Skip to Content

UNO Ultimate Marvel (2023 Edition) Card Game: Rules and Instructions for How to Play

UNO Ultimate Marvel (2023 Edition) Card Game: Rules and Instructions for How to Play

This post is about the 2023 edition of UNO Ultimate Marvel. To find out more information about the 2022 edition (featuring Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Thor) check out our 2022 UNO Ultimate Marvel post. For more information on the four new characters (Black Widow, Captain America, Hulk, Shuri) added in this version of the game, check the characters section at the bottom of this post.

Objective of UNO Ultimate Marvel

The objective of UNO Ultimate Marvel is to either be the first player to get rid of all of the cards from your hand, or to be the last player to have cards left in your Character Deck.

Setup for UNO Ultimate Marvel

  • Each player should choose a Superhero that they want to play as. If you have the 2022 version of UNO Ultimate Marvel or any of the Add-On Packs, you can choose from those heroes as well.
  • Take the Character Deck that matches the character that you have chosen. Return all other Character Decks not chosen by a player to the box.
  • Separate the Character cards from the Danger cards in your chosen deck.
  • Take all of the Danger cards from each players’ decks and shuffle them together. This will form the Danger Deck that all of the players will use throughout the game. Place the Danger Deck on the table where all of the players can reach it.
  • Each player should remove the Character Card from their personal deck and place it face up in front of themselves.
  • Shuffle the remaining cards in your deck. Take the top seven cards from your deck and add them to your hand. Place the remaining cards face down in front of you. This deck will be referred to as your Character Deck Draw Pile.
Deck Setup in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
The card on the left is the Hulk Character Card. The middle cards will make up the Hulk player’s Character Deck. The cards on the right are the Hulk player’s Danger Cards. These cards will be added to the other players’ Danger Cards to create the Danger Deck.
  • The youngest player starts the game. Play will proceed in the current direction of play.

UNO Ultimate Marvel Terms

The following terms are used on cards. You should familiarize yourself with the terms before you start playing.

Add: Take the corresponding number of cards from your Character Deck and add them to your hand.

Draw: Take the corresponding number of cards from your Character Deck and add them to your hand. You will also lose your turn.

Burn: Take the number of cards indicated from the top of your Character Deck and add them face up to a pile referred to as your Burn Pile. You should place this pile next to your Character Deck. You should burn one card at a time placing it face up on the Burn Pile. Burned cards will normally come from your Character Deck. The only exceptions are when a card specifically mentions your hand.

Burning Cards in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
The Hulk player played the Unstoppable card which forces them to burn three cards. They will take the top three cards from their Character Deck, turn them face up, and add them to their Burn Pile.

Recover: Take the corresponding number of cards from the top of your Burn Pile and add them face down to the bottom of your Character Deck. This may change if a card specifies a different way.

Recover A Card in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
The Black Widow player has revealed an Event card that lets them recover cards. For each card they recover they will take the top card from their Burn Pile and add it to the bottom of their Character Deck.

Your Turn in UNO Ultimate Marvel

Starting with the youngest player, each player will take a turn. On your turn you will follow the corresponding steps:

  • Start of Your Turn
  • Play A Card
  • Battle
  • Danger
  • End of Turn

Start of Your Turn

You will begin your turn by looking at the cards currently in front of you and other players. Some of these cards may have an effect that will impact you at the start of your turn. These effects can come from Enemy Cards, Event Cards, Items, Action Cards, or an opponent’s character power. Before doing anything else on your turn you must take action actions listed as “start-of-turn”.

Start of Turn Ability in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
The Black Widow player has the Taser Baton Item card attached. They can choose to use the card’s ability at the start of their turn.

After taking those effects, you will look at your own Character Card. If it has a “start-of-turn” effect, you may use it at this time. 

Playing A Card in UNO Ultimate Marvel

After dealing with start-of-turn effects, you will have the opportunity to play a card from your hand to the Discard Pile in the middle of the table.

To start the game there will be no cards in the Discard Pile. Therefore the first player can play any card they want from their hand.

After the first player, to play a card from your hand it must match one of the criteria of the top card from the Discard Pile. To play a card it can match one or more of the following criteria:

  • Color
  • Number
  • Symbol

If you have a card in your hand that matches one of the above criteria, you can play it to the Discard Pile. If it is an Action Card, you will take the corresponding action. See the Cards of UNO Ultimate Marvel section below for details on what each card does.

Playing A Card in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
The top card on the Discard Pile is a yellow one. Along the bottom are three cards the next player could play. They could play the yellow four because it matches the color. They could player the green one because it matches the number. The last card is Wild so it matches every other card.
Playing A Card in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
The top card on the Discard Pile is a Reverse. The next player could choose to play their own Reverse card as it matches the symbol.

Should you not have a card in your hand that you can play, you will draw the top card from your own personal Character Deck. If this new card is playable, you can play it immediately. Otherwise you will add the card to your hand.

You may choose not to play a card even if you have one that you could play. In this case you will draw a card from your Character Deck. The card you just drew is the only card that you could potentially play on your turn.

Battle

After playing a card you should look to see if you have an Enemy card that is currently attacking you. Should you have an Enemy card in front of you, you should look to see if the card that you just played defeats the Enemy.

Each Enemy card has a “To Defeat” section on the bottom. This section details what types of cards you can play in order to defeat it. This section may show one or more symbols on it. To defeat the enemy you must play a card that matches at least one of these symbols. You may not use Wilds to match any symbols other than the Wild Card symbol. The different symbols used by Enemy cards and what you need to play to defeat them are as follows:

Defeat Enemy Card
To defeat Thunderbolt Ross you need to play a blue or red card.
Defeating An Enemy Card
To defeat Taskmaster you need to play a green or yellow card.
Defeat Enemy Card
The player with Red Skull in front of them must play a Wild Card in order to defeat him.
Defeating Enemy Cards
For the symbol on the left, you need to play a number card in order to defeat the Enemy. The third symbol requires an Action Card (Draw Two, Reverse, Skip, Wild) to be played to defeat the Enemy. To defeat an Enemy with the last symbol, you need to play a card that has the Danger Icon on it.

Should you play a card that matches the defeat criteria for an Enemy attacking you, you will defeat it. Discard the Enemy card to the Danger Card Discard Pile. If you have a card that gives you a special ability when defeating an enemy, you can take that action now.

You may not defeat an Enemy card on the turn that you draw it.

Danger

Some of the cards in UNO Ultimate Marvel feature a Danger Icon in the top left corner. If you played a card to the Discard Pile that had a Danger Icon on it, you will flip over the top card from the Danger Deck.

Draw Danger Card in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
The Black Widow player played a blue four which featured the Danger Icon. They will have to draw the top card from the Danger Deck.

You will figure out what type of card was flipped over and then resolve its effect. There are three different types of Danger cards which include Enemy, Event and Item cards. See the corresponding sections in The Cards of UNO Ultimate Marvel below for more details on what each type of card does.

Should the Danger Deck ever run out of cards, you will shuffle its discard pile in order to form a new draw pile.

End of Turn

Look at the cards in front of you and the other players. If there are any cards that have end-of-turn effects that affect you, take the corresponding actions at this time.

After handling any end-of-turn effects, play passes to the next player in turn order.

The Cards of UNO Ultimate Marvel

Number Cards in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Number Cards

Number cards do not have a special ability. You may only play them if they match the current color or number.

Draw Two

Draw Two Cards in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

When you play a Draw Two card, the next player in turn order must draw two cards from their Character Deck. The next player in turn order also loses their turn.

Reverse Cards in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Reverse

The Reverse card changes the direction of play. If play was moving clockwise, it will now move counter-clockwise. If play was moving counter-clockwise, it will now move clockwise.

Skip Cards in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Skip

The next player in turn order loses their turn.

Should your turn be skipped and an Enemy is attacking you, you will ignore their effect.

If you are already being skipped and another card also forces you to skip, you will only skip a total of one turn.

Wild Cards in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Wild

The Wild card matches every other card, so you can play it at any time.

When you play the Wild card you choose the new color for the Discard Pile.

Each Wild card also has a special ability printed on it. When you play the card, you will also take this special action. For more details on these abilities see the corresponding character section below.

Enemy Card in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Enemy Cards

Enemy Cards are a type of Danger Card.

When you reveal an Enemy Card, you will place it in front of you. This Enemy is now attacking you. You will immediately take the “When Flipped” action.

Should there already be an Enemy attacking you, you will discard the old Enemy for the one that you just drew. There are some Enemy cards that prevent this. This does not count as defeating the Enemy.

Replacing An Enemy Card
This player already had Taskmaster in front of them. They then revealed the Red Skull card. They will place the Red Skull card in front of themselves, and discard the Taskmaster card.

As long as an enemy is in front of you, you will apply the “while attacking” ability. The only way to stop this effect from hurting you is to defeat the Enemy in a battle.

Attacking Enemy in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
When the Red Skull card is flipped over, all of the players add one card to their hand. While Red Skull is still in front of a player, all players have to burn one card.

To defeat an Enemy you must beat it in a battle. See the Battle section above for details on how to beat Enemy cards.

Event Card in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Event Cards

Event Cards are a type of Danger Card.

When an Event Card is revealed, you will apply its effect immediately. You will take the action printed on the card. After you take the corresponding action, add the Event Card to the Danger Discard Pile.

Item Card in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Item Cards

Item Cards are a type of Danger Card.

When an Item Card is revealed, immediately place it in front of the player that revealed it. Item cards give you a second Character Power that you can choose to use on your turn.

Character Cards in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Character Cards

Each player gets a Character Card of the Superhero you chose to play as. Each of these cards have a special ability printed on them. You can choose to use this ability on your turn.

Some Character Cards require you to Burn cards or take some other action in order to use them. Before you use the ability, you must meet the requirements of the ability. Enemy Cards currently fighting you can affect your ability to use your character’s ability.

Calling UNO

Should you only have one card left in your hand, you must call out “UNO” as quickly as possible. This is to alert the other players that you are close to winning the game.

Calling UNO
This player only has one card left in their hand. They will have to call out UNO.

If another player catches you not saying UNO before the next player starts their turn, you must draw two cards from your Character Deck.

Winning UNO Ultimate Marvel

There are two different ways that you can win UNO Ultimate Marvel.

If you play all of the cards from your hand, you immediately win the game. Should the last card you play have the Danger Icon on it, you do not have to draw a Danger Card.

In addition to the cards in your hand, you need to keep track of the cards in your Character Deck. When you draw the last card from your Character Deck, you are eliminated from the game.

Some games will end when all but one of the players are eliminated. The last remaining player wins the game.

After you finish the game you should make sure to take the cards from the Danger deck and return them to the corresponding Character Decks. This prepares the game for the next time you play it in case you play with different characters in the next game.

The Characters of UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Black Widow Cards in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Black Widow

Black Widow is focused on manipulating the other players and making them fall into your traps. Her cards allow you to eliminate the other player’s ability to play cards while getting rid of the threats from their Wild cards.

Black Widow Character Card

Character Card

Black Widow’s special power activates when the player playing as her changes the color of the Discard Pile. The player gets to choose another player. That player has to randomly burn a card from their hand, and add a new card to their hand.

Black Widow Power in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
The Black Widow player changed the color of the Discard Pile. They will choose another player to randomly burn a card from their hand and add a new card to their hand.
Black Widow Wild Cards

Wild Cards

Hide in Plain Sight – The player who plays the card chooses add or burn. No players may play a card that features the chosen action until the player who played the card takes their next turn.

Sabotage – Until you take your next turn, the next player to play a card on top of this card has a choice to make. They can burn a Wild Card from their hand and add two cards to their hand. Otherwise they have to burn four cards.

Set A Trap – This effect stays in place until you take your next turn. The next player to play a card on top of this card has to either add one card, burn three cards, or flip a Danger Card.

Swipe – Choose an item card held by another player and attach it to your own character.

Black Widow Event Cards

Event Cards

Defy – Should the next player to play a card not play a Number Card, they must add two cards to their hand.

Surveillance – You will choose another player and look at their hand.

Theft – Choose an Item that is currently in front of another player. Add it to your Character.

Black Widow Item Cards

Item Cards

Taser Baton – You can only use this ability at the start of your turn. If you discard the Taser Baton Item card, you can choose another player who skips their turn.

Gauntlets – You may choose another player at the start of your turn to burn one card.

Black Widow Enemy Cards

Enemy Cards

Red Guardian – When you flip over Red Guardian, the next active player is skipped. While Red Guardian is attacking you, you will burn one card at the start of your turn. Should another enemy be defeated, you can move Red Guardian in front of that player.

To defeat Red Guardian you need to play a red card.

Taskmaster – When you flip over Taskmaster, you will add two cards and burn one card. While Taskmaster is in front of you, you may not use your Character Power or Item Cards.

To defeat Taskmaster you must play either a green or yellow card.

Viper – When Viper is flipped over, you will reveal your hand to the other players. You will burn a Wild Card, and then add a card to your hand. While Viper is in front of you, whenever you add cards to your hand, you must burn a card.

To defeat Viper you need to play a blue card.

Captain America Cards in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023

Captain America

Captain America is a utility character. You need to use his cards in the right situations to maximize their effects.

Captain America Character Card

Character Card

Captain America’s power allows you to burn one less card whenever you would normally have to burn two or more cards.

Captain America Wild Cards

Wild Cards

Final Justice – You will choose a color. Any cards in your hand that match the color you chose can be burned immediately. You may not use this card to burn the last card from your hand.

Justice Punch – Choose a player that has to add one card. Second choose a player to burn two cards. Finally choose a player to flip a Danger Card. The card doesn’t specify, but I am assuming you can choose different players or can choose the same player for multiple of these effects.

Shield Slash – Choose an Enemy to defeat. If you choose an opponent’s Enemy, you may immediately play again.

Super-Human Reflexes – Until you take your next turn, you are protected from cards played by the other players. Should you have to add cards, burn cards, or skip your turn; you can choose another player to take the action instead.

Captain America Event Cards

Event Cards

Backlash – All of the players will add one card to their hand. They will then burn two cards.

Charge! – Keep flipping Danger Cards until an Enemy is revealed. This Enemy is placed in front of the player that revealed the Charge! Event Card. All other revealed Danger Cards are discarded.

Disrupt – Should the next card that is played not be an Action Card (Draw Two, Reverse, Skip, Wild), the player who played the card has to burn two cards.

Captain America Item Cards

Item Cards

Body Armor – While you have the Body Armor in front of you, you can ignore any “add” effects from Enemy Cards.

Flash Bang – You may choose to discard the Flash Bang card at the start of your turn. If you discard the card, none of the other players may play an Action card (Draw Two, Reverse, Skip, Wild) until the start of your next turn.

Captain America Enemy Cards

Enemy Cards

Crossbones – When you flip over Crossbones, you have to add one card to your hand. While Crossbones is in front of a player, they must burn two cards at the start of their turn. You can’t reduce this below two cards.

To defeat Crossbones you need to play a red card.

Madam Hydra – When Madam Hydra is flipped over, play is reversed. While Madam Hydra is in front of you, whenever anyone plays a green card, you must burn one card.

To defeat Madam Hydra, you must play a green card.

Red Skull – When you flip over Red Skull, all of the players must add one card to their hand. While Red Skull is in front of you, all of the players must burn one card.

To defeat Red Skull, you must play a Wild Card.

Hulk Cards

Hulk

Hulk thrives on his player playing recklessly. You should play your cards to quickly burn through your deck. Once you get enough cards in your Burn Pile you unlock additional abilities.

Hulk Character Card

Character Card

Hulk’s special ability is activated once you have twelve or more cards in your Burn Pile. When this happens Hulk becomes “enraged”. At this point all of the other players must burn two cards at the start of each of your turns.

Hulk Power in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
The Hulk player has twelve cards in their Burn Pile. Hulk has become enraged.
Hulk Wild Cards

Wild Cards

Gamma Charge – Choose another player to burn one card. If you are enraged (12+ cards in your Burn Pile), choose a color. The player you choose has to keep burning cards until they burn a card of the color you chose.

Hulk Smash – Burn two cards from your own deck. Then choose another player to add two cards to their hand and burn one card.

The Strongest! – You will burn two cards. You will defeat all Enemy Cards in play and destroy all Item Cards. For each card this removes from play, all of the other players must burn one card.

Unstoppable – You will burn three cards. If Hulk is enraged (12+ cards in your Burn Pile), all other players are skipped. If Hulk is not enraged, just skip the next player.

Hulk Event Cards

Event Cards

Bend and Break – Change the color of the Discard Pile to green.

Burnout -You will burn four cards. Then choose four cards from your Burn Pile to return to the bottom of your Character Deck.

Rest – Recover one card from your Burn Pile for each other active (not eliminated) player.

Hulk Item Cards

Item Cards

Hulk Pants – The Hulk Pants cards cannot be destroyed by other cards. You can choose to destroy the card at the end of your turn though in order to recover three cards.

Rubble – You may choose at the start of your turn to destroy the Rubble card. If you choose to, choose another player to burn two cards.

Hulk Enemy Cards

Enemy Cards

Abomination – When you flip over Abomination, you will add one card to your hand and recover two cards from your Burn Pile. While Abomination is in front of you, you can’t play any Wild Cards.

To defeat Abomination you must play a green card.

Maestro – When Maestro is flipped over, all players will recover two cards from their Burn Pile. While Maestro is in front of you, you will burn two cards at the start of your turn. Should you reveal a new Enemy while Maestro is in front of you, you will ignore it and discard it immediately.

To defeat Maestro you will have to play a green card.

Thunderbolt Ross – When you flip over Thunderbolt Ross, you will recover three cards from your Burn Pile. While Thunderbolt Ross is in front of you, you will have to add two cards to your hand whenever you play an Action Card (Draw Two, Reverse, Skip, Wild).

To defeat Thunderbolt Ross you need to play either a blue or a red card.

Shuri Cards

Shuri

Shuri gives a player a lot of flexibility. You can swap cards for ones you need. You also benefit whenever item cards are revealed or used.

Shuri Character Card

Character Card

Shuri’s power is triggered whenever an Item Card is revealed or destroyed. Whenever this happens, you can exchange a card from your hand for one in your Burn Pile.

Shuri Power in UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023
An Item Card was revealed. The Shuri player can choose to exchange a card from their hand with one from their Burn Pile.
Shuri Wild Cards

Wild Cards

Silent Strike – Choose another player to add one card to their hand and skip their turn. Should you have an item attached to Shuri, the player you choose has to burn two cards and you will recover two cards from your Burn Pile.

Steadfast Resolve – You will choose another player to burn one card. You also get to recover one card. Should you have Item Cards attached to Shuri, you can take these two actions for each attached Item Card.

Suit Up – The next player in turn order will be skipped. You may chose to destroy an Item Card in front of any of the players.

Visionary – You will keep revealing Danger Cards until an Item Card is revealed. You will attach the Item Card to Shuri. The rest of the Danger Cards that were revealed are discarded.

Shuri Event Cards

Event Cards

Leapfrog – You will burn one card. The next player in turn order is then skipped.

Sidestep – You will add one card to your hand. Turn order will reverse.

Shuri Item Cards

Item Cards

Kinetic Claws – If you are being attacked by an Enemy Card (there is an Enemy Card in front of you) at the start of your turn, you may recover two cards from your Burn Pile.

Kinetic Force Shield – For as long as you have the card in front of you, you may burn one less card from Enemy Cards.

Sonic Hand Cannons – Should you force another player to burn a card(s), you can make them burn one additional card.

Shuri Enemy Cards

Enemy Cards

Mikaboshi – When you flip over Mikaboshi, the next player in turn order adds one card to their hand. While Mikaboshi is in front of you, whenever you recover cards you will add one card to your hand.

To defeat Mikaboshi you must play a yellow card.

Radioactive Man – When Radioactive Man is flipped over, the next player burns three cards. While Radioactive Man is in front of you, at the start of each of your turns all of the players have to burn one card.

To defeat Radioactive Man, you must play a green or yellow card.

Tetu – When you flip over Tetu, you will destroy an attached Item Card and burn two cards. While Tetu is in front of you, you will have to destroy an Item Card if you have one attached to your character.

To defeat Tetu you must play a blue card.

UNO Ultimate Marvel 2023 Components

Year: 2023 | Publisher: Mattel | Designer: Aaron Weil

Genres: Card, Family, Take That

Ages: 7+ | Number of Players: 2-4 | Length of Game: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Light-Moderate | Strategy: Light | Luck: Moderate-High

Components: 4 Character Decks (47 cards each), 4 Character Cards, 32 Danger Cards, 4 Foil Cards, Instructions

Where to Purchase: Amazon, eBay Any purchases made through these links (including other products) help keep Geeky Hobbies running. Thank you for your support.


For more board and card game how to plays/rules and reviews, check out our complete alphabetical list of board game posts.

august

Wednesday 8th of March 2023

how much number of item cards that can be attached to a hero?

august

Wednesday 8th of March 2023

@Eric Mortensen, great thanks

Eric Mortensen

Wednesday 8th of March 2023

The official instructions do not mention a limit of how many item cards can be attached to a hero. Therefore I am assuming there is no limit to how many item cards there can be on a hero.