Excelsior!
The name ‘Marvel’ has reached a level of popularity in the last fifteen years that even Stan Lee himself could have never imagined. It’s truly become a household name and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is owed a huge thanks to that. Ever since Iron Man in 2008, the MCU has consistently delivered quality movies year after year that have generated billions in revenue. Of course, there have been a few misses here and there, but overall the library is stellar and has helped introduce characters nerds such as I have known and loved for years into mainstream media and pop culture.
The influence of the Marvel brand in the board gaming sector is significant, with its appeal and popularity driving a surge in interest for Marvel-themed board games among gamers and enthusiasts alike.
Even before the MCU’s takeover of cinema, Marvel would lend out their settings and characters to all kinds of merchandise. You could always find plenty with the Marvel stamp on it, but nowadays there are more TV shows, video games, and paraphernalia than ever. Marvel tends to stay abreast of current trends, so it’s no surprise that with the increasing popularity of board games over the last couple of decades, you’ll find plenty with their stamp on it.
What are the Best Marvel Board Games?
Marvel board games come in a wide variety of styles, utilizing dice, cards, figures, or all of the above. They appeal to a range of ages and vary greatly in complexity. The popularity and appeal of Marvel characters in various tabletop games enhance gameplay and draw in audiences, making the experience more accessible and engaging for players of all ages, particularly younger fans. Below are a handful that are all a little different from each other that we think are some of the best out there.
Marvel United
Players: 1-4 Time: 40 minutes Age: 14+
In Marvel United, players work together as iconic Marvel heroes to thwart the schemes of villains like the Red Skull and Ultron. The heroes will have to rescue civilians, defeat thugs, and overcome various threats whilst trying to prevent the villain from completing his master plan! Gameplay is mostly dictated by playing cards which will allow both hero and villain to move to different locations and take various actions. The villain will be utilizing threat cards to throw a spanner in the works or deploy thugs or civilians to keep the heroes busy. Heroes meanwhile will be saving civilians and tackling thugs in order to complete the mission, all with the end goal of cornering the villain and putting an end to their plans!
Exploding onto the scene a few years ago, Marvel United is a popular cooperative game that isn’t overly complicated, requires strategy to succeed, and offers replayability through the various heroes and villains. There are also tons of expansions and alternative versions of Marvel United, including X-Men and the multiverse, that offers hundreds of characters to play as. Although collecting all the versions is costly, it’s fan service of the highest caliber!
Marvel Champions: The Card Game
Players: 1-5 Time: 45-90 minutes Age: 14+
Embody iconic heroes from the Marvel Universe as they battle to stop infamous villains from enacting their devious schemes. Play as Spider-man and stop Rhino from rampaging in the street of New York, or Iron Man and prevent Ultron from enacting global annihilation! Whoever you choose to play as, you’ll use a deck specifically customized for that hero, and use it to try and defeat your nemesis and their deck. Players can call on allies to assist them and use special items and equipment to try and defeat the villains, all while trying to fulfill their alter-ego’s obligations! Villains will unveil their plans in stages and along the way call upon minions to take part in their schemes. As the threat increases, the pressure mounts for the heroes, but who will be successful?
Marvel Champions is a living card game that emphasizes deck-building elements and ongoing expansions, allowing players to create customized decks using their favorite characters.
A highly rated cooperative card game, Marvel Champions includes solid mechanics and features many different faces from the Marvel universe. Offering a solo mode as an alternative way to play, several large expansions, and dozens of separate hero decks to try out, it’s a great game that offers many different ways to play.
We cover this game extensively on our site, so check out our complete Guide to Marvel Champions for more information.
Marvel Zombies
Players: 1-6 Time: 60 minutes Age: 14+
Play as zombie versions of your favorite heroes and face off against others who have yet to be infected. In this twist to the classic Zombicide formula, you must use each characters unique skills and abilities to go about spreading the zombie plague far and wide. Although players have switched sides for Marvel Zombies, the game plays out in a very similar way to most other Zombicide products. Players will work through various scenarios, exploring the map and completing objectives, leveling up their characters as they go, and gaining new traits. Playing as zombies however, players will have to devour civilians and shield agents in order to gain XP and keep their hunger under control. Occasionally a hero who hasn’t been infected will pose a bigger challenge and try to disrupt the Zombies fun, but if players work together they’ll turn them too eventually!
Captain Marvel, with her unique abilities, plays a crucial role in the gameplay dynamics, allowing players to engage in battles against well-known villains from the Marvel universe.
Combining the fun of Zombicide games with the entertaining Marvel Zombies storyline, the Marvel Zombies game is great fun and highly enjoyable. As with all CMON products, the game boasts many highly detailed figures and offers an expansive experience as players characters level up. Although playing as the villains offers a new twist on the game series, there is an alternative version available that lets you play as the heroes to try and quell the Zombie pandemic. Just in case you prefer the traditional experience.
Thanos Rising: Avengers Infinity War
Players: 2-4 Time: 60-90 minutes Age: 10+
Relive the Infinity War and work together to defeat Thanos and his allies. Play as your favorite heroes and recruit others to join your team before Thanos can assemble all of the Infinity Stones! Working cooperatively, players choose one of four team leaders each, and use them to recruit Marvel heroes and defeat Thanos’s minions. Play is based purely on rolling dice, with each player having a specific set available to them at the start of the game. Rolling the right symbols will allow players to defeat villains or recruit other heroes. This in turn may expand the number of dice a player can roll on their turn, as certain heroes sync up together and grant additional bonuses. Thanos will roll his own dice each turn too however, and this may result in him attacking the heroes, activating his minions’ abilities, or collecting one of the six Infinity Stones. If he can collect all six or defeat enough heroes, the game is over. If the heroes can amount enough offense however, the players win!
Using the live-action movies more than comics as a reference, Thanos Rising is a challenging but fun game where players must strategize carefully whilst relying on luck at the same time. Featuring plenty of recognizable characters, it’s an easy enough game to get to grips with, and with various levels of difficulty, it’s a game that’s sure to keep you coming back for more.
Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power
Players: 2-4 Time: 40-80 minutes Age: 12+
Why try and fight against Thanos, when you can fight AS Thanos? Dominate the Marvel Universe as an iconic Marvel villain, using unique abilities to complete your goal and fulfill your dark destiny! Using Disney’s Villainous game system, players choose one of five villains and go about trying to complete a path to victory that’s unique for them. Players will have a handful of locations they can move to throughout the game, each one allowing them to perform certain actions, then draw cards and take specific actions. Playing cards will allow the player to summon allies, use items, action effect cards, or play a speciality card which can have a big impact on the remainder of the game. Fate cards can also be drawn which will either call upon a hero for rival villains to fight, or trigger an event that could negatively impact the other players. Whichever player manages to complete their objective first is the winner.
Marvel Villainous is a Marvel deck building game that features various expansions and gameplay elements, allowing players to take on iconic villains from the Marvel Universe. Its intuitive mechanics and diverse roster of heroes make it accessible for new players interested in deck-building games.
Appealing to a wide audience, Villainous is a great game for all ages. It’s simple to get into and gameplay is straightforward, but does require a degree of strategy in order for a player to come out on top. With varying levels of challenge and some expansions to try, this is a fun game for anyone that’s wanted to be the bad guy.
Marvel Crisis Protocol
Players: 2 Time: 45 minutes Age: 14+
An epic tabletop miniatures game featuring heroes and villains from the Marvel universe! Assemble your team and pit your forces against your friends on an interactive field of battle. Players select up to ten characters to make their team, each one with a card detailing their attacks and abilities. The game are is constructed using all kinds of scenery, and each player draws a crisis card, which lays out that teams mission. The players will then take turns to move around the board, gradually inching towards completing their objective, and of course, take part in super-hero fisticuffs. Like most skirmish games, the rules on combat and detailed and require players to think carefully about their movements, taking line of sight and elevation into account for example. Unique to Crisis Protocol however are the tactics cards, which players can use to their advantage to give their team a much-needed boost. Whichever team completes their objective first is declared victorious!
Marvel Dice Masters is another competitive tabletop game that allows players to create teams of their favorite Marvel superheroes using custom dice, emphasizing strategic elements.
Although it can appear quite intimidating on the surface with it’s hefty combat rules, measuring sticks, and dozens of markers, Crisis Protocol is a highly enjoyable game and the closest thing you can get to simulating real superhero and supervillain encounters. Offering hundreds (no really) of characters to add to your team, this is a must-have for Marvel fans!
5 Minute Marvel
Players: 2-5 Time: 5 minutes Age: 8+
A chaotically fast-paced cooperative card game, 5 Minute Marvel lets a group of superheroes battle past a cast of villains in only five minutes. It’s a race against the clock where everybody wins or loses together. Players pick one of ten heroes and use their unique deck to run through an onslaught of villains to make it to the ‘boss’. Once all villains are defeated the heroes win, but it’s not that simple. Players will need to match symbols on their cards to the door cards they must break through in order to get to the final villain. Failing that, players can use action cards or special ability cards to take out the villain. Occasionally crisis cards may hamper a hero’s progress and injure them. As long as the heroes can make their way through all the villains before the timer runs out, they win.
Marvel Remix is another compact and engaging card game that focuses on assembling a hand of heroes, villains, and items, encouraging players to explore different synergies and combinations.
A simple game that’s especially fun for younger players, 5 Minute Marvel takes the premise of 5 Minute Dungeon and fills the game with heroes and villains we know and love. Easy to learn, simple to play and doesn’t take more than five minutes to finish, it’s a great game especially if you’re short on time.
Marvel Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game
Players: 1-5 Time: 45-90 minutes Age: 14+
Join your favorite Marvel heroes in Legendary, a cooperative deck-building game where you assemble a team of legendary heroes to stop the villains. Each player starts with their own unique deck that grows throughout the game by recruiting heroes and battling villains. Using strategy and teamwork you must defeat the villains and ultimately face off against a master villain that’s a real threat. With multiple scenarios and expansions available Marvel Legendary has endless replayability for fans and new players alike. Whether you’re playing with friends or solo the game is full of Marvel action.
Marvel Remix
Players: 2-6 Time: 30-60 minutes Age: 10+
Marvel Remix is a fun twist on the classic card game, Fantasy Realms, where you get to play as your favorite Marvel characters and outwit other heroes and villains. In this fast paced game you collect character cards and combine their abilities to create powerful combos to defeat your opponents and win. The game encourages creativity as you build your team and navigate through challenges and changing game dynamics. Easy to learn and quick to play makes Marvel Remix perfect for family game nights and casual gatherings, bringing Marvel to your table.
Marvel Splendor
Players: 2-4 Time: 30 minutes Age: 10+
Marvel Splendor combines the mechanics of the original Splendor with Marvel characters and themes. In this fun game, players collect gemstones represented by cards of heroes and villains to buy character cards that give ongoing bonuses. Strategy is key as players try to earn the most prestige points by getting the attention of Marvel’s biggest names. Beautiful artwork and simple rules make it accessible to all ages. Strategy and fast play make Marvel Splendor a must have for Marvel fans and board gamers.
Conclusion
So those are some of what we would consider the best Marvel board games out there. With a universe so large though, there are so many games out there we can’t cover them in jut one post. So if there’s any you’ve played and enjoyed that didn’t feature here, let us know all about them!
Also Read: A Comprehensive List of Marvel Champions Expansions
FAQ
1. What types of players are these games suited for?
The games listed vary in complexity and player age recommendations. Many are suitable for family play, while others cater to more seasoned gamers. It’s always best to check the age and player guide for each game to ensure it fits your group.
2. How long do these games typically take to play?
Playtime varies from game to game. For example, 5 Minute Marvel can be completed in just five minutes, while Marvel Villainous and Marvel Crisis Protocol can take anywhere from 40 to 80 minutes. Always consider the time commitment when planning your game night.
3. Are these marvel board games easy to learn?
Most games mentioned provide straightforward gameplay mechanics and detailed instructions. Titles like 5 Minute Marvel are designed for quick understanding, making them ideal for new players. In contrast, others like Marvel Crisis Protocol may require more time to grasp due to their detailed rules.
4. Can these games be played with a large group?
While some of the games support larger groups, such as Marvel Villainous which accommodates up to four players, others like 5 Minute Marvel can include more players (up to five). Always check the player limits before planning your game night.
5. Are expansions available for these games?
Yes, several of these games have expansions that introduce new characters, mechanics, and challenges, particularly Marvel Villainous and Marvel Crisis Protocol. Expansions can enhance the gameplay experience and offer new strategies for players.