At first glance, Toy Battle might look like a Clash Royale knockoff, but there’s more in this toy box than meets the eye. This two-player battler delivers deceptively simple gameplay and lightning-fast matches, with eight unique game boards and strategic troop abilities that keep each round feeling fresh. If you can look past its playful aesthetic, Toy Battle offers some genuinely satisfying moments that players of all ages can enjoy.
What's in the Box
Toy Battle comes in a compact box designed to resemble a locking metal toybox, adding a playful touch right from the start. Inside, you'll find a short instruction manual (with a QR code for a video overview), a player aid sheet, and several thick punchboards containing all of the troop tiles. There isn’t much to punch out – just 48 total troops (24 blue and 24 red), with three copies each of the eight unique toy units you'll control during the game.
Two high-quality wooden stands are included to keep your troops upright, organized, and hidden from your opponent during play. A small brown bag holds 16 medal markers used for scoring, and you’ll also find two simple-to-assemble storage boxes (one blue, one red) that help keep your troops separated and secure when the game is packed away.
Beneath everything are four double-sided game boards, each featuring a distinct terrain for a total of eight themed battlefields. These range from castles and cities above the clouds to volcanic jungles, cemeteries, and space stations. But they’re more than just cosmetic changes; each board has a unique layout and special bases that can be activated to trigger game-altering effects. Every square inch of the game's box is used efficiently, with everything fitting snugly back inside when playtime’s over.
Rules and How It Plays
The goal in Toy Battle is to be the first player to either conquer your opponent's headquarters or collect the required number of medals by controlling terrain. To achieve this, players take turns placing troops onto the battlefield, starting near their own headquarters and advancing along connected paths until one of the win conditions is met.
To begin, players select one of the eight terrain maps. For your first game, the rules recommend playing on the Castle Field map as it features a symmetrical layout and straightforward special base effect. One player takes control of the blue troops, while the other commands the red. Medal markers are distributed based on icons shown on the map, and each player shuffles their troops into facedown stacks. The starting player draws three troops and places them on their rack, while the second player draws four.
Players perform one of two actions on their turn: either draw two troops from their reserve or place a single troop on the terrain. Drawing troops gives you more options to work with, but it also gives your opponent a chance to advance toward victory. When placing troops, you can claim an empty base on the board or cover one of your opponent’s troops if your unit’s power is higher. Balancing the need to maintain pressure with the need to keep your rack full is one of the core strategic dilemmas in Toy Battle.
Each troop has a power level from one to seven and a unique effect that activates when played. For example, Skully, the 1-power unit, doesn’t offer much raw strength but lets you draw two additional troops, making it a valuable early-game play.
Other troops include Cap'n, the 2-power unit that allows you to play an extra troop during your turn; Jumbo, the 3-power unit that lets you discard one of your opponent’s adjacent troops; Hook, the 4-power unit that can be placed onto any base on the board to get behind enemy lines or disrupt your opponent's plans; XB-42, the 5-power unit that allows you to randomly discard a troop from your opponent's rack; and Star, the 6-power unit that lets you draw a troop from your reserve while putting a strong body on the board.
Roxy, the 7-cost unit, doesn't have any effect, but is the strongest standard troop in the game. Then there's Kwak, the joker unit that can be played on top of any troop but can also be covered by any other, making it both flexible and vulnerable.
While the troops are designed to resemble familiar children’s toys like green army men, dragons, and robots, I never really felt like I was waging an epic toy box war. Most of their abilities didn’t feel thematically appropriate, and they often came across more like generic meeples than distinct characters with charm.
There are three copies of each troop in a player’s stack, but four are removed at random before the game begins. This adds bit of randomness and a layer of uncertainty that carries throughout the game as you try to deduce what you and your opponent might still have in reserve. Anticipating and playing around potential moves becomes a crucial skill in Toy Battle, creating constant micro-decisions that ultimately shape the outcome of the match.
Another key element to consider is the terrain you and your opponent are playing on. Each of the eight maps offers a unique layout, with multiple paths leading to your opponent’s headquarters, similar to a MOBA. Bases along these paths serve as spaces where troops can be deployed, and with only about five between headquarters, you'll be fighting for control almost immediately.
Most maps also feature special bases that trigger unique effects, like returning a troop to your rack, drawing from your reserve, or reclaiming a discarded unit. These hotly contested spaces can swing the momentum of a match if used wisely. Some boards introduce variety in other ways, such as an asymmetrical layout with an extra headquarters for one player to defend, or a central zone that nullifies all troop effects. These twists force you to rethink your approach and keep each match feeling distinct.
As mentioned earlier, reaching your opponent’s headquarters isn’t the only way to win. Each map has medal tokens scattered across both sides, appearing as single medals or grouped in twos or threes. If your troops control every base surrounding a medal or medal group, you claim it. Be the first to collect the required number for that terrain, and you win. This alternate victory condition makes for tense moments and forces you to adjust your strategy on the fly depending on the state of the board.
While Toy Battle doesn’t offer the layered complexity found in some other battlers and may not appeal to players seeking deeper strategy, its quick setup and lightning-fast matches make it a fun addition to any collection. It’s approachable for all ages, can be taught in minutes, and ideal for families or younger players. With most games wrapping up in about 10 minutes, it’s easy to play a few rounds and walk away feeling satisfied without committing your whole afternoon.
