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Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven
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Gloomhaven
DesignersIsaac Childres
Illustrators
  • Alexandr Elichev
  • Josh T. McDowell
  • Alvaro Nebot
PublishersCephalofair Games (2017)
SystemsLegacy
Players1–4
Playing time90–115 minutes (per scenario)
ChanceModerate
SkillsStrategy, tactics, logic

Gloomhaven is a cooperative board game for one to four players designed by Isaac Childres and published by Cephalofair Games in 2017. It is a campaign-based dungeon crawl game including a narrative campaign, 95 unique playable scenarios, and 17 playable classes.[1][2] Since its introduction the game has been acclaimed by reviewers, and has been described as one of the best board games ever made.[3]

Gameplay

[edit]

Gloomhaven is a fantasy-themed, campaign-based tactical skirmish game, in which players try to triumph in combat-based scenarios which scale in difficulty depending on the number of players.[4] The game is cooperative and campaign driven, with one to four players working their way through a branching story consisting of 95 scenarios.[5] The campaign develops in a legacy format,[6] with stickers that are placed on the board and cards and sealed envelopes that are opened when certain criteria are met.[7]

While it has drawn comparisons to role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons and other dungeon crawl board games, Gloomhaven uses game mechanics similar to modern eurogames.[8]

Characters and monsters move about on hex tiles representing dungeons and cellars. Players simultaneously choose two cards to play each turn, each of which has a top and a bottom half, and choose the top half of one card and the bottom of the other to allow their characters to take actions such as moving, healing and attacking monsters. Randomization is not provided by dice, as is usually the case with such games, but is handled by a deck of cards,[2] called the "attack modifier deck". As the campaign progresses, characters can increase in power, gaining new abilities and improving the cards in their attack modifier decks.

Development and release

[edit]

Gloomhaven was created by Isaac Childres with illustrations provided by Alexandr Elichev, Josh T. McDowell, and Alvaro Nebot. Childres was motivated to start creating Gloomhaven in 2013, and focused on producing in 2015. He credited multiple fantasy movies and films for inspiration for Gloomhaven such as Final Fantasy, Diablo, Willow, and Labyrinth with Dungeons and Dragons being the main inspiration.[9][10]

The game was originally sold via a 2015 Kickstarter campaign which raised $386,104 from 4,904 backers.[5] After strong early reviews, a second Kickstarter campaign was launched on April 4, 2017, and delivered in November 2017 which raised about $4 million from over 40,000 backers. The game was released shortly after that to retail for a suggested price of $140.[11][12]

Expansions and alternate editions

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Gloomhaven: Forgotten Circles, the game's first expansion, was released in Q2 2019. It includes a new character class, the Aesther Diviner, 20 new scenarios primarily focused on that class, and new items and monsters. Its story is set after Gloomhaven's campaign.[13]

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, a smaller, standalone version of the game, which was released in July 2020, initially as a Target exclusive.[14] Designed to appeal to more casual gaming fans, the story in this version is set before the events of the original Gloomhaven, and has players investigate a series of disappearances in the city.[15] The game features 25 new scenarios, five of which comprise a tutorial designed to ease new players into the game.[16] Some, but not all, of the game components are compatible with the basic Gloomhaven game.

Asmodee and Flaming Fowl Studios released a digital edition of Gloomhaven for Microsoft Windows, initially on July 17, 2019. The game was released for macOS on November 25, 2021.[17] It was offered as an early access model, featuring a subset of the characters, and a single-player Adventure mode that uses procedural generation like a roguelike to create encounters. As of 2021, Asmodee and Flaming Fowl have added support for all 17 characters and the full set of 95 missions from the core board game, along with support for multiplayer.[18][19]

Gloomhaven: Grand Festival raised over $5 million on BackerKit.[20][21]

Gloomhaven: Buttons and Bugs, a miniature single-player exclusive version, was announced by Cephalophair on July 5, 2023.[22]

Zen Studios released a Gloomhaven pinball table for Pinball FX on December 7, 2023.[23][24]

Reception

[edit]

Gloomhaven has received critical acclaim, culminating in the game reaching the No. 1 spot as the top rated board game on leading website BoardGameGeek in 2017,[3] where it stayed until February 2023.[25] It also won six Golden Geek awards from the site, including for the best overall game of 2017, best strategy game, best cooperative game, most innovative game, best solo game, and best thematic game.[26] Gaming website Geek & Sundry described Gloomhaven as "a masterful design" and suggested "it belongs in a museum".[27] Matt Thrower called it one of the best fantasy board games available,[28] while noting that "Gloomhaven was the critical hit of the year."[29] Ars Technica similarly praised the game's strategy, action system, gameplay and solitare mode. Games Radar awarded the game five stars and dubbed it as "the ultimate tabletop dungeon crawler", and Board Games Land has described the game as "truly a masterpiece".[30][31] The game was also commercially successful, and sold approximately 120,000 copies as of August 2018.[32]

In a review of Gloomhaven in Black Gate, Jeff Stehman played the game with his wife and said "In short, our campaign so far has been a rich experience punctuated by moments of awesome. And many, many decisions."[33]

Awards

[edit]
Year Award Category Result Ref
2017 Cardboard Republic Laurels Best Striker Games Nominated [34]
2017 Golden Geek Award Best Overall Game Won [26]
Best Strategy Game Won
Best Cooperative Game Won
Most Innovative Game Won
Best Solo Game Won
Best Thematic Game Won
2017 International Gamers Award General Strategy: Multi-player Nominated [35]
2018 Origins Award Game of the Year Won [36]
2018 Origins Game Fair Best Board Game Won [37]
2018 Scelto dai Goblin Game of the Year Won [38]
2018 SXSW Gaming Awards Tabletop Game of the Year Won [39]
2021 Golden Geek Award Best Board Game App Won [40]

Sequel

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Frosthaven
DesignersJason D. Kingsley
DirectorsIsaac Childres
IllustratorsDavid Demaret
PublishersCephalofair Games
Players1–4
Skillsstrategy, tactics, logic

In 2020, Frosthaven was launched as a standalone sequel sold initially via a Kickstarter campaign.[41] The campaign raised almost $13 million from over 83,000 backers, making it most-funded campaign for a game on the platform,[42] until it was surpassed by the Cosmere Roleplaying Game in August 2024.[43][44] The game is set in a small northern outpost that mercenaries are struggling to protect.[45] Childres changed several aspects of the game's story and setting to address cultural bias.[46]

Frosthaven was scheduled to ship for Kickstarter backers in September 2022.[47]

In an article for Smithsonian, freelance contributor James Palmer listed it as one of the best board games of 2022. He likened opening boxes over the course of the campaign as "a series of little Christmases", though he cautioned that the game's length was not for the "fainthearted".[48]

References

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[edit]
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Gloomhaven

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from Grokipedia
Gloomhaven is a tactical designed by Childres and published by Cephalofair Games. Released in 2017, it immerses players in a persistent where they assume the roles of wandering adventurers with unique abilities, collaborating to explore treacherous dungeons, battle monsters, and navigate a branching campaign comprising 95 interconnected scenarios. The gameplay emphasizes strategic through card-driven actions, character progression via experience and loot, and legacy elements that permanently alter the game state across sessions, supporting 1-4 players in sessions lasting 60-120 minutes. Developed over several years, Gloomhaven originated from Childres's vision of blending Eurogame tactics with American-style dungeon crawling, drawing inspiration from games like Descent and Mage Knight. It achieved massive success on Kickstarter, with its initial 2015 campaign raising $386,104 from 4,904 backers and the 2017 second printing securing $3,999,795 from over 40,000 supporters, making it one of the most funded board games in crowdfunding history. The game's components include over 1,500 cards, modular map tiles, miniatures, and tokens, facilitating deep replayability through variable player powers, hand management, and a modular board system. Critically acclaimed for its narrative depth, tactical complexity, and cooperative dynamics, Gloomhaven has earned top honors, including holding the #1 ranking on BoardGameGeek's overall list from late until 2023 and the Golden Geek Award for Best Thematic . Its influence extends to spin-offs like Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion (), a more accessible standalone prequel, and Frosthaven (), a sequel that surpassed it as the highest-funded tabletop at $12.97 million. In 2023, a second edition was announced and released in 2025 with rebalanced mechanics, updated artwork, and new content to enhance accessibility while preserving core innovations.

Game overview

Theme and setting

Gloomhaven is set in a gritty, decaying fantasy realm where human expansion has led to the construction of extravagant cities amid ancient ruins, often disturbing long-dormant forces and contributing to societal decline through corruption and rejection of traditional structures. The central hub, the city of Gloomhaven itself, stands as a bustling yet fading metropolis surrounded by perilous areas like the Corpsewood, marked by warring factions, opportunistic bandits, and eldritch threats such as the ominous —a pervasive, death-tied force that embodies the world's darker undercurrents. This environment highlights remnants of ancient technologies and necromantic powers, evoking a sense of inevitable loss and exploration of forgotten secrets. At its core, the narrative premise revolves around players embodying mercenaries who operate on the fringes of , rejecting conventional norms in favor of vicious and personal gain, taking on jobs that propel them through a . These adventurers converge in Gloomhaven to form parties, pursuing individual quests amid branching events that gradually unveil a larger, interconnected story of intrigue, power struggles, and irreversible consequences. The focus on life underscores themes of moral ambiguity, where actions are driven by rather than heroism, leading to choices that emphasize loss, ethical gray areas, and the weight of decisions in a unforgiving landscape. Thematically, Gloomhaven draws from tactical RPG traditions, akin to Dungeons & Dragons-style dungeon crawls, integrated with strategic elements like hand management and efficiency puzzles, creating a hybrid that prioritizes meaningful decisions over random chance. This blend fosters an atmosphere of grim realism, where the persistent campaign progression reveals the city's ongoing decay and the encroaching , without relying on traditional heroic tropes.

Components and setup

The following describes the components of the original 2017 edition. A second edition released in features updated components and rules. Gloomhaven includes an extensive array of components designed to support its campaign-based gameplay, totaling over 1,700 cards and tokens across various categories. The core card types encompass 504 character ability cards, 457 attack modifier cards, 253 item cards, 150 event cards, and 232 monster ability cards, alongside smaller decks such as 24 battle goal cards, 24 personal quest cards, 40 random dungeon cards, and 9 random scenario cards. These are supplemented by 17 unique character miniatures, 240 monster standees with 24 plastic stands, 30 double-sided tiles, and numerous tokens including 46 damage tokens, 60 status tokens, 50 money tokens, 6 wood element discs, 32 summon tokens, 12 objective tokens, 10 scenario aid tokens, and 85 character tokens. Additional elements include 155 double-sided overlay tiles for customization, 47 monster stat sheets, 17 character mats, 4 HP/XP dials, 4 player reference cards, 1 element infusion board, 1 round tracker, 1 board, 1 scenario book, 1 rule book, 1 town records book, 35 character tuck boxes, 3 sealed envelopes containing secret content, and 4 sticker sheets. The game's production features high-detail illustrations by artist Alexandr Elichev, contributing to its immersive fantasy aesthetic across cards, books, and tiles, with durable cardboard components for the mats, boards, and tokens. The box itself measures approximately 41 cm x 29.7 cm x 19 cm, making it one of the largest production board games at its 2017 release and necessitating storage solutions like foam inserts or organizers for efficient component management. To prepare for play, players first initialize the campaign by creating a party sheet entry, naming the group, and setting reputation to 0; each participant then selects an available , such as the Brute or Tinkerer, records details on a including level (starting at 1), experience, and initial gold (15 × (level + 1)), draws two personal quest cards to keep one, and collects the corresponding miniature, , level 1 cards, and tuck . Event decks for and encounters (cards 01-30) are shuffled, and the supply is stocked with basic items 001-014; prosperity begins at level 1 on the town , influencing available items and maximum character levels. For individual scenarios, the setup involves consulting the scenario book to assemble the map by placing the specified double-sided tiles on the map board and adding overlay tiles for features like traps or doors; monsters are positioned according to the scenario's key, with quantities adjusted for party size (e.g., more for four players) using standees for normal and elite variants, and their levels scaled to the scenario's difficulty. Treasures and money tokens are placed in the starting room or as indicated, with players choosing starting hexes marked on the map; each receives two battle goal cards to discard one, equips starting items, and selects an initial hand of ability cards equal to their character's limit, while the envelope system remains sealed until specific achievements unlock them during the campaign. Perk collection starts empty on character sheets, to be filled via checkmarks earned from battle goals (three checkmarks yield one perk card).

Gameplay

Character selection and abilities

In Gloomhaven, players select characters from a roster of 17 distinct classes, each representing a unique with specialized roles in combat and exploration. At the start of a campaign, only six classes are available: the Brute, a durable fighter; the Tinkerer, an inventive gadgeteer; the Spellweaver, a fragile spellcaster; the Scoundrel, a stealthy rogue; the Cragheart, an earth-manipulating summoner; and the Mindthief, a rat-like assassin. These starting classes provide diverse playstyles, from tanking damage to dealing area effects, ensuring balanced party composition since only one instance of each class can be active per . Additional classes, such as the Sun or the Two-Mini, are unlocked progressively through achievements and the completion of personal quests, expanding tactical options as the campaign advances. The second edition (2025) features rebalanced classes while preserving these core unlocking mechanics. Each class is defined by a personalized deck of 20 ability cards, which form the core of character actions and decision-making. These cards depict a variety of maneuvers, including attacks, movements, heals, and special effects like stunning enemies or summoning allies, tailored to the class's theme—for instance, the Brute's cards emphasize close-range brawling with high-damage strikes. During a turn, a player draws from their deck and selects two cards to play simultaneously: the top half of one card provides the primary action, while the bottom half of the other serves as a secondary effect, allowing flexible combinations such as pairing a movement with an attack. Initiative order is determined by the number on the leading card, with lower values acting first to enable strategic positioning. A key mechanic is card loss, where certain abilities mark a card as "lost," permanently removing it from the active deck to a discard pile until recovered, simulating character and forcing players to manage their deck's efficiency over long scenarios. Character development occurs through experience points (XP) and gold earned from scenarios, which fund leveling and enhancements. Upon accumulating sufficient XP—such as 45 for level 2—a character levels up in town, replacing a basic card with a more powerful one from their class's higher-level options and selecting a perk to refine the deck. There are 20 unique perks per class, focusing on probabilistic improvements like removing two weak cards or adding beneficial modifiers (e.g., extra attack boosts), earned one per level or via battle goal completions. The second edition removes limits on card enhancements, allowing unlimited applications from the shared pool. Personal quests, assigned randomly at character creation and chosen from two options, guide individual progression with narrative-driven objectives like completing specific scenario types, influencing party decisions and culminating in retirement. Retirement, triggered by quest completion, retires the character, returns equipped items to the shared pool, increases city prosperity, and unlocks a new class while granting the player an additional perk for future characters. This system encourages replayability, as retired characters' legacies persist through global achievements and enhanced starting conditions for successors.

Combat and scenarios

Combat in Gloomhaven revolves around a tactical, turn-based system conducted on a hexagonal grid, emphasizing positioning, , and strategic decision-making. Each round begins with players and monsters revealing cards to determine initiative order, with the lowest initiative value acting first; players select two ability cards simultaneously but reveal them after all choices are made, while monsters draw from predefined decks. Players then perform one top action and one bottom action from their chosen cards—in any order—which may include moving up to a specified number of hexes (potentially jumping over obstacles), attacking a target within range for base damage (modifiable by pierce, crush, or other effects), hit points to themselves or allies, nearby items, or summoning creatures. Monsters follow a deterministic AI system to simulate intelligent behavior without player control: each monster type has a dedicated ability deck that dictates its actions (e.g., "Move 3, Attack 2"), drawn in sequence during their activation. The AI prioritizes targeting the closest enemy measured by the shortest path in hexes, breaking ties by the enemy's lowest initiative; monsters move to a position that allows the most effective attack, such as maintaining distance for ranged abilities to avoid disadvantage (which forces drawing the worse of two modifier cards). Monster difficulty scales with the scenario level, increasing their health, damage, and movement, while elite versions receive further enhancements like additional hit points. Attacks and abilities interact with a line-of-sight mechanic, blocked by obstacles or figures, and can infuse or consume one of six elements (fire, ice, air, earth, light, dark), which persist across rounds in waning strength until inert, enabling bonuses like increased attack power when matching an element. Status effects, such as stun (skipping a turn), immobilize (preventing movement), or poison (ongoing damage), add layers of control and are applied via tokens with defined durations. The second edition clarifies rules like shield application before ward and allows skipping targets in certain AoE attacks. Scenarios form the core of gameplay, comprising 101 modular encounters detailed in a dedicated , constructed from 17 tiles and numerous overlay pieces to create varied dungeon layouts, ruins, or outdoor environments. Each outlines specific setup instructions, including monster placements (adjusted for player count, with elites replacing normals in higher difficulties), initial conditions like locked doors or traps, and victory objectives such as eliminating all enemies, defeating a boss, retrieving an item, or solving environmental puzzles like activating plates. Hazards like pits or barriers require tactical navigation, and special rules may introduce spawning points for reinforcements or unique events, fostering replayability through branching outcomes. Upon completion, players calculate rewards including (typically 4 plus 2 per level) and gold for a subsequent loot phase, where they draw from shared decks to acquire enhancements. In the second edition, enemy summons and spawns now drop coins upon defeat.

Campaign progression

The campaign in Gloomhaven is structured around 101 interconnected scenarios that form a branching story, tracked on a modular board depicting locations around the central hub of Gloomhaven. Players select scenarios as jobs based on their characters' personal quests, progressing by placing stickers on the to mark completions and unlock new paths, while global achievements—earned through scenario rewards—reveal additional content and story branches. This setup creates a persistent that evolves over multiple sessions, with the serving as a hub for preparation and events. The second edition introduces a new faction-based reputation system and expands battle goals to 60, enhancing strategic party decisions. Legacy features introduce permanent changes to the game world, such as increases in city prosperity gained from scenario successes and events, which unlock higher-quality items, enhancements, and character starting levels at shops. Random city events (drawn when returning to Gloomhaven) and road events (drawn during travel between locations) provide narrative choices that affect , , conditions, and story progression, with event decks expanding over time through character retirements. Personal quests tied to individual characters further influence the campaign by driving retirements, which add custom event cards to the decks and boost prosperity. Party management occurs via a shared party sheet that tracks collective resources like , (ranging from -20 to 20), and enhancement checklists for cards, ensuring continuity across sessions even as characters change. The second edition revises the campaign sheet and allows unlimited enhancements. Retirements, triggered upon completing a character's personal quest, grant global perks such as prosperity increases and the opening of sealed envelopes or boxes at specific milestones, revealing new character classes and major story elements. These tie the party's actions to lasting world alterations, enhancing replayability. The endgame resolves major plot arcs through accumulated achievements and envelope unlocks, leading to climactic scenarios without a fixed endpoint, allowing players to conclude the campaign at natural story breaks. Randomization in event draws and branching choices supports multiple playthroughs, where players can retire all starting characters and explore remaining content in casual mode or start a new campaign with persistent prosperity and unlocks intact. The second edition adds over 120 new non-scenario sections and an optional difficulty mechanic for varied replay.

Development and release

Design and crowdfunding

Gloomhaven was designed by Isaac Childres, who began conceptualizing the game in 2013 while completing his first project, Forge War, drawing inspiration from classic role-playing games like and video game dungeon crawlers such as Diablo. As a physics Ph.D. holder from , Childres sought to craft a cooperative tactical combat experience that captured RPG immersion without requiring a game master or excessive randomness. He conducted extensive playtesting starting in early prototypes, often using borrowed components from other games like , refining mechanics with a small group of friends in before expanding to broader feedback. The game's campaign launched on on September 2, 2015, and ran until September 30, seeking funds to produce its expansive set of components, including over 1,700 cards, 17 map tiles, 155 overlay tiles, and numerous standees. It successfully raised $386,104 from 4,904 backers, surpassing the initial goal and enabling full production of the core game's 95 scenarios and persistent campaign elements. Childres' design philosophy centered on blending the strategic efficiency of Eurogames with the narrative depth and character progression of RPGs, prioritizing replayability through unlockable content and player-driven choices in a referee-free format. To streamline gameplay and reduce downtime in group sessions, he iterated on a card-based initiative system where players select two cards per turn—one for initiative order and one for actions—allowing simultaneous planning while maintaining tactical flow without traditional dice rolls. Key challenges included balancing the 17 unique character classes, each with evolving ability decks, against more than 50 monster types featuring AI-driven behavior decks to simulate intelligent opposition. Childres also focused on modular scenario design, using overlay tiles and branching narratives to support longevity and emergent across dozens of sessions, ensuring the game felt like a living world without overwhelming setup complexity.

Original release and editions

Gloomhaven was published by Cephalofair Games in 2017 following its successful campaign, though production delays pushed full fulfillment into late 2017 for backers. Retail availability expanded in early 2018, with the second printing reaching stores on January 19, marking broader distribution beyond supporters. By 2023, the game had sold over 500,000 copies worldwide, establishing it as one of the best-selling board games of its era. The first edition garnered praise for its depth but faced criticism for rule complexities and some unbalanced elements, such as certain character classes overpowering specific scenarios or player counts like two-player parties. These issues prompted the release of an official by Cephalofair Games to clarify ambiguities in mechanics, scenario setups, and ability interactions. In June 2023, Cephalofair Games announced Gloomhaven: Second Edition, a comprehensive revision aimed at addressing longstanding feedback while preserving the core experience. The updated edition began fulfillment in late 2025 after production hurdles, including tariff-related delays, featuring rebalanced designs for all 17 mercenary classes with quality-of-life improvements like adjusted multi-target ability costs to enhance tactical flow. It also includes fixed scenarios to resolve inconsistencies, two new monster types—Chaos Demons and Crystal Rot—for added variety in encounters, refreshed map tiles with improved connectivity, and refined items and enhancements to better integrate with class abilities. To support owners of the first edition, Cephalofair offered upgrade kits, including a Class Upgrade Pack priced at $75, which provides revised cards and components to align existing sets with second edition standards without requiring a full game reprint.

Forgotten Circles

Gloomhaven: Forgotten Circles is the first expansion to the base Gloomhaven game, released in May 2019 following previews at SPIEL '18. Unlike the original game's crowdfunding, it was distributed through direct pre-sales by publisher Cephalofair Games, with initial production files sent to printers in August 2018. The expansion introduces 20 new scenarios set after the core campaign's events, along with a new playable character class known as the Aesther Diviner—represented by a music note symbol—who specializes in time and space manipulation abilities, such as creating rifts to reposition allies and enemies. It also adds seven new monster types, including three elite bosses, and various new items to expand combat options. The content integrates seamlessly as an epilogue to the base game's campaign, requiring players to complete the original story before starting, though it supports custom timelines if the core narrative has been altered through mergers or swaps. Central to its structure is a circle-based mechanic, where time rifts enable alterations to past events, fostering alternate timelines and branching narratives that revisit and reshape elements from the core campaign without necessitating full replays. This system introduces dynamic scenario layouts, often resembling "" formats with scattered sections in the scenario book, allowing for non-linear progression influenced by player choices. Innovations include an expanded envelope system for revealing timeline-specific secrets, which builds on the base game's legacy by unlocking hidden story layers and alternate endings tied to interactions, enhancing depth without overwhelming the core experience. The Diviner class further innovates support playstyles, using foresight and spatial control to manage battlefield hazards and enemy movements in complex ways. A second edition was released in April 2024, featuring updates for compatibility with the second edition of Gloomhaven, including rebalanced . Reception has been generally positive among dedicated players for its story extension and mechanical ambition, praised for delivering 20-30 additional hours of challenging content without excessive bloat, though some critics note its high difficulty and experimental elements may alienate newcomers.

Jaws of the Lion

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a standalone tactical combat published by Cephalofair Games in the third quarter of 2020. Designed by Childres as an accessible entry point to the Gloomhaven , it features a contained campaign with 25 scenarios set in a bandit-infested outpost known as the Sleeping Lion, emphasizing streamlined rules for newcomers while requiring less setup and storage space than the original game. The game's smaller box size and simplified mechanics aim to lower the barrier to entry, allowing players to experience core tactical elements without the full commitment of the larger campaign. The game includes four preset character classes, each with predefined starting abilities and : the Valrath Red Guard, a frontline defender focused on shielding allies; the Inox , a versatile melee fighter with throwing axe capabilities; the Quatryl Demolitionist, an explosive melee specialist using gadgets for area control; and the Voidwarden, a support-oriented manipulator of enemy minds and battlefield elements. Components are optimized for efficiency, featuring 46 double-sided map overlay tiles, 4 plastic character miniatures, 111 cardboard monster standees, 248 cards (including ability decks, event cards, and an attack modifier deck), 155 , a book, and a rulebook, all supporting 1-4 players in cooperative play. The attack modifier deck is used by players; curse modifier cards added to a player's attack modifier deck when cursed are -1 attack modifier cards that apply only a -1 effect when drawn and do not include additional conditions such as stun, poison, wound, or immobilize. Unlike the original Gloomhaven, monsters in Jaws of the Lion do not use attack modifier decks, so cursing monsters has no effect. This streamlined set prioritizes essential elements like basic monster types and terrain, focusing on narrative-driven without expansive overlays or numerous add-ons. Unique to Jaws of the Lion are its five progressive tutorial scenarios, which introduce mechanics incrementally—starting with basic movement and attacks, then layering in elements like obstacles, summons, and card exhaustion—before transitioning to the full 20-scenario campaign. While lacking the original's unlocking system for content, it incorporates key Gloomhaven features such as permanent card loss from exhaustion, random city and road events for storytelling, and experience-based leveling, all within a self-contained about the group "Jaws of the Lion." The game bridges to the main Gloomhaven through shared lore and optional crossover rules, enabling players to import leveled characters and items into the core campaign for continued play.

Frosthaven

Frosthaven is a standalone to Gloomhaven, released in 2022 by Cephalofair Games following a highly successful campaign launched on March 31, 2020, which raised $12.9 million and became the most funded project in history at the time. The game is set in a harsh northern outpost on the eastern continent, far from the original Gloomhaven's southern setting, where players control a group of mercenaries tasked with surviving environmental threats and building a new settlement from wilderness. It features a massive scope with 138 scenarios forming a branching campaign, 17 new character classes, over 100 items, and more than 20 new enemies, all contained in a box weighing over 30 pounds with more than 5,000 components including cards, tiles, miniatures, and tokens. The game's core involves hybrid combat and exploration mechanics integrated into scenarios that blend tactical battles with resource gathering and outside of combat. A key innovation is the town-building system, where players vote on outpost upgrades, construct buildings through retirement rewards and resources, and manage seasonal events that affect the settlement's growth and defenses. This includes crafting items from gathered loot, enhancing buildings for long-term benefits like better equipment or ally support, and handling town attacks that require strategic preparation. Post-campaign, players can continue managing the town, pursuing additional achievements and upgrades beyond the main story arc. While fully standalone, Frosthaven connects to Gloomhaven through a , allowing import of certain characters, items, and achievements for continuity, though it emphasizes a larger scale with persistent world exploration and base-building strategy that extends player agency beyond mercenary-focused gameplay. The design prioritizes long-term strategy, with mechanics like customizable loot decks and event cycles adding depth to survival and community development in a darker, more isolated narrative.

Digital adaptation

Development and platforms

The digital adaptation of Gloomhaven was announced at 2018 by publisher Digital, with development led by Flaming Fowl Studios, a team of former developers known for their work on . The project aimed to create a faithful digital of the game's complex tactical RPG mechanics, including turn-based combat, character progression, and scenario-based campaigns, while introducing digital-exclusive features like AI-controlled monsters and automated event resolution to streamline setup and tracking. Development challenges centered on accurately replicating the board game's intricate ruleset, such as ability card synergies and initiative systems, alongside implementing intelligent AI behaviors for enemy actions and random events to maintain strategic depth without manual intervention. Following the full release, maintenance shifted to and Twin Sails Interactive, resulting in fewer major updates but ongoing minor patches as of 2025. The game entered early access on Steam on July 17, 2019, allowing players to experience initial scenarios and core mechanics, followed by iterative updates adding content like the full campaign mode and online co-op. Full release occurred on October 20, 2021, for PC via Steam and GOG, incorporating the complete adaptation of the original tabletop core game. Subsequent DLC expansions included Jaws of the Lion on May 17, 2022, which added 25 new scenarios and four playable characters integrable with the main campaign, and Solo Scenarios: Mercenary Challenges on September 22, 2022, featuring 17 character-specific challenges for single-player play. These DLCs were developed in collaboration with Cephalofair Games to ensure compatibility and balance adjustments for digital play. In 2023, handled the console port, releasing the game on September 18 for , , , Xbox Series X/S, and , published by Twin Sails Interactive. Cross-save functionality enables progress syncing across PC and console platforms, though native mobile support remains limited to streaming services like rather than dedicated or Android ports. The digital version launched without , relying on publisher funding from Digital for initial PC development, with DLC integrated to expand on expansions. The digital version has not been updated for full compatibility with Gloomhaven's Second Edition (2025), which includes major revisions such as rebalanced classes, items, and scenarios, though it incorporates some errata and balance changes from earlier printings. Ongoing patches address minor issues as of November 2025.

Features and differences from tabletop

The digital of Gloomhaven automates many aspects of the experience to streamline , particularly for solo and co-op sessions. Map generation occurs automatically based on requirements, eliminating the need for manual tile placement and setup, which typically takes 30 minutes or more in the physical game. Initiative tracking, character statuses, and monster behaviors are handled by the , with AI controlling enemy actions according to the original rules but optimized for digital pacing to prevent overly long turns. Save states are automatically maintained across sessions, allowing players to pause lengthy campaigns without losing progress, a feature not feasible in the physical version without external tracking tools. Enhancements in the digital version focus on user interface improvements and quality-of-life features that enhance and replayability. Card browsing is facilitated through an intuitive deck viewer, enabling quick access to abilities, perks, and enhancements without shuffling physical components. For solo play, AI companions manage additional members, simulating multi-character control while automating monster AI to mimic group dynamics. Mod support via Workshop allows community-created content, such as custom scenarios, while visual tutorials provide guided walkthroughs for new players, integrated directly into the campaign. Quality-of-life options include adjustable difficulty levels and the ability to restart turns (though full action undos are limited to prevent exploitation), along with house rules for persistent enhancements and reworked mechanics. Controller support is available across platforms, making it more for console players, though it lacks the tactile social interactions of the , such as shared component handling. Differences from the tabletop version are primarily minor rule tweaks for digital balance and implementation, ensuring fidelity while adapting to the medium. Monster AI is slightly adjusted for smoother digital flow, such as resolving ambiguous draws in favor of the first card, differing from the physical game's player choice in certain cases. Item effects like stamina potions are nerfed to match later printings (recovering only one card from discard for minor versions), and armor has altered timing and uses (two charges, activated before modifiers). Physical surprises are replaced by digital reveals during progression, maintaining narrative tension without manual management. Hybrid play is supported through companion apps like Gloomhaven Helper, which can track physical campaigns and sync progress for mixed sessions, though full integration is unofficial. The Jaws of the Lion DLC integrates 25 new s with professional for immersive , four unique mercenaries, ten types, and additional items, expanding the undercity narrative beyond the core game's scope. The Frosthaven digital adaptation, released in early access on July 31, 2025, builds on these features with further enhancements, including a full action system for mid-battle corrections and NVIDIA cloud support for seamless play. It retains core automations but introduces new heroes and storylines in phased updates, while preserving the lack of physical social elements inherent to the digital format.

Reception

Critical response

Gloomhaven has garnered widespread critical acclaim, consistently ranking among the highest-rated board games on with an average user score of 8.6 out of 10 based on over 65,000 ratings. The game's innovative legacy mechanics, which integrate persistent world-building and character progression across dozens of scenarios, have been lauded for providing exceptional depth and replayability, setting a new standard for tactical dungeon crawlers. Commercial success has further underscored its impact, with over 500,000 copies sold by 2023, making it one of the top-selling modern board games and a benchmark for crowdfunding-driven titles in the industry. Reviewers have praised the tactical richness of its card-driven , which emphasizes strategic decision-making over randomness, alongside an immersive narrative that unfolds through player choices and environmental changes. Publications like have highlighted the game's accessibility despite its complexity, noting how integrated tutorials in adaptations help mitigate the initial overwhelm while preserving the core experience. Critics have also pointed to notable drawbacks, including a steep that can deter casual players and setup times often exceeding two hours for first-time sessions due to the volume of components and rules. Initial print runs suffered from component quality issues, such as warped tiles and inconsistent miniature molding, which frustrated early adopters. The Second Edition, released in 2025, responds to balance concerns by reworking overpowered character classes, adjusting item potency, and refining scenario difficulty to create a more equitable and streamlined experience. As of November 2025, early reviews of the Second Edition have been generally positive, praising the rebalanced mechanics, updated artwork, and improved components, though some fans note changes to the original experience; it holds an average rating of 7.9 out of 10 on based on over 400 ratings. Beyond sales and reviews, Gloomhaven has profoundly influenced the tactical landscape, popularizing long-form legacy campaigns and hybrid analog-digital experiences that blend narrative depth with modular combat. Its success has spurred community-driven content, including fan-made mods for expanded scenarios and custom characters available through dedicated forums, alongside organized play initiatives like local leagues and convention events that extend its .

Awards and recognition

Gloomhaven received widespread acclaim shortly after its release, sweeping the 2017 Golden Geek Awards organized by BoardGameGeek with wins in Best Strategy Game, Best Cooperative Game, Most Innovative Board Game, and Game of the Year. These awards highlighted the game's innovative blend of tactical combat, legacy elements, and cooperative gameplay, marking it as a standout in the board gaming community. The game's recognition extended into 2018 with the Origins Award for Best Board Game of the Year, further cementing its status as a premier legacy . Expansions and related titles in the Gloomhaven series continued this success. Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion won the 2020 Golden Geek Award for Best Cooperative Game, praised for its accessible entry point into the series' mechanics while retaining core tactical elements. Frosthaven, the sequel, was recommended in the Complex Games category at the 2023 American Tabletop Awards, reflecting its ambitious expansion of the persistent world and seasonal survival mechanics. The broader Gloomhaven family has garnered multiple nominations for the Kennerspiel des Jahres, Germany's expert-level Game of the Year award, including a recommendation list placement for Jaws of the Lion in 2021, which recognized its strategic depth suitable for experienced players. Reviews of the Gloomhaven Second Edition, released in 2025, have noted continued acclaim for its refinements to component quality and rule clarity, building on the original's legacy. Key milestones include Gloomhaven becoming the first to top BoardGameGeek's overall rankings for several consecutive years starting in 2017, a position it held due to its high replayability and .

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