Marvel Champions: The Card Game is a cooperative card game for one to four players. Each player assumes the role of a Marvel hero, playing as that character and their alter ego. Throughout the match, players must collaborate to defeat a game-controlled criminal who attempts to execute their evil plans. This highly regarded brand offers significant replay value. This basic set allows for four players, unlike others. It includes three scenarios and five heroes.

Marvel Champions: The Card Game unfolds over a series of rounds, each consisting of a Player Phase and a Criminal Phase. During the Player Phase, players take turns in order. On their turn, a player can play cards from their hand, attack enemies, intervene against the criminal's schemes, and utilize ally, support, and upgrade cards already in play. Once all players have completed their turns, the Player Phase ends, and the game transitions to the Criminal Phase.

At the start of the Criminal Phase, threats are placed on the main storyline. The criminal then activates once per player, either attacking the player or advancing their plot. The game reveals cards from the encounter deck, introducing wingmen, pitfalls, secondary plots, and reinforcements to bolster the villain's forces against the heroes. The game continues until the players achieve victory as a team or the criminal prevails.

As a Living Card Game, players can customize and expand their experience by purchasing expansions released regularly. Each Hero Expansion Pack includes one new Hero Starter Deck that is ready to play out of the box, along with additional customization options for player decks. New villains and adventures are introduced in self-contained scenario packs and deluxe stories. Unlike collectible card games, all LCG expansions provide fixed, non-random content.