Marvel Snap Review

Marvelous Collections

Starting up Marvel Snap, players are immediately pulled into an edgy soundtrack and sharp graphics. Marvel Snap is the newest game attached to the Marvel Universe family. The graphics and sounds allow for a lack of narration or story. But Marvel Snap isn’t a plot-centered game. As a deck-building strategy game, Marvel Snap does not need to lean on narration, instead it depends entirely on gameplay. Favorite Marvel Universe icons decorate collectable cards in characteristic power poses. At its core, Marvel Snap is a deck-building, Marvel icon collecting game. It is not a new concept, but Nuverse and Second Dinner understood that it is an appreciated one. Tapping into the Marvel Universe fanbase, the developers add a new layer to deck building with card upgrades earned through battles. Think 3-dimension. Then think special foil designs. And then think animated movement. If players can think it, Nuverse added it.

Snap Right to It

The gameplay of Marvel Snap is not that far off from the other popular deck-building game, Gwent. Mobile players have a “battlefield” broken up into three locations, each with its own unique effect. In six turn-based rounds, players use their randomly drawn hero cards to accumulate the most power points in a single location. Best two out of three wins. Some cards come with special features that can up other cards’ power points or utilize the opponent’s cards to force-multiply the gamer’s score. There is no tutorial because there is no need. It is very straightforward. For a small while, victory after victory had me assuming that Marvel Snap was just about collecting Marvel Universe characters like baseball cards and pretending to strategize victories. I grew concerned that I was, in fact, not actually playing against other real players but instead computer-generated opponents. But then, the game takes off the kid gloves. Location cards become dangerous, and the league of players proves why they are in a league of their own. Climbing through the ranks – and always at a risk of being kicked out of it – is an addictive challenge that comes with tangible rewards.

No Snap Judgements

Of course, every game comes with its hiccups. Marvel Snap is no different. Slow response times and a broken mobile notification system

break some of the sleekness. Freezing and jittery controls are just staple with new games, and hopes are high they will be patched quickly. And I am sure as the gameplay unfolds, more issues will arise and require patching. We will see how the developers hold up to the persistent need for mobile game perfection.

All in all, Marvel Snap provides a good escape for players in a very familiar environment with beloved characters. Rounds are quick, cards are easily collected and upgraded, and new features will be unveiled as time goes on. Overall, a game worth the time and effort trying early.