Gloomhaven
- Players
- 1-4
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 3 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 120 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 14+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 3.9 / 5
- Year
- 2017
About the game
Gloomhaven is a sprawling cooperative dungeon-crawler set in a persistent, evolving world. Players take on wandering adventurers who battle monsters using an innovative hand-management combat system, where each card played determines both initiative and available actions. Choices made after each scenario shape an ever-branching campaign story. It is designed to be played across dozens of sessions as characters retire and new ones take their place.
Hobbli's Notes
Gloomhaven is a genre-defining achievement, praised for its inventive card-driven combat that eliminates dice while keeping tactics tense and unpredictable. The scale of content, from scenarios to items to character classes, is staggering, and the branching narrative gives every group its own version of the story. The tradeoff is a large box, long setup, and a rules density that can be intimidating at first.
What we like
- Innovative card-based combat and initiative system with no dice.
- Deep, evolving campaign with meaningful, permanent choices.
- Huge amount of content offering exceptional replayability.
- Hidden hand management avoids a single player quarterbacking the team.
Keep in mind
- Heavy setup and teardown with a large number of components.
- Steep learning curve for new players.
- Long playtime that demands sustained group commitment.
Who it's for
Dedicated groups of 2 to 4 committed to a long-running fantasy campaign, ages 14 and up, ideal for tactical strategy gamers with patience for rules overhead.
Mechanics
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