When a new Marvel game hits the shelves, expectations are always sky-high. This is the world of Spider-Man, Black Panther, and the Avengers—icons so deeply tied to pop culture that players demand more than just another game. They want a superhero experience that feels true to the comics, while also delivering the kind of table moments you can’t stop talking about afterward.
That’s the heart of *MARVEL: Skirmish! In New York*, and in this designer diary, we step behind the curtain to explore how the creative team pulled it all together—the challenges, the decisions, and the sparks of inspiration that shaped the final design.
The City as a Battleground
At its core, the game is about tactical skirmishes—heroes and villains clashing across New York’s skyline. But rather than treating the city as simple scenery, the designers saw it as a living, breathing character in its own right.
A fight in Times Square plays out differently than one in a Hell’s Kitchen alley. Skyscrapers invite long-range tactics, while tight corners demand close-quarters brawls. By tying mechanics to geography, every session takes on the rhythm of a comic book showdown where the setting shapes the stakes.
Playing in Character
One of the hardest challenges? Making sure each hero and villain didn’t boil down to a flat stat line. The breakthrough came in creating asymmetrical decks and distinct power sets that influence play style.
- Iron Man emphasizes resource management and precision.
- Captain America thrives on positioning and leadership.
- Spider-Man focuses on agility and redirection.
The result is a game where you don’t just *control* a character—you think and act like them.
Speed Meets Accessibility
The team faced another balancing act: rules heavy enough to offer depth, but fast enough to keep momentum. Dozens of prototypes later, they landed on a structure that felt natural:
- Move
- Take an action
- Use a special ability
It keeps turns snappy, yet introduces just enough resource management to satisfy strategy-minded players. That sweet spot ensures battles feel explosive without ever bogging down.
Stories at the Table
Perhaps the biggest design goal was ensuring players leave each game with a story to tell. Those cinematic beats—the rooftop ambush, the last-second shield throw, the perfect team synergy—aren’t scripted. They emerge naturally as different powers collide in unpredictable ways.
This focus on emergent storytelling transforms every match into its own mini-issue of a Marvel comic, each as unique as the players behind the table.
Behind the Scenes: The Marvel Factor
Designing a Marvel game comes with its own set of guidelines and limitations. Not every character could be included in the core box, and the team had to prioritize a balanced lineup—recognizable heroes paired with strategic variety. But far from limiting, this challenge sparked excitement: it meant room to build future expansions.
The plan was never just one game. The Marvel universe is simply too vast to contain.
The Takeaway
*MARVEL: Skirmish! In New York* is a balancing act between fidelity to beloved comics and clever game design. It’s built to engage both Marvel fans looking to step into their favorite battles and board gamers excited for a fresh, fast-paced skirmish system. Simple to learn, tough to master, and endlessly replayable—it’s both homage and innovation at once.
Question for You
If you could bring one Marvel showdown to your table, would you stage the galactic scale of the Avengers facing Thanos, or keep things grounded with a gritty duel on a Hell’s Kitchen rooftop?