Marvel Snap, a recently released free-to-play card game, contains over 200 cards representing various superheroes, villains, and other Marvel-related characters and animals. The obvious heroes are included, like Wolverine and The Hulk, but there are some deep cuts and odd choices, too. For example, Uncle Ben is in the game. And his primary ability is to die and bring in Spider-Man.
Developed by former-Hearthstone director Ben Brode’s studio Second Dinner, Marvel Snap is a new card game officially released on October 18 on PC and mobile devices. It plays differently than basically any other card game out there right now, with a focus on short, chaotic matches and small decks. Plus, every match is different thanks to the three zones that add and remove mechanics randomly each match, sometimes even altering mid-game, depending on your cards. Unlocks are constant, and you can upgrade cards showing your characters in all sorts of styles, from breaking out of the frame to becoming fully animated. The end result is a very good game that has already sucked up hours of my life and is starting to spread among other Kotaku writers and editors. Oh and not only can you totally kill Uncle Ben in this game, you’ll want to. Really.
This went semi-viral on Twitter over the weekend, but yes, Uncle Ben is really in Marvel Snap. And yes, when his card is destroyed, the game adds a Spider-Man card to your hand. It’s a very simple ability and yet, it’s also morbidly perfect for Uncle Ben’s card. His in-game destruction (aka death) leads to Spider-Man showing up. It’s like a trading card remake of Peter Parker’s superhero origins. After all, in most Spider-Man stories, Uncle Ben’s death is the catalyst for Spider-Man’s entire adventure.
The Uncle Ben card in Marvel Snap is an excellent example of what I love about this new Marvel-based card game. Characters in Snap tend to have abilities that are simple to understand, fun to use, and perfectly suited for the character. There’s Quicksilver, a card you get right at the start of the game. His ability is that he always shows up in your hand at the start of the match. Makes sense, considering how fast Quicksilver is. Another great example that is similar to Uncle Ben is Bucky Barnes. When Bucky’s card is destroyed the Winter Soldier takes his place.
The current season in Marvel Snap is Spider-Man themed, which helps explain Uncle Ben’s inclusion, and fittingly one of the unlocks includes a Carnage card that can destroy other heroes to power itself up. You can have an entire Spider-Man deck themed around making sure Uncle Ben dies.
Still, no other character in Snap is quite as meme-y and wild as Uncle Ben and his death ability. Now we need Aunt May in the game with an ability that lets her turn into the Golden Oldie.
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