Gloomhaven isn’t just a board game – it’s a lifestyle choice. Once you open that 20lbs box, you’re committing to a sprawling saga of tactical combat, moral decisions, and an evolving world that reacts to your every victory and your every mistake. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for those willing to dive in, it’s an unforgettable experience.
Publisher: Cephalofair Games
Designer: Isaac Childres
Players: 1-4
Playtime: 30-120 minutes per scenario
Genre: Tactical dungeon-crawler, Campaign Legacy
Release: 2017
Overview
Gloomhaven is a cooperative dungeon-crawler where players control mercenaries completing tactical missions across an evolving world map. Every scenario unfolds through card-driven combat: two cards per turn, one for initiative, then the top ability from one and the bottom from the other.
Each decision matters – cards double as your health, so every used/burned card brings you closer to exhaustion. Players gain gear, upgrade abilities, unlock new characters, and permanently alter the world map as the campaign progresses.
Mechanics & Flow
The beauty of Gloomhaven lies in its hand-management system. Unlike dice-based crawlers, success depends on smart card play and timing. It rewards planning, coordination, and a heavy emphasis on risk management.
The pacing evolves from tense learning sessions to fluid tactical movements once players understand their mercenaries and how they interact. Different player counts drastically alter strategy, the enemies increase and upgrade with each additional player. Solo runs can be challenging, (running as a warrior with no healer), while four-player parties turn into chaotic rampages through dungeons.
Theme & Components
From the moment you lift the lid, the game’s scale is staggering: hundreds of cards, tokens, minis, envelopes, sealed mysteries, and pounds of map pieces. The art and world-building feel gritty and grounded, stunning yet more dark fantasy than high adventure due to it’s grim theme and moral ambiguity.
Check out https://www.theouterhaven.net/the-witcher-old-world-review-become-a-witcher-to-hunt-monsters-in-the-old-world/ for another dark take on story driven gameplay.
In Gloomhaven do have to build each scenario from the map pieces, traps and more, so setup can take some time, but the dungeon you build is just as gorgeous as it is dangerous. Something for me that always adds to the theme is metal coins, I always recommend getting them.
The box insert is serviceable but tight; many players upgrade with organizers or apps to speed up setup. The tactile weight of the components sells the adventure – every scenario feels like a small campaign of its own and is made very well, like it could last at least a couple rounds with a Cragheart.
The expansion/stand-alone, Jaws of the Lion, is a great box of new mercenaries, new scenarios, new monsters, but most importantly a learn as you play guide.
Ease of learning/Accessibility
Let’s be honest – Gloomhaven’s learning curve is steep. The rulebook is a small novel, and your first few games will feel like crawling through quicksand. But once the mechanics click, the system reveals how brilliant it is.
The game rewards those who love deep strategy (card management) and long-term campaigns. However for families or casual gamers, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a perfect starter with tutorial scenarios and a simplified setup.
The Table Experience
No other game captures the feeling of teamwork under pressure quite like this. Every round is tense: will the Brute hold the line while the Mindthief sneaks behind enemy ranks?
Every moment is a lasting memory – a desperate final strike that saves the party, a badly timed initiative that ruins a perfect plan, or the thrill of unlocking a new class after 40 hours of play.
Win or lose, the campaign’s choices will stay with you, written down or on the board, making your version of Gloomhaven truly yours.
If you would like to purchase it you can here https://cephalofair.com/collections/gloomhaven/products/gloomhaven-2nd-edition-preorder
For a similar game, I recommend Frosthaven or Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood
Stay tuned for Frosthaven – my upcoming review exploring how Cephalofair’s sequel evolves the legacy of one of the greatest dungeon crawlers ever made.
Summary
Gloomhaven isn’t just a game; it’s a monumental achievement in tabletop design. It delivers tactical brilliance, deep world-building, and near-endless replayability.
It’s demanding, heavy, and often overwhelming – but for those who stick with it, it’s the gold standard of modern board gaming.
Pros
- Deep rewarding tacticle comabt
- Immersive campaign and character growth, even after retiring current characters and unlocking new ones
- Massive replayability
Cons
- Long setup and teardown, like 20lbs of game should be
- Overwhelming for new players
- Requires a heavy time commitment, 150-200+ hours for the full campaign
