Marvel Snap is a free-to-play digital collectible card game developed by developer Second Dinner and published by Nuverse. Released for iOS, Android and PC in October 2022, Marvel Snap has quickly become popular among Marvel fans and card game enthusiasts alike thanks to its fast-paced gameplay, gorgeous art style and use of beloved Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Hulk and Venom.
One of the standout features of Marvel Snap is its soundtrack, featuring original compositions that perfectly complement the game’s comic book aesthetic. But who is responsible for creating the music that brings Marvel Snap’s matches to life? Let’s take a closer look at the composers behind this upbeat, energetic score.
Lead Composer: Eddie Karam
The main composer for Marvel Snap is Eddie Karam, an accomplished industry veteran who has previously contributed music to major franchises like Call of Duty, The Simpsons and Spider-Man. Karam has extensive experience composing for games, having worked on titles like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly, Guitar Hero III and Skylanders.
As the lead composer on Marvel Snap, Karam was tasked with setting the tone for the game’s music and establishing recognizable themes that could enhance the gameplay experience. He focused on creating tracks that were heroic, upbeat and infused with a sense of action and adventure. The result is a score that evokes the grand, sweeping music of classic Marvel films and comics.
Some of Karam’s standout compositions on the Marvel Snap soundtrack include the main menu theme, which introduces the game with a bombastic superhero fanfare, as well as the electric guitar-driven match music that amplifies the tension during card battles. Karam’s music succeeds in making every brawl feel like an epic Marvel clash for the ages.
Additional Composers
While Eddie Karam led the charge in crafting Marvel Snap’s orchestral score, he didn’t work alone. A team of skilled composers assisted with additional music across the game’s 200+ collectible cards and various multiplayer events.
These co-composers included industry veterans like Winifred Phillips, George Shaw and Riley McShane. Phillips is known for her music contributions to Triple-A franchises like God of War, LittleBigPlanet and Assassin’s Creed Liberation. Meanwhile, Shaw and McShane have worked together on the music of major game series like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo.
By combining forces, Karam and his team were able to produce an enormous amount of custom music for Marvel Snap’s wide array of cards, locations and game modes. This allows each match to have its own unique sonic palette based on the cards being used, keeping the audio fresh every time you play.
Live Orchestral Recordings
In order to give Marvel Snap’s music an authentic, cinematic feel, the team elected to record live orchestral instrumentation for the score. The studios they chose included the Streicher Scoring Stage in Los Angeles and Studio E at Television City Studios.
At these locations, world-class studio musicians performed the compositions using a full ensemble of strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion. This live element helps the score “leap off the screen” in a way that would be impossible with synthesized samples alone.
While the composers created most of the music electronically, the live recordings breathe life into their work, allowing subtle nuances in phrasing and dynamics. The resulting hybrid score manages to feel both intimate and huge at the same time.
Music That Matches Marvel’s Mythos
One of the composers’ biggest challenges was to ensure the music fit snugly within the broader Marvel universe. While the score needed to feel new and original, it also couldn’t clash with established musical themes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, comics, shows and other games.
To achieve cohesion, the composers made sparing use of the iconic Marvel fanfare and other familiar motifs like Captain America’s march or the driving strings from the Avengers theme. These brief callbacks are just enough to feel rooted in Marvel without being distracting.
The score also adeptly captures the tone and emotion of Marvel’s storytelling style. The music sells the idea that you’re playing with the fate of the entire Marvel multiverse in the palm of your hand. Just as Marvel movies balance fun, heroism and serious drama, the game’s score ranges from cheerful and quirky to solemn and epic as needed.
Music for Each Location
In addition to card-specific themes, each of Marvel Snap’s locations has its own background music composed by Karam’s team. These locations include famous Marvel settings like Avengers Tower, Stark Industries and Attilan.
The Attilan music, for example, uses delicate percussion, harp and woodwinds to represent Black Bolt’s hidden kingdom. Meanwhile, the helicarrier music relies on imposing horns and militaristic percussion to reflect Nick Fury’s S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
Having distinct musical backdrops for each setting makes playing matches feel like traveling through the Marvel Universe. Since locations have unique effects on gameplay, their music subtly underscores the strategic shifts needed.
Dynamic Mixing
Marvel Snap doesn’t just play one continuous looped track during a match. Instead, the game dynamically mixes together music layers based on what’s happening in real time.
As the match progresses, new instrument layers will fade in and out to build tension and hit emotional storytelling beats. The music that plays when you turn the tide of a losing match feels entirely different from the desperation of being on the ropes.
This fluid approach to game scoring is only possible thanks to advanced interactive music systems. Composer Winifred Phillips specifically cited her experience on God of War as being essential in allowing this free-flowing music mix for Marvel Snap.
Prominent Use of Themes and Leitmotifs
In the tradition of great film and television composers like John Williams and Michael Giacchino, Marvel Snap’s music relies heavily on recurring themes and leitmotifs.
For instance, each card has its own short musical theme that plays when revealed or used in a match. If you draw Spider-Man early, you may hear hints of his bouncy piano theme later woven into the background score. This technique brings tremendous cohesion to the soundscape.
These miniature themes also evolve to represent locations. While Iron Man’s music remains generally consistent, the arrangement shifts when played in futuristic settings like New Nova or Oscorp Tower. This helps each match develop its own distinct texture.
Music for Game Modes
Beyond matches, Marvel Snap features special game modes with their own tailored music. These include the solo challenges of Daily Deals and the social Competition Crucible.
Daily Deals uses laid-back grooves and instrument solos to accompany the more puzzle-like challenge. Contrastingly, Crucible amps up the excitement with driving percussion and synths to underscore the competitive stakes against other players.
Even the Corkboard screen where you customize your card collection has whimsical music filled with woodwinds and chimes that evoke the feeling of being in a creative zone. The composers personalized every inch of the game.
Conclusion
Marvel Snap’s soundtrack succeeds in being as bold, varied and heroic as the Marvel universe itself. Through the combined efforts of industry veteran Eddie Karam and his team, the game is filled with hundreds of tailored compositions supporting every card, location and game mode. By recording live orchestra and implementing dynamic mixing technology, the music comes to life in exciting ways that complement the strategic gameplay. The score stands tall among the best superhero video game soundtracks of all time, matching the Marvel mythos blow-for-blow.
Name | Notable Credits | Role in Marvel Snap |
---|---|---|
Eddie Karam | Tony Hawk, Call of Duty, Spider-Man | Lead Composer |
Winifred Phillips | God of War, Assassin’s Creed | Co-Composer |
George Shaw | World of Warcraft, Call of Duty | Co-Composer |
Riley McShane | Starcraft, Diablo | Co-Composer |
Major Marvel Snap Music Elements
- Heroic, upbeat score capturing Marvel spirit
- Custom themes for all cards, locations and game modes
- Live orchestra recordings for cinematic feel
- Dynamic mixing that evolves based on match events
- Recurring leitmotifs unifying the soundtrack
- Ranges from quirky to serious like MCU films
In summary, Marvel Snap’s soundtrack provides an integral part of the game experience thanks to Eddie Karam and other composers’ flair for fun, dynamic superhero scoring. Their work develops memorable themes for every Marvel element while underscoring the strategic card battles. Like the game itself, the music is polished, accessible and full of narrative panache. The rich soundtrack should satisfy both Marvel fans and music enthusiasts when they download Marvel Snap for countless hours of comic book card battling action.