Marvel Snap
Developed By Second Dinner
Published By Nuverse
Played on Android OS

The Skinny: Marvel – The Gathering
Marvel Snap is a mobile collectable card game based on the Marvel comics, movies, and TV shows. Players build decks of twelve cards of heroes and villains from across the Marvel Universe, and attempt to hold up to three locations, much like the table-top card game Smash Up. Players use either their cards raw strength or tricky abilities to gain the upper hand at each location. There is a surprising amount of strategy and depth involved.
Over six rounds, players gain energy points to play cards, increasing from a base of one. One cost cards are weaker but often more versatile than expensive cards that can only be played later. Cards also have other various abilities, and these are clever and tie into the powers of each of the cards. For example, Colossus, being tough and invulnerable, can’t have his power reduced by enemy cards or from location effects. The assassin Electra can remove a one-cost card from the same location.
There is a nice big pool of cards to draw from, each with different kinds of effects. The combat took some time to grow on me, but now that I have gotten the hang of it, matches are fast and addictive. Its the sort of game you can easily stay up too late playing just one more round.
 Marvel Snap also maintains good card balance and combats ‘rich kid syndrome.’ Because the cards are in sets released as the player upgrade their decks, new players are encouraged to try out different combinations, and receive their rewards randomly. While there is a ‘Premium tier’ that grants certain exclusive cards and does feel a bit heavy-handed, players do not buy cards, just variant illustrations and other cosmetic rewards. And part of the fun is chasing that next card you need to make your deck stronger.
 And the art is the star of the show. Since this is a online only game, the art is upgraded in ways that only a video game can produce, breaking their card boarders and animating. There’s even a nice 3D effect. Every card has unique animations when played as well. Ant-Man shrinks when you place him on the board and Cyclops is laid down with an accompanying optic blast. As cards are ‘upgraded,’ which is the heart of the advancement mechanic, the central illustrations break the borders of their cards, get small animations, and even upgraded logos. A variety of variant cards exist as well for each character. Some recreate iconic designs or character moments, while others are more whimsical, such as pixelated or ‘chili’ variants.
 Marvel Snap is an intuitive and addictive battling card game available now on IOS and Android app stores.