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I knew early on that the set would be a little more streamlined, so instead of the typical 168-card Munchkin game that supports 3 to 6 players, I designed X-Men as a 128-card standalone set for 3 or 4 players, similar to Munchkin Grimm Tidings. While Munchkin: X-Men Edition can perfectly complement all the other Munchkin: Marvel content, it also plays great on its own. We’ve received great feedback from the inclusion of the player role cards in Munchkin: Marvel, where players took on the roles of S.H.I.E.L.D agents rising through the ranks to reach Level 10 and win. I wanted to do something similar with Munchkin: X-Men Edition, so I thought it would be fun for players to be students enrolled at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, again working their way up to earn a spot as the newest member of the X-Men by being the first to reach Level 10. I took inspiration from The New Mutants characters like Cannonball and Magik for the roles players can take, including Leader, Strategist, Blaster, and Heavy Hitter.
Like Munchkin: Marvel Edition, the set features iconic villains as the monsters you must face, including an army of Sentinels (which can also be played to boost each other’s combat strength), Sabretooth, Mystique, and, of course, Magneto! Watch out for Traps representing memorable mutant storylines like “X-Tinction Agenda” and “Mutant Massacre” (sorry Morlocks)! There are new abilities to acquire in the form of mutant Powers like Phasing, Healing Factor, and Optic Blasts. All the fan-favorite characters show up as Allies to support players, including Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Cyclops. There are new Affiliations, which take the place of Class cards, including X-Men, X-Factor, and X-Force. And, there’s plenty of new Items to equip, like Adamantium Claws, Cerebro, and even Dazzler’s Roller Skates! Groovy!
I think the thing I enjoy most about working on these Munchkin titles is the ability to create a setting where players get to engage in their fandom and enter worlds like Marvel’s X-Men in fun, new ways. In particular, I like to create cards that can be modified by the environment, like Blob, who gets stronger in the presence of junk food! I also appreciate the opportunity to give fans a chance to play ‘what-if’ with their favorite heroes, villains, and storylines. What if a mutant had telekinesis, super-strength, and a killer katana? Or the ability to fly, read minds, and was armed to the teeth with cutting-edge tech? Who would win in a fight and come out on top? With Munchkin: X-Men Edition players get to create their own awesome settings and see how things might play out. For me, I find that to be both Uncanny and Astonishing!
*** Andrew Wolf started collecting comics in the early 1980s with The New Mutants and Uncanny X-Men, collections that he still has today. He has been playing games for almost as long, and working in game design for almost 10 years, including credits on multiple TCGs, DBGs, Munchkin sets and more. He lives in San Diego with his wife and three cats, and is basically living his version of the American dream! |
Greetings, True Believers! I’m Andrew Wolf, content development manager for USAopoly, and lead designer of many of our licensed Munchkin sets, including Adventure Time and Marvel. Coming on the heels of Munchkin: Marvel Edition and its two expansions, Mystic Mayhem and Cosmic Chaos, we received a ton of feedback from the fans clamoring for everyone’s favorite mutants, The X-Men! We knew early on that there was enough content and history to give Homo superior its own stand-alone set, so as lead designer, I quickly set out to build a Munchkin set featuring all the iconic mutant characters and storylines. I really enjoy working on designs for Munchkin, and this one was particularly fun for me, since I’ve been a huge fan of all things X-Men since Chris Claremont’s run starting in the early 80s. I still have the entire original print run of The New Mutants, including Deadpool’s first appearance! So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to reimagine some of my favorite heroes, villains, and iconic stories from my formative years in the guise of a Munchkin set.
