Marvel Battleworld Game Review
For a long time I’ve seen the Marvel Battleworld game in the store and always wrote it off thinking it was a gimmicky toy. It’s sold as a blind bag collectors toy — you never know which hero you’re going to get inside so I thought for sure it was a rip off. This month we got the chance to check them out and I am happy to report that I was wrong about them!
Our kids have been loving this game — rushing through their chores to play together and I think it’s because Funko has done a few key things really well!
If you’re not already, be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok where we have videos showing Marvel Battleworld like this unboxing of a Battle Ball.
What is Marvel Battleworld?
Marvel Battleworld is a cooperative, expandable, collectible battle game for 1 to 5 players. Players will use their heroes to fight and defeat battle cards. The number of battles you have to complete to win the over all game depends on the number of players playing.
How is Marvel Battleworld Sold?
You can purchase Battleworld either as a Battle Ball or in a Mega Pack. Each option gives you the full game that you can play. Inside the Battle Ball (enough for 1-2 players) are two characters, one trapped in a Thanostone to unlock during play. The Mega Pack (allows for 1-4 players) has 6 characters. One character can be seen from the outside of the pack, two more are in a bag, and two are trapped in Thanostones.
Both the battle ball and the mega pack give you everything you need to play the game, just at different player counts. If you buy multiple battle balls, it will expand your game and you’ll be able to play with more than 1-2 players.
Each hero has it’s own unique character card that gives them their attack abilities in four different areas. Many characters also have a unique ability players can use during the game.
How Do You Play Marvel Battleworld?
To play, players will flip over battle cards and then choose one to place their hero on to battle. Each battle card has an attack type. You’ll select the highest attack type on your hero card that matches one shown on the battle card. This number on your card is your base attack which you’ll add to by rolling the battle die.
You’ll add the result of the die to your base attack. If it meets or exceeds the number printed on the battle card then you win. You’ll move your hero onto the blue battle track, if doing so puts you on the final blue space, you’ve defeated this card and can flip it over. It now counts towards the total number of battles you need to win the game.
If you lose the battle, then you’ll add a danger token to the card. If a card ever gets three danger tokens that card is flipped over with a danger token on top. You must now work harder to win.
THANOSTONES
During the game, a set number of Thanostone cards are shuffled into the battle deck. When these cards come out, you place one of the Thanostones upon them. You battle these cards just like any other. However, when you win, you get to crack open the Thanostone to reveal the brand new (hopefully) character within! This immediately becomes a playable character during your game which you can use to help you win.
What Do We Think?
Marvel Battleworld is an excellent blending of toy and game! This is perfect for kids in that 6-8 age range (and older!) that they can both be excited to open and play by themselves.
Why I like the Marvel Battleworld Game
Let me first just say that this is a fairly good game for the cost and what you’re getting. I love that my kids can play this on their own. Our boys love choosing which characters they want to play with and which battle cards to include in their game.
Battleworld gives kids a great chance to practice building their game, setting it up, and managing it free from adult oversight.
As an adult, I enjoy playing with my children, but I wouldn’t necessarily get this game for myself. While there are choices for kids to make, they are best suited to challenge children. That’s totally fine in my book — I don’t look at this as a game for adults. (Though I’m quite excited to see which characters we get!)
I love that this isn’t just a blind bag toy that’s relatively useless once the packaging is ripped off and the initial thrill of seeing what’s inside has faded away, sometimes instantly. Instead players become invested in what’s inside the Thanostone — it’s a new character for their game after all!
Do The Different Series Options Matter?
Marvel Battleworld is currently on Series 3. You can start with any series you choose. Each series merely adds a new keyword to the game for players to play with. (And new characters to collect of course!) You can start with series three and then add a series 1 or 2 pack later on.
You Don’t Have to Buy New Packs to Play! (But they sure are fun!)
You don’t have to buy a brand new game every time you want to play Battleworld, but the game is benefitted by having at least a handful of characters to choose from.
We put the heroes we aren’t playing with inside the battle ball and randomly pull out one when we defeat a Thanostone. However, I think the price of the Battle Balls ($8-10) and even the Mega Packs ($20) are really reasonable for what you’re getting and we’ve frequently been able to find them on sale both in store at Target and on Amazon. Truthfully, they’re priced so well that it’s very easy to go overboard so look out for that if you get into this one!
Usually with a blind bag toy it’s a disappointment when you get a character you already have, but we’ve found with Battleworld that the figures are so cute you’re kind of excited to have an extra you can play with as a toy.
These are also really well made miniatures. They have nice detail and come painted, looking adorable. Much better than some of the other blind bag items my kids have enjoyed over the years. (L.O.L. dolls are the bane of my existence!)
Summary
Marvel Battleworld is the coolest take on blind bag toys that I have seen! The game is great for elementary kids, fun to play together as a family, and highly addictive. For parents looking for an expandable game that their kids can learn and continually add to through expansions, this one is perfectly made for them and gets better with each new character
Highly recommend! This is an excellent option for birthday, Christmas, and stocking gifts!
Marvel Battleworld Options
Series 1 Battle Ball, Mega Pack
S2 Battle Ball, Mega Pack
S3 Battle Ball, Mega Pack
Upgrade Pack (Gives you reusable Thanostones to put heroes into, upgraded coin and tokens. Not necessary but we love ours!)
Game Info:
Title: Marvel Battleworld
Designer: Prospero Hall
Publisher: Funko Games
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