5-Minute Marvel
WE PLAY 2 LEARN
Game Ratings
FAMILY
8
YOUNG KIDS
6
OLDER KIDS
8
ADULTS
8
Overview
| Players | Playing Time | Best Age | Educational |
| 2 - 5 | 5-10 minutes | 6 - Adult | Team Problem Solving |
| Skill | Luck | Strategy | Social | Game Type | Play Style |
| 60% | 40% | 40% | 60% | Card | Cooperative |
5 Minute Marvel is a fast paced game for the whole family. It is cooperative and games take only 5 minutes to play with the standard rules. We especially like that while the basic mechanic is quite simple (essentially color matching), the fast pace and use of a few other elements add some nice depth to the game as well. This means it can appeal to both casual and serious players. It can also be a great game for combining players of multiple skill levels or ages with just a few rule modifications (see our Custom Rules section for more on this). We've even included our two year old in games and everyone still had fun. It does not have as strong of an educational element as some other games we review, but can help develop strategic problem solving skills in a team environment.
This game will be especially appealing for comic book fans in general and Marvel fans in particular. The play style of the game fits the hero theme well. And as you can see in our photos below, they did a great job with the artwork. There are also a wide variety of villians included from the Marvel universe. The particular heroes chosen made seem odd as some more obscure ones were included, but it can also be a fun way to learn about some new heroes.
One big question board game players will ask is, how is this different than 5 Minute Dungeon? The basic mechanics of the two games are actually identical. Use cards in your hand to match colors/symbols and defeat doors/villians. But there are a few key differences as well. We detail those differences below, but the end effect is that 5 Minute Marvel is a little easier to win when using a 5 minute timer. However, it is very simple to increase (or decrease) the difficulty level of either version of the game. If you're trying decide between the two, we would suggest choosing whichever theme (fantasy or superhero) appeals to your family more.
- 5 Minute Marvel vs 5 Minute Dungeon
- In 5 Minute Dungeon players have less cards overall so they must be more careful when discarding to use a power, otherwise they will very likely run out of cards and lose the round. However, while 5 Minute Dungeon does have some ways to recover discarded cards, 5 Minute Marvel does not.
- In 5 Minute Marvel certain event cards may "injure" your hero, which will prevent them from using their powers. This does not happen in 5 Minute Dungeon.
- In 5 Minute Marvel each player has two decks of cards they draw from to make their hand. Each hero has 10 unique hero cards that form one of their decks. The second deck is made of the 120 resource cards that are divided among all players at the start of the game. Each player's resource deck will then vary in size depending on how many people are playing. In 5 Minute Dungeon each hero only has a single deck of cards and it does not change.
How to Play
LEARN THIS GAME IN OUR HOW TO PLAY VIDEO!
Official Rules
The official rules are available from the manufacturer here. The rules are well explained, including helpful illustrations.
Enhanced Rules
This is an exciting game using the official rules, but will require some customization when playing with younger kids as we explain in our Custom Rules section.
Fast Facts
How many players?
- Playable with 2-5
- Best with 2-5
What ages can play?
- Playable for ages 3* to Adult
- Best for ages 6* to Adult
*Using the official rules, this is really a game for older kids and adults because the timer makes it very challenging. However, this game can be easily customized to accomodate younger kids as we suggest in our Custom Rules section. With some of these changes it can become a fairly straightforward color/symbol matching game. This will allow younger kids to participate with only minimal help. We have even been able to have 2 year olds play along with the group in this way.
Can different skill levels or ages play together?
Yes, but if you're including younger kids we we suggest using some of our Custom Rules.
When using the official rules, this is a fast paced game and the cooperative play style means that players of different skill levels can become frustrated with each other if playing the game very seriously. For this reason, we recommend using a longer timer the first couple of times playing the game. Then lower the time as your family is ready.
How long does it take to play?
Only 5 minutes with official rules, up to 10 minutes with our Custom Rules
Will we get bored after a few games or does it have good replayability?
The core gameplay does not change, but there is enough variability between the heroes and challenges to keep things entertaining. The fast pace will also help add excitement each time you play. Be aware this is not a game you will want to play for an hour straight, but it is one you can pull out frequently for short game sessions.
Setup/Cleanup
How much work is it?
Low-Medium. There is some time required to setup the door/villain cards at the start and sort out each player's cards at the end, but it's really only a few minutes for each.
Would kids be able to do it on their own?
Setup of the dungeon cards will require counting up to 30 for the final boss. Other than that, a 4 year old could likely setup and cleanup on their own.
Will parents have fun too...
...when playing with the kids?
Yes, but plan to play at a slower pace and with a longer timer.
...without the kids?
Yes, this game is really intended for older kids and adults playing with others of similar skill/age.
Educational Value
What skills will this game help develop?
Team Problem Solving
The cooperative play style means that players will have to work together to find the best way to defeat the villain cards. This will not simply mean looking at each others cards to find the player with the right color/icon either. There will be times throughout the game that the team will not have the right cards to defeat a villain by matching the color/icon. They must then decide if they use a special Action Card, Special Ability, or some combination of both. All the while the timer will be counting down so the team must decide quickly.
But will my kids actually have fun playing it?
Yes, this game is really all about having fun.
Custom Rules
To make the game easier, especially for younger kids
Allow more than 5 minutes to win or remove the timer entirely
The 5 minute timer can make this game quite challenging so we suggest user a longer timer for the first few games. If playing with very young kids you may even eliminate the timer entirely at first.
Play with more cards in hand
This will not affect overall gameplay too much and makes the game easier by giving each player more options. We suggest only using 1 or 2 more cards than the official rules state to use for the number of players in your game.
Use less villain cards (Doors and Crisis cards)
If you find your team coming up just a little short each game, this is a simple change that should help. And it has even less impact on the basic gameplay than the last suggestion. Remove only a couple door/villain cards for a small decrease in difficulty. Remove more villain cards or some Crisis cards for an even easier game. If playing with very young children (2-4 years old), we often don't include them in the player count at all when determing the number of cards to use as statedin the rules.
Do you use custom rules we haven't thought of? If you have found some other ways to customize the rules, please share them with us through our Contact page. We're always interested in new ways to improve gameplay.
Where to Buy
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