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The next Marvel Villainous expansion has been revealed, and it includes the new Avengers big bad - Kang the Conqueror - along with Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man and Titania of She-Hulk fame.
Revealed by Comicbook.com, the new Marvel Villainous expansion is called 'Twisted Ambitions' and will be available to pre-order from February 3. As an 'expandalone' game, it can be played either by itself or with other versions of the Marvel series. (Unfortunately, it's not compatible with the Disney or Star Wars versions.) It's due to hit shelves at some point this March.
As you'd expect from the franchise, each villain has their own unique objective. Kang, who is due to appear in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania this coming February, sneaks Variants of himself into rivals' decks in a bid to control their boards. Meanwhile, Dock Ock must complete five schemes (one of which obviously includes defeating that dratted Spider-Man) and Titania has to build her strength so that she can take down She-Hulk. As usual, they all have themed movers and original decks featuring references to their comic history as well.
When discussing how characters are chosen for the series in an interview with Comicbook.com, game development manager Mike Mulvihill said that they "always want a compelling headliner or cover character - someone that stops you in the aisle and makes you say OMG "X" is in Villainous. So that means they not only have to be an awesomely well-known Villain but must have a unique silhouette… The addition of Doc Ock, Tatiana, and Kang creates a high level of interactivity that we consistently strive to include. Kang has cards that are inserted into other Villain decks. Titania can call and move Heroes into and out of other Villains' realms. Doc Ock is a mastermind – always scheming and manipulating events."
However, as with previous installments (some of which have our vote as contenders for the best board games), there is only one 'Fate' deck shared between players rather than a separate set for each character. This version is themed around New York, with a particular emphasis on the Spider-Verse. Themed Event cards referencing classic comic book moments are also included, though it's unclear what these might be.
This set has been on the cards for a little while; Doc Ock was first hinted at on the back of the instructions for a previous release, so it's likely that the next installment is going to be teased here. Because most sets have been themed around movie or TV series releases, it's possible that Agatha Harkness from WandaVision - who's getting her own show later this year - or the Kingpin from upcoming Echo and Daredevil shows is next.
No matter what, there's enough still left to explore in the series. As we said in our Marvel Villainous review, it "lives up to the legacy" of the original Disney Villainous that first hit shelves in 2018, and even though we preferred Star Wars Villainous overall, we still gave it four stars out of five. It's had two expandalone releases so far, too; the Loki-helmed Mischief and Malice, along with a We Are Venom solo pack.
You'll be able to get your hands on Marvel Villainous: Twisted Ambitions in March 2023, and it's due to set you back $29.99. Along with the standard version, a special Target-exclusive edition will also be available for the same price. This one features a special 'chrome' Doctor Octopus mover.
For recommendations on what to try next, don't miss these board games for adults, the top board games for 2 players, and essential cooperative board games.
