Thread by @GailSimone

Okay, there has actually been a bit of a lull in #MagicPorch activity, so in today's #TabletopGails, we played two games that were among the MOST SUGGESTED by you!

WOOT! They are by two of my favorite companies, too.

This was FUN. Let's see what they are!

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First is MARVEL SMASH-UP by @TheOpGames, and
DISNEY’S VILLAINOUS: DESPICABLE PLOTS by @RavensburgerNA!

Both of these games are hit series, these are the specific sets we played...both are standalone AND expansion sets.

Common factor was FUN.

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Start with MARVEL SMASH UP.

As always, if you have played these games or have questions, please feel free to jump in the thread...the designers and publishers often join in at some point and can be very helpful!

This is the Marvel version of a big hit series.

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I may get some of this a bit off, please correct me if I'm wrong. SMASH UP is a hit series card game for two players and up. I believe it came from @alderac and the one we're playing, Marvel, is co-produced with @TheOpGames.

They have LOTS of sets, which can combine.
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The fun thing about it is, you have several 'factions' in each box. The Marvel set has eight. Each player picks two.

In the Marvel set, they are Hydra, Sinister Six, Spider-Verse, Ultimates, Avengers, SHIELD, Kree, and the Masters of Evil. You combine your forces!

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What makes that even more fun is, you can use factions from other sets, to have sharks and Hydra, or Spider-verse Fairy Princesses.

The game is fun just for the mechanics, but the added delight of mixing teams raises it to another level.

We only have the Marvel set, these.

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The entire product is first class, the box design, the interior card insert, and the art in the cards is gorgeous, great art from the comics themselves,
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The idea is, there are lots of bases, famous locations in the Marvel Universe. On your turn, you send characters to those bases, or have them perform actions, to try to control those bases. The basic rules are simple, but there is a LOT of variety.

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(also, someone from both @alderac and @TheOpGames is following this thread so feel free to ask questions!).

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You get victory points for each base you conquer (there are partial victories, too, which adds a fun twist). The person with 15 victory points wins.

So our review is, this game is so fun we want to get the other sets like right NOW.

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It's simple to learn...the ONLY complex bit is sometimes figuring out the order of effects, but I suspect that's part of the fun. Like all great card-based games, there's elation and frustration and lots of cursing when someone takes the base YOU wanted.

Great!

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Just a super fun game, we loved the whole competitive vibe of it, and they make wonderful use of the Marvel theme. It really did feel like masterminding strategy in the MU!

Highly recommended, thank you @TheOpGames and @alderac. Can't wait to try other sets!

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If you know Smash-up, let me know your favorite expansion sets here, okay?

And as always, these games have been given to me, my opinions are my own, I am not paid for talking about them, and they would love you to check for these games at your local friendly game shop! :)

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Next! When I first asked for suggestions for board games to play during quarantine, I think this was the NUMBER ONE suggestion. It’s DISNEY VILLAINOUS by @RavensburgerNA!

Now, like Smash-up, there are several sets, including Marvel, that can be combined or played alone.

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This game is a big hit, and has crossed over into the mainstream market really well. But man, it’s just such a beautiful game. For a Disney fan like me, it’s a dream to look at and play.

We only have the newest set, DESPICABLE PLOTS right now, but...

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...I’m pretty sure we will but the rest. Playing URSULA VS. ULTRON is too compelling.

Anyway, just a gorgeous design, every piece feels solid and beautiful, especially the ‘movers’ which represent your bad guy player.

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I keep talking about how the design and art of board games has taken such a jump upward. It may seem a little thing, but it makes a huge difference in how a game FEELS when your card and board set up looks this awesome.

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The funnest thing in this is, these are all versions of the story where the bad guys WIN.

Each player has different goals, and plays in their own 'realm.' But your opponent can play FATE cards to mess you up!

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In the newest set, you can play The Horned King from Black Cauldron (bit of an obscurity, which I like), Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, or Lady Tremaine from Cinderella.

Each has separate victory conditions, so play is very different each game.

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The thing is, the game just looks and feels great. Unlike Smash-Up and other card games, this one feels more stealth and strategic, so there’s less frenzy at least when we played, but just as much fun. You play the worst of the worst!

For a card based game, it’s lush!

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You move your piece on your game board, and play cards to achieve your particular victory goal. Because it’s different for each character, it’s hard to summarize.

But you do feel the heat when the other players are near their goal!

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So, for all of you who raved about this game to me, YOU WERE RIGHT, DAMMIT. :)

It’s fun just for the game. But if you are a Disney fan, a Marvel fan, or just plain want to see the bad guy win, you will love this game. We can’t wait to add in the other expansion sets!

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That’s it for this thread of #TableTopGails!

Both games =WAY highly recommended.

Thank you so much to @TheOpGames theop.games
And @alderac Alderac.com

And @RavensburgerNA Ravensburger.us

We’ve never played a bad game from any of these!

As always, thanks for reading and I’d love to hear from you on these games or any games, really, on this thread!

EDITED TO ADD!

I made a small mistake when talking about the VILLAINOUS sets. Apparently, the Disney and Marvel sets (there's only one Marvel set at the moment) can combine witch like sets, but not across brands due to some rules differences. My mistake, sorry, @RavensburgerNA!