Review - Marvel Remix
By - Flawless Cowboy
*In-ship audio recording playback: Stardate 2124*
Cowboy: “147 points?! How in tarnation did you get that!?”
Clem: “A hundred years ago, my predecessors were passing the Bar exam and writing college papers for lazy students. I assure you this game is barely a test of my immense cosmic power. What did you end up with Meatbag? 45 points!? That’s...not too bad for a human I guess”
Cowboy: ”Well I was hopein’ I’d pull some more mutants, but that didn’t pan out like I thought it would”.
Clem: “That’s just how the weed tumbles Cowboy”
Cowboy: “I reckon you’re right. How long until we are out of this hyperdrive cruise?”
Clem: “Another 10 hours”
Cowboy: “Well shucks Clem, guess we have time for a few more games then”
Overview
Marvel Remix is a 2-6 player Hand Management game in which players draw and discard cards each round to maximize the points each of their cards is worth. Once 10 cards have been discarded the game ends and players count up the points their card combinations have scored. A game round lasts about 15-20 minutes depending on the player count.
The box fits a lot! -Sleeves not included-
Component Quality
The cards are decent quality overall, but I do recommend sleeves. After a few games of normal play with players who respect cards (not rough shuffling or mistreatment) I noticed some fraying on the edges. I purchased some clear mat sleeves (I prefer dragon shield or gamegenic) and took care of that issue. The score pad pages are double sided which is a nice touch. It stores well on its own, and the box even fits the sleeved cards nicely as well.
Inclusion & Special Needs
With a good variety of Marvel heroes and villains there is a good swath of representation, a bonus of the modern day Marvel lineup. All the cards have text on them as well as color coding, so if you have issues with seeing colors you are good to go. The Cowboy has a good friend who is Red/Green color blind, so every time he discovers a new game his first thoughts is “Could my friend play this?”
Gameplay
Marvel: Remix is a light game, both easy to learn and quick to play.
Players start the game with seven cards - six Remix cards, representing the heroes, and one Villain card, which punish players with negative points unless their conditions are met. In order to be able to score at the end of the game, you’ll need to have at least one Hero card and one Villain card.
On your turn, you have one of three actions you can perform:
Draw from the Remix deck then discard a card
Draw from the Villain pile then discard a card
Pick up a card previously discarded by another player and then discard a card
I love a classic “Clutch” Shot
As you draw and discard cards, you’ll try to create point combos with cards in your hand. For example, The Black Panther card gains an additional five points for each other Wakanda tag on other cards in your hand. If you decide to keep Blank Panther, you’ll want to try to draw cards with those tags. Cards can have multiple different tags, and building a hand of cards that score multiple other cards is often key to victory.
When the tenth card is placed into the discard pile the game ends. Players reveal their hands and calculate the points each card provides. The player with the highest score wins.
Simple...but is it fun?
*Calculating...*
Fun Factor
Why yes, it is quite fun. While there is a significant amount of luck (you’ll often find your opening hand is as important as the cards you draw during the game) the game goes by so quickly that you can easily shuffle up and play again within 15 or so minutes.
Creating thematic card combinations is immensely enjoyable. Being able to have Steve Rogers score extra points with Thor's Hammer and Captain America's Shield, for example, helps bring this otherwise themeless card game to life. It’s interesting as well to try and predict what opposition players are searching for. Discarding a card that ends up completing a combo for another player can be the difference between winning and losing. This provides interesting player interaction without the game needing to include any take-that mechanisms. What you do or don’t do matters to the other players and sometimes it's just as enjoyable to see an opponent achieve a high score.
Since there is no direct manipulation of opponent hands, players who prefer games with high player interaction may want to choose a different game. Those that enjoy a more laid back vibe in their filler games will enjoy this “beer and pretzels” game. No stress, no take that/gotcha mechanics, no complicated stack, just players trying to get the best score they can while enjoying each other's company.
The end scoring can get a little complicated sometimes with all the triggers that happen. Younger players may need help calculating their scores.
Does the Cowboy Recommend this game
Absolutely partner. It’s a game that I will keep in my saddle bag. I can see this being my go-to quick game that I can play at almost every cantina. The cost is low and you will get your creds out of it, just know you are going to want some sleeves for this game, so calculate that into your price consideration.
Cowboy: Wait, are there cowboys in this game?
Clem: *dial-up Sigh* Just a moment...
*applies cowboy hat sticker to Magneto*
Cowboy: Close enough! YEEHAW!
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Final Verdict
✅ Easy to learn
✅ Fast to play
✅ Fun license for the game
✅ Low cost
✅ Very replayable
❌ Sleeves are needed
❌ End scoring can be a bit much for some
❌ Bad starting hands can be a bummer
Marvel Remix was purchased at a local game store. No review copy was given.
