The 2022 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Multiplayer Game

By Christian Hoffer

Multiplayer video games remain a major part of the video game ecosystem, dominating both consoles and mobile devices. While single-player games like Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok often dominated the conversation in video game circles, there's nothing like turning on the console and testing your mettle against friends or random human opponents. And while first-player shooter games often dominate the multiplayer conversation, this year's nominees contain a few interesting games that have expanded the genre. 

In addition to the ever-popular Call of Duty franchise, this year's nominees also included the popular Nintendo franchise Splatoon, which released its first new installment in five years, the survival horror game Evil Dead: The Game, and the retro arcade game TMNT: Shredder's Revenge. But this year's Best Multiplayer Game winner was a major surprise. 

And the winner of the 2022 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Multiplayer Game is...

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Marvel SNAP! 

Marvel Snap captured the hearts of the ComicBook.com staff this year, with a fully random multiplayer experience in which players compete in fast-paced and furious matches. In Marvel SNAP, players build a 12-card deck, made up of the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe. They then compete in matches with 6 rounds, trying to outmaneuver their opponents to gain control of 3 locations by having the most "Power" at a single location. 

As a relatively young mobile game, Marvel SNAP only has one mode, which matches players against random players across the Internet. Matching is determined based on a combination of your rank, your current collection level and other factors, meaning that you'll likely always be playing against someone who is at roughly the same level as you are. While there are a few dominant decks in Marvel SNAP, the short length of rounds means that players will almost always have a way to counter the best decks. Plus, the slow and steady stream of new card releases gives players a continuous look at new cards and new deck strategies. 

Whether you like deck-builders, strategy games, or a game that moves quickly, Marvel SNAP is one of the best games of the year. And with more multiplayer modes coming in the near future, we're guessing that the game is destined to be in the Golden Issues discussion next year as well. 

Congratulations to the development and design team of Marvel SNAP for their victory! 

The nominees for Best Multiplayer Game are:

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

  • Evil Dead: The Game

  • Marvel Snap – WINNER

  • Splatoon 3

  • TMNT: Shredder's Revenge

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