Marvel Snap
MOBILE + PC DIGITAL COLLECTIBLE CARD GAME (2022) by SECOND DINNER STUDIOS (founded by former HEARTHSTONE lead designer BEN BRODE). Fast 3-MINUTE MATCHES + 12-card decks + 3 locations. Signature 'SNAP' mechanic — players double stakes mid-match creating high-stakes bluffing. Uses MARVEL comic characters (Iron Man, Thanos, She-Hulk, Storm, etc.). App Store Game of the Year 2022. Won GDC Award for Best Mobile Game 2023. Established competitive scene with SNAP Championships.
Quick facts
Category
Esports
Type
Individual
Players
2–2
Duration
~3 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
2022 launch (Oct 2022 global iOS/Android/PC)
Olympic
No
Popularity
major
How it works
Objective
Win 2 of 3 locations by having higher total power at end of round 6.
Rules
Basic rules
Build 12-card deck from your collection
Deck construction.
3 locations reveal one per round (rounds 1, 2, 3)
Signature location mechanic.
Play 1+ cards per round to any of 3 locations (max 4 per location)
Placement strategy.
Each round both players submit simultaneously + reveal
Simultaneous play.
SNAP: double the stakes; opponent can Retreat (halving loss) or accept
Signature bluff mechanic.
After 6 rounds, higher-power team wins each location; 2 of 3 wins the match
Win condition.
Scoring
Ladder rank via cubes (won/lost 1-8 per match); Infinite is top rank.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Win a match with 1 cube (no snap) | +1 cube |
| Win a match with 2 cubes (1 snap) | +2 cubes |
| Win a match with 4 cubes (2 snaps) | +4 cubes |
| Win a match with 8 cubes (both snap) | +8 cubes |
| Retreat instead of losing | Lose 1 (or current stake) |
| Reach Infinite (Rank 100 = top rank) | Endgame achievement, resets monthly |
Win condition · Reach Infinite ranked or Championship Series top placement.
Equipment
iOS + Android smartphones + tablet + PC (Windows)
Multi-platform
Touch or M/KB
Both fully supported
Free-to-play with cosmetics + card acquisition
Season Pass model
Terminology
- SNAP
- Double the stakes mid-match; opponent must Retreat or accept.
- Cubes
- The stakes in each match (1-8); form your ranking.
- Infinite
- Rank 100 = top rank; resets monthly.
- Location
- 1 of 3 board zones each match; each has unique effect.
- Second Dinner
- Studio that made SNAP; founded by ex-Blizzard/Hearthstone leads.
- Card Collection Level (CCL)
- Progression system determining unlocked cards.
Major competitions
Marvel Snap Championship Series
quarterly + annual · Global online + regional finals · since 2023
Second Dinner Official Tournaments
irregular · Global · since 2023
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Second Dinner Studios (developer)
Founded 2018 · Irvine, California, USA
Nuverse (publisher)
Founded 2020 · China (part of ByteDance)
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Ben Brode (Second Dinner founder + former Hearthstone lead designer)
- Kripparrian (streamer, popularized SNAP on YouTube)
- Regis Kills It, Alexatrash (competitive players)
- SNAP Champions series: top pros compete for $50k+ prizes
Frequently asked
Marvel Snap vs Hearthstone?+
Both are DIGITAL COLLECTIBLE CARD GAMES from ex-Blizzard designers (Ben Brode created both worlds). SNAP is FASTER (3-min matches vs Hearthstone's 15-20), simpler (12-card decks vs 30), + mobile-native. Hearthstone is deeper strategically + has richer competitive scene + longer match cadence. SNAP is more like a poker + Uno hybrid; Hearthstone is more like a strategic Magic-lite. Both are excellent + serve different play styles.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Marvel Snap— Wikipedia