Marvel Snap
Review

Marvel Snap (2022) is an undemanding collectable card game where you build decks of Marvel heroes to go head-to-head with other players. Play involves choosing just 12 cards from the 100's available, ensuring they work together in your battle. It's a game that stands out for the small size of your chosen deck and how the playfield offers different benefits in specific locations each round.

You assemble your Marvel dream team from a roster of cards featuring all the heroes and villains. Each battle is designed to be fast-paced and highly strategic and feels different not only because of who you are fighting.

The basic premise is placing cards to gain a higher attack value than your opponents cards in each of the three location tracks. Play focuses both on the selection and upgrading of cards in your deck as well as effectively playing them. Each card has an energy cost to play. They also interact with other cards in various ways. Finally, playing them in certain slots of the board can grant additional benefits.

As the battle progresses the effects of cards become more important. For instance, a card may gain attack power for every opposing card in the same location. Or another card may gains power if you play no others within the next turn. The effects of the different locations on the board also become more important. For example, it can double the ability effect of a card, or maybe stop other cards being played.

The final piece of the puzzle is the Snap aspect of play. At any point in a game you can Snap/Bet to double the rewards of winning. This not only offers another layer of strategy but also adds a gambling-like mechanic to play where betting, bluffing and retreating make all the difference.

The result is a really fun and approachable card battle game. The limited hand size and number of ways to build your deck combines with the importance of placement to create a really tactical game - even if it does have some gambling-like aspects.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Marvel Snap 13 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 13 months ago.