‘Marvel SNAP’ – A Microcosm of the Collectible Card Game

Even though I am a “one game” type of gamer, I am a multi-platformer type gamer, so while my PlayStation 5 and PC are eternally locked into the latest Destiny 2 expansion and my Steam Deck currently locked into the early access of Spiritfall, there are many games on my phone. My Friend Pedro, Mini-Metro, and Team Fight Tactics were mainstays on my phone but as of the start of the year, there is only one game I login to regularly: Marvel SNAP.

Marvel SNAP is a digital collectible card game from Nuverse that I would describe as a streamlined Smash Up. You are armed with a deck of twelve character/entities from various Marvel properties vying for control of three different locations given an allotment of steadily increasing energy. The game originally launched in October 2022; however, around that time, I was still deep in my fascination with Team Fight Tactics because that’s the power of a good animated adaptation (although, Cyberpunk 2077 is unfortunately not afforded that same courtesy at the moment, although that may change). However, even the fastest TFT games were a minimum 15/20 minutes and I needed something that I could sneak in shorter intervals.  Enter SNAP during its fourth season. When you first log in, the game gives you a preliminary starter deck with super simple cards. The set includes Quicksilver, a 1-drop card that always starts in your hand to guarantee you’re able to play (to wit, one of the developers tal…