Tag: marvel

Marvel United Rise Of The Black Panther Review

Tabletop Game Review: Marvel United, Rise of the Black Panther

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Has it been long enough since we’ve covered a Marvel United expansion? It’s been one month? Eh, why not cover one of the final expansions from the original release, Rise of the Black Panther? Like I said in our last expansion review, Geekly won’t be covering every Marvel United expansion, but we will review the ones worth your time or the ones we believe people will most likely purchase. In short, you may want to consider these expansions.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. In Marvel United, take on the roles of iconic Marvel heroes who work together to stop the master plan of a powerful villain controlled by the game. Each villain has a unique master plan, cards that trigger various effects, and threats that make clearing locations difficult. Heroes clear missions, making the villain vulnerable, and finally take on the mastermind before they complete their evil plot. Can you save the world from impending doom? Let’s find out with Rise of the Black Panther.


Wait. Before we leap into the fray, we should look at Rise of the Black Panther’s fine print.

Marvel United Box Close Up Board Game Review

The Fiddly Bits

Designer: Andrea Chiarvesio and Eric M. Lang
Publisher: CMON Global Limited and Spin Master Ltd.
Date Released: 2021
Number of Players: 1-4
Age Range: 8 and up
Setup Time: 5-10 minutes
Play Time: 30-40 minutes

Game Mechanisms

Cooperative Play
Hand Management
Modular Board
Solo / Solitaire Game
Variable Player Powers

Marvel United Tabletop Game Set Up

Game Setup

We already covered the Game Setup and Game Flow in our Marvel United review (here’s a link to that review), so we’ll go over the basics in the following two sections. Let’s cover an abbreviated review of the game setup and rules.

Marvel United’s setup can change depending on which Villain and Heroes you choose to play. Each game consists of six locations. Typically, core sets have eight locations. Since Rise of the Black Panther is an expansion, it only has six. You may choose your locations or shuffle them and choose six at random. Each Location card has spaces at the top for civilians and thugs and a rectangle with a block of text that will state “End of Turn” at the top of the box.

Place civilian/thug tokens on their matching spaces. Shuffle the Villain’s Threat deck and deal out each Threat face-up so that it covers the rectangle at the bottom of each location. You must clear this threat before gaining the “End of Turn” effect printed on a Location. Place health tokens where signified on threat cards and on the Villain dashboard. Place the three mission cards (Defeat Thugs, Rescue Civilians, and Clear Threats) face up under the villain dashboard where the text reads “Unlocked.”

Each player shuffles their hero decks and then draws three cards to form their hands. Shuffle the Villain’s Master Plan deck. Leave the Master Plan deck face down. This will be the villain’s draw pile.

Players place their miniatures on one of the six location cards, usually the centralmost location for each player (easy access). Then, they place the villain on the location card opposing the heroes.

Marvel United Game Flow Board Game Review

Game Flow

The villain(s) play first. Draw the top card of their master plan deck. The villain moves the number of spaces indicated. Resolve any BAM! Effects and these effects will be printed on a space within the villain’s dashboard. Then, place the civilian/thug tokens (if any) indicated at the bottom of the card. After all these effects are resolved, the heroes get their turn.

Heroes pick who goes first, and hero turns will continue around the table clockwise. At the beginning of each game, Heroes will get three turns before the villain receives another turn. During their turn, heroes play one card from their hand.

Resolve actions and the symbols printed at the bottom of the hero’s card in any order. The symbols at the bottom of a hero’s card will be shared with the next player, but any printed action will not be shared. Heroes will use these actions to complete missions. The game begins with three missions in play: Defeat Thugs, Rescue Civilians, and Clear Threats. Each mission card will have spaces for the tokens they require to complete. As soon as these spaces are filled, the card is discarded, and the mission is considered complete. Mission cards can be completed in any order.

Marvel United Three Mission Cards Board Game Review

After the heroes complete the first mission, the villain panics and will act (play a card) every two hero cards instead of every three hero cards. After the heroes complete the second mission, the villain becomes vulnerable to damage. The heroes can complete the third mission, but it isn’t necessary. If the heroes do complete the third mission, each hero immediately draws 1 card, increasing each player’s hand size by one.

Play continues back and forth until either the villain wins (by completing their unique master plan or anyone, heroes or villains, runs out of cards) or the heroes win by dealing enough damage to the villain after the villain becomes vulnerable to damage.

Review

Rise of the Black Panther has some stellar heroes in its ranks. The Challenge Card uses some interesting game elements that I haven’t seen Marvel United use before or since. Killmonger can be a tricky villain and one of my favorites to defeat. It’s an accomplishment to defeat Killmonger. But Rise of the Black Panther’s Locations may be the biggest reason why Geekly’s covering this specific expansion. We’ll start with Locations.

Jabari Village and Warrior Falls have solid “End of Turn” abilities. One gives you a Wild token while the other allows you to deal one damage at that Location. Not bad. But it doesn’t hold a candle to the remaining four Locations. Golden City lets players move to any other Location at the end of their turn. This gives players extra movement. I love that. That gives me one less resource to manage and I can focus on Heroics and Attack. Royal Palace allows players to search their deck for a card and place that card at the top of their deck. Fantastic! This would be a strong ability in most card games with decks. But the Great Mound and Shuri’s Lab puts Rise of the Black Panther Locations over the top.

Great Mound is one of the only ways to manipulate Crisis Tokens in the original Marvel United release. Full stop. If you have a villain who has pesky Crisis Token abilities (one of those is Killmonger included in Rise of the Black Panther) and you only have the original Marvel United release, Great Mound is a must. Its “End of Turn” ability allows players to discard a card from their hand to the bottom of their deck to remove 1 Crisis Token anywhere. Shuri’s Lab creates a great tandem of Location abilities. Its “End of Turn” ability grants players the ability to draw up to their maximum hand size, negating any ill effects from the Great Mound and giving players a way to heal. I like Enter the Spider-Verse’s Locations a lot, but they pale in comparison to Rise of the Black Panther’s.

As mentioned in previous Marvel United reviews, Challenge cards provide optional rules to spice up the core gameplay. Rise of the Black Panther’s “Endangered Locations” is a simple and engaging rule twist. During Setup, Each Hero is linked to a different Location by using the included Endangered Location tokens. During play, each time Overflow is triggered in a Location, the Hero with its matching token takes 1 damage. This makes each Location mean something to certain players. This Challenge card could influence players to keep one Location clear of tokens over another Location. I love it because it raises the stakes and adds a dash of strategy and something else for players to navigate.

Killmonger Marvel United

We’ll get to the heroes in a bit, but let’s talk about one of the MCU’s better villains, Killmonger. Killmonger also happens to be an intriguing villain in Marvel United. He wins when four or more Locations have 3 or more Crisis Tokens, and he adds Crisis Tokens in various ways. His Overflow and BAM! abilities replace Civilian/Thug Tokens with Crisis Tokens, which will make clearing missions (in order to make Killmonger vulnerable to damage) more difficult. The “Weapon Smuggling” Threat card has a similar action. And his Master Plan deck adds plenty of Civilian/Thug tokens, which can trigger Overflows, while his “Overthrow” ability can convert multiple Civilian tokens into Crisis Tokens. In short, Killmonger can turn the tide of battle in short order.

Furthermore, Killmonger has plenty of ways of dealing additional damage to Heroes, which can cause players to race toward Shuri’s Lab for some heals. Killmonger has one of the higher potential damage outputs of Marvel United’s original set. As I said prior, beating Killmonger is an accomplishment.

Rise of the Black Panther’s Heroes are darn good and should be up for the task of defeating Killmonger. Black Panther tends to focus on giving himself bonus actions, but his Movement is so good that he’s a good choice for teams choosing specialists (All Attack or All Heroics), and the other two Heroes in this expansion happen to be specialists. Winter Soldier is one of the better pure damage dealers from Marvel United’s original set. His deck tends to be the most self-centered of the Rise of the Black Panther heroes. He gives himself Attack tokens. This can also make Winter Soldier the easiest Hero to play. Of the Rise of the Black Panther heroes, Shuri is easily my favorite.

Shuri has a stunning five cards with Wild symbols on the bottom. This gives her and her teammates options whenever they take their turns. The remainder of her deck centers around Heroics. Winter Soldier is the fighter; Shuri is the helping hand. And Shuri’s one special effect “Young Genius” certainly lends a helping hand. She gives one Hero (she can target herself) a wild token and the player may draw cards until they have 3 cards. Not only does she hand out an extra wild token, but Shuri heals a Hero up to their full health. This is huge. I don’t know how many times Shuri’s ability saved my party’s bacon. She is Rise of the Black Panther’s standout Hero.

Too Long, Didn’t Read

Rise of the Black Panther has some of the original Marvel United set’s best Locations. Its Challenge card adds a simple but compelling wrinkle to gameplay. Killmonger is a worthy adversary. The Heroes provide variety, but Shuri can turn the tide of battle.

Geekly News: June 8, 2025, Quick MCU Updates

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. I’m still recovering from last week’s Protospiel Twin Cities convention. Several games were played, and my wings are tired. But we have another week of Geek News. We’ll start with some quick MCU updates. Let’s get to it.

A Baby Franklin Richards Is Confirmed For Fantastic Four: First Steps

Fantastic Four: First Steps released its fourth and final teaser trailer this past week. Most of the shots are recuts of previous shots, but Marvel shared one major revelation: Franklin Richards will be in the movie. While the movie’s title, First Steps, was always meant as a nod to space exploration (one small step for man), the title was also a mention of Franklin Richards’s (a baby’s) first steps. You might be thinking, but Franklin Richards is just a baby, there’s no way he’ll factor into Fantastic Four: First Steps’ narrative in a major way. Okay. This may get into some potential spoilers. If you want to go into Fantastic Four: First Steps with little to no knowledge of the comics, you can skip past the next paragraph.

Franklin isn’t like other babies. As an infant, he was capable of manifesting adult bodies that he could control. One of those bodies was Galactus. So, Franklin might be behind Galactus in the Fantastic Four’s first MCU outing. Yikes! Fantastic Four: First Steps has already teased other Fantastic Four villains like John Malkovich, who is portraying Red Ghost (this is confirmed), and it looks like it may be all hands on deck with stopping Galactus, whether he’s connected to Franklin Richards or not. Fortunately, most of this paragraph was conjecture, so you may be okay if you didn’t head the previous spoiler warning.

No matter where Fantastic Four: First Steps takes Franklin Richards’s story, there’s no doubt he’s the most powerful character the MCU has ever introduced. He can make Wanda’s reality warping look like child’s play. In fact, Franklin Richards may be the one behind the multiverse saga’s end. He could fix all timelines if he wanted. The MCU introducing this much power into its universe is a far cry from the Russos nerfing the Hulk because they didn’t want the Hulk to be the Avengers’ “I win” card. We’ll have to see where this storyline goes.

If you haven’t yet watched Thunderbolts*, you may want to skip the next news entry.

The Ship Seen During the Thunderbolts* End Credits May Not Carry The Fantastic Four

I know. I know. The picture above clearly shows the Fantastic Four’s symbol, but the ship that bears this symbol may not contain the Fantastic Four from Fantastic Four: First Steps. The ship we’ve seen in all the Fantastic Four: First Steps trailers has three prongs, but this ship has four prongs. The ship during the Thunderbolts* end credits is a different ship from the one seen in all the Fantastic Four trailers. I mentioned a spoiler warning in the previous segment, but I’ll reiterate it here in case you want to maintain the mystery.

There are two main theories: 1) Doctor Doom may be piloting the ship; 2) the Fantastic Four are in the ship, but it’s a different Fantastic Four. The first is fun but less likely, while the second is equally as fun, and there may be some evidence suggesting that it’s true.

Theory Number 1: Since Robert Downey Jr. is portraying Doctor Doom (or at least the vision Doctor Doom wants to present), we know that Doctor Doom is aware of the Multiverse and attempting to use Tony Stark’s image to hide his true intentions. Doom could be doing the same for other universes by pretending to be the Fantastic Four. This doesn’t quite hold water because Earth-616 (the world in which the Thunderbolts* belong) doesn’t know who the Fantastic Four are. Still, Doctor Doom could be traveling from a third reality.

Theory Number 2: The Fantastic Four inside this ship are the ones from the Fox Universe. The MCU has already grandfathered in Fox’s X-Men, so they could do the same with Ioan Gruffudd’s Mr. Fantastic, Jessica Alba’s Invisible Woman, Chris Evans’ Human Torch, and Michael Chicklis’s Thing. The “evidence” that this could be true comes from Jessica Alba’s social media accounts. She stated this past week that she’s filming in London. Funny. Avengers: Doomsday began filming this past week…in London.

Regardless of who’s in the “Fantastic Four” ship during the Thunderbolts* end credits, it’ll be a wild ride, and the likelihood of the Fantastic Four from Fantastic Four: First Steps being in that ship is almost zero. Most viewers thought it was funny that the Fantastic Four would be in Earth-616’s reality before Fantastic Four: First Steps release. Yeah. They most likely aren’t on that ship.

More Information About Denzel Washington’s Role in Black Panther 3

We mentioned a few weeks ago that Denzel Washington will be included in Black Panther 3’s cast. We’ve received more tidbits that could suggest who Washington will be portraying. On Carmelo Anthony’s podcast, Denzel Washington said that since he’s 70 years old and only has a few movies left in him. He intends to retire soon. That makes sense, but what doesn’t make as much sense is the rumor that Denzel would portray Magneto in the upcoming Black Panther 3. Or does it make sense?

I wouldn’t rule anything out, but whoever will play Magneto in the MCU during the Mutant Saga will need to have more than a few movies left in their career. The Mutant Saga will run for almost ten years and require five or six movies from its Magneto of choice. So, if Washington were to play Magneto in Black Panther 3, he would most likely be playing an alternate reality Magneto. Denzel Washington will most likely portray a one-and-done villain like Achebe. This could still be fun. Achebe is the Joker to Black Panther’s Batman. Achebe would be a role we’ve never seen Denzel Washington play. Whoever Washington plays in the MCU will be a joy.

Ryan Gosling as Black Panther Meme

The Ryan Gosling as Black Panther meme reentered the zeitgeist. While there’s little proof to suggest that Gosling will even be in the MCU, I wouldn’t rule out anything (like Denzel Washington as Magneto). There is a precedent of sorts in the comics. Gosling could portray White Wolf, Black Panther’s adopted white brother (and frequent adversary/ally), and this White Wolf could hail from an alternate universe. I won’t spend too much time on this. It’s a meme. It’s designed to upset people. But I could see Gosling as a real White Wolf. The MCU has dropped the “White Wolf” nickname for Winter Soldier as early as the first Black Panther. Anything could happen, even something this wild. Talk about a Multiverse of Madness.

Agricola Special Edition Launches on GameFound

Uwe Rosenberg’s Agricola is a classic farming worker placement game. Originally released in 2012, Awaken Realms gives Agricola a stunning makeover. What else would you expect from Awaken Realms? This company is known for over-the-top production value. Just look at these miniatures.

And I got excited when Agricola used animeeples. Look at the details of the various farmers, the animals, and even the reeds. They’re so intricate. Awaken Realms knows how to make miniatures. Of course, these miniatures are an add-on, but the animeeples players can receive without the miniatures upgrade are also fantastic.

You won’t need the miniatures. The cow and sheep meeples, the player board, the ornate fences in the player’s color, and the detailed resource tokens. Yowza! I’ve always been dubious of Awaken Realms games. They cost a lot, and players may fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy. This game is good because I took out a second mortgage to own it. This isn’t the case for Agricola. Almost a decade and a half after its original release, it maintains a spot on Board Game Geek’s Top 100 games.

Fortunately, Awaken Realms offers the updated Agricola at different price points. Agricola Special Edition has a standard, cardboard version, which costs €79 or $90. You can upgrade to wooden bits (like the ones pictured above) by spending €109 ($124). Or you can go for every expansion ever made for the original game. That’s a lot of content, so it doesn’t come cheap. The suggested price is €164.00, which is about $186. Players can upgrade to miniatures by selecting the Sundrop option at checkout. These miniatures (the detailed ones depicted at the top of this post) cost €49 or $55. A pledge of any kind makes you eligible for all stretch goals like irrigation channels.

If you’re interested in Agricola Special Edition, check out Awaken Realms’ GameFound page.

Sunnygeeks 2.0 Modular Gaming Table on GameFound

I’ve been looking at gaming tables for a while. My favorite types of gaming tables can double as dining tables, and that’s exactly what Sunnygeeks 2.0 Modular Gaming Table does. As the name “modular” suggests, gamers can build their own table to suit their needs. Do you need extra storage for bits? Add some stackable drawers. Would you like some LED lights to set the mood? Go right ahead.

Each table comes equipped with a water-resistant dining table topper. Just slap on the table topper if you want to use the table for a meal.

I love the idea of a table topper. Sunnygeeks 2.0 also has a topper docker, which allows for easy storage. You can even store some of your unused board game supplies. But speaking of board game storage, the modular table companion is amazing and my favorite feature. Even if I don’t pick up a gaming table, I’d consider buying a couple of modular table companions.

Modular table companions come in a variety of colors. Each one has wheels, and they’re stackable, which means you can have a large tower of board games that can roll. Yes!

As you can imagine, Sunnygeeks 2.0 isn’t cheap (easily in the thousands of dollars), but this is where GameFound’s Stretch Pay makes sense. Customers can pay ten interest-free payments over ten months. I never saw the need to use Stretch Pay for board games; if you’re spending so much on a single board game that you must use a payment plan, that’s excessive. But gaming furniture is another matter. Build the gaming table of your dreams by checking out Sunnygeeks 2.0’s GameFound page.

Magic x Final Fantasy Pre-Release This Week

The Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy crossover event is scheduled to release on June 13, 2025, but gamers can get in on the fun early with pre-release events. Local board game stores across the United States (and other countries) will feature pre-release tournaments. Now may be the best time to get back into Magic if you haven’t played in several years–like me. Or if you’re a huge Final Fantasy fan, you should check out the new set.

If you’re interested in a pre-release event, here’s a brief rundown of what to expect at a tournament. Players are given a set amount of time to open (a set number of) boosters and build a limited, 40-card deck using the cards from those packs. You will then play three games against other participants in the tournament. Most tournaments use a Swiss Style match-making, which means you’ll play against other people with your record. The winner will receive a small prize like a booster pack, sleeves, or a deck box. But everyone’s a winner because you got to play the Magic: The Gathering and Final Fantasy crossover event early. Pre-release events can be fun because no one has had time to construct the “perfect deck.” You all received random cards.

I can’t wait to get my hands on some Magic x Final Fantasy cards. Woo hoo!

That’s all the Geek News we have for this week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: June 1, 2025, Hulk Joins Spider-Man Brand New Day Cast

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. I’m away on a second trip (another Protospiel, this time in Minnesota), so today’s Geekly News will be brief like last week’s. It will also be MCU-heavy because of news and trailers that drop earlier this week. Without further ado, let’s get to this week’s geek news.

Hulk Returns in Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Industry insider Nexus Point News reported on Memorial Day that Mark Ruffalo is set to return as Jade Jaws in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Since Brand New Day will likely be a multiverse film (our Geekly News post last week confirmed as much), we won’t know which version of the Hulk Ruffalo will portray. Nexus Point News even suggested that Ruffalo could portray more than one version of the Green Goliath.

Fans have stated that they prefer a more savage Hulk. The Russos (who helm this leg of the MCU) could oblige and revert Hulk to his savage self. This could work to set up a World War Hulk project that the MCU has teased for years but hasn’t produced because of copyright issues.

A second industry insider, Alex Perez, shared that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will contain the biggest stunt sequence in the MCU. This stunt sequence will mostly include practical effects and will take a month to shoot. Typically, the MCU adds the Hulk through motion capture, but this doesn’t exclude a potential battle between the Hulk and Spider-Man. Brand New Day could shoot the practical effects and add Hulk later. Regardless of who will be involved in this stunt sequence, it bodes well that the MCU will use mostly practical effects. The scene’s scale also hints that this battle could occur in New York City, which would include a lot of coordination and blocking of city blocks. Spider-Man: Brand New Day sounds exciting. Director Destin Daniel Cretton has a history of brilliant stunt sequences. I loved Cretton’s practical effects in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

I still have my fingers crossed for a Spider-Man and Hulk battle. We’ve seen Spider-Man and the Hulk side-by-side in the MCU, but they haven’t had many interactions. It would be fun to see the two spar.

This news also muddies the waters of who will be Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s villain. Will it be an alternate version of Hulk? Is someone pulling the strings? If so, who? Let us know who you think will be Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s villain or villains.

MCU 2025 Preview Fantastic Four

New Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer

There isn’t much to cover with the latest Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer. Essentially, the third trailer is a recut of the second trailer with a few shots added for good measure. First off, I like how Fantastic Four: First Steps is marketing itself. During the fourth game of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, ESPN incorporated the spot as a game sponsor. The trailer proceeds to show its events as something that happened in the past (specifically the 60s) and runs with it. I also like Fantastic Four: First Steps’ choice of not showing too much before the movie releases. Too many trailers spoil the movie’s plot.

Our first new shot is a new angle of Shalla-Bal asking if the Fantastic Four are the protectors of this world.

She looks about the same as she did in the first two trailers. The second new shot we get is a good look at Marvel One, the Fantastic Four’s spaceship, and the ship that transported Marvel’s first family to Earth-616’s timeline during Thunderbolts* end credits. Oops! I guess that was a spoiler.

H.E.R.B.I.E. does more than cook. He’s flying up toward Marvel One, possibly conducting some final calibrations before liftoff. The third trailer’s third new shot is an extended look at the Fantastic Four’s classic vehicle, the Fantasticar.

I did omit a couple of longer shots of the Fantastic Four before they presumably climb into the Fantasticar, and a recut, an extended shot, of the same scene we saw of Galactus’s shadow over New York City.

In the bottom left, you can see Galactus’s hand as if he’s reaching out to claim this world. Awesome stuff. Those were the only differences I spotted between the second and third Fantastic Four: First Steps trailers. Did you spot any others? Let us know in the comments.

Tomb Raider: The Crypt of Chronos Launches on KickStarter

Even though Iconiq Studios is a relatively new board game company, they have experience bringing popular intellectual properties (like They Live, SAW, and Evil Dead 2) to the tabletop space. Tomb Raider: The Crypt of Chronos looks promising. This board game adaptation of the popular video game series features many Tomb Raider hallmarks: exploring, some combat, puzzle solving, and researching unique artifacts. Throw in some crafting, and Tomb Raider: The Crypt of Chronos offers a lot of options for tabletop gamers.

Tomb Raider: The Crypt of Chronos features plenty of detailed miniatures. An Adventure Book provides a story-driven game, but gamers can ditch the story for some chaotic tomb raiding fun. I like the fact that the game offers various player counts (1-6). Explore four unique locations with Tomb Raider: The Crypt of Chronos. If you’re interested in an epic Tomb Raider board game, check out Tomb Raider: The Crypt of Chronos’s KickStarter page.

The Battle of the Divas Set To Launch on GameFound

While we don’t know much about The Battle of the Divas’ gameplay (because it hasn’t yet launched on GameFound), publisher Salt and Pepper has a history of making stellar games with interesting themes. Resist! is a modern solo-game classic. The Battle of the Divas could do the same for a two-player-only game. Take the stage against your opponent and become the best diva.

Players will perform classic arias at iconic venues like The Met and La Scala. I like the artwork. I don’t know how the keyboard element works, but it has me intrigued. If The Battle of the Divas strikes the right chord, check out the game’s page on GameFound.

That’s all the Geekly News we have for this week. I’m on the road again this weekend. If you’re at Protospiel: Twin Cities feel free to say hi. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: May 20, 2025, Sadie Sink’s Role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. My partner and I are celebrating our 28th anniversary, and it happens to be Memorial Day weekend as well, so we’ll have a shorter Geekly News than usual. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have anything to talk about. Let’s get to this week’s Geek News.

Sadie Sink’s Role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day

A leak about Sadie Sink’s role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day occurred the day last week’s Geekly News posted, so we’re a little late with this update. Geekly has also covered Sink’s role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day in a previous geek news post, but we may have been bamboozled. A month ago, we learned that Sink’s character would be a mutant. Geekly assumed that meant that Sink would tie into the X-Men in some fashion (possibly Jean Grey, more likely Firestar). Now, it appears that Sink’s character will be connected with Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, but Sink could still be a mutant.

Marvel kept a tight wrap on who Sadie Sink would play until Podcaster and MCU insider John Rocha revealed on The Hot Mic podcast that Sink will be playing Mayday Parker, the daughter of Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man. This reveal lines up with Maguire’s Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Garfield and Holland’s Spider-Men (Spider-Mans?) complain about not being lucky in love, Maguire’s Spider-Man suggests that he’s married. In the comics, the Spider-Baby (the child of Earth-982’s Peter and Mary Jane Parker) becomes Spider-Girl. This would also track with what we learn about Maguire’s Spider-Man in No Way Home. Maguire’s Spider-Man is retired. Why would he need to fight crime when his daughter is Spider-Girl?

Sink as Spider-Girl solidifies Spider-Man: Brand New Day as a Multiverse story. This also makes sense. The MCU will need to tie up loose ends to its Multiverse Saga before it can begin the Mutant Saga. And Spider-Girl could still count as a mutant. If she inherited her abilities from her father, Peter, this version of Mayday Parker would’ve been born as Spider-Girl. May Parker would be a mutant.

Murder on the Rocks Launches on Kickstarter

Murder on the Rocks looks amazing, even if the game doesn’t appear to be one I typically like. Gamers take on quirky roles at a cocktail, masquerade party. One player is a murderer. The murderer attempts to kill each partygoer one by one, while the other partygoers try to deduce who the murderer is. In short, Murder on the Rocks sounds like it plays similarly to Werewolf. If you like Werewolf, Mafia, or any tabletop game with hidden roles, you should check out Murder on the Rocks.

I like the inclusion of red and green vials. If the partygoers get aspects of the murder correct, they add drops from the green vial. Whenever the murderer claims a victim, they add drops from the red vial. I assume the red and green liquids inside the vials are food coloring, so gamers should be able to add more “envy” or “blood” to each vial. Players also wear blindfolds (masquerade masks). That could be a fun twist on Werewolf. And Murder on the Rocks ditches a game box for a drink mixer. Oddly shaped game containers can be difficult to store, but this container strengthens the game’s theme.

Pledge values for Murder on the Rocks range from $32 for the base set (Straight Up) to $116 if you want the Reserve Collector. Murder on the Rocks has a lot of cool bits. I’ve never seen vials used like this in a game. If you’re interested in Murder on the Rocks, check out their Kickstarter page.

Knight Moves Kicks Off on Gamefound

I like what I’m seeing from the board game producer, Solo Game of the Month. The company does what it says, it releases about one solo game every month. We covered Dicemancy last month on Geekly News, and Solo Game of the Month is at it again with Knight Moves. This adorable solo game features double-sided stage and boss cards. The player cards are also double-sided because gamers may choose melee or ranged attacks. Players program their knight and then execute their actions.

You can place and move barrels, defeat enemies, and upgrade your knight. Multiple scenarios provide plenty of replay value. Most games take about 45 minutes, which is a good length for a solo game. And the price tag of $25 makes Knight Moves a lot of game for not a lot of money. I’m impressed by Solo Game of the Month’s dedication to providing great solo-gamer experiences. Solo games are exploding in tabletop games. I also love the art. Solo Game of the Month keeps things clean, easy-to-read, and charming. If you’d like to pledge for Knight Moves, check out its Gamefound page.

Netflix Announces Clash of Clans Animated Series

Netflix continues a growing trend of turning popular video games into television series. The streaming giant announced this week that it intends to release an animated series based on Clash of Clans.

Clash of Clans will join Angry Birds, Splinter Cell, Cuphead, Castlevania, Dragon’s Dogma, and many more on Netflix. The streamer hasn’t given a timeframe for Clash of Clans’ release. Geekly’s guess–and it is a guess–will be that the show will release some time before May 2026.

That’s all the news we have for this week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: May 18, 2025, New Superman Trailer

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. We’ve had quite a few trailers over the past week. We’ll start with Superman, because the DCU hasn’t received nearly enough shine from JK Geekly, and that’s on me. Let’s fix that with this week’s Geekly News post.

New Superman Trailer

JK Geekly didn’t cover the first Superman trailer, mostly because that trailer received unnecessary–and frankly, baffling–criticism. The most vocal critics didn’t care for the first trailer’s comedic elements. One tweet that ripped apart a small scene with robot medics, where one (voiced by Alan Tudyk) said there was no reason for Superman to thank the robots because they don’t possess feelings, and the next robot medic shows emotion, received 37 million likes. That was a joke. Most of the responses didn’t seem to understand comedy. I would get the criticism if the joke wasn’t well told. That wasn’t what most people suggested. Regarding the comedy, I thought it worked well enough for a quick joke. But this doesn’t even get into fans’ costume vitriol.

I probably should’ve covered the first trailer anyway, but I waited for the second trailer, so let’s get to it. John Murphy’s interpretation of John Williams’s classic Superman theme was fantastic. I like the premise this second Superman trailer presents. Lois knows Clark is Superman. Thank goodness. Superman presumably stopped a war, which is something he might do, and that causes an international incident (which would definitely happen if other nations believed Superman represented the United States), and that leads Lex Luthor to sow doubt in the Earth needing a Superman. So far, this is all on brand.

I love this premise. Pa Kent and Lois nail their portrayals. Ma Kent cleaning Superman’s boots so he could help people was adorable. Lex might be a little campy. Nicholas Hoult is an accomplished actor; I’ve liked him since his major acting debut in the BBC series Skins. I have hope this is Hoult channeling a bit of Gene Hackman’s Lex (not Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex), and the moment where he ventures into camp is fleeting. I can’t stress this enough. These trailers offer glimpses of an over two-hour movie.

Similarly, I’m a little concerned about David Corenswet’s Superman losing his cool with Lois. From what we see (in a trailer for a two-hour movie), Lois doesn’t press him too much. Perhaps, there’s more to this scene that we’re not seeing. But Corenswet’s Superman slightly loses his cool. This isn’t a Michael Gambon as Dumbledore screaming at Harry Potter when the text in The Goblet of Fire clearly states that he calmly asks Harry a question. Outside of losing his cool while saying, “People were going to die,” Corenswet looked and sounded like he could be a younger, slightly arrogant, and naive Superman.

The two Superman trailers have me excited for the movie. I can’t wait to see the movie in a couple of months.

Ironheart Trailer Drops

The MCU’s Ironheart trailer dropped this week, too. This marks the closest a Marvel project was to releasing before it received its first trailer. Even Werewolf By Night, a surprise Marvel project in 2022, had a trailer months before it released. I don’t know what this means for Ironheart. This could mean that the studio has little faith in the project or that they have the utmost confidence. It could also be a nothingburger. I find it odd that Ironheart didn’t receive a trailer sooner when Sinners (a film by Ironheart’s producer Ryan Coogler) was atop the box office.

My favorite comment for the Ironheart trailer was “I’m genuinely impressed they haven’t disabled the comments.” lol. Same. Most viewers didn’t care for the premise, and to be fair, Ironheart didn’t do a good enough job of setting up its premise. I’ve read the show’s description, and Ironheart sounds like it could be great. Riri Williams (Ironheart) picks up where Iron Man left off. The Hood (the main antagonist) is a magic user who runs a criminal underground. SciFi versus Magic. What’s not to love? Ironheart and The Hood’s relationship gives me strong vibes of what Iron Man and The Mandarin should’ve been. And Ironheart could be setting up the ultimate magic meets technology with Doctor Doom. I’ll amend what I said. Ironheart could be epic.

But this trailer falls flat. It’s paint-by-numbers. Reintroduce Riri (in case people forgot who she was from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), clumsily introduce the antagonist, and give the viewer a vague idea of the show. Still, I like Ironheart’s inclusion of practical effects; Riri’s armor-up scene was tight. And Ryan Coogler wouldn’t attach his name to a stinker. Ironheart still interests me. The trailer could’ve done more.

Coexist Will Launch on Gamefound on May 19, 2025

Take control of a wildlife conservation team with Coexist. Publisher Matagot Games has an amazing track record. They’ve teamed up with Stonemeier Games for Wingspan, Scythe, and several others. One of Matagot Games’ originals, Takenoko, still hits my table. We don’t know much about Coexist’s gameplay. Matagot has shared that the core game flow is recruiting caretakers, welcoming animals to your conservation headquarters, and releasing animals back into the wild after their needs are met, or you may lower your reputation by placing the animals in a reserve.

Matagot Games has teamed up with Human Initiative to Save Animals (HISA). I love it when board game companies do this; whenever this happens, a portion of the game’s profits will go to HISA, a real-world conservation organization that’s based in Bordeaux. Coexist’s art looks fantastic.

Bordeaux street artist A-Mo provides Coexist’s art. Matagot Games stays true to its Bordeaux roots. HISA is headquartered there, and A-Mo is from there. I love the theme, Matagot Games seldom releases a poorly received game, and the varied animal types needing specific things (so one conservation team cannot save every animal) could supply a lot of strategic value.

Since Coexist hasn’t yet been released, Geekly doesn’t have specifics for the campaign’s pricing. If you’d like to follow the campaign, feel free to visit Coexist’s Gamefound page.

Battle Monsters Launches on Kickstarter

Strategic kaiju battles await with Restoration Games’ Battle Monsters. This title reimplements 1992’s Battle Masters, which used the Warhammer intellectual property. That makes sense. Restoration Games is known for taking old games (like Thunder Road: Vendetta and Fireball Island), occasionally retheming the game if they cannot use the license, and re-engineering old games for modern gamers. Battle Monsters looks to be another great title.

Wow! Those detailed miniatures look amazing. A lot comes in the box, no matter which box you choose. The game features quick dice-based combat. Players control a kaiju and a team of soldiers. Coordinating your forces is the key to victory. You can mix and match any titan (kaiju) and faction on any map. I also like that there’s a solo play option; that’s a great trend for the board game hobby.

The smallest pledge amount is $125, and you must choose between the Godzilla and Kong boxes. The Big Bundle runs $299, and gamers receive Godzilla, Kong, and the Mothra expansion. The Mega Bundle costs $379, but backers at this level receive all Battle Monsters’ content, including upgrades like specialty stands for each kaiju miniature. If you’re interested in getting your kaiju on, check out Battle Monsters’ Kickstarter page.

SquareEnix Leaks Kingdom Hearts IV Screenshots

While we knew SquareEnix was working on Kingdom Hearts IV, the game released its first images. Most of the images are of low quality. We chose one of the better shots to show gamers what they could expect from SquareEnix’s upcoming title. Kingdom Hearts IV’s environment looks like a virtual Shibuya. These photos reveal little of the game’s story or other locations. We’re certain Shibuya will be one of several locations players will visit.

The above image is grainy as heck, but one thing is for certain. The player is controlling Mickey. This may be a first for the Kingdom Hearts series. Mickey is seldom a playable character. I can’t wait to see if players will get to play as the famous mouse.

That’s all the geek news we have for this week. Next week, I’ll be out of town, so Geekly News may be rather short. We’ll see when the day comes. Thank you for reading. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Thunderbolts* Review

Published on by Kyra2 Comments

Thunderbolts* takes a familiar MCU formula and adds deep themes, allowing its characters to shine. Yes! The Geekly Gang has had a chance to watch Thunderbolts* on the big screen. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. Happy Friday. Today we’ll be covering Geekly’s thoughts on the latest Marvel film to release, Thunderbolts*.

Thunderbolts* is indeed the sleeper hit I was hoping for at the beginning of the year (during our MCU preview). I’d even say it’s one of the better recent Marvel projects. We’ll get to some of the goodness here after a while, but I wanted to start by saying that I appreciated not needing to do MCU homework for this movie. Because Sentry can tap into others’ past trauma, the audience got a good introduction to most of the characters. No hundreds of hours of viewing necessary.

That alone was a relief. Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova was an excellent choice for a primary point-of-view character. Thunderbolts* does bounce a little bit, but Yelena is the character the audience shares the most time. Thunderbolts*‘ Yelena isn’t the jovial Yelena from previous projects (like Hawkeye or Black Widow). This is a woman struggling with the loss of her sister (and by extension, her family). She’s lost and trying to find her place in the world. I said this during Geekly’s preview several months ago, and I’ll reiterate here: Yelena is relatable.

So many of the Thunderbolts* are relatable. They’ve fallen short of glory. They’re haunted by their demons. They find a way to endure and persevere. It’ll be difficult not to get preachy with this response, but I’ll try and restrain myself. In short, Thunderbolts* is about mental health.

I’ll try to stay as spoiler-free as I can. It’ll be difficult. I love how Thunderbolts* introduced Sentry. This could’ve handled Sentry’s introduction poorly, but Bob’s inclusion was handled with care. He battles demons of his own, and like I said prior, he can draw people into their past trauma. This will come back to bite the Thunderbolts in the future because every member has trauma. Sentry forces the team to face their past, and eventually, the Thunderbolts help Sentry battle his own self-loathing. Bob views it as an ever-present void. Again, for someone dealing with depression, this is relatable.

I don’t want to get into any further detail; it’ll get too spoilery. How the Thunderbolts assemble has shades of the Guardians of the Galaxy. It worked for the Guardians; it works for the Thunderbolts. There are a few exceptions, but most Thunderbolts are tasked with assassinating one of the other future members. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s character (Valentina) is in the throes of impeachment trials and uses the various members to cover up her tracks. Her final loose ends are the Thunderbolts. Okay. That was kind of a spoiler. Thunderbolts* may use familiar tactics, but the way the movie executes these tactics feels fresh.

Thunderbolts* even manages to introduce small details earlier in the film that end up mattering more than the audience may have thought. That’s always fun. It’s like watching a puzzle piece fall into place. And Thunderbolts* does a good job of managing those puzzle pieces.

My only gripe is that I wish we had seen more of certain characters. To be fair, that’s a good problem to have. This is a minor spoiler, but one of the Thunderbolts dies early in the movie’s runtime. I see why Marvel did it. Fans didn’t care for this interpretation of the character, and knowing the multiverse, the character could return (even with the same actor) in some other form, hopefully one closer to the comic book.

And I wish we had gotten more screen time with Ghost. Again, I understand why Marvel went this direction. Ghost’s past is similar enough to Yelena’s (suffering from a childhood where she must do bad things). Thunderbolts* had a lot of characters to juggle, so someone had to draw the short stick. Ghost still had plenty of moments.

I don’t want to continue and risk spoiling any more of Thunderbolts*. It’s a great watch, one of the MCU’s better releases in recent years. Just be prepared with a box of tissues. Thunderbolts* covers some heavy topics.

I’m so glad Thunderbolts* was the first MCU movie I watched this year. I can’t wait for Fantastic Four: First Steps to release. Thank you for reading. Like Thunderbolts* tells us, be kind to yourself, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: May 4, 2025, MCU Reveals First X-Men Villain

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

First things first. Happy Star Wars Day! We plan to celebrate with various games. Let us know how you plan to celebrate May the Fourth. Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. This geek week’s news cycle had a few developments, but we’ll start with the MCU.

Mister Sinister Named the MCU X-Men’s First Villain

While not guaranteed, the MCU heavily implied that they intended for Mister Sinister to be the first villain the MCU’s rendition of the X-Men would face. Mister Sinister has been rumored for months. Several trusted sources have confirmed that we’ll see Doctor Nathaniel Essex soon. This tracks. Often, the MCU would rather use a villain who hasn’t yet made their big screen debut as the villain in a major film, and the rebooted X-Men would be a major release.

I have reservations with Mister Sinister being the X-Men’s first villain. Typically, he’s better served with a slow build. Mister Sinister’s original concept was of a child at the same orphanage as Cyclops, but he secretly ran the facility. Mister Sinister ages slowly, so while he looked like an 11-year-old like Cyclops was at the time, he was 50 years old. I can see the MCU making it appear like Mister Sinister hid in plain sight for decades, but I’m not sold on this angle. We’ll have to see how the MCU intends to incorporate Mister Sinister. He’s not the easiest villain to plop into a narrative, but I’d love to see him on the big screen.

Skye casted Robert Pattinson as Mister Sinister in our recent Geekly Casting: X-Men in the MCU post. I like that casting. I can see it. There have also been rumors of Keanu Reeves joining the MCU. Of the two roles we know will happen, Reeves would make a good Beyonder (Secret Wars) or Mister Sinister. We’ll let you know as we get more information.

Whoopsie! Chrono Trigger Remake May or May Not Have Been Leaked

2025 marks Chrono Trigger’s 30th anniversary. Fans got excited for a Chrono Trigger Remake after a statement was released that the game would be next in line at SquareEnix to get the remake treatment. At first, news releases made it sound as if original game designer Yuji Horii had made an announcement for a Chrono Trigger remake at Napoli Comicon 2025, but Horii’s comments were mistranslated. Here’s a link to the Napoli Comicon 2025 panel in question:

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2448211166?t=18941s

Still, one must think there may be some smoke. Chrono Trigger is celebrating a milestone anniversary. It would make sense that SquareEnix has something planned for this year. Fingers crossed that SquareEnix continues its trend of video game remakes with Chrono Trigger.

Flamecraft Duals Hits Kickstarter

While the original Flamecraft can accommodate 2-player games, it thrives at higher player counts. Flamecraft Duals continues the trend of 2-player variants of popular games. The production quality looks fantastic. I like the use of buddy tokens. Flamecraft Duals may be set in the same universe as Flamecraft, but plays very differently from the original. I don’t have a lot of bag pulling games, so I may consider picking up Flamecraft Duals. Gamers can even purchase the Dragons & Dragons add-on that modifies the original game. You can back the base Flamecraft Duals for $30 or Dragons & Dragons for $20. There’s even a Horde option where Cardboard Alchemy includes promo cards, an art book, and two dragon plushes for $99.

Trash Rush Launches on Kickstarter

Raccoons work as trash collectors in Trash Rush. What’s not to love? Trash Rush is a quick to learn and streamlined experience. Players control their team of raccoon trash collectors by playing cards from their hands once per turn, but be careful. Whatever order you place your raccoons’ actions will be the order they will conduct those actions for the entire round. Despite a simple concept and easy-to-learn rules, there are plenty of strategic choices.

Per Rhado, from Rhado Runs Through, Trash Rush is a good alternative to Ticket to Ride. Players must generate a network and optimize their ability to collect trash. I can’t get over the raccoon characters. Yay! And it helps that Trash Rush has multiple ways to play: multiplayer competitive, cooperative, and solo. The base game costs about $34 (the totals are calculated in Euros). If you include Trash Rush’s first expansion, a pledge will cost about $59, and the all-in pledge runs around $72. Shipping is not included, of course.

Super Pixel Tactics Lands on GameFound

If you’re like me, you’ll have to wait for Super Boss Monster to make it to your local game store, but Boss Monster isn’t the only board game inspired by classic video games. Pixel Tactics pits players against each other in a battle to the death. Super Pixel Tactics is the new definitive version by Level 99 Games. I’m actually more impressed by the storage capacity of Super Pixel Tactics. Super Boss Monster had issues with storing a lot of its bits; Super Pixel Tactics shouldn’t have that same issue.

I even like how Super Pixel Tactics is accommodating sleeves. That doesn’t happen that much, and so many board gamers love to sleeve their cards. The gameplay gets some much-needed tweaks but stays mostly the same. I am excited about the new solo mode. If you’re looking for a two-player combat game that’s set in a classic video game universe, you should consider Super Pixel Tactics. The pledge levels include the full collection at $100, the first two Pixel Tactics and a mat for $60, just the first game for $15, and everything, including all the bling, for $150.