack is blocked, the String is interrupted, and ends immediately. The Defender gains the Punishment Token and places it on their first available Attack Slot. The Offensive player discards all the cards from their Attack Slots face-down into the discard pile. Proceed directly to the Refilling Attack Cards in Hand step and switch roles (Exception: Heat).

Pro Tip: Punish Attempts are not just guesswork – they are calculated predictions. While guessing, try to analyze the situation on the Stage. You can find cards available in the Common deck on the VS tile and Character Special Attack Cards on their Character Cards. Track which cards your opponent has played, which Extensions they have on their previous Attack Card, and what Combos they could trigger based on their Combo Board. Also, study the positions of both Characters' Miniatures on the Stage to anticipate the moves your opponent is most likely to make. Turning a well-read guess into a Successful Punish Attempt can shift the momentum entirely in your favor.

ATTENTION! If the Offensive player has the Punishment Token on the Attack Slot, they play an Attack Card as Punishment in that slot face-up instead: it cannot be predicted and blocked. In this case, skip the Defender's Punish Attempt step and proceed immediately to Resolving the Attack Card. (Note: You can get the Punishment Token in a Successful Punish Attempt.)

STEP 4: Resolving the Attack Card

The revealed Attack Card contains a set of Symbols to be resolved and can trigger Combo and/or Rage if the player decides so.

Available Attack Types

There are three possible Attack Types that could be activated in your string:

• Attack Card – The Symbols from an Attack Card itself and a Symbol from Extension, if it's Connected (see below).
• Combo – The Symbols from a Character's Combo Board, if the condition is met (you've played at least two cards in one String in certain colors).
• Rage – The Symbols from a Rage card become available to use when your HP is in the red zone.

Note: You may choose which Attack Type to resolve first, and the Symbols within each Attack Type may be resolved in any order. However, if you started resolving Symbols from a specific Attack Type (e.g. Combo), you cannot intermix them with Symbols from another Attack Type (e.g. Rage).

Anytime you may skip resolving one or more Symbols played by you (i.e. you don't have to Move anywhere, if you like your position on the Stage).

Symbols

Below are the most common Symbols in the game. You can also meet some other Symbols (i.e. on Characters' components or Stage Boards).

• Move – Move your Character's Miniature to an adjacent free Space (not onto Walls or the other Miniature). Each Move Symbol allows you to Move by 1 Space.
• Strike – Deal X damage (opponent loses X HP). Mark the received damage by moving the HP marker on the HP bar by X Spaces towards the centre. A Strike Symbol without a number means Deal 1 damage. You can deal damage with Strike only in Close Range.
• Push – While in Close Range, Push your opponent away X Spaces from your Character in a straight line. If there is a Wall on the way, instead of the Push type deal: 1 damage for Regular Walls, or 2 damage for Blasting Walls. (Additional information about Stage-specific Wall types is on the Stage Help Sheets.) A Push Symbol without a number always means Push by 1 Space.
• Sweep – Knock down the adjacent opponent's Miniature (lay it on its side on the current Space). While knocked down, they lose 1 additional HP for each Strike they take. Knocked down Characters can be Pushed as usual.
• Stun – Stun the opponent by placing a Stun Card in their next available Attack Slot above their Character's Combo Board. They therefore play 1 Attack Card less for each Stun card during the next String. Return Stun Cards to the supply after that String. Do not consider the Stun card as a played Attack Card.

Note: Every Symbol in the game that affects an opponent only works when the opponent is in Close Range (unless explicitly stated otherwise). That means your Characters' Miniatures are standing on adjacent Spaces on the Stage.

Attack Card – Extensions

Extensions grant additional Symbols in specific Attack Areas for subsequent Attack Cards. Extension Symbols are located on the right side of each Attack Card. You can apply their effect if the Extension Symbol on a previous Attack Card in a String matches the Attack Area on the card that is being resolved. If they do match, they form a Connected Extension. An Extension that does not match has no additional effect.

Note: Special Attack Cards have 3 Extension Symbols (one for each Attack Area), while Common Attack Cards have only 1. So if you've played a Special Attack Card in the first Attack Slot, that means that any card played on the next slot will create the Connected Extension.

Combo

The Offensive player may trigger an effect from the Character's Combo Board if a just-played Attack Card fulfills the requirements.

Combo structure:

1. Requirement – The Combo effect triggers each time the player fulfills the requirement presented in the upper part of the Combo. Usually, it specifies the order and color of Attack Cards to be played in one String.
2. Effect – Symbols that can be resolved if the Combo is triggered. Players may resolve Symbols from the Combo effect in any order or skip them if needed. You need to finish resolving a Combo before switching to resolving any other Attack Types (i.e. the Attack Card or Rage Card).

Combo requirement examples:

• An Attack Card in a specified color played after any Card in one String.
• The Attack Card just played matches the color of the Attack Card in the previous Attack Slot.
• 3 cards played one after another in one String, each in a different color.

Note: Sometimes you may trigger more than one Combo at the same moment. In this case, resolve the effects of both Combos separately.

Rage

There are two Rage Cards available for each Character. Players secretly choose one of them at the beginning of the Round. The chosen Rage Card is revealed and becomes available when the Character's HP drops to 6 or fewer (reaches the red section of the HP bar). From now on, the player may activate the effect of the Rage during their String. It can be resolved as one of the Attack Types when resolving the Attack. After activation, discard the Rage Card to the gamebox; it can't be used again during this Round.

Some Rage Cards contain extra requirements like an exact position on the Stage or specific Attack Cards played to activate. If a player activates a Rage Card and meets its requirements, resolve the Symbols available on the Rage Card the same way as Combo Symbols.

Available Attack Types Summary

Symbols from different Attack Types, such as Attack Card, Combo, and Rage, cannot be mixed! Note that the Extension Symbol is a part of the Attack Card effect.

Example: It's the second Jin's attack in the String. He has a blue Attack Card with Extension in the Mid Attack Area on the first Attack Slot.

1. Jin played a Mid Area yellow Attack Card, and Kazuya's Punish Attempt failed.
2. Jin decides to resolve his Combo first and performs Move and Sweep.
3. Jin starts to resolve his Attack Card. He sees the opportunity to push Kazuya onto the Stun Space. To do so, Jin performs a Move to stand in a straight line with Kazuya and the Stun Space.
4. Jin uses a Strike Symbol from Connected Extension to deal 2 damage (+1 for the opponent being knocked down) before he Pushes the opponent away. Kazuya receives a Stun card and places it above the first available Attack Slot.

Jin decides not to use the second Move Symbol from the Attack Card and ends his attack.

Each Character has their own unique set of components. The components and the Symbols on them introduce unique mechanics specific to that Character.

STEP 5: Refilling Attack Cards in Hand

The Offensive player draws as many Attack Cards from their deck as needed to restore the hand to 3 cards. If you need to draw a card and your deck is empty, shuffle your discard pile to form a new deck. If an Event Card is drawn, immediately reveal it and trigger its effect, then discard it to the discard pile.

Additional Mechanics

Heat

Each player begins the Round with a charged Heat Token. Once per Round, before playing an Attack Card, a player may decide to activate the Heat Token.

Heat Activation:

• The Offensive player gains an additional fourth Attack Slot (mark it by placing the Heat Token on the right side of the Combo Board), and their String does not end if the Defender blocks an Attack Card (effectively guaranteeing the possibility to play 4 Attack Cards in this String).
  • If the Attack Card is blocked while Heat is activated, the attacking player discards the played card to the discard pile and places a Stun card in that Attack Slot. Attacks are interrupted, but the String is continued.
• The Defender does not gain the Punishment Token after a successful Punish Attempt.

After activation, turn the Heat Token to the discharged side. It can't be used again during this Round.

Note: The Offensive player can also activate their Heat Token after resolving their 3rd Attack Card, to make a slot for the 4th card.

Example: Jin decided to activate Heat before playing the second Attack Card in the String. Jin played the Attack Card face-down in the second Attack Slot. Kazuya guessed the Attack Area correctly, so his Punish Attempt was successful. The attack is blocked, however, Jin does not end his String, because he has active Heat. Jin discards the Attack Card and places the Stun card on the second Attack Slot instead. Jin continues the String and plays the third Attack Card. Kazuya's Punish Attempt is unsuccessful, so Jin resolves the Attack Card. Even though it is yellow, Jin's Combo 2 cannot be triggered, as the Stun card in the previous Attack Slot cannot be used to fulfill Combo requirements. Jin plays the 4th Attack Card above the Heat token. Kazuya's Punish Attempt is unsuccessful, so Jin triggers Combo 1, dealing 1 damage with Strike, resolves the Attack Card along with the Connected Extension, and ends his String.

Events

Each Stage contains Event Effects. During setup, players shuffle up to 2 Event Cards into their Attack Cards decks (depending on Stage special rules).

There is no way to have an Event Card in your hand. Whenever drawn, it immediately triggers its Effect, depending on the chosen Stage, and goes to the discard pile. Draw another card to refill your hand to 3 Attack Cards.

Determining the Next Offensive Player

The Offensive player continues the String (remains the Offensive player) and proceeds to the Playing an Attack Card step if at least one Attack Slot remains available and either of the following is true:

• The Punish Attempt was unsuccessful (the last Attack Card was not blocked).
• The player has activated Heat during the current turn (regardless of whether the last Attack Card was blocked).

Otherwise, the players switch roles. In that case, all cards placed on the Offensive player's Attack Slots should be discarded (move Attack Cards to their discard pile and Stun Cards back to the supply). Knocked down Characters stand up.

Then the Offensive player's String is over, and they become the Defender for the next String.

Note: The discard pile should be hidden, preventing the opponent from seeing the cards in it. During the Round, players cannot look through the cards in their decks or discard piles.

End of the Round

The Round ends immediately when at least one Character is Knocked Out – their HP is reduced to 0. The winner of the Round is the Character with any remaining HP. In case of a tie, both players are considered winners.

Stage Example: Descent into Subconscious

In TEKKEN – The Board Game, ignoring the Stage is a quick way to lose – even against a moderately experienced player.

Every Stage has its own gimmicks, and this one has two of them. Here, strategic planning is key: where you and your opponent stand matters. Being on cracked glass or close to a wall can give away your intentions – and help you predict your opponent's next move. At the same time, you'll need to account for these factors in your own actions to avoid being punished.

Stage Gimmick: Floor Brake

• When you attack an opponent standing on a Cracked Floor space, reveal Breakage tokens equal to the number of Strike symbols in your attack (damage is not counted).
• There are 3 cracked tokens and 3 empty ones.
• When the 3rd cracked token is revealed, the Stage flips to the Underside, with both Characters staying in the same relative positions.
• The Offensive player gains a Punishment token, making their next attack unblockable.
• Cracked Floor spaces marked in red show where the cracks are located on the other side of the Stage.
• Breaking the Floor Again – If the 3rd cracked token is revealed again on the Underside, the Stage flips back to the Upperside. The Offensive player gains another Punishment token, and all tokens are reset.

Key Definitions

Possible Positions

Close Range – a situation on the Stage when two Characters' Miniatures are placed on adjacent Spaces. Each Symbol that affects your opponent can be resolved only when your Characters' Miniatures are in Close Range. Otherwise, you just punch the air and nothing happens.

Distance – a situation on the Stage when two Characters' Miniatures are NOT standing on adjacent Spaces. Whenever you would need to count Distance X Spaces away, X will be the number of Spaces between Miniatures in the shortest way, whether or not that path is a straight line of hexes.