I hesitantly descended Tony’s basement stairs. The lights were off, but bursts of colored lights interrupted the darkness. Screaming and pounding bass assaulted my ears. I was not prepared for what I was about to see.
Tony was hunched over a turntable, wearing a terrible 3d printed rendition of Daft Punk headgear and awkwardly dancing to his tuneage. His two children were running around with glowsticks in hand and, hopefully, abundant ear protection. They were screaming, but if it was from enjoyment or terror I will never know. Behind Tony, I could barely discern… something… covered under a sheet.
As I approached Tony, I screamed “WHAT IS THIS????”
He started doing the robot.
I tapped his shoulder. He turned to me, and, without hesitation, moved some switches and knobs on his turntable. The music came to a crescendo, two pillars of white light converged on him, and he dramatically revealed what was hidden by the sheet.
“MARVEL REMIX”
And with that, the basement erupted in lights and audio shockwaves.
I grabbed the game and hurried out before my eardrums exploded.
This is the true story of how I received my copy of Marvel Remix.
Gameplay Overview:
Marvel Remix is card drafting game for two to six players. It is a Marvel-themed reimplementation of Fantasy Realms. Games play quickly, taking between 15 and 30 minutes.
Players start the game with seven cards in their hands, made up of six cards from the Remix deck (consisting of heroes, allies, and locations, as well as other familiar hallmarks from the Marvel universe) and one from the Villain deck (cards that have high point values but a negative effect that must be overcome).
The game is played over numerous turns. During their turn, a player draws a card from either the Remix deck, from one of the face-up cards in the Discard Area, or from the Villain deck. They then discard a card, faceup, to the Discard Area. This repeats until there are ten discarded cards, at which point the game immediately ends.
Players score the seven cards in their hand. If a player does not have a hero or ally from the Remix deck and a Villain from the Villain deck, they score 0 points. The player with the most points wins the game!
Game Experience:
I really enjoyed Marvel Remix. I only had two issues with the game, and both are minor and correctable.
First, the card stock did not keep up with the many games I played. Constant shuffling and wear and tear led to the damaging of the black borders around the cards. This can be prevented by sleeving your cards, but I just wanted to make you aware of it when you play your copy. Otherwise, the cards are great. The art is fantastic. The card layout makes it easy to quickly discern its information, the icons are big and the card text is easy to read and understand.
Second, I wish the base game included more cards. You do get 61 Remix and 18 Villain cards, but after about six games you have seen them all. Yes, I am still having fun building new combos every game, I just wish there were more cards. I will definitely be purchasing expansions if they are released in the future.
Otherwise, I loved this game. The two aspects of Marvel Remix that provide a very enjoyable gaming experience are the fun of building combos with your cards and well as the tough decision of which card to discard each turn.
Scoring the most points, like 98.76% of all board games, is the objective of Marvel Remix. Points are scored from the seven cards in your hand at the end of the game. They are earned from both the card’s base power as well as from bonuses that are explained in the card’s text and are often tied to icons on cards. For example, I have Black Widow in my hand. She provides a base power of six, has one Intel icon and two Agility icons. I also have Discover Weakness, which has a base power of zero, but is worth 11 points for every pair of Intel and Agility icons in my hand. Now I REALLY want to find more cards with Intel and Agility icons! Trying to build or improve a combo in your hand is why I like playing this game so much, especially when you draw exactly what you are looking for! That being said, it is also important to know when a combo isn’t going to work or a card is expendable.
This leads to the second reason Marvel Remix is a hit for me—deciding which card to discard at the end of the turn. This can be difficult, especially when you have seven good cards in your hand. Not only do you have to worry about your hand, but you also have to worry about what card you are discarding because one of your opponents can take it. Balancing what you need vs. preventing from giving your opponents a helpful card was very entertaining for me.
In addition, remember that the discard pile is the end game timer. Every time a player draws their card from either the Remix or Villain deck, an additional card will be added to the Discard Area. Conversely, every time a player takes a card from the Discard Area, the game is extended as the number of cards will not increase that turn. As the number of cards builds up, the pressure of the end game approaching increases. Picture this: it is your turn in a three-player game and there are eight cards in the Discard Area. Do you take a discarded card, even if it isn’t a HUGE improvement to your current hand, knowing that the only way the game ends before your next turn is if BOTH players draw from a deck? Or do you draw blind, not knowing what card you will get, and add a ninth card to the Discard Area, risking the game ending before your next turn? That scenario is why I love this game!
Finally, there are three other quick hitting reasons I liked this game:
- Easy to teach and learn – you can explain the game in 5 minutes and players will understand it before the first game is completed.
- Plays fast – most games are 15 minutes long once you know how to play. It is the perfect game to end your evening or when you are tight on time.
- Travels well – his game is perfect for a vacation game. It has a small footprint and the box is small.
Final Thoughts:
I never had the chance to play the original Fantasy Realms, so I cannot compare Marvel Remix to its inspiration. I have played both recent reimplementations (this and Star Trek: Missions), and Marvel Remix is the superior version. Quick gameplay, tough decisions, and playing well with two to four players make this a hit in my books.
My recommendations are to at least try the game, if not buy it, if the following applies to you:
- You enjoyed Fantasy Realms and love Marvel
- You enjoyed Fantasy Realms
- You have never played Fantasy Realms and love Marvel
My only hesitation would be if you never played Fantasy Realms and have no interest in Marvel. In that case, I would recommend trying out the original first.
Final Score: 4 Stars – An entertaining card game that will remain in my collection.
Hits:
• Trying to decide which card to take and which to discard is engaging
• Ramp up in tension towards endgame is excellent
• Easy to teach and learn
• Plays quickly
• Small footprint/great for travel
Misses:
• Cardstock could be better
• Base decks could be slightly bigger
