My brother-in-law’s question was innocent enough.
“Have you tried Marvel Snap yet?”
A couple of years ago, I devoted a column to the collectible trading card game Magic: The Gathering. Its addictive nature and multifaceted allure, which includes deep strategy, storytelling, artwork and potential real-world financial gain, had captured my attention for several years prior. After three years of intense interaction with Magic, I sold off my cards and moved on to other hobbies.
I still miss Magic, or rather I miss the experience I had with it. When Magic clicks (or at least like it clicked back then, much has changed since I played), it’s an experience akin to being in love. It’s all encompassing, and you’re not likely to care. Everything else can take a back seat. There are friends to be made, games to be played, cards to be collected and so much more. But, as happens when one dives headlong into a relationship, other things fall by the wayside.
I’ve been tempted to return to Magic after our breakup. I’ve looked longingly at the foil-wrapped packs of cards and the latest premade decks, catching the hype about the long-awaited digital version, Magic Arena. I know, though, that there’s no recapturing that Magic magic and I can’t, nor do I want to, spend the resources needed to regain that former passion. I proved that to myself with a couple-year rebound relationship with Hearthstone, a digital-only TCG run by the folks who make World of Warcraft and Overwatch. In fact, I’ve done my best to swear off any sort of collectible card game for good, and I’ve been successful. Until now.
Mobile collectible card game Marvel Snap launched in mid-2022 and quickly gained popularity. Gaming sites touted that it avoided many pitfalls of collectible card games. The temptation began there. I held out for a few months until my brother-in-law texted me shortly before Christmas.
I have now tried it, and I’m happy to say it really does avoid many of the pitfalls of most card games, paper or digital. Even the Marvel comics theme doesn’t annoy and is actually quite charming, despite the Marvel deluge that populates our media landscape.
The game plays as such: Each player assembles a deck of 12 cards to face off against one other player. Cards cost energy to play, and each turn sees the player’s energy increase by one after starting with one energy on the first of six turns. Each card has an energy cost, a power total and may have abilities that affect play. The play field features three locations with randomized states that also affect play. For example, one location may grant the players extra energy for one turn and another might not allow cards to be played there until turn six. The player with the highest point total at two locations at the end of turn six wins the game.
The games are short, usually anywhere from three to five minutes, and the strategy is satisfying without causing brain cramps. Meticulous play is rewarded, but, like any card game, there’s some randomization that keeps things fresh. The “snap” mechanic keeps things interesting, as well.
In order to move up the in-game ranking system, players gain and lose cubes. At the start of a match, each player automatically antes up one cube. If you’re feeling confident that you’ll win, you can snap, thus doubling the number of cubes in the kitty, all the way up to eight cubes per match. To the winner go the cubes. Every 10 cubes, you move up a rank. Every 10 ranks, you earn an in-game reward. It’s a solid and fun system that fits easily into a quick match on a break or a longer session over the course of an evening.
Like any free-to-play game, there are in-game purchases, and this is where Snap is unique. Most digital TCGs sell packs of cards, and players are at the mercy of luck and a less-than-generous card creation system to get the cards they need. In Snap, cards are unlocked through upgrading the cosmetic state of cards using card boosters, which are earned through playing matches, and then purchasing the upgrades with credits, which are awarded through challenges that refresh every eight hours.
The beauty here is this: Most card games toss you into the deep end right away, and you’re learning a complex game while playing against opponents with much deeper collections than yours. Snap unlocks cards as you upgrade your card cosmetics, thus giving you a chance to play against others in your collection pool. By the time a player reaches collection pool three, where the most powerful cards reside, you’ll be ready for the challenge and have a few shiny holographic cards to show off, as well.
It’s not a perfect system. You’ll feel tempted to put some cash into the game when you move from one pool into another and you’re facing decks with cards you don’t have yet. Don’t fret, though. The game’s monthly season pass option offers generous rewards and, for anyone wishing for a competitive edge, it’s pretty necessary, as it also offers a new card that is introduced that month. In short, the $10 season pass option is well worth it.
Snap balances solid strategic game play, an entertaining theme, rewarding collection and progression, for a stellar card game I’m glad to have given a chance. No, it doesn’t offer the intense competition and level of strategy in other card games, but it also doesn’t require cleaning out your wallet just to become competitive. Like any healthy relationship, it acknowledges you’re there to drop in and have fun, not drain you of all you’ve got. It’s the kind of game you can take home and introduce to your family.
Will Thompson, VHS.D, holds a doctorate of cult media in pop culture from University of Maine at Castle Rock. He delivers lectures on movies and other pop culture topics under the moniker Professor VHS. Thompson is on Instagram as @professorvhs and can be reached via email at lcvrecordswap@gmail.com.
