What do you get when you combine one of the most popular modern tabletop games with the biggest IP in popular culture today? You get the Infinity Gauntlet of all games. Splendor: Marvel looks to add a touch of flavour to a game series that desperately needs some.

Gone are the generic gems and recycled card art of Splendor. In Splendor: Marvel each card features a unique hero/villain from the Marvel universe. The gems have been replaced with the Infinity Stones, still using Splendor’s signature heavyweight components. The original game sorely lacked a theme, making it a tough sell at face value. But with a touch of Marvel magic, the overall package is given a major upgrade.

In Splendor: Marvel, players race to collect all 6 Infinity Stones and accumulate 16 Infinity Points, while recruiting heroes and villains to aid along the way. The Character cards are divided into 3 tiers of increasing costs and points awarded. Each Character provides players with a discount for future purchases of one colour-type. Players may also acquire Location tiles if they have met the condition. Each Location tile is worth 3 points. The first player to acquire 3 Avengers tags will be awarded they Avengers Assemble tile, which is worth 3 points. If any other player surpasses the leader’s current amount of Avengers tags, they will take the tile.

Players may perform 1 action on their turns. Players may take 3 tokens, each of a different colour. Players may take 2 tokens of the same colour, provided there are 4 remaining in that colour. Players may reserve a card for future purchase, and take 1 Shield token which can be used as a replacement for any token when purchasing. And lastly, players may purchase a Character card. The first player to collect at least 1 card of each colour and a total of 16 Infinity Points, completes and collects the Infinity Gauntlet and is declared the winner of the game!

The original Splendor is a true modern classic. It’s the perfect gateway game with just enough interactivity for strategic cutthroat play. It is simplicity in its finest form. The only drawback is its super dry theme. It’s a tough sell as a recommendation if players aren’t easily won over by fundamentally sound mechanics. Splendor: Marvel solves that problem entirely. Having unique Character cards that you recruit in your quest to unite the Infinity Stones adds a layer of excitement and narrative. It’s not just the mainstream Characters either, you’ll find your share of Spider-Hams and MODOKs in the mix.

The best part of this collaboration is that more people will be exposed to the great game that is Splendor. Marvel has not been shy with its IP in the tabletop world, and many great games have come from it. I appreciate that they didn’t alter the gameplay much from the original. The thematic additions still preserve the integrity of the core game. If you already own a copy of Splendor, there’s no need to double dip unless you’re a hardcore Marvel enthusiast. But if you don’t, this is the definitive version to own!