PAX Unplugged 2024: Solis Game Studio’s ‘The Massive-Verse’ Fighting Card Game

Welcome to the table,

PAX Unplugged 2024 had some really rad offerings. Included were a slew of Magic: The Gathering cards, a giant Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine statue, and more flavored soda than I have ever seen in one place. It also had some truly exciting games for me to try. One that I had a blast playing was Solis Game Studio’s Massive-Verse fighting card game.

I have played a slew of deck building games. From Legend of the 5 Rings to MTG, Star Wars, Star Trek, anime-themed, cute monsters with wildly horrific world end powers themed, if it can be built, traded, and battled I have probably played at least a hand of it in my time. So when I rolled up to the table to play a game of Pocket Paragons-themed The Massive-Verse Fighting Card Game, I was expecting the normal “buy these packs, build this deck, do these cool flip, tap, damage, resolution, win, play again” mechanics.

What I was not ready for was a game where your not collecting tiny decks built around a themed character. And if you have memory comprehension, you can pretty much assume what is in your opponents deck as each is per-constructed and ready to roll.

The fast, casual play style of the card game really makes Pocket Paragon and these Massive-Verse themed decks shine. You start against an opponent with both of your hit points set at ten, then do battle using seven ability types like Physical, Agility, and Intelligence, with rest and super moves tossed into the mix. While you may know what your opponent has in their hand to play, it’s this really cool mind game of “what is their next move going to be” and I found myself getting into it trying to figure out if I should play something that made sense or something chaotic to throw off my opponent so my next move had a better chance at saving me or reducing their hit points.

The game — while amusingly complex for the lack of obvious options — flows through a simple rhythm where you select an ability, resolve counters and damage, and manage resources like energy to power up your Ultimate or Passive abilities. Passives grant ongoing effects, while Ultimates deliver powerful, game-changing moves that can switch the flow of the game instantly.

I’m really glad I took a chance on this game. While the Massive-Verse has a ton of options, including an expansion pack, there are actually even more decks you can toss into the mix and play against in the larger catalog of Pocket Paragons.

All-in-all, I would say if you are looking for a fun, easy to pick up and play card game that would be perfect for a night at the table or something to keep in the car for the occasional “want to hit up a brewery?” text, this is a pretty epic offering that adds both complexity in the way the game can unfold but simplicity in the setup and start.

You can score your own decks at the link.

Until next time, I really want to see what else they come out with because this was a sleeper hit for me and I really need to try the other decks now.