’UniVersus’ brings anime together for the ultimate showdown

UniVersus is not exactly a new trading card game; but a new rebranding offers something kind of unique to anime fans. For professional power scalers that ask themselves “Who would win,” UniVersus anime based expansions create a way to answer that question. At PAX East 2024, myself and Games Editor Evan Griffin dove into the game’s mechanics through its My Hero Academia demo. We also looked at the UniVersus expansions set in series like Cowboy Bebop, Trigun: Stampede, and Yu-Yu Hakusho! 

UniVersus is all about the joy of the fight

UniVersus is a dense game that persisted as it moved from owner to owner over the course of several years. At the core, the game emulates the breakneck speed of fighting games. Each deck centers around a character and the players build their pool of resources via Foundation cards, which can help later for abilities and skill checks. Just like learning the basics of a fighting game requires learning the fundamentals as a foundation, Foundation cards are the backbone to success. 

For all card types, UniVersus uses a mechanic that replicates the skill testing nature of fighting games button inputs by revealing the top of the deck and checking a skill value. Success continues the turn, but failing immediately ends the turn just like missing an input opens your defense for your opponent. This is particularly critical for Attack cards, which is what actually wins the game. Foundations can be stocked up to help succeed in skill checks, and playing more cards in a turn increases the difficulty of the check. 

Get into the head of your favorite anime leads

While a bit complicated to get the hang of, UniVersus really does capture the feeling of playing as a guest character in a title like Tekken. In the case of our My Hero Academia demo, I found myself releasing consecutive and powerful attacks as Bakugo, only for the opposing Deku to endure and strike back in a surprising reversal. The execution is surprisingly flavorful for the matchup; though of course Bakugo could easily reverse fortunes in the hands of a skilled player.  This accurate portrayal extends to the other properties the game has adapted. 

Trigun Stampede, for example, features the effervescent Vash the Stampede as a character who increases the difficulty of blocking attacks. When not attacking, Vash can quickly reload the player’s hand just like he does his own weapon. It’s not hard to look at the effects and visualize Orange’s impressive animation – especially since it’s directly on the cards. The Cowboy Bebop deck fairs even better by working stylizations similar to the series’ OP and eyecatches into card artwork. 

While the idea of a card game all about various IPs sounds like a nightmare for some Magic: The Gathering players, it’s hard to not see the merits of UniVerses. Thanks to simple packaging, it’s easy to pick up just the franchises you like and keep them on hand for a fun night with your fellow anime fans. For more challenge, properties can be mixed together for competitive games in game stores. 

UniVersus is available at local game stores now.