Tabletop Game Review – Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power

Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power by Ravensburger
Price: ~$35.00
Players:
2 to 4
Playtime:
40-80 minutes
Perfect for:
Families full of Marvel fans who enjoy competitive strategic card drafting games.

Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power is a game of machinations. Players assume control of some of Marvel’s most iconic antagonists (Thanos, Ultron, Hela, and Killmonger in this first of presumably many iterations) and attempt to thwart both their fictional heroic counterparts as well as the people they are playing against. Sabotage is the name of the game and to win Marvel Villainous, players must be cunning and strategic.

To begin Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power, two to four players choose their characters and also receive corresponding tokens, game board, villain deck, and fate deck associated with their chosen villain. The fate decks are then shuffled together and the power markers (essentially money) are put into a communal pool. Important note: Infinite Power is in a different series than Disney Villainous, and is currently not cross-compatible.

On a turn, a player moves their token from their current spot on the board to another open location (most boards have four locations in total). Each location then has four possible actions associated with it and so when a player arrives there, they have the option to perform those actions if they are available. Common actions include playing cards, moving played cards, discarding cards, and revealing cards from fate deck in the hopes of slowing down opponents’ progress.

Cards from the villain deck give the player advantages, or a boost towards their goals. For example, cards in this deck might be allies or items that can be played at locations, making that space more powerful. The fate deck however contains heroes, events, effects, and other nuisances to villains which can also be played at locations, but within opponents’ domains, and when played they lock two of the four actions at that space. They must be defeated by played allies in order to reunlock the available actions.

RELATED: Tabletop Game Review – Disney Villainous: Perfectly Wretched

In Infinite Power, each character possesses an asymmetrical gameplay style in terms of goals. Thanos must collect the six Infinity Stones by invading other players’ domains with his allies. Ultron wins by upgrading himself through playing specific cards and collecting power tokens. Hela has to acquire eight allies and/or mark heroes’ souls, while Killmonger must create anarchy in Wakanda and ultimately defeat Black Panther to ascend to the throne.

What works in Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power is the thematic adaptation and the balance between progression and competitive engagement. A great deal of thought went into building each villains’ gameplay style as is evidenced in their associated allies, heroes, items, and most importantly the steps they need to take in order to win the game before their opponents. Ultimately Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power is a race—players must be thoughtful if they want to spend their time trying to achieve their own objectives or throw down obstacles to stop others from achieving theirs.

Players who prefer cooperative games, or aren’t well-versed in Marvel properties, may not enjoy Marvel Villainous as much as others. Players do indeed need to be a little ruthless (it is called Villainous after all) in order to succeed, so the group assembled should be comprised of people who will appreciate the fierce competition as the villains destroy each other’s well-laid plans. Also, a bit of luck comes into play as many objectives are dependent upon finding and playing particular cards in specific places. Drawing those cards early could mean an easier path to victory.

If you’ve played any of the Disney Villainous titles, Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power will feel familiar with a few distinctions. First, the fate deck is communal, so with multiple players, there are choices about who to thwart (although fare cards “associated” with a character will always hurt them more than others). The interaction level is a bit higher as well, as characters often cross domains to achieve their objectives (Thanos especially). This ultimately results in more aggressive engagement.

Recommended if you like: Disney Villainous, Vs. Series, Star Realms

Final Grade: A

Continue the LRM Online conversation on Discord by CLICKING HERE!

—–

Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcast feed yet The LRM Online Podcast Network? This includes our flagship podcast Los Fanboys, our premiere podcast Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, GeekScholars Movie News, and our morning show LRMornings. Check it out by listening below. It’s also available on all your favorite podcast apps!

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts |  Spotify  |  SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play

Night Terror Banner   GenreVerse FOR FANBOYS, BY FANBOYS Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcasts and videos on The Genreverse Podcast Network? Available on YouTube and all your favorite podcast apps, This multimedia empire includes The Daily CoGBreaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, GeekScholars Movie News, Anime-Versal Review Podcast, and our Star Wars dedicated podcast The Cantina. Check it out by listening on all your favorite podcast apps, or watching on YouTube! Subscribe on: Apple PodcastsSpotify |  SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play
Share the Post: