Dice Throne is already a lot of fun on its own, but what happens when you combine it with the comic book behemoth Marvel? It turns out that you get one of the best pick-up-and-play Marvel experiences available when you play The Op and Roxley’s Marvel Dice Throne because it combines the already addictive mechanics of the base game and pairs them with the stellar theme and rich roster of characters from the House of Ideas, and it’s a difficult combination to break away from.
Marvel Dice Throne Review – A Potent and Truly Amazing Combination
Dice Throne is a dice-based strategy game with tactical card play, powerful heroes, and unique abilities. It gives you each a distinct character to play, and you activate their special abilities by rolling dice and collecting the required number of symbols.
Dice Throne has the Marvel canon at its disposal this time, and it makes excellent use of the theme. Thanks to a plethora of offensive and defensive powers, status effects, and character cards, your play style and approach will vary greatly from character to character, and you can’t help but feel as if you’re embodying the character you know and love from comics and films.
Of course, some characters feel more authentic than others, and much of that will depend on your personal preference for certain heroes and villains, but there is so much fun to be had simply exploring new characters and seeing how they change your own personal approach to the game. I always play as Captain Marvel whenever I get the chance, and Marvel Dice Throne didn’t let me down, as Carol hits hard with powerful blasts that can be enhanced with a bit of planning by her Cosmic Ray effect. You can also obtain Radiance to boost her defensive abilities, and knowing when to use these boosts becomes extremely important for her. To truly complete things, you must bring your own Chewie or Goose to the table.
What most impresses me is how well-integrated all the systems are and how entertaining the main dice-rolling mechanic remains even after numerous replays. I especially liked using Black Panther to boost my damage and defense, Spider-Man to web up enemies and deliver crucial combos, and Doctor Strange to use spells to draft more cards and re-roll my dice. One of the most unexpected surprises was playing as Black Widow, who may be my favorite character in the game. She’s such a unique blend of melee, deck manipulation, and range that I wanted to play as her over and over, but the same can be said for many of the characters in this core box.
Presentation is important as well, and The Op and Roxley nailed it. The individual GameTrayz containers hold everything for the character and look delightfully sleek, and the boards and components all look stunning and feel substantial when they hit the table. Each character has an active special ability and a unique card for their deck, which I thought added another layer of strategy to the game, because if you use the second ability, you flip the card over and the game is over. It wasn’t absolutely necessary, but I appreciated what they added to the experience.
It’s difficult to find fault with Marvel Dice Throne, as it combines the original’s already compelling gameplay with one of my favorite themes, embracing what makes Marvel’s characters so special and unique and translating that to gameplay that anyone can enjoy after just a few turns. Marvel Dice Throne is a game I would recommend to anyone looking for a good time, and it’s even more fun for Marvel fans.
